Barb, emJay and Marci scope out the day’s ride. We use three tools to guide us: a booklet containing written detailed ride instructions; a booklet of topographic maps with rides indicated, and Rick’s GPS which has the routes loaded. We don’t ever get too far off track.

Just up the road from Hotel Langhe we find a familiar form! We stop to chew a little cud with her.

Today we begin with a long stretch of flat gravel trails.

We stop at a pretty plaza with a public fountain. It is early in the day but already it is hot!

Hmmm . . . the locals bring their water bottles and pay for this water, next to our little park with the fountain. Wonder what’s up?!

Happy rider on the flat terrain.

Hazelnut leaves . . . with thistle! Over 30% of all the hazelnuts in the word go into making Nutella. Their factory is in Alba . . . and the town smelled like chocolate as we biked through this morning!

Here you see more examples of the killed and cleared grapevines.

We rode right up these hills!

We wonder if homeowners are leaving water bottles, like the two on the sides of this garage door, out for the parched bicyclists riding by?

Beautiful church and snack stop in Antignano.

As we roll toward Asti, Rick is drawn to the John Deere sales lot! All the salespeople were on break, however.

We settle into the lovely and mod Hotel Lis in Asti. The girls enjoy some nice Prosecco before dinner.

. . . and we dine at Osteria Diavolo where we enjoy seafood-stuffed zucchini flowers, lightly battered and fried….

. . .  a vegetable tower topped with a fresh crustacean…

. . . lamb chops lightly fried and served on a pile of vegetables . . .

. . . and Billy’s baby back pork ribs, before . . .

and after! With tummies full we walked back to the Lis for a good night’s sleep. And tomorrow is a rest day, hooray!!