Given we unusually for us had several hours on our hands to relax last night, plus there was sunshine and there was beer the evening nonetheless ended up being remarkably civilised. Without wishing to bang on about it I am sure this is actually a measure of how truly, unbelievably exhausted we each are. There is simply no energy for high jinks and tomfoolery. This has now become very much a mental challenge not a physical one....how can I possibly drag my broken carcass through the last few days and then across the finish line. 

Thats not to say we didn’t have a lovely evening and in fact the hermetically sealed, sterile, “just so” campsite (I accept that is a bit unfair but staying here is how I imagine initiation into a cult works...they are even called the “Human Company” which rather suggests to me that they may have designs on world domination, just one camp site at a time).

The on site restaurant was actually lovely and of course really easy for us to get to. Marc was so excited about a night out away from cooking up pasta he went to the trouble of putting his full “face on” although as he got over excited about his veggie burger I did try to tell him he may have overdone the rouge! Dan went his normal route of a massive hunk of steak although this photo is the only available evidence that it was ever actually really there and 30 seconds later Dan had simply “absorbed” it out of existence. 

In the morning (don’t ask, it was just rubbish again!) we pack up and head off around 730, destination Siena (my head is clearly broken inside, every time I say or write the words “Siena” I break into loud song about how “this means nothing to me”)

The various, admittedly rubbish and unreliable maps and sat navs, tell us it will be about 40 miles but, as you would expect given we are in Tuscany / Chiantishire we known it will be v hilly.....which of course it is!

It is also of course heart wrenchingly beautiful.....

It is a really hard slow slog, particularly since any zip we may have had in our legs has now after 13 days of cycling long departed, and so obviously it requires multiple stops. It really is so rewarding though and so, so beautiful, perhaps second only to the Alps for me as a highlight of our adventure. 

When we climb into Siena (“the feeling has gone only you and I....”) (yes another climb!) we get off and push our bikes for the first time in over a 1000 miles down the cobbled streets of Siena (de, de, de, de, pwew pwew!) We pause for lunch, and when in Italy that of course means pizza, and our first ever lunch time beer....we are like professional athletes aren’t we?

Siena (aaaaah Siena!)  is probably our favourite city that we have visited, it really is special marred only by the number of tourists (like us!) although I think we probably got lucky on that score as well...I am certain it gets busier.

We dawdle around for a little while soaking up the atmosphere and enjoying the break and then it’s off for the final push to our campsite for the night. Now that we are within 150 miles of the Trevi Fountain we are totally “off plan” and essentially busking our campsite choices....we have seen one about 15 miles south of Siena (this still means nothing to me) so we aim for that. 

Once again it is super, redonkulously tough going and in fact when we finally arrive and we look at the stats for the day its apparent that today has been the second largest amount of climbing we have done (the most being Alp D’Huez day) since we set off and in only 55 miles (ie: it was bloody steep!). No wonder my legs are really not my own!

We are though rewarded with a pool, amazing views and of course, chianti.

Two days to go until we arrive in Rome ….just need to somehow keep pedalling.