Favorites, Do-Overs, and Last Impressions

Patty and I have put together a list of special moments for the month of riding that we did in Italy and here they are:

Favorite bike ride-

Patty-Abruzzo

Cindi-Abruzzo

Favorite gelato-

Patty-Vivoli in Florence

Cindi-Vivoli in Florence

Favorite attraction-

Patty-Borghese Museum

Cindi-I would agree with Patty, but a close second for me was the Castello Buonconsiglio in Trento...I loved the frescoes

Favorite sound-

Patty-bells...cow bells, church bells

Cindi-the day we were riding to Daniela's house in San Miniato...it was a Sunday...and we heard singing coming from the church a half mile away and up on a hill...

Favorite breakfast-

Patty-in the garden at Fabio's in Florence

Cindi-without a doubt...in the garden at Fabio's

Most frustrating moment-

Patty-trains

Cindi-I had four...the two train travel days, the night we were out in the middle of nowhere, in the dark, and I had no point of reference to get me to Fredrica's house in Ferrara, and the day we rode to Mezzolombardo and I couldn't find a street sign and a corresponding road on my iPad to save my life...and then Patty figured out we were about a half mile from Tiziana's house...

Most disappointing moment-

Patty-no water in Trevi fountain

Cindi-utter commercialization of the Vatican

Most fearful moment-

Patty-in Rome, right after we had gotten off the train at 10 pm, in heavy traffic, getting a flat tire and not seeing Cindi anywhere (I wasn't too far away :)

Cindi-in Rome, after being swindled with transaction fees when I exchanged some money, there was about a two minute period where I thought I had lost my phone

Biggest surprise-

Patty-the vast network and number of bike trails in Italy

Cindi-how safe it is to ride in Italy...I never felt unsafe...not once

Hardest ride-

Patty-Florence to San Gimignano

Cindi-the ride to Marina di Pisa...it meant our trip was coming to an end

Things I missed the most-

Patty-ice, eggs

Cindi-ice, quiet

Most beautiful sight-

Patty-Dolomites

Cindi-yes, the Dolomites, and also coming down from Passo San Leonardo, around a turn in the road, and seeing Pacentro, perched on the hillside, the bobbing heads of Jeremy, Jackson, and Jordan when I first met them in Florence, sitting at a long table at the Agriturismo in San Miniato with Germans and Italians and simply enjoying the food, the setting, and the love of Life.

Most amazing thing-

Patty-Cindi's route finding ability (I swear, I did not pay her to say that...)

Cindi-that for 30 days, often with people who spoke little or no English at all...we managed...quite well

There were things that we would do differently:

1).  Train reservations.  We wouldn't make any.  We would simply go to the departing station and buy the tickets on the spot, for both rider and bike.  We found the train to be very reasonable in terms of price. I would also get off at a smaller city as opposed to when we got off in Bologna, because that would certainly make the riding easier.

2).  Accommodation reservations.  We would make fewer.  If you have a reservation, there is pressure to get there and does not allow for those serendipitous times when you see a place along the way that is both charming and timely.  That said, having a reservation may be necessary in places where there are a lot of tourists, like Florence and San Gimignano.  

3).  I would bring very little US money and rely on a debit card for money exchanges, and a credit card for larger purchases like train tickets, accommodations, city tour passes.

4).  Do a better job of learning more of the language.  I really enjoyed the times when we could communicate a little in Italian.  I want to be better.

Both of us used nearly everything we brought.  An exception for me was a Goal Zero solar charger that I bought for touring and backpacking.  Every place we stayed had electrical outlets, we simply needed the adapter.  An extra phone battery and USB power pack work well as a backup.

Last impressions--from Cindi--

I remember Bill promising me one time that we wouldn't go to our vacation destination until i had "planned it to death".  I can't imagine ever wanting to take a vacation cruise or booking a group tour, at least not when I could plan the adventure myself.  I realize there are people who do, and they have a  fantastic time on their vacation too...but it's just not for me.

Italians are expressive people.  They seem to love family, food, and tradition.  And shoes...they love shoes.  They are patient people, waiting for phone lines which do not work, or traffic that is backed up for miles, or delicious food that cannot.will not.ever.become.fast food.  For the most part they seem friendly, and I always loved it when I called out "Buon giorno!" and got a smile and a "Giorno!" in reply.

Patty and I got to see a variety of Italian landscapes, from the densely populated cities of Rome, Bologna, and Florence, to the forested, sheep dwelling mountains of Abruzzo, to the crags of snow capped Dolomites, and finally the vineyard lined hills and valleys of Mezzolombardo, San Gimignano, San Miniato, and Pisa.  I loved it all.  I loved that old brick buildings which used to be barns have been renovated into lovely homes and that family farms still make their own wine and press their own oil.  I love that when I was talking to Daniela about the round zucchini and told her that in the US, we only grown the long green ones, her eyes lit up and she said the round ones are like "Cinderella's Ball".  My Patriot Supply and Sustainable Seed Co. both have them.  Giddy up.

