Ten years ago…when he was a bit more svelte…Roger purchased this very fancy rain jacket for cycling.
It was made of the latest miracle fabric that kept the rain and wind out while at the same time it wicked away perspiration.
But that wasn’t what made it magic.
In 10 years of cycling in Pienza, Roger never ever got caught out in the rain when he packed the jacket along on a ride. Should he leave the jacket at home on a cloudy day, he always got soaked by a sudden rainstorm.
That was the magic.
As Roger’s 80th birthday approached, he was determined to squeeze in a birthday bike ride regardless of the weather. The forecast didn’t look promising. It called for a 70% chance of rain. When he woke up early birthday morning, the forecast predicted rain starting in four hours. The bike ride he had planned took only three hours, so he decided to give it a go.
From Pienza, Roger headed north to Trequanda. As he approached Trequanda, the sky darkened, and a light rain began to fall. Was this the end of Roger’s lucky talisman?
Within a minute, the rain let up, but the sky continued to darken.
His next destination: Montisi. Even though it’s only a few kilometers away, it was slow going…two big hills along the way.
From the top of one hill, Roger could see rain in the distance.
In Montisi, it was time to stop for an espresso at a bar called L ‘ Ombelico del Mondo (The Bellybutton of the World). Roger walked in the door…this photo was taken in better weather…and the skies opened up! A 15 minute rain squall, and then the sun came out.
Roger pedaled on to Torrenieri in bright sun. His luck had held.
But as he was leaving Torrenieri, he looked to the west. The sky was black. Soon, he saw lightning bolts to his right and heard the rumble of thunder behind him.
By the time he approached San Quirico d’Orcia, the thunder and lightning was nearly constant. It was only 2-½ hours since Roger had left Pienza. Clearly, the weather forecast had been overly optimistic.
He ducked into the cover of San Quirico’s Porta Cappuccini…named not for the coffee drink but for the Cappuccin order of monks who once lived nearby. (This photo of the gate was also taken in fairer weather.)
Roger again checked the weather forecast on his cell phone. This time, it predicted heavy rain would start within minutes.
How heavy was it?
From under the protection of the porta, Roger could look up the street into town. About 5 minutes after his arrival, he saw gutters overflowing with rain runoff.
This deluge kept up for half an hour, until the rain eased enough so the downspouts could hold the water.
Soon thereafter, the sun came out, and Roger hopped back on his bike and pedaled home to Pienza.
That jacket is truly magic.
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