The Local Bar

Training is tough and we certainly enjoy the down time...when we have enough energy to drag out butts out of the house, one of my favorite things to do is go to the local 'bar' (no we're not getting drunk, bar here would be like cafe back home)...these two lovely ladies are Ammalisa and Tiziana they serve a mad Cafe Mac...Grazie

Oh but i will say they've got nothing on Brother Espresso...hehe, you can pay me later luke :)

PACKAGE....

Its around 2pm and the door bell rings in the White House...there is only one sound that will follow this, English voices yelling the word PACKAGE at the top of there voices...no matter if they are showering, skyping or part way though a conversation...then its like a stampede down the stairs to the front door where the unsuspecting mail person is overwhelmed by 3 very excited girls hoping that today the PACKAGE is for them...i believe so far Flavia is killing the package count having received a PACKAGE or letter almost every day since we arrived in Italy...then next Carmen and last Carly(its not a fair race though given Australia is almost a week further away in post time)...Well that's Carly's claim and she seems to be sticking to it...

So it goes both ways, you got to give to receive...we have a local post office but you have to be there by 1pm cos everyone closes down for the arvo here and you kick back for siesta...

Home Sweet Home

About 100m down Via Gheghi is The White House...The Fanini White House...This will be my new home for the next 10 months...its a rather big place and my team lives on the top right side and below us is a shoe shop...(yep the girls have been down and have purchased shoes already)...during a 'normal week' in the house there are 4team mates and myself living here...My roommates Carly- an Aussie, Carmen- an American and Flavia- another American and Rosane- a Brazilian...the reason i say during a 'normal week' is because there are 11 girls on the team and usually my other team mates live in there own houses in cities all over Italy, however occasionally for training or functions the girls will come and stay at the house...And that is the true meaning of the Italian word CASINO...

It has taken a bit to get use to the weather here...in fact i wonder if it will ever warm up enough to ride in just nicks and a jersey...we have had a lot of rain, a large part of training camp was spent indoors on the trainers which frustrated me no end...i could not understand why the director would not allow us to ride outside when it was raining...? however about a week later i was out training with Carmen and Carly and from no where the sky opened up and started dumping down on us...we were caught out an hour from home and it was maybe a couple degrees, massive gail force winds and unrelenting rain...i will never again argue or ask WHY when told we'll ride the trainer instead of going out in the rain...at home you can get away with it, in fact its kinda nice...somewhat like riding your bike under a warm shower, here however its kinda like riding your bike naked in a freezer...not much fun!!!

To the right is the view from my balcony...its so beautiful here in Lucca Italy, it would make anyone want to get out and ride there bike...though as you can see the terrain is more suited to a mountain goat than a donkey...the girls love it even Carly, which is interesting because the Italians tell me that apparently there are 'no real climbs' in Australian...