HOLY COW! training in Italy!

wow. so i have not much better to say at this particular instant than... wow.

we are staying in lucca, a little town just outside pisa. the house that we are staying at is owned by SRM and it is a mansion- to put it mildly. granted, it is a mansion under construction... but still. it is up in the hills, nestled into gorgeous gardens blooming with azaleas, olive trees and lemon trees that are cheery with brilliant yellow fruits. those lemon trees, by the way, are planted in enormous clay pots that once graced the estate of Napoleon. not kidding.

we are staying in the pool house- which has been converted into four wonderful little apartments and we are the first people to get to stay here. the building is in a beautiful tuscan style, with exposed beams and tile roof, hardwood floors and the genuine feel of age and splendor. but the inside is decorated in the bright and clean lines of Scandinavian design (thank you ikea!) and each one has it’s own bright colors and charm. i love the combo between classic and modern, and these are artfully designed and put together. each one has a loft above a small kitchen, where there are two beds. a pullout sofa on the downstairs serves as bed number 3 when more riders come. the bathroom has both a great tub and a shower, as well as a beday (spelling?)... something that i am not quite use to!

the neighbors are well esteemed in the cycling world too- our next door neighbor is bjarne riis... and just a little bit down the road is the residence of one mario cipollini. yesterday, a few of the guys here went on a group ride with the later.

the weather could not be better. it is sunny, gorgeous and warm, but not hot. our training ride today was an easy spin down to pisa to see the tower and the masses of tourists swarming it. it was funny- we all were getting pictures taken in front of it and caused quite the spectacle. a bunch of japaneese tourists came up and were taking pictures of us with them. not saying anything, just coming up and taking pictures. it really was quite amusing.

i have taken a few pictures, but i forgot my camera today on my ride- so i don’t have many to post yet. we will be here for a while and so i am sure that there will be time to get more. but for now... i will bid farewell and go back enjyoing this day. i am one lucky person and i don’t forget it for a minute.