Rest assured january is here...

... and cold it has gotten! :-)
Snow is falling in my region, which is pretty uncommon, and temperatures are around 0c, which is uncommon too.
Newspapers write that "Italy is in a refrigerator"... it's too much of a statement, as always, but not entirely false, if you consider that in Lazio(where Rome is), we're used to wear t-shirts for more than 6 months per year: you do understand that cold is not something we are really well prepared to deal with :-)

Anyway, while today is pouring rain, the average day is extremely sunny, bright, beautiful.
So, on sunday, I just had to take the mountain bike and go with a couple of friends to explore the surroundings of Fogliano lake, a national reserve, very near my house.
Being the offroad nutcase that I am (affected by a high, almost incurable degree of LandRoveritis...) I immediately looked for mud, and then for some more mud! :-)
We ended up bicicling in muddy routs usually filled with no less than 30cm of water, and I tell you, it was extremely funny!
This is a picture of me with my friend Gianfranco, when he was still clean... :-)


We had lots and lots of fun, and we explored some beautiful sights in the lake area; at the end, Gianfranco punctured a tire while I believed I had been bitten by a snake, but despite his bad luck and my serious lack of brain, we were extremely happy of the ride, and are planning to make another one very soon.
I know for sure others are reading their bikes already! :-)

Here is a picture of me, Gianfranco and Emanuele, our companion, who was brave enough to explore the mud on a city-like bike... I won't tell you the troubles he underwent and how much damage to the bike he did, but I praise him for the performance! :-)



And, last but not least, a wonderful tree we spotted during our "expedition".
Funny detail, when I crouched to take the picture, I felt a sting, and I though I had been bitten by a snake!
But I courageously kept pedalling... oh my! :)