Well, after surviving the first day of biking we slept quite well, although we did wake to pouring rain in the middle of the night. But the sun was shining when we went downstairs for breakfast and to hear our "route rap" for the day. Based on the info sheet that showed the elevations for each day, we knew that today's climbs were going to be similar to yesterdays, which didn't bode well for me. But, there is always the van! The normal route is 55km's, and there are two alternate routes that will increase the length by about 25k's, frankly I will be happy to complete the normal route!
 
On the bikes, we went downhill from the hotel to the road. I am having issues with my bike clips, and can't seem to get them on/off in a very efficient manner. At the bottom of the hill, there were cars coming and I tried to unclip so I could stop and wait, couldn't unclip and immediately fell over. I broke the fall with my left hand and my elbow, but luckily other than my elbow scraped up...no major damage. After getting back on the bikes, we were treated to beautiful scenery with a nice morning breeze.  
 
About 12k into the ride, the uphill started and as warned, it was quite steep. I had already decided to grab the van to Monticchiello where the group was stopping for coffee. It was 1/2 way up the 10k climb, and Ed advised the perfect spot to rest and grab an espresso. So, while Ken was churning up the hill, I was visiting with Russell in the van. As he did yesterday, Ken was rocking it up the hill and arrived with others in our group.  We were treated to beautiful views and strong cappucino, which gave a nice boost for the next climb.  
 
It was time for me to get back on the bike and made the next 5k up the steep hills by a combination of riding and walking. I have decided that the scenery is too amazing and I am going to not worry about how fast I go, as I just want to enjoy the moments.   
 
Our next stop was Montepulciano, famous for wine and being the highest town in Tuscany. We rode along the stone walls up into the town, and with every corner I wanted to stop and take pictures. At the top, we parked our bikes and walked in to the old town for lunch and some relaxation.  Lynn had given us a sheet with recommendations for food and also said there was a great leather place to check out.  We found the leather shop and it did, in fact have some cool shoes and bags. Ken found some shoes, that were styling for Italy, but I just wasn't quite sure he would wear them back home. For the price, he decided to forego the shoes which probably was a good choice. We had lunch on a small balcony overlooking the valley...couldn't get much better than that!
 
We rode down the hill and then climbed again to Pienza about 12k away. Pienza is a small village that is famous for the architecture from the Renessaince period. Lynn advised that this was also a great place to replenish with gelato, and who can pass up good gelato! We walked around the small town and found they were shooting an Italian movie, with children dressed as ragamuffins and all of the set paraphanalia. Along the old stone walls, we had more amazing views of the Tuscan rolling hills, which just amaze me.
 
Feeling ready for our last segment to the hotel, we hit the roads. It was mostly downhill, so Ken was off and gone as I tend to take the hills a bit more "leisurely" (code word for: slow). We retraced some of the route from the morning, and the fields were flying past.  

  At the turn up the hill to the hotel, I got a bit confused as I had ridden in the van yesterday so didn't notice there was another spa type resort before ours. I saw the "thermal spa" notice and thought that I was supposed to turn in, but as soon as I did I knew it was wrong...so tried to turn back to the hill...came to a screeching halt, still in my clips and fell over again! It was within 10 yards of where I fell this morning, and this one was a lot harder. I again put my left hand out and crashed to the ground, hitting my head...but thankfully had my helmet on, so no issue there. One foot came out of the clip, but my left didn't but I came out of my shoe. So, my shoe was still attached to the bike and I now had to hike up the steep hill with one shoe on, and one still on the bike. Not a great way to start or stop the day! Lynn drove the van past as I was almost to the hotel, so helped get the shoe off the clip, so at least I wasn't walking in a sock, she also adjusted the clip to the loosest setting...thank goodness!
 
After icing my knee (it is hanging in there) and my left hand (which took the brunt of both falls), it was time for an Agriturisumo dinner. Lynn and Eduardo shuttled us a couple of miles away to a beautiful farm on the top of rolling hills. There, we had a great lesson on Brunello wines (100% Sangiovese) in a dining room overlooking the fields. While we are certified wino's, Italian wines are a mystery so it was a nice way to learn about the varietals and what we like (for the record we liked the Brunello over the the blends). Dinner was served in another part of the farm, and was a wonderful way to end our first full day!