Yesterday’s was a relatively easy affair. Not quite a roll down the hill from Castenuovo to Pisa, but one that was a welcome respite from the arduous efforts of the preceding days. Felix Lowe, the author of 'Climbs and Punishment' I previously mentioned in this blog arrived for dinner at this little trattoria nestled away in the hills just a short drive from Castelnuovo. Over dinner he treated us to some more insights into both Hannibal and the local area.
During conversation he recommended we take a detour from the main route to visit a marble mine as we were going to be descending into Pisa through one of the world’s most prolific marble producing areas. Depending on how gullible you were you could take up his recommendation. Perhaps it was more of a challenge for, as the details emerged of how this visit would encompass a gnarly 3km climb up a broken road with gradients up to 20%, to the very top of a mountain, there were fewer and fewer takers. Not even the fact that it was gleaming white marble, or that from the top you could view the Mediterranean Sea seemed to attract much interest. I simply rationalised that having a bike with no rear brakes, the descent would be too difficult to contemplate. Felix was last heard adding something about a signed, autographed book for anybody that took the ‘challenge’.
Of course, you can guess that one or two idiots did have a go and you can probably guess who those idiots were: Mick and me, naturellement! So it went like this, after a bunch wrong turn leaving the town, I found myself on the front of the 20km climb (it was almost a false flat really at just 2-6%) with Aaron and Richard. We gradually ascended through a steep chasm in a magnificently forested canyon, passing by a number of marble quarries. One or three idyllic scenes demanded a photo stop, whereupon I was content to let Aaron and Rich disappear up the road.
 |
| Deep in the Apennines, some old, unnamed and uninhabited village |
 |
| Another abandoned old stone building set amongst marble mines |
Before I knew it I had reached the day’s high at the end of a one kilometre tunnel (sure glad I took my lights) and there was the challenge. I’ll just head up round the first corner and see what there is to see. Hmmm, nothing. Next corner, same. Oh well, better keep going then. The road got steeper and steeper as I passed by first one ‘Proprieta Privata’ sign, then another (as Felix had warned but urged us to ignore). Finally, there it was. Like a beacon in the distance, the absolute top of the mountain. Massive boulders of white marble placed on corners below gave some idea of what was in store, but I was quite unprepared for such a sight. A huge quarry of gleaming white angular surfaces where massive excavators looked like a child's Tonka toys.
There were people working and so I reasoned that I shouldn’t hang about. It was, after all, private property. I would have loved to hang around and admire the view but instead took some photos and headed downhill with a vice-like grip on the front brake and my bum hanging over the back wheel to prevent going over the bars. Blow me down, half way back down here’s Mick grinding his way upwards. “Keep going mate, You’re about halfway” I said. He said “Bugger, I thought I’d be the only one”! I crawled done to the bottom and waited from him but began to worry when half an hour later he had not returned. I was weighing the options between riding back up (definitely a last resort) or riding on the to van for assistance as there was no phone reception. I chose the latter and just round the corner was another superb view of the mine from below. As I was putting the camera away I saw a truck descending the road and a white flash behind it. Beauty, that’s Mick. Turned out he was more brazen than I. He met and chatted with the caretaker/sentry/guard and persuaded him to take his photo. Then he simply sat and enjoyed the view for a while while I worried about his failure to show up. Anyway, looks like we'll both be reading Felix' book very soon!
 |
| Final pitch up to the mine's gate. You can see the slope of the mountain and the Mediterranean Sea at lower left |
 |
| This is the mine from further down the valley. A river of white gold flows from the font atop the mountain. If you can enlarge this photo to 100% or more you can see an excavator at the top. |
We regrouped and headed for lunch another 20km or so away at a small town called Pietra Santa, driving just as the others were departing. News of the day: Mario Cipollini had been spotted in town leading a bunch of riders on a tour. One celeb for certain. I also spotted an African dude in a MTN-Qubekha shirt heading the opposite way at considerable speed. I reckon it was Daniel Teklehaimanot, Eritrean nation champ and holder of there maillot a’pois (polka dot jersey) for several days at this year’s TdF. I’m claiming celeb number 2.
And so to Pisa. Did you know it was once a republic? A couple of centuries ago Pisa was much bigger than Florence. It even had colonies, including one in Syria! This was too much for the Florence based Medici (the family who became fabulously wealthy as the Papal bankers.) They coveted Pisa and eventually managed to win control, whereupon they added their own globe emblem to the former flag of the Republic of Pisa. So now, from a distance, the cross looks like four chooks feet.
Pisa also heralds the end of stage 3 of the Hannibal Epic. A week that, as I previously (and probably laboriously) recounted was both challenging and magnificent. We had grown accustomed to the strangely peaceful sounds tinkling cow bells on the high alpine slopes and it was somehow sad to leave that behind, but the sun, lush green hills of Italy were beckoning, as they must have done for Hannibal and his men some eleven centuries ago (I wonder if they had coffee and gelato back then).
 |
| We were able to enjoy this view from the rooftop bar of our hotel as we welcomed the newbies at Aperitivo! |
We met the newbies last night including a young couple Dave and Belinda from Sydney and another 6 from the UK and this morning, after breakfast said our goodbyes to others. I snuck out early to catch the tower leaning into the sunrise and later Mick and Harold joined me for a trip to the top of the tower. Uncannily off-balancing!
Fixing those rear brakes has not been a success story. Dylan and his crew have been extremely helpful in their efforts to get me fully operational but sadly, the parts just are not available here.
No comments:
Post a Comment