A warm up cycle to Monticchiello

I awoke this morning to the sound of turtle doves and swallows singing. The sun was shining through the open door sized window. I had to getup although the rest of the town was well and truly sleeping. We met Giacamo, a local who was instructed to introduce us to our bikes and go through the spiel. He seemed pretty casual but assured us that the cycling instructions were very easy to follow. It certainly didn't look like that when we studied them a few weeks ago. After the standard arguments of trying to set the wireless bike computer, we set off for a trial bike ride to Monticchiello. It was a bit scary when we set off as the cars just zipped by. I had to wonder whether we had made the right decision to cycle in Italy. However, as we followed the signs to Monticchiello, the roads became more remote and we were swept away by the Tuscan hills covered in a patchwork quilt of olive groves and vineyards. The area has been drenched by rain in the preceding few weeks, so the countryside is so green and the wildflowers are everywhere - pink, yellow, red, white, lilac. The dandelions are the biggest you have ever seen. Imagine all the wishes that you could make by blowing on just one of them .... Amongst the rolling hills is the odd sprinkle of farmhouse ...stone walls, gravel path lined in lavender bushes and shutters on the windows. After about 8 Km, we see Montichiello in the distance. The old town wall gives it away. We swoop down winding roads and then climb to the gorgeous 13th century medieval village in the heart of the Val d'Orcia, which origins lose themselves in the time. The town is tiny with only a handful of streets. We wonder through as quietly as possible as there is hardly a sound to be heard. A lovely old lady in a linen shop asked in Italian whether we were married. I said no, so she then suggested that we could return for a wedding in the town's church. Typical nonna ...'fancy not being married'. We stopped at the alimentari (corner store) for some bread and then started to make our way back to Montepulciano. Terence suggested that we stop at the of the hill and make our picnic lunch. We had bought a tomato, pecorino and a filetto of cured meat that looked sort of similar to prosciutto. As I focused on cutting the cured meat with the kick ass pocket knife, Terence had something else on his mind. I was about to start eating on my hard crust sandwich when a diamond ring appeared. I jumped out of my skin as was not expecting it. I was fairly sure that it would happen in Italy but my guess was Castellabate on the Cilento coast. Terence felt that it was the perfect setting and wanted to ask me whilst I was doing what I love most - exploring the world by bike. Wow, I am engaged ... feels surreal. Sadly, there is no one here to have a celebratory drink with us but nonetheless we are in our 'local' bar - Terence enjoying a beer and me enjoying rossi vino di Nobile. Sorry for the late posting - my iPad battery went flat yesterday.