Day 14 Viterbo to Sutri

It’s hard to find new ways to express the day. It some ways it is now routine - wake up around 6.45, get packed, allergy meds for those that need it, sun screen up, fill the water bottles and get the bikes ready to roll. Eat breakfast and push off. 

In other ways it’s always new - today it was a surprise path out Viterbo that we have no idea how or when it was made, but for miles it was carved 20-30 feet in to the rock to give a smooth path for cars and us. We felt it was likely trains,  but it is entirely possible it is older than the steam engine. May side roads came in carved the same way, which seems odd for a train. 

Well, I needed to look it up. And apparently:

“Etruscan Road Cuts:

The Via Francigena passes through an area where ancient roads have been cut into the tuff rock, creating impressive walls. These cuts are a testament to the Etruscan civilization and their engineering skills”

So much older!

We left the ancient roads and entered a very rough section of the trail. For about 15 km we battled single track and washed out double track road that more often than not had us pushing our bikes up unbikeable sections. It was a very slow morning and it was looking like a pretty tough day. We hit the only town of the day around 11 am and got some pizza to go from a bakery and pushed on to try to cover more ground before the heat of the day. 

Leaving town, we had the big climb of the day. Thankfully it was on paved road and we managed to make good time here and through the next 20 km. By 12.30 we were all ready for lunch and sat down in the shade of some olive trees to enjoy our olive pizza. 

With 10 km left, we were not sure how long it would take. Thankfully the miles came fast, except for a painful ¼ mile climb we all had to get off our bikes and push up. But by 1.30 we were at our place and getting showered. Then gelato from across the street, a walk around town, including a church with a crypt we could go in ( and of course Andrew gave Sara a jump scare!), a rest, a brass band playing in the town museum square while we waited for the restaurant to open. Very good end to a day that was very challenging for everyone. 

Only 2 days of biking left!

It even told us we might have to push our bikes!

Roads carved by the Etruscans

Beautiful forested rods that saved our afternoon from the unrelenting sun

Ancient crypt under the church in Sutri. We didn’t have a euro to turn on the lights so we explored it in the dark with our phone flashlights

Surprise brass band playing for the town