I woke up to a beautiful sunny day, I dismantled the tent, organized my travel bags on the bicycle and I left the campsite knowing that there was a bar nearby since I had seen it the previous evening while I was taking a walk. After a good breakfast with cappuccino, a brioche smelling as if it were freshly baked, I bought some water to fill the three water bottles.


Well, off we go on the adventure and as always it will be a day without timetables or stages to follow and obviously I don't even know what my next accommodation will be, I only know that I'm going south with the passion of discovering the unknown and with enthusiasm to pedal, that I love. One thing for sure is that I knew I would reach an interesting corner of the Tuscany region!


The first stretch - From the Miraflores campsite located not too far from the seaside resort of Rapallo, I traveled the same road as the day before but in the opposite direction, reaching the historic centre of Rapallo, exploring the streets. The bicycle wheels turned at a slow pace between the beautiful historic buildings that led towards the wide and panoramic seafront of Vittorio Veneto, a lovely area that offers splendid views of the Gulf of Genoa, the surrounding palm trees and headlands. There were also many bars and restaurants to have something to eat or drink a coffee. In the panoramic seafront of Rapallo there is a small medieval castle surrounded by the sea and connected to the mainland by a pier; its unmistakable silhouette is one of the symbols of the city of Rapallo.


At Rapallo's seafront there are kiosks where you can buy ferry tickets for trips to Portofino, San Fruttuosa and Santa Margherita or book an excursion. They are very beautiful places here and I highly recommend seeing them, I had already visited them years ago.


The second stretch - I left Rapallo and the coastal road (SS1) crosses the coastal towns of Chiavari, Lavagna, Calvi di Lavagna and Sesti Elevante. After leaving the center of Sesto Levante, I followed the signs for the SS1 Aurelia road to La Spezia, the route crossed panoramic views across the landscape of bays, typical landscapes perched on the edge of the sea and offer breathtaking views of the sea and some inland views.


Near the coastal village of Riva Trigosi, I met a friendly local cyclist who advised me to continue on the same road and go up to Passo Brocco, a climb with a length of 15.3 km, and a difference in altitude of 628 meters above sea level with an average gradient of 4.1%. He told me that it was very beautiful and that this climb is often part of the Giro d'Italia. I had followed his advice because there would have been the possibility of cycling on the road through the Cinque Terre but I would have preferred not to see them again since years ago I covered them on foot.


The Cinque Terre (the Five Lands) is a very beautiful National Park with stunning and rugged coastlines and steep mountains. It is a protected area and a UNESCO World Heritage Site are located on the Ligurian Riviera di Levante in the province of La Spezia, between Pisa and Genoa. The five famous, picturesque ancient seaside villages are nestled on the cliffs washed by the sea and are: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore.


The third stretch - After leaving Riva Trigosi I cycled a long stretch which is not on the sea, initially crossing dense vegetation characterized by chestnut forests and as you go up, between climbs, hairpin bends and descents you come across natural scenery such as spectacular views of the mountains (Apennines ) and numerous breathtaking views and panoramas of the Ligurian Sea. Then, near the Moneglia hamlet on the road you pass in front of an inn called Davidin, a corner where you can see the sea from the mountains and there is also a small terrace where you can have lunch or dinner with a beautiful panoramic view. I stopped in the restaurant to drink a fresh orange served by the friendly owner who told me a little about the history of the inn.


The fourth section - After leaving the Davidin inn I continued to follow the Via Aurelia passing through the villages of Mattarana and Corradano Inferiore. I could have continued on the same road but I wanted to discover the provincial road (SP56) and therefore I had taken this road which, unlike the other, at the The Vara river flows on my right, a completely quiet road that had taken me to the towns of Brugnato and Borghera di Vera.


From this point I had taken the Via Aurelia (SS1) and the river flowed to my left and surrounded by medium and high landscape reliefs. I left the same road again to discover the route of the Eurovelo 5 - Via Romea Frantigena. This route passes through the town of Sarsana and finally after the confluence of the Vara river it joins the Magra river which I followed its tributary for a few kilometers until Its waters flow directly into the sea. Then the road runs along the coast passing through Marinella di Sarzana, nestled between the Apuan Alps and the sea and with the beautiful long sandy beach and it is the last of Liguria before Tuscany and I finish my daily stage at the seaside resort of Marina di Massa located in the north of Tuscany between Versilia and Liguria. Tomorrow I will pedal on the coast of the Vesillia.


The last leg - This evening I found a campsite easily, in fact I had found it in front of me while I was pedaling, after having registered it took me some time before I found the place that had been assigned to me and thanks to a family of leaders (they knew well the campsite was a summer holiday for them), and they had kindly shown me the tent area, a nice place in the middle of a meadow with trees.

After putting up the tent and taking a shower it started to rain but not heavily and when it was the right time to book a table in the campsite restaurant I had dinner. Back in the tent there were some motorcyclists from Germany and they had pitched their tents near mine. My evening ended with my usual routine: texting, travel notes and looking at Google maps to find the direction of tomorrow's new adventure. I fell asleep with the sound of the rain today, how nice!

BLOG I DAY 3 I  ITALY'S FOUR SEAS: A cycle tour along the italian peninsula

September 16, 2023  Rapallo, Liguria  - Marina di Massa, Tuscany  I  110.0 Km  -  68.5 Miles

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