I started today retracing my steps, perhaps with some trepidation I passed the bench where the puncture happened but, before long, I was over it.
At first going was slow. It was a slight gradient, a slight head wind and a slightly under inflated tyre. As I cycled along I started to wonder if I'd done such a good job with my repair after all.
I stopped eventually for brunch and unloaded the bike, checked the wheel alignment and pumped up the tyre some more. That, and noticing the gradient and the head wind seemed to do the trick.
I enjoyed rolling through vineyard after vineyard occasionally interspersed by Roman ruins. I can't say I gave them, or the little villages I passed through, the attention they deserved because realistically, if it was in full sunshine I wasn't stopping.
I think this is a replica. I also passed the dock where a wooden replica should have been moored but the boat was on its travels.
I took the wrong side of a main road and the climb up the slopes of the vineyard was a pleasant change. After I made it back to the path the gradient seemed more in my favour and I cycled along happily.
I probably could have done without the final 15k on a roadside bike path that didn't allow for stopping. Not good timing as the sun got stronger and my water bottles ran dry. I had more water but couldn't really stop to faff and fill the bottles that are easily reachable when riding.
After what seemed like less distance than it should have been (this has been the longest day so far as I had to add the 20k I missed) I finally arrived at the campsite, happy, sweaty and rather thirsty.
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