Time for another update - its been a couple of very interesting days to say the least!

We have spent the past four days riding down the Adriatic Coast, which has been great - the sea has been a refreshing resource for lunchtimes and evenings.

Temperatures really started to ramp up while we were on the coast - it was 38 degrees at 10.30 the other morning, which is clearly too hot to do anything, let alone cycling! But cycle we did and learnt a few things on the way.

We did a bit of night time cycling, arriving at a campsite in darkness, which bought a new challenge in terms of dealing with Italian drivers!

We also discovered the answers to the following 3 questions:
Q1. When is someone going to accidently cycle into the back of a parked car?
A1. Day 6. Joe was looking backwards answering Ben's question and ploughed into the rear of a Fiat Uno
Q2. What happens when a lorry doesn't give you enough room at traffic lights?
A2. Simple. Ross punches it on its way past in the opposite direction, a pannier being ripped off and desposited a few metres down the road
Q3. Who comes off worse when a car door is opened in a cyclists path?
A3. The Car vs Iain. Iain won. Cycling at about 15mph, a car door opened literally a second before the imminent impact. I have a bit of a bruised shoulder, but nothing serious - the car door barely closes after being almost ripped from its hinges from the impact. Car mirrors sadly underused in Italy!

We are now in Southern Italy, having left the Adriatic coast and crossed "the poverty line" and are in the best hotel we've stayed in so far, just outside Orta Nova. This is mainly, but not only, due to the presence of a swimming pool. Early start tomorrow to get to Matera for our ninth days cycling.

Stats so far:
Day 1: Brunico - Trento 154km 7hrs 11mins
Day 2: Trento - San Giovanni Lupatoto 114km 5hrs 37mins
Day 3: San Giovanni Lupatoto - Portomaggiore 134km 6hrs 20mins
Day 4: Portomaggiore - Miramare 144km 6hrs 48mins
Day 5: Miramare - Sirolo 126km 6hrs 9mins
Day 6: Sirolo - Pineta 119km 5hrs 43mins
Day 7: Pineta - Termoli 119km 5hrs 39mins
Day 8: Termoli - Orta Nova 121km 5hrs 21mins
TOTAL: 1,033km 48hrs 48mins