It was time to get back on the bike! We were heading down the coast to Levanto but unfortunately the route was not a simple ride next to the beach!

Before we left the campsite we took a few snaps with some fellow campers- an Italian lady and her granddaughter, a German couple (it was great chatting to you guys!) and Enrico, the owner of the campsite, and his son. A big thank you to Enrico for his generous donation to the charities. We really enjoyed our stay!

The weather forecast predicted lots of rain for the day so I made sure I put on my stylish black (thinning) coat. Tim and I started off in the dry as we cycled over to Sestri Levante, a town 5km away from Lavagna. The road was flat but a little busy. We had a look around and took a few pics including the Bay of Silence. I said to Tim it wasn’t as good as the Cove of Noise (haha very punny). He wasn’t impressed.

After we left Sestri Levante things started to get interesting. We started climbing a gradual slope just as it started to rain. It didn’t stop for the rest of the ride! Tim and I were in good spirits even though the hill was getting tougher. We took it in turn to name people or things with hill in their name. Hillary Clinton, Edmund Hillary, Paris Hilton, Philladelphia to name a few. Nope, we weren’t cracking up. Check out the view below.

The rain was incessant. The fog had descended as well so our visibility was decreasing. At times we could see 20m ahead and at others only 10m. The road wasn’t too busy, which was pleasing. As we approached the summit of the pass, the hill got steeper and the wind more ferocious. It’s the strongest wind I’ve experienced on a ride so I had to be extra careful! Check us out at the summit!

We felt like we were on another planet up in the foggy wilderness. The trees blew  eerily in the wind, creating all sorts of noises and sounds. We spotted a decrepit house on our left and joked about how scary it seemed. Then as we cycled by a bunch of sheep suddenly appeared at the door! Tim was really frightened…poor guy…

The downhill required a lot of concentration. It was hammering it down now so we were drenched. The brakes were holding up but our visibility was still shocking! The views and scenery would have been amazing but I’m afraid we haven’t got any good photos to show you. As we neared Levanto the fog dispersed and we were left with a cracking view of the town (see below).

We completed the ride after 2hrs 30mins (see the data below). According to Dad, the climb is the 497th most difficult in the Apennine region haha! It had been a truly memorable experience. Tim described it as his favourite ride he’s ever done! It’s certainly up there!