A Grand Tour moment

Tackling a stage of a Grand Tour requires planning, timing and knowledge of the terrain – and that’s just the spectators

We’re battling the Saturday morning city centre crowds through narrow streets, and my wife wants to know why we’re heading uphill if we’re looking for an underground station.

‘Because it’s called Monte Santo,’ I reply. ‘I think that means “sacred mountain”.’

I check my map of the Metro and add halfheartedly, ‘Maybe the first part of the journey is overground.’

We pass a square festooned with bunting and football scarves. A mural of Diego Maradona looks down from the side of an apartment block. I intend to lay a scarf of my own here tomorrow but for now we have a train to catch.

We finally spot a bright red ‘M’ but it’s a sign for a station that hasn’t actually been built yet.

‘This place is crazy,’ I mutter as a scooter bumps up onto the pavement in front of us. The rider deposits a loaf of bread into a waiting bucket which is immediately hoisted into the cobweb of balconies above.