In Castellabate: a ride to the beach

June 9, 2019

Today’s ride

Four legs good, two legs better. (George Orwell, Animal Farm)

We wake up this morning a bit unsure of how to manage the day. We want to be good guests, but don’t want to impose on our gracious hosts’ time either. We discuss this over a delicious breakfast featuring crepe-like banana-egg pancakes (that’s the complete ingredient list: 3 bananas, six eggs), and suggest that we can just entertain ourselves for the day so that they can get on with their lives. They’re not having it though. Jack is eager for a vigorous bike ride, and suggests a challenging hill climb up to Perdifumo - certainly an attractive idea on a 90F day. Maria talks him down off that wall though, and proposes that we instead bike down to the coast to a secluded cove she knows of and take a nice swim. Jack grumbles a bit, but is outvoted. The coast it is!

Maria is very inclusive. While this conversation is going on, her cousin calls to say she’s bored and wants to get out of the house to take advantage of the fact that her mother is over and will babysit their child for the day. So, her cousin and husband are in the day’s plans too, and will meet us at the port at San Marco.

It’s a steep, easy descent down to the coast. We meet up with Maria’s cousin and husband as per plan, and cycling ambassador Jack spends some time with them showing off his tandem and giving them each a chance to ride with him to get a feeling for it. Soon after though, they receive a disappointing call from home - their child has a fever. Their holiday at the beach is cut short, and they quickly say their goodbyes.

The four of us continue on with our bikes, following a very rough trail to the secluded cove Maria knows of. They’re off like a rocket, with Rachael and I struggling to try to keep them in sight. George Orwell was right about so many things, but he’s gotten it wrong just this once. It’s the other way around - two legs good, four legs better.

The cove is lovely, and quite secluded. We all make it out into the bay for a refreshing swim (for the first time on this tour, amazingly enough - I was thinking I’d carried my swimming trunks all this way for nothing) and then lie around in the shade napping until restless Maria stirs us into action again.

We take a different route back, staying on the pavement this time and stopping off at a gelateria on the way to escape the heat. It’s uphill most of the way back to their place, and we arrive quite warm. Time for another nap to wait for the day to cool down a bit.

Rachael is out of the saddle and making a charge at the leaders, but it’s to no avail. They’re off, quickly leaving us in the dust.

It’s hard enough trying to get a photo of Rachael biking - by the time I stop and fire up the camera, she’s often nearly out of sight. Throw a fast tandem in the mix, and it’s impossible - they rounded the bend several seconds ago.

Looking back from San Marco Port to Castellabate up on top of its ridge.

Maria’s cousin has a go at the tandem experience. I wouldn’t say she looked convinced when she returned.

Her husband’s turn. With such a burly stoker behind, you think they’d really fly - but Jack’s keeping it tame so his partner doesn’t fly off on a bend.

We’ve all had our swim, and retire to the shade of the pines for a refreshing nap. Rachael is showing a shocking amount of leg, but a flying bouquet drifts by at just the right moment and protects her modesty.

On the way back Rachael sneaks up and makes her move, sheltered by the noise of a passing car.

Not on my watch, Jack bellows, and roars back into the lead.

Back home again, Rachael convinces Maria to exchange shoes and try out her Bike Friday so that she can see how easy it is to use Shimano Click’R pedals. Maria, who struggles with getting her shoes out in and out quickly, comes back seeming convinced after she nearly falls over but quickly extricates her feet and recovers.

At the agriturismo

After we rested for a bit the house began stirring again in late afternoon - beginning with the arrival of Maria’s niece. Maria quickly put both her niece and Rachael to work shucking a mountain of fava beans, while I worked on the journal. Eventually the niece departs for home, in tears because she has been having so much fun performing QA on the shucked beans and bonding with Rachael. While this was going on, Jack prepares a fine dinner for the crew - mackerel, rice, fava beans, beignets, and steamed artichokes.

After dinner Jack retreats to the back yard to work in the garden, planting vegetable starts. After we hear strong hints that a little help would be nice, we all one by one pitch in at digging holes, planting starts, and watering. Many hands make light work, as they say. Our reward: we free up enough of Jack’s time so that we end the day sitting around the living room attending a small house concert.

Today and last night have been an exceptional interlude as we near the close of the trip. It has been a unique experience for us, for which we feel a deep gratitude to Maria and Jack for so selflessly welcoming us into their home and lives. In a just world, we’ll have a chance to renew our new friendship down the road somewhere. In the meantime we’ll be anxiously waiting for photos of those tiny zucchini and cucumber starts after they’ve matured and are sprawling across their neighbors.

Rachael and Maria’s young niece tackle a hill of beans. The young lady quickly takes to the quality assurance role, eying each bean to look for ones with unsightly blemishes.

So how does this hose thingy work? I didn’t grow up on a farm, you know.

Soon Rachael is wielding her hose like an old pro, only occasionally slipping up and squirting one of the other field hands quite by accident.

Tuning up the old Martin, hoping to attract someone’s attention. Those devices are so addicting!

Rachael is exceedingly envious of this scene. She thinks it would be so romantic to have a partner who serenaded her like this.

Ride stats today: 17 miles, 1,000’; for the tour: 2,288 miles, 141,600’

Today's ride: 17 miles (27 km)
Total: 2,288 miles (3,682 km)

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Andrea BrownYou just had my perfect day.
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4 years ago

Scott AndersonTo Andrea BrownIt felt that way to us too. What a great thing to have happen so late in the tour.
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4 years ago

Jen RahnLet's see: tasty breakfast followed by fun bike ride, swimming, a nap, some gelato, group gardening, collaborative food prep, and shared meal followed by a private concert.

All in the company of new friends.

Yeah .. that's a pretty awesome day!
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4 years ago