Photo: Piazza Maggiore, Mondaino, our chosen start/finish

“You’re a bit late but I’ll see what we can do”

The owner of the Ristorante Bologna Albergo, San Piero in Bagno, 25th April 2025

It was 22:30 on Italy’s Liberation Day, a public holiday. We had ridden 125km from the start at Mondaino and climbed 3,300m, including the Cippo, a 6 km climb rising 600 m. 10% all the way made famous as Marco Pantani’s training climb.

My riding partner Giuseppe had done it 24 times before. For me it was my first. It being a Super Randonnée, an audax of 600km with a minimum of 10,000m climbing.

Having enjoyed pasta and tiramisu rustled up by the chef we headed to bed for a few hours before a planned restart at 04:00.

Then eveything changed. So much changed.

“We’ve been burgled”

Jan woke me at midnight from the road outside our house. She was distraught. She couldn’t get in because the burglars had tied wire around the gate to prevent them being disturbed. She couldn’t check on the dogs. She feared the worst. I went cold imaginging the scene. I felt helpless. I was 150 km away. I couldn’t get a taxi and the nearest train station was 50km away.

As they say “It’s times like these you find out who your friends are”. Jan had been enjoying a Curry Night with freinds. She called and they came to the rescue. Clara and Karel were first to arrive to help Jan get into our home. It was a mess but the dogs were unharmed. Gabrielle stayed with Jan through the night as Jelina and Clara drove the 300km round trip to collect me. We got back at 05:30.

They didn’t just steal our jewellery and watches but they stole things far more valuable. They stole our time. They stole Jan’s confidence about staying in the house. They stole my chance to finish my first Super Randonnée.

It’s taken me over two month’s to write this up as we’ve been so busy ever since the burglary. Clearing and cleaning the house, police reports, insurance claims, replacing the window they destroyed, getting the internet restored after they cut the cable, repairing the fences they damaged getting onto the land. It all took time. Time they stole.

We were considering it anyway but the burglary brought forward our plan to return permanently to the UK. We decided we’d cancel our Italian residency on the 21st June and return to the UK. Moving is stressful and time consuming, but moving countries magnifies the time, effort and stress.

I’ve written this blog entry two weeks after we’ve returned to the UK. I’ve had no time to write my blogs since the burglary. That’s how much time they stole from us.

My congratulations to my mate Giuseppe who went on to finish his 25th Super Randonnée alone. I’m sorry I couldn’t finish it with you.

A huge thank you to our friends for helping us when we really needed it. A month later we had our last Curry Night with them before we left. It was emotional.