Last impressions in Tuscany

Once back on the mainland, I settled directly in Piombino. According to the map, you could have great fun biking in the immediate vicinity, and I also had a good train connection to be able to react quickly to any eventualities. Because the infection numbers were rising unchecked, and the next tightening measures with the evening closure of bars and restaurants were already in effect. Fortunately, this does not restrict biking itself, but I decided to look for an apartment so that I could cook for myself. The important thing for me was that the borders remain open, there is no house arrest during the day, and the trains continue to run unrestricted. I can cope quite well with everything else.

The trails near Piombino all concentrated on a 300-meter high hill, which was completely plowed through by descents of different difficulty levels. Some of them made their way through dense, inaccessible macchia to hidden coves with a magnificent view towards Elba. I was deeply impressed, I had never expected such a wilderness in immediate proximity to this ferry port. The next day, a trip to Monte Calvi followed, which is already 600 meters high and also blessed with great trails, as well as some sightseeing in Campiglia Maritima, a village with a medieval center embedded in a landscape that can only be imagined as typical for Tuscany.

For the final conclusion, I planned a day for Florence on the return journey, so that even I could experience some culture. In addition to the architecturally very impressive city center, I will probably remember the equally impressive price level. The cafés and restaurants were sometimes three to four times more expensive than anywhere else I had been in Italy in the last months. It was almost like a little Switzerland in the heart of Tuscany.

Finally, after Florence, there were still two long days on regional trains to get back to Munich. So, my little cycling tour was really over. After 114 days on the road, 3,300 kilometers on roads and trails, and 119,000 meters of climbing. This travel blog also comes to an end, and I hope that I have made a modest contribution to counteract the alleged monotony of the year 2020. Because even this year, there are still many opportunities to experience exciting things if you simply embrace what is possible and make the best of it for yourself.