I can't believe how much easier touring is becoming thanks to my ipad and the internet. Each morning I estimate the days' ride using Google Maps then use a booking website to find cheap accommodation for the evening. With GPS it's possible to book really out of the way places knowing that they will be easy to find. Unfortunately my phone's battery is on the way out and I have no way of charging it on the bike, so I have to write down directions to use at the end of the day.
Yesterday I decided to head for Asti, near Turin, ready for crossing the Alps today. It was a long but uneventful ride from Nocera to Asti and after riding round the beautiful old town for fifteen minutes I finally picked up the scent of my b&b, a charming old house called "La Cascina Rossa" (the Red Farm) a couple of kilometres out of town. In the evening I rode back into Asti and had a stonking supper of squid and potatoes, followed by fritto misto di pesche washed down with red wine, coffee and a grappa.
This morning I went for a run up the road as the sun rose over the rolling green landscape in anticipation of a very hot day. Over breakfast I chatted with the owners about my plans and where they should go for their next holiday. They are early middle aged Italians now living their dream of running a tasteful country b&b complete with pet goats, who eyed me curiously from their pen when I set off for my run this morning. All in all a very pleasant interlude before setting off for France.
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