Day 29 - 28th Rest day in Milan

The Ostello Bello was so convivial that I never left it and am a bit embarassed to say I didn't see much of Milan at all. Annoyingly I didn't sleep well the first night which was part of the problem. I wanted to stay a 3rd night but the place was completely booked out. It was just more relaxing to sit in the kitchen and listen and talk to all the other guests. That's what I love about hostels, it's the norm to just start a conversation with anyone.  I suddenly realised I could understand bits of what the two foreign girls sat next to me were chatting about. It turns out that they were Brazilian. Several seemed genuinely interested in my trip. I got on well with Kakiuchi from Japan and he said he has already commented here somewhere but as I write I haven't seen it yet. He came down with his camera to see me off and the staff were taking photos too......I felt like a celebrity! I also met my first ever wannabe male model from Poland. He was excited about an upcoming 3 month trip to China paid for by an agency but worried about whether he would fail his university course. One nice American girl shared her pasta with me. I must have looked hungry!

The kitchen had a patio area where you could go and pick your own herbs - a bit straggly at this time of year but a nice touch.

Future trips? Bolivia maybe......

I'm quite touched that Kakiuche comes down to reception to see me off. He is in Milan to study as an architect, there is a big faculty here.

The bike is going fine. After 2,500 km the only maintenance I've done is change the rear light battery and tighten a front rack bolt that had come loose.I've not even pumped the tyres up.  I don't even think about the drive train, it runs silently with no maintenance at all, which is what I paid for really. Full credit to Santos and Alisdair at MSG Bikes.

I'm going fine too, I had a swollen and painful Achilles tendon from Day 1 which I was worried about. My hiking-style boots were too high around the ankle so I took a knife to to the back of them out and it slowly got better. On the whole I feel better than when I am at home.

Oh, and I received an email letting me know that the ferry service between Mersin on the Turkish coast and Tripoli is up and running again, so it looks like I will be missing Cyprus out - unless the situation in Tripoli deteriorates. My better half is worried about kidnapping of foreigners around Tripoli and suggests I start growing a beard!