A beautiful Bianchi bike – for the cyclists reading this blog : Ultegra group set, which, as a Campy man, found me twiddling my thumbs as they are not needed at least when it comes to shifting up
or down a cog.

The ride on route SSP24 was not enjoyable. It was not the motorway, but nevertheless still busy and unsettling. Mostly the road for 35 km was intermittent industrial estates.

One could argue that a passing Fiat Bambino, travelling at 80/hr driven by a Sister from the local convent is a mere gentle breeze, when compared to a passing Commodore at 120km/hr where the tendency is to swerve towards the bike, creating a vortex that threatens to suck you off the saddle.

The ultimate destination, Susa, was a more than adequate reward for it is nestled at the end of the Susa Valley, with the Alps on my right and left. It was an important ancient Roman settlement around 2 or 3 BC. It had roman ruins, an amphitheatre and aquaduct. A well preserved triumphal arch and again remarkably preserved walls and portico.

The township itself was also thriving with cobbled pedestrian streets. A small river still somewhat silty and slate grey water, rushed through the town.

My overall impression of modern Italy is rampant weeds along transport corridors further polluted with graffiti; a confusing impression of aging infrastructure at odds with an occasional 21st century sleek high speed train. And still after all these years tobacco pollutes the environment. The majority still smoke. Public Vending machines spew out a packet potentially to anyone irrespective of age, if you can cough up the money and reach the buttons! If you can’t reach, steal a crate and stand on that! A typical nuclear Italian family eats out and before and after each course, mother and father smoke in front of their 3 beautiful children.

Anyway enough of this. Tomorrow is another day.