There are many reasons aren't there to love Italy the Italians for one

The Italian countryside for another Italian cuisine self-evidently the Judeo-Italian

The list is the list is almost endless the weather to another lovely mild early summer day

I found myself in Biella standing outside the hotel I stayed in last night the hotel

Astoria.

Notable for two things, really, to my mind.

One was an excellent fruit salad that I had for breakfast.

And the second thing is outside the Hotel Astoria that Matt and I noted last night when we were wheeling our suitcases towards reception.

There is a section of pavement that has been specifically designed and sponsored.

It's called the pavement

pyrelli as in the tyre manufacturer pyrelli and we couldn't quite figure it out

until we started wheeling our suitcases across it.

Now it's a section of pavement which is laid out with squares of specially designed

pavements which is ridged.

And the net effect is that when you wheel your suitcase

along the Pavimiento Pirelli it sounds like the revving of a Formula One car.

Listen. car listen. Welcome to Never Stray's Far.

Never Stray's Far. Never Stray's Far is proud to be supported by Bickmo Cycle Insurance protecting the world's riders and the places we ride.

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Bickmo insurance for the price of 11.

Terms apply. Well, it's the morning of stage 2, remarkably, it's a summit finish, 11, 12 kilometer climb all the way up to the famous

sanctuary of Oropa which I've never visited but which I'm in just about an hour or

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