Our sleep last night was not great due to the street sounds below our room. People yelling, cars roaring past (even on the small one-lane street) and scooters all contributed to a less than sound sleeping environment. But, Tuscany was awaiting and we hauled ourselves out of bed and fixed bowls of cereal and yogurt, all provided for in our kitchen.  
 
We had to meet our Backroads tour group at the rail station at 10am, where Eduardo ("call me Ed') was waiting. The other 9 in our group all arrived on schedule, and by 1015a we were in our mini-bus heading for Tuscany.  
 
We have learned that we are the Backroad rookies in the group. Our travel companions for the week are a family of five from Jersey (4 previous Backroad trips including one in South Africa), a couple from Calgary (1 previous trip to Nova Scotia) and a couple from Central California (1 previous trip to Provence). So, we are able to get good advice for the week!
 
After two hours traveling through the rolling Tuscan hills, we arrived at a small, family owned winery where Lynn, our other tour coordinator had set up an amazing picnic next to the vineyards. We had a short introduction from the vineyard owner on their wine process and a walk through their bottling area, all the while enjoying a glass of their red wine. After, with wine still flowing we had an amazing lunch of salads and local specialities such as sausage, cheese, honey and breads.  
 
After a bike introduction, it was time to strap on the helmet and hit the roads. We each had a map that took us step by step through the itinerary, which Lynn also walked us through in detail. She advised us that while the trip was shorter today, it was a good introduction to the rides for the rest of the week. The first part was a gradual decline, into a gradual incline, but then a very steep downhill right into a very long hill climb. Ok, let's get to it.
 
I am not great at downhills, but once I got acclimated to the bike gears, I did quite well! I did ride the brakes on the steep downhill, but overall was quite pleased with myself. Then, came the uphill! As was warned, it was long and had some very steep areas.  Ken did great and was up in the pack, while I took my time and did the "slow and steady" type ride. About 2.5 km into the hill, the van was waiting with water refills, snacks and shade, which everyone took advantage of.   
We got hydrated, let our heart rate slow down and went back to the cimb. The total climb was 11km's, with the entire ride being 25km's. By the 18th km, I got to the top of the hill and decided I was done for the day. There was one more climb, and I figured I had done just fine for my first ride, especially when the longest hill in Houston is the overpasses. So, grabbed the van, visited with Russell (van driver from Utah) and headed to the hotel.   
 
We got to Le Terme our hotel for the first two nights, where our bags had been delivered to our room. The property is in a small village known for their mineral baths and spa. So, once Ken arrived we relaxed in the mineral pools to revive our sore bodies.  
 
Before dinner, Backroads hosted a welcome reception on the patio, with more great food and wine. In addition to the local food, there was also Frito's and Doritos on the table, which we all thought was kind of funny. We did more formal introductions and learned a little more about our fellow bikers before heading inside for dinner. We were able to order anything from the menu, so Ken enjoyed some pasta and fish, while I had a salad and steak. Fueling us up for more riding tomorrow!