Day 16 La Spezia - Bogliasco 121 km and unbelievable 2500 vertical meters

Madness, what I had planned there. (So not the one with the bare skin, that didn't work, although the English-language page suddenly had 10 visitors, from 0 the day before). I was aware of that yesterday too, didn't think I'd do the whole thing, but start rescheduling in the middle of it. And what there was everything today, gravel roads (clear), switchbacks (logical), potholes (mandatory), tunnels (some) and stairs (?). Yes stairs, there was also an elevator, but it said "Not for cyclists", but no one was bothered by that, except....... To be honest, am also strong enough to carry my bike + luggage (45 kg(!) have packed, yes, maximum!) 2 floors down, up I might have thought differently, sure. In the morning in La Spezia I looked for me first a baker (the hotel buffets.... I just don't like it when twenty people grabbed my food. I just don't like it.) and found what I was looking for. I walked into one, oh my god was that awesome. There I stood now like a small boy and when I was asked what I wanted the, I said: "Everything", the dry answer "And with what would you like to start?" Cleverly countered. I gave her the choice, 2 pieces, she convinced. It not only looked good, it was good. After breakfast nicely up a small hill, I was already quite taken by the slope and had slight hope that today could continue so shallow all day. Hope dies on the mountain. As soon as I was in the nature reserve Cinque Terre, that pulled briskly. From afar I saw mostly the disaster already and thought to myself more often there I come up only as Willi (push) but that was not so, however, the sweat flowed IN STREAMS. My T-shirt was immediately wet, the sweat drops ran down my bald head to the beard, from there it dripped down to the ground. i love it. The view I could enjoy rather less, there was not much places from which a photo would have been worth shooting (okay two three) I also drove in the wrong direction (wrong side of the road), the villages I left down. They I had already visited, that would have been unnecessary altitude, besides, I had no time, that was close today. And seriously, who wants to visit Cinque Terre, makes it by train, in each village there is a station and the frequency is high, up with the car around there is hardly anything to see. Who then but height wants to take a hiking trail from village to village. Only idiots drive in there by car, I saw a few of them today, mostly pot-bellied older gentlemen and their mother (?) next to them. Professionals take the public transport, in Levanto or La Spezia you can park well, there are also ferries, who does not like train. So today I fulfilled a small dream and am with the bike through Cinque Terre, on my first tour I have not managed. At that time I drove through an 8 km long car tunnel into a village and was nervously pretty much at the end and then went around the outside because I did not want to go through such a (shorter) tunnel that was not released for cyclists. Back then, oh so naive, I navigated with a car road maps and an ADAC camping guide and keep as close to the coast, that was so my plan. Today I laugh about it, which has cost time and nerves. In the evening, write the prominent cities on a sheet of paper, while wine and cigarettes, the next day then stop again and again and look. That is easier today, even if such an app can sometimes bring you to despair (or lead to death). You still have to think, in Italy are no towns (or for me spoiled boy, only inadequately) written, which led me at that time already very much to the edge of madness (but all roads lead to Rome, even the one on which you leave Rome?). So at some point I was in Levanto, as luck would have it, it was half past one, I looked at the speedometer and there grinned at me 43 km. Oops I still had 80 km ahead of me. Since I met a road cyclist who had overtaken me on the mountain and gave me an encouraging slap on the back while overtaking. Mean, all know that with luggage is simply heavier. He wanted to invite me for a coffee, I regretfully declined. Of course not Italian, the boy works on a minesweeper in the Mediterranean and had a day on shore leave and instead of boozing like his colleagues he preferred to ride his bike. I would have really liked to listen to his story, but today..... I had to continue, a bike path on the beach and along the coast, through many tunnels, 2 towns further I then stood at the end, directly in front of a train station (how clever, but I still had energy there), Framura. Was a bit surprised due to the abrupt end of the path. So down the stairs and pushed under the station, there I met another couple from America, both with bicycle on the road. He was quite dissolved, because I drive "American Brand", we came into the Fachsimplen, he said with a 2 set in front it would be better on the mountain, I laughed and swung me on `s bike and then it went off, the second time 600 meters in altitude. Unfortunately, the calculation is not correct with the 2er set in front, then I have to give up rear pinion, which runs out on the same distance per revolution. In addition, I have maximum load and so far not yet found a slope that brings me to the limit, although there was still something coming at me today. When driving up, I noticed there are two kinds of people, the one look at you pityingly, the other, well, they know how cool it is to go to the limit and laugh at you. So up (sounds short, it was not, but quite meditative) and then immediately down again, when I came to a small piece where I had to go up again, I was short dizzy. Sure the blood was back in the legs, I had not moved for a while, that takes a short time until the engine started again, that happened to me twice more. After that I also kicked down the hills to just let the blood circulate further, then it worked, somehow. I also took some energy gels. Then on the last serious hill (300 meters of elevation) I needed phone support and my wife talked to me on the phone. Then it went quite easily, even the 18% was no problem. Without you? Maybe I would have laid down to die, if I would not have been dead after 10 minutes? Well, then I would have thought of something else. In any case, a very beautiful area to look at the landscape. Shortly in the supermarket and then up to the best campsite in Italy (in my opinion). Am now already the fifth time there, and asked for a mobile home and actually she had one for me, at the price of a bit more like a tent, good if you are known and a few euros more are a few euros more. Tomorrow I make a day lukewarm, feet up, not. Hiking! Maybe another day more, who knows? Soon the tour is over, really very soon and then the seriousness of life begins again..... as if I could stay serious. In this sense, good night.