My first (and hopefully not the last) Italian bike ride

I'm currently waiting for my clothes to finish in the washer so I can hang them up to dry. I am very excited. This is the first time I've actually washed my clothes in a real washing machine since I came to Europe. Now before you think I've been a smelly mess for the whole trip, think again. I've been hand washing them in bathroom sinks where ever I go, but this is the first time I don't have to do anything!

There is a Dutch couple staying at the agirturismo right now that have biked all the way from Holland. They are on their way to Rome, and the trip so far has taken them a little over two weeks. Today I had a half day off and was inspired, so I went on a bike ride through the Apennine countryside. It was beautiful. Right outside the farm, there is a giant field of sunflowers and each one of them faces east toward the rising sun over the mountains.

I set out with my iPod, a camera, a bottle of water and my (new) cell phone (in case I got lost) and hit the road. I spent about an hour and a half navigating the country roads around la Provincia

di Bologna. I managed to seek out one of the only (relatively) flat roads in the region, which apparently is the major highway in the area; however, the road consisted of two small lanes with very few cars and the occasional motorcycle. It is times like these that I'm thankful for the isolation of the farm.

I ended up about 20 kilometers away from the farm in a little town called Pianoro. The sun was about to set, so I decided to turn back around and head home.

The hills literally came alive as the sun was setting behind them. Each dip and valley of the trees and terrain was magnified by the growing shadows of twilight. When I got home, there was spaghetti with pesto waiting for me. Yum! All in all, it was an excellent afternoon.