Leaving Montepulciano through the mountains into the valley and back up the hill to Cortona

We said our goodbye to Montepulciano as we rolled out of the stone 'porta' (door) and made our passed vineyards and olive groves. Apart from the birds chirping, there was not a sound to be heard. Where are they. My guess is that the locals are still in bed. In the valley we passed fields of wheat, corn and sunflowers. Oh how glorious this place must look when the sunflowers are in full bloom. Of all the fields we cycle by, I only spotted one yellow sunflower greeting the sun above. It was probably the first of the season. The others are perhaps 2 weeks away from showing their yellow faces. We gradually climbed out of the valley only to quickly descend to the beautiful shoreline of Lago Trasimeno (Lake Trasimeno). We ended up on a single lane dirt track skirting our way alongside the lake. I kept checking in with Terece to see if we were on the right path. It just seemed so remote. We stopped in the tiny town/ village of Borghetto to buy some bread and a tomato. The bread was rock hard and god only knows why, but they don't add salt to it so it is super bland. What's going on ...I thought I was in Italy! After Borghetto, we decided to take the extra long extension route starting in Riscovello where the Battle of Trasimeno took place in 217 BC. Hannibal's army defeated an army of Romans. I am relying on Terence for this info as the history stuff just goes over my head. From here we started to climb. I am glad that i suggested a wonder through the lovely town of Tuoro with locals in full swing - chatting in the piazza, gathering outside the pasticceria (where i enjoyed a sugared donut filled with vanilla crema pasticcera and Terence enjoyed a chocolate croissant)and catching up wih friends in the local cafes and bars. The first of 3 climbs was 6 km. The ascent was gradual but the sun was scorching. Thankfully, it is dry heat. At the end of the climb, we stopped for a picnic lunch at the top of the mountain pass in a pine forest. We had the basics - bread, tomato, pecorino cheese and prosciutto. We then rolled down the mountain taking in the beautiful views of the Castello Pierle (Pierle Castle).The obligatory espresso stop was a must in the tiny 'blink and you'll miss it' town of Mercatale. Not to a soul was to be seen. The espresso made little difference to our energy levels as we commenced our second climb. This one was supposed to be 5km but felt like more. It was merciless! I just wanted to stop but the distraction of wildflowers and cherry trees with fruit kept me going.The best part about cycling uphill is the downhill reward. The views we stunning and the rustic farmhouses dotted the mountain side. We stopped at the bottom to sample some maraschino cherries and then joined the core route map to our hotel (Hotel Italia) in Cortona. However, the hills were not finished with us for the day. We had 3 more km before reaching the hill town of Cortona. Yay, the cycling is over and we are now in Cortona. It has a lovely feel with narrow streets lined with shops and cafes. Local flags depicting the local commune (municipality) fly above doorways. We are sipping only the last of our Campari sodas before we start to wonder. The one thing I will remember most about today is the scent of jasmine. It followed us everywhere and greeted us as we arrived in Cortona among many of the smaller towns. Sweet, delicate and subtle. If only could bottle it!!!