Pino

I could have asked our host to intervene with the hotel staff; instead, I asked Google Translate.

Le lavabo de ma chambre est bouché.

My accent must have been passable, for they not only understood me—they assumed I could understand them. I imagine they apologized, and context helped me recognize that they needed my room number. [Of course.] Luckily, it was a number I knew: onze. Best of all, when I returned to my room at the end of the day, my sink was no longer clogged!

The plan for today was to ride north along the west coast to Baragogna, cut across the island and ride south along the east coast to Santa Severa, then head back to the west coast to return to St. Florent.

Our group of riders was shrinking day by day; two guys were sick, one with a frighteningly severe case of (suspected) food poisoning that would ultimately require an antibiotic.

When we reached the town of Pino, we had already traveled 30 miles. The planned loop would add another 30. Reality set in for two of us: we were not up for a 90-mile day, without even factoring in the additional climbing this loop would entail. We declared victory over lunch and headed south. Would the other four riders get back in time for dinner at eight?

The rugged coastline reminded me of the views along our own Pacific Coast Highway, and I was more than content to gaze out at the Mediterranean for a couple of hours as I returned to St. Florent.

The roads are often narrow, with tight blind curves hugging the cliffs. As a rule, I found motorists had the skills to drive safely and were also courteous to cyclists. Twice, I heard a driver accelerating to pass me when I could see an oncoming car; in both cases, the driver understood and immediately backed off when I thrust out my left arm to hold him off.

Along the way, I stopped at a boulanger et patisserie for the treat I had earned by climbing some 4200 feet over 59 miles. Our four intrepid explorers climbed more than 7,000 feet over 93 miles, and they did make it back in time for dinner.

I made it back in time for two scoops of ice cream before dinner (praline and Nutella).