Grazie Roma! Arrivederci, Italia!

The last few days in Italy were a whirlwind. I was certainly travel-weary and ready to head home to see my babies and use my own saddle. Riding back from Villasimius wasn't nearly as difficult as I had imagined with my luggage but with the heat and the hills, it still kicked my butt. Ending the ride in Cagliari had its own issues, too. I wasn't prepared for the onslaught of cars and traffic, one-way streets, and my lack of directional skills. By the time I finally found Ichnusa Bikes again, I was more than ready to dump Ol' Orangy and crash at my hostel. 

Starting the day with hills.

It's okay to laugh. The roadies certainly were. It was hot!

A view you will never see from your car.

So happy to be on the non-cliff side.

Bonney, this made me think of you!

Quick bench nap at the beach.

At first, I thought this was a shrike. Can you confirm, Kerry?

At the hostel, a guy rolled up with a fully loaded bike. I was super jealous and finally asked him where he had been. Turns out, Jason had just ridden through Sardinia for the last 10 days and was heading to Rome via ferry that evening, eventually making his way back to Switzerland for work. What a life! He travels all over the place, only restricted by his resolve to only travel on the ground (no planes for him). He has been to so many amazing places. You can read more about his adventures here. 

Hi, Jason! Sorry for the blurry photo.

I tried to get to bed early but in a six-person dorm, it's not very possible. After a rough night's sleep, I was out the door at 5am to catch my Ryan Air flight to Rome. Ryan Air is a crazy cheap airline with a cattle-call type feel. Again, bare bones travel. After the flight, having not slept much, not eaten well, and feeling totally overwhelmed, I grumpily headed over to my bed and breakfast. I promptly got lost. The 20 minute walk turned into an hour long trek up a hill (three times, no less) that I didn't have to go up. Once I finally arrived, my host demanded that I see the Vatican and I "must go now!" I bought my ticket and headed right back over when all I really wanted to do was nap. 

This is what I felt like (and probably looked like).

These cuties reminded me of my wee ones.

Rome is such a dump. They let everything get all ruined.

One of the many public water fountains with clean, constant, potable, fresh water. This one had the water coming out of her breasts. It made me laugh. Yes, I have the mind of a10-year-old.

The pedicab driver was smoking a cigar. I thought that was funny, too.

After a stop to the Sistine Chapel cafe, and some amazing Vatican art (except for the giant tapestries depicting the Slaughter Of The Innocents), I was really glad I had gone. I was reenergized and ready to head across the city and eventually make my way to the Colosseum where I was going to meet the tour guide for The Red Bicycle. 

Since I only had two days in Rome, I didn't know my way around, and many people warned me about the crazy driving, I had decided to book a guided bike tour instead of fumbling around on my own. I connected with Glenn, owner of The Red Bicycle, and he helped me choose the evening tour and the all-day Rome tour. Since I was rushed getting to the Colosseum metro bike rack (where the tour groups meet), I was happy that I hadn't overbooked myself, even though I had wanted to do all the trips they offered. Andrew and Hannah happened to be in Rome the day I arrived and decided to join me for the evening trip. After meeting Glenn at the bike rack, I was disappointed to learn he wasn't going to be guiding us. i had wanted to pick his brain about starting a bike touring business but since he's been swamped with work and has a wee little one at home, I understood that he needed to delegate as much as he could. We got our bikes ready and rode off with Victor around Rome. 

Despite a few Dynamo light issues, the trip was fantastic! I would have been too nervous riding around on my own but Victor led the way safely, stopping regularly to explain the history and artifacts as we went along. The trip was about two hours long and we managed to see more in that amount of time then the whole five hours I had spent wandering around on my own. The city was beautiful at night and we were able to check out the view at a few different vistas. We also got a chance to ride part of the bike path along the riverbank. It was just the perfect way to end my otherwise hectic day. 

Everything is better at night and by bicycle.

Hi, Hannah!

Victor explaining something awesome, probably about giant rats. Andrew is impressed.

Again, beautiful!

Trevi Fountain--water is life!

The next day, I set off early to catch the bus for the all-day Rome adventure. I was really thrilled to find out that Glenn would actually be leading our trip. We were joined by a lovely young couple on their honeymoon. I was happy that they had some real questions about the history and ruins of Rome because I probably would have taken up the whole time asking bike questions. 

First, we rode along the Appian Way, even on a few sections of the original stone pathways! We headed out to the countryside, through some quiet parks, and over to the ancient aqueducts, learning about it all as we rode. We got a chance to tour the first Catacombs and ate a picnic lunch Glenn had packed, full of local and seasonal foods. Glenn knew about the best spots to checkout, away from the hoards of tourists, like the natural mineral springs were we filled up our bottles and picked up some local wine for the picnic. 

The second half of the tour was the city sights. I had been worried that this would overlap the evening tour's spots, but that wasn't the case. Between the historical stops, we also had some time for local goodies. I would have missed all this new knowledge and the yummy deliciousness had I not been kindly led there by The Red Bicycle. It was the perfect balance for the short amount of time I had. 

Romans take their public transportation seriously.

Heading out to the Appian Way.

Quiet roads and ancient ruins (replicas, of course).

Glenn explaining something awesome, not about giant rats. Adam is impressed.

Aqueducts. Amazing.

Rush hour.

Functional bikes. I've never loved suspension more than on the Roman cobblestone roads.

Biking buddies!

Glenn, the awesome tour guide.

By the end of the two weeks, I was so ready to come home. My amazing friend, Bekah-the-flight-attendant, managed to help me fly home on standby (magically, as each leg looked full but somehow managed to squeeze me on). It was a harrowing experience, not knowing where or when I would be getting home but after 26 hours of travel, I was back. I didn't get a chance to ride a bike that day and I'm okay with that. So far, I've missed two days of my 365-day challenge but I've managed to pack in so many new experiences, I'm not concerned. Seeing a new place by bike is truly the best way to go and if you are unsure about managing on your own, find an awesome local guide to lead you. It really is worth every Euro! 

Amazingly, one of my flights home was in business class. However, I would have taken the overhead bin if that was all they offered me.

Just a final note (if you've made it this far). One aspect of riding in new cities/countries that I gained was my newfound appreciation of our biking infrastructure in Sacramento. In these cities, London, Caligari, Villasimius, and Rome, I was shocked by the lack of delegated bike-space on the roads. Even in London, where they have made the effort to create a bike-able system, the lanes felt cramped and lead nowhere. Everything was a haphazard second thought, nothing like the clearly marked routes that we have (and even what we have is nowhere near the infrastructure needed). I'm sure that if I was in the know, I would have found more than I saw, but the fact that it was so difficult to access surprised me. I realized that bikes are often treated as a road nuisance, even internationally. The global biking community really needs some attention and love. I was saddened by the two ghost bikes I saw (in London and Rome) but they are a necessary reminder that bikers are vulnerable users of the road and need special consideration. Sacramento has our own ghost bikes, too. It's not about getting angry or scared but getting more people on bikes. Understanding what it is like to be on a bike makes drivers more aware and compassionate. 

In recent news, California Governor Jerry Brown has vetoed our three-foot passing law, SB 1464. A shocking move that has no plausible explanation. Instead of helping drivers become more responsible for their actions and role in cyclists' safety, this once again proves that we are second-class citizens on the road. I have just sent my message to Gov. Brown stating my disappointment in his choosing the liability of drivers over the safety of cyclists. It is not enough that we have to deal with the contempt of drivers who don't like to share "their" space, we also have to deal with politicians who make it legal to put us at greater risk.