Hot and humid air blew up from Africa on Sunday, the sirocco wind. The sea was churning with white horses by 10am, and I was happy to have the day off.

Funnily enough the Italian surf life saving nationals were being held on the beach at Castiglione. I tried to enter the surfski race, but they wouldn’t let me.

It didn’t take long to walk every one of Castiglione’s narrow, cobbled streets and up to the 12th century fortress. Apparently the second most expensive street for properties in Italy is in Castiglione, and the towns star studded list of residents includes Roger Moore. It didn’t feel like that kind of place.

There was a race on at the sailing club too, and I spent most of the day lounging around chatting to people. I came to appreciate the value of slowing down and just staying somewhere for the day, even if nothing really happens. A town can feel just like any town if you stay one night, but stay a couple of days and you begin to feel part of a place, it really makes an impression on you.

Thank you to everyone at club velico Castiglione Pescaia for making me feel at home. I imagine they probably thought I’d taken up permanent residence there, but I was gone by 9am the next day. It was a beautiful still morning, sea and sky melded in to one milky haze.

Soon enough the wind picked up, and I stopped on a wild section of coast where the Ombrone, Tuscany’s second longest river, meets the sea.

I hugged the coast through the stunning Parco Regionale della Maremma, jumping in every now and then to cool off and admire the beds of sea grass waving in the current. It’s surprising how quickly I get cold in the bath like water – 15 minutes is enough.

I came upon a fissure in the cliff and nosed my way in as far as I could. The crack then narrowed, but deeper into the cliff I could see it open up in to a chamber of bright blue.

From Talamone I headed in to a stiff headwind across the bay to Santa Liberta, but just tapped along, not putting any weight on the paddles. I headed for Monte Argentario, a peninsula that was once an island, but now is now connected to land by two stretches of land (tomboli if you want to get technical!). On the water I met Massy in his Italian theme surf ski, and he guided me up a canal to a marina where we left our boats.

It was wonderful to chat paddling, eat authentic tuscan food and sink in to a soft mattress instead of lying in my stinking sweat-box of a tent talking to myself and eating one of my concoctions that are an insult to Italian cuisine. Thanks Massy!

Diabetes

Rest day was good – injected a bit more levemir since I wasn’t exercising.

I was interested to see the effect of eating some slow release carbs at dinner (chickpeas and whole meal pasta). I injected 2 units of novorapid and 5 of levemir which was a perfect guess. I think this is probably just replenishing my empty glycogen stores. I’d guess my ratio is about 1NR to 50g carbs. HbA1c of 42 – I’m very happy with.