Day 06 - Zadar, Croatia to Senigallia, Italy

After our restful day off, we had another day off, more or less, with another 6 hour ferry and only 30km of riding (and those, not terribly hilly). Two exciting headlines: we made it to another country, Italy, and we were joined there by a guest rider, Hans, who will be with us throughout our Italian journey.

The ferry crossing was fun, a highlight being the game of 8-person hearts we played for hours. Rob had earlier bought a large jug of orange syrup (to be added to lots of water), thinking it was juice. The loser of each round in the card game had to take a swig of the thick concentrate, which tasted rather heinous.

We met Hans at the ferry terminal in Ancona and began our ride, taking a highway route rather than the planned coastal path, for about two thirds of the way. The chosen path was faster, but very un-scenic, as we passed by garbage dumps, refineries, and factories along the way. When we turned off back to the coast, it was 10km of very flat and straight riding, though not entirely easy, as there were now many people walking haphazardly along the beach, sometimes into the bike lane. And of course, it was very hot.

We arrived at our lodging and enjoyed a big Italian meal in a decent restaurant happy to accommodate our large group. We're quickly discovering that unicycle tours and Italian cuisine are an excellent combination. After dinner, it was ping pong, piano, and gelato (an extreme culinary sport in its own right). It should be mentioned that half of the beds in our lodging sagged lower than hammocks, and had springs popping up against you in all the wrong places. That and the hotel's position adjacent to train tracks with high speed trains that shook everything, made for some "creative" attempts at sleeping.

Quotes of the Day
Beau: "Some parmesan cheese, please."
Waiter: "No! That is not for fish."
-Beau learns that in some countries, the customer is not always first.

"Bread is nothing more than a Nutella delivery system."
-Dave

"Not on my geraniums!"
-The hotel manager, upset when Mike moved his uni near her flowers.

Rider of the Day: Beau
1. What was your best day so far?
Day 0, maybe. River rafting in Slovenia.

2. What was your worst day/moment?
Whenever I realize I'm in the absence of sushi for a few weeks.

3. Why did you decide to go on the tour?
The tours, for me, are mostly about the people, not the riding. I like to laugh until it hurts. Also: an all expenses paid trip to some expensive countries.

4. Favorite gelato flavor(s)?
Raspberry.

5. Are there any items in your CamelBak you haven't touched or used this tour?
Some things are so deep, I don't even know what they are.

6. Are you collecting anything?
Toilet paper squares from every night's lodging.

7. What was your favorite bathroom/lodging this tour?
Our bathroom in Gubbio.

8. If you could change anything about your uni, what would it be?
Get a functional air seat and rocket propulsion.

9. What were your favorite two or three films of the last 10 years?
Air Force One, and Zoolander.

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Created: Monday, June 25, 2007 18:26