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Bovine Disorder
As always with heading inland from the coast, geography demands that you need to climb and the Lago di Bracciano is no exception. A constant 15km uphill straight after breakfast is what is required to get you on the road to this Roman retreat.
As if the hills aren't challenge enough, we found ourselves needing to up our pace in one rural section as the local farmer decided that the passage of 2 cyclists was a good time to drive his horned beef-mountains along the narrow road from one field up to another just yards behind our nervous rears. R exhorted D with a slightly strained "Dearest, perhaps you might like to consider pedalling a trifle harder". Her knees creaked a refusal.
Bracciano is dominated by the imposing Castle Orsini Odescalchi, a real Dracula-style castle. This impression was reinforced by our arrival just as the gathering storm clouds cracked over the lake.
We found a hostelry (ignoring the garlic on the door) just in time before the heavens opened for the next 4 hours. The view from Villa Frederico, in the shadow of the castle, and overlooking the lake, consisted largely of silhouetted ancient pines with reaching branches. With a last clap of lightning, the lights died...
Day 51.5km (Total 1690km)
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