Day Ten... Done Again

Done it, a day early, but only just. It was after 9pm when I got here after by far the craziest day yet...

Set of early doors, like every day, with the intention of cramming the last two days in to one, as a massive part of it was downhill. However, Providence would play its part and I didn't make the first peak before the road was closed due to a rock slide. So back down I went and was told the only way around, was by train to Scoul-Terasp, where I then had to get a bus. The train journey was fantastic, you can open the windows to look out, but word of advice... Be careful of tunnels. I got a bit excited and nearly lost my head... Luckily I videoed the whole thing. Idiot.

The bus journey was horrendous. Loads of us crammed in, my bike hanging off the back. I just spent the whole trip looking at her, hoping she'd hang on. It lasted about an hour and a half and even nipped into Austria, then back out and dropped us all off at Malles or Mals, depending on the Swiss or Italian name.

It was now 2pm and I had 102km, (60 miles) to go, but like I said, it was mostly downhill... MY ARSE was it!!

The end location was lower than the start, but it undulated the whole way, valley after valley, to the point that I nearly just got the tent out. Then I got an e-mail from Caterina saying, "Enjoy these last few miles of your amazing journey". And she was right, it was the last bit, look at what I'd already done, this was nothing. So in the pitch dark, going up hills I couldn't see the tops of and coming down windy roads I could hardly see the edges of, I ploughed on. Rode into Pergine, up Marconi street and was trying to find the house numbers when I saw two figures waving, Caterina and her sister, waiting for me with a bottle of water and a towel. The two things I needed most in the world... I had made it.

I've just had a lovely meal with the Daldoss girls. Cat, her Sister and her Mother and am ready for a couple of days chilling before the ride back... Yeah right! British Airways for me...

Its been emotional, I've had some very low moments, all of Day 3 and some great highs, the top of the Fluela Pass, (literally), but I am NEVER doing anything like that again... I'm glad I did it, but I'm glad its done.

Pazzo