Sunday, May 17, 2009

Another Sunday, Another Marcia Podistica


View down into the valley from marcia route.


Display of classic cars and scooters near partenza.



Heading towards the refreshment stop.

This morning Dom slept in while Mary Caselli and I went to this morning’s marcia podistica. We met in Valdottavo and headed up the Serchio Valley. It was another beautiful day and even at 7 am it was quite warm.

We both had looked at the map so thought we knew where we were going, the town of Tereglio. We did, sort of. As we got close to where we thought the turn up into the hills should be we were surprised not to see more traffic. We tried one road and then decided it must not be right. So we went a little further up the valley. Not too much further we decided we had gone to far and turned around. I spotted a uniformed (e.g. dressed in what looked to be a marcia podistica group track suit) gentleman turn up the first road we had tried so we followed him. He seemed to know where he was going, barreling up the narrow lane. Then suddenly he stopped at a wide spot. We pulled along side his car and asked if he was going to Tereglio. He nodded and took off again. Mary and I were totally flummoxed as to whether or not he knew where he was going but we started to go after him. Just then I saw a sign indicating we were on the road to a B&B in Tereglio. Yeah!

Not much further on, we saw parked cars along the side of the road. We parked behind the guy we had been following and started hiking up the road. It must have been a good half kilometer to the partenza (start), all uphill, so we arrived already warmed up and a bit out of breath. After paying our €2 entry feel, Mary and I trekked through the five kilometer route in short order. The walk itself was downhill first and then uphill. Tereglio is an old town perched on the edge of a ridge. However, it looked like most of the houses were occupied and it was all clean and tidy. Often there was a wonderful view out across the wooded hills and valleys. At one point we passed a HUGE derelict villa. It was big enough to be renovated into a hotel but it really is in the back of beyond.

When we finished we nibbled on some aged pecorino in olive oil (interesting combination), a little cold tea, cookies and bread and olive oil. The premi (prizes) were the classic can of tomatoes, a bag of pasta and a small box of milk. Erina gave me a receipt and cards for the memberships we paid for last week. We are now officially part of Gruppo Sportivo di Partigliano!

I spent the afternoon baking and fixing farro salad for tomorrow’s lunch. Late in the afternoon Dom and I went out and traced part of the route for Friday’s Giro d’Italia stage. We are going to try and go see the cyclists ride by and we were trying to figure out where to station ourselves. It was still so warm when we got back that we ate our dinner (cold salmon salad and focaccia) on the patio. A little buggy but a citronella candle kept the worst of them at bay.

We have guests coming tomorrow so who knows how often I will get posts made for the next ten days.

No comments:

Page copy protected against web site content infringement by Copyscape