Food Report

Nothing new on the gelato front, sadly, but we have had some fantastic meals. In Montepulciano, we visited El Borgo Buio, which is a locally-sourced, organic, blah di blah, slow food establishment. And it was really, really good. Let us make your mouths water: pici with porcini mushrooms, gnocchi with radicchio and walnut pesto, grilled vegetables preserved in olive oil and served warm with ricotta and whole red peppercorns... We were there for hours, since the owner, an affable chap by the name of Pier Luigi, kept waffling away to us about life, the universe, and bicycling. And so we had some grappa, and some coffee, and the evening was altogether splendid.

Also on the food front, our friend Renee made us an amazing sampler of camping/energy foods to bring with us... today's pistachio nougat - which was even better than it sounds - saved Nicky at the top of yet another hill. We were both big fans of the cheese and rosemary biscuits with dried apple, and they travelled all this way with us in perfect condition. Hurrah for chef friends and life saving food!

PS You think about strange things as you climb hills. Yesterday, Rich sang a song to Nicky's teeth (in French, which seems to have become his first language since we got to Italy) as he scaled a col. Today Nicky found herself punning, which to those of you that know her, must seem rather odd. Her goal for the trip? Keeping the bonkasaurus at bay...

Oh, and the pizza's really good in Rome.