If you were following the spot locations in the past week I'll explain. Katie and I biked to Santa Margahreta, then took a train down to the Cinco Terre area where we spent a couple of days, mostly traveling on the trains. Then we took a train back to Genoa where we boxed up Katie's bike and spent a couple more days. Finally we took a train to Ventimiglia. The next morning Katie went to Nice to fly home and I took the train back to Santa Margahreta then biked a little ways into the mountains.
The trains, by the way, are difficult and confusing. The stations are not signed very well and there is no announcement to tell you where you are at. We missed one stop because of this. The trains themselves are not identified either so it is difficult to tell what train you are getting good on, once on the train people run to the door asking what train you are on and where it is going. The train staff like to hide out during this time to avoid any questions. Some trains allow bikes and some don't, it is not made clear when purchasing a ticket which is which. Some of the trains that allow bikes don't actually have a place for them so they are left at the car entrance and in the way. The worst part is that once you buy a ticket you must go to a different machine to verify it. At some stations this is not made clear by any person or sign. Once on the train some conductors will not care if you stamped your ticket and not explain that you have to, other conductors will give you a €50 fine on a €2 ticket, even though you are obviously a tourist that doesn't know what verifying a ticket even means! Lastly, no where is the train system handicap accessible. Making it difficult for bikes too. Getting to the train requires 2 flights of stairs at every station and then the platforms are always a foot or more below the train door.
So Katie has gone home and I have gone on. She taught me many things on this trip. How to tie your shoe better, which gelato is the best, vegetables can be part of a bike trip diet too, always have a dessert packed in your food bag, a better knot to tie my hammock with, that it can be easy to sit out the rain, that it's easier to stay warm than get warm, why dolphins are so great, that the wine store will open the bottle for you. The list goes on and on.
I'd also like to comment on what Katie had to endure to join me on this trip. First off, we went on her longest ride ever just a couple of weeks before the trip started, it was 30 miles. I think it was our first week that we did out first metric century ride, 62 miles. In total she biked 1600 miles and climbed 100,000 feet over 58 days. This included a lot of time in the rain, while biking and while camping. All in a rain coat that was not up to the task, mostly without rain pants and shoe cover that were just plastic bags. I can count the number of times we washed our only clothes on one hand. She biked through muddy farm fields, down highways, over windy mountains and down flooded streets. When looking for a hotel we would often arrive to town tired and in the rain and then bike around in expanding circles until we found a place. When wild camping she was left to worry about strangers or wild pigs attacking us in the night while I slept comfortably (I always sleep comfortably). Probably the hardest part is that she had to put up with me, all day, every day for 58 straight days.
Her good company spoiled me. She is already being missed.
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