OU T DOORS SU DDE N LY, I S E E T H E WAT E R FA L L .
Urbino NOW ‘11-’12
78
I am the only person here, free to explore and take pictures. I move closer to the small but dramatic cascade, close my eyes, and listen to the soothing rumble of falling water and the rustle of tree leaves. The light breeze and shade of the woods are a relief after pedaling under the hot sun. I could stay here all day, but I’ve promised to return my bike by evening, and I still hope to make it to several towns. I take one final moment to soak in the beauty. Then, reluctantly, I say goodbye to La Cascata del Sasso. La Cascata is the first stop on today’s bike trip, a ride that started and will end in Urbania, a small town about 10 miles southwest of Urbino. Equipped with only my water bottle, camera, cell phone, and a bike-route map I got from Urbino’s tourist office, I’ve decided to try out cyclotourism—sightseeing by bike. So far, the hardest part of cyclotourism has been finding a place to rent a bike. After some serious online searching, I finally found Happy Bike in Urbania, one of the only stores in Le Marche that offers bike rentals. Earlier today, I nervously left my driver’s license as collateral with shop owner Dario Londei and pedaled away, questioning whether I’d made a smart decision. Twenty minutes later, I still wasn’t sure. I had been looking for La Cascata along an asphalt road next to the Metaurus River and I wasn’t feeling like I was close to any natural wonders. Just as I was about to give up, I noticed a sign for the falls to my left. But instead of a waterfall, all I saw was the concrete slab of a parking lot and some industrial buildings. Confused, I turned into the parking lot and kept following the signs, which soon directed