Cycling the Eurovelo 7. Italy Austria Odyssey Episode 15

In this episode I ride from San Giovani to Pistoia, passing through the historic city of Florence. Episode includes route notes and tips.

All right 29th of May day five solo on the road heading to pistoia about 75k I’ve done my own Kut route because this Euro Valley 7 route looked hectic it had stairs in it and had a higher climb and after yesterday I just want to get to

Some accommodation and uh relax a bit recoup wash some stuff get ready for a massive climb the following day we got to go over 1,000 M so yeah gety up let’s go I am treating myself to my first cafe coffee on on the road I feel like I earned it after yesterday my body processes stuff too efficiently it’s great with food I can put anything in it and it’ll just deal with it but I went to that coffee shop and 10

Minutes 5 minutes after I left busting to go to the toilet my body just as soon as I have coffee it’s like all right evacuate all liquid immediately I’m on another gravel 16% climb oh here some concrete oh you beauty I thought the kute rout was going to be easier than

This there is no easy days in Italy I got to get that into my head do not get up in the morning expecting any easy day ever this kind of needs to be the equivalent of a rest day today it’s only 75 which now sounds like not much after

The 110 or 115 I did yesterday and I’ve got a massive climb tomorrow so this needs to be sort of a recoup day well it’s nice to see that after coming up there I’m a little nervous about tonight’s accommodation it’ll be my first hotel night and I did see a YouTube video

Where a girl got denied hack U they just said no bikes allowed she was booked she got there and they said n not coming in so fingers crossed I just missed my turn now I found it well I just filled up with water so I’m going to be lugging four more kilos up

This climb but I don’t care because it was horrible the other day when I got low on water the worst thing is getting dehydrated it can take days to recover well this is going to be a slow climb cuz it’s rough this is actually a smooth bit what I came through just

Earlier was rough as hell time to push for a bit I think it’s probably not smart to try and ride 15% rough track on a rest supposed rest day I need to just take my time because I want to be fresh as possible tomorrow and I don’t know how much I don’t know

If I can get water either I’m going to have to do some research tonight on Google see if see if it looks like there’s anywhere I can get water oh that’s that was an effort I’m back to Road this is all to avoid the highway

Down to my left I don’t know if you can hear it the same freeway that wasn’t far from my Camp last night next to the train line all right finished the climb found a shot got some fruit found a bin emptied my rubbage ready to roll I think I have my first glimpse of Florence it’s amazing the ups and downs you go through in a day I just got chills coming down that Hill looking at Florence really important Place Florence was the home of the Renaissance this captivating city is a cradle of art and culture and houses the

Iconic statue of David sced by Michelangelo David stands over 17 ft tall and is a symbol of human achievement in art and Aesthetics Florence’s historic Center a UNESCO world heritage site both stunning architecture museums and an ambience steeped in history it’s a city that continues to inspire with its artistic

Legacy making it a cultural mecca for travelers worldwide I had a bit of an early lunch cuz just found a good spot in the shade with a little bench and a bin there’s a nice park next to me on on to pistoia have 38k to go we might get our early arrival today for the first

Time well it’s pretty go slow going through the city I think Florence and pisto pretty much join together so I think it’s probably going to be city streets most of the way this Road’s pretty awful but it’s going to get me that quick back on a cycle Way that water’s is so nice and cold I just put my buff in there and dump my head in and feels so much better so [Applause] quickly I’ll be going up into those mountains tomorrow somewhere my rest day is not feeling like much a rest day it’s always 2:00

Always a down on like you feel lethargic your body gets robbed of energy because digestion takes energy away after you’ve had lunch but at least I know where I’m sleeping if they’re bike Friendly 8.4k to go and it’s 23 minutes past 2 so hoping to get there by three or before this might be the day might be the day I’m Early it’s like a Christmas tree farm look at that perfect Christmas trees I think I can see downtown pya well I’m in already I’m on on the ground floor that’s a massive win got the bike in and it’s only about4 3 17 minutes past 3 you Ripper all right got to get stuff

Charging get food and water do research on the mountain climb is there going to be water isn’t there going to be water always stuff to do a good trick for noodles is tip them into a Ziploc bag crush them up roll it up do it up makes it

Smaller I’ve had dinner I’ve washed everything I’ve oiled my chained everything’s clean can’t believe it’s 8:00 and I can relax there’s nothing left I can do I’ve charged everything or put everything on charge and yeah sused out tomorrow’s route it doesn’t look like I can get

Water so I’m going to take 4 lers with me I’m going to take light food I’m going to take some noodles I’m going to take little bit of bread got a couple of cant just trying to go as light as I can cuz I’m carrying a lot of water it’s a

900 910 M I think elevation so yeah I think I’m Ready okay route notes I took a more direct route from valano to Florence because I get wanted to get to pistoia quicker as you can see here the Euro 7 bow right out around here the route I took was a bit difficult with the single track gravel very Rocky very rough very steep

Um section I had to push my bike up but um it was about 15 to 20 km shorter from San Giovani to pistoia going the kamut route and I stayed at hotel Piccolo Ritz which was fine it was clean there was a nice pizza place straight over the road

Here and there’s a grocery store right around the corner here it’s called a different name for some reason when you take the hotel thing off it’s called Hotel Prime I don’t know why but then when you hover over it it’s Hotel Piccolo Ritz it’s weird but I booked on

Booking.com and it was fine it was the cheapest I could find at short notice and that price is Australian dollars because I remember it was about 80 per night and I think that’s 128 Australian