Patty and I probably spent around $3500 a piece for this trip.  We both used airline miles which was then fuel surcharged, but it cost us nothing to ship our bikes.  They went as our checked bag, and we carried the other pannier on as a carry on.  We stayed with friends, a couple of Warm Shower hosts, and a bunch of Air B&B folks.  We ate best with Pete and Shirleen, but we didn't exactly deprive ourselves the rest of the trip.  I haven't stepped on the scales yet...don't think I will.

I picked up my mail and buried in the middle of the stack was a manila envelope.  It had my RAGBRAI jersey and all of the entry wristbands and information that I will need.  RAGBRAI is the Des Moines  "Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa".  This is the 42nd year and five of my friends have talked me into doing the 6-day 468 mile ride.  Italy to Iowa in a week, olives to corn, wine to chickawawa...life.is.good.

The Mother of All Layovers

We got into Gatwick in London around 11 pm and by the time we went through security it was after midnight.  Gatwick gives you 45 minutes of free wifi, but after that, you pay.  I had gotten online and found out there was a McDonald's (free wifi 24/7) in the South Terminal so Patty and I hopped on the shuttle to catch up on emails and browsing and also to find a quiet corner where we could sleep for four or five hours.  Our flight to Las Vegas did not leave until 10:50 am.  We also found out from one of the security attendants that the Netherlands/Argentina soccer semi was in overtime and the score was nil/nil.  We found out later that Argentina won on penalties.  Bummer.

We walked all around the South Terminal but never did see a McDonald's.  What we did see was a billion people in various stages of sleep.  Well, okay, not a billion, but A LOT.  I sat down to work on the blog, but I knew 45 minutes would not be enough time.  Patty, meanwhile, had found two very nice lounge chairs and had put her bag on one to save for me (I was half a gate away and oblivious).  A man walked up and asked if he could use one of the chairs?  "No," Patty said, "My friend will be here in a little while to sit there."  He returned 15 minutes later and called Patty a liar.  Then he moved her bag and sat down.  When he moved her bag a second time, she swatted him and told him to knock it off.  I so wish I had seen this exchange, but like I said...I was oblivious.  When I came along, Patty and I decided to try and find something else.  We couldn't believe how many people were in the airport at 2 am. 

I saw a small prayer chapel room and thought it would do nicely.  We went in and it was quiet AND carpeted, so we went to the back, put our bags against the wall and tried to sleep.  It wasn't long before other people...a lot of other people...had the same idea.  I have never heard snoring so loud in all my life.  If that man is married it should be to a woman who does something equally obnoxious.

I was getting cold.  I had on shorts and a knit top, so I put on my jacket.  I was still cold, so I quietly opened my carryon and pulled out my capris...I just pulled them on enough to cover my legs.  Why yes, of course it looked ridiculous.  About that time, sigh...a minister of some sort came into the Chapel and wanted into an office...the door of which I was blocking...in my capris that were half pulled up.  People...it is 2am!!!  I sat up, let him in, and he fiddled around in there for 10 minutes or so, and then, of course, he wanted out so I had to move to get out of his way again.  I imagine that set into motion some sort of violation protocol, because within ten minutes (yes, just about the time I drifted off to sleep again) a heavy set woman came in and loudly proclaimed that we could not sleep in the Chapel.  I wanted to tell her that she was interrupting my prayer time, but I behaved myself and followed Patty back out to where the rows of hard plastic seats lined the terminal.  We would doze for 15 minutes before a maintenance man came rattling through with a large wire trailer or something.  At one point, a dozen or so uniformed soldiers with AK47s and canines came through, asking questions, passing wands over carry ons, scanning the hallways.  It was too much for my fatigued, mostly optimistic, mostly trusting brain to handle.

We took the shuttle back to the other terminal, checked in for our flight, and spent nearly four hours watching people.  It was...entertaining.  Our flight to Las Vegas was nearly 10 hours in length and we are now waiting for our connecting flight to Portland.

Addio Bella Italia

Marco, who either owns or manages A Due Passi del Centro B&B (we could never quite tell which) was very gracious when we asked him if we could extend our check out time.  He needed to clean the room, so check out time needed to be 11:00...but he told us we were welcome to leave our bags and come back and shower.  Sold.  We ate a quick breakfast, did some packing, and headed west of Pisa to the Marina di Pisa.  

Pete and Shirleen had told us that the Marina was a wonderful place to explore or have a glass of wine.  From Pisa, it was a nice, flat 12 mile ride that reminded us of Frenchman's Bar.  We had some headwinds going out, but OH the views!  Much of the marina infrastructure looked new and there were boats that were easily seven figures.  One was a motor yacht called Option B. 

We walked along the boadwalk and watched the waves crashing over the wall.  Every now and then, a handful of kids dared the waves...they ventured too close to the wall and got drenched, laughing the entire time.  We stopped for one last cappuccino and a slice of pear rum cake and then headed back to Pisa.  I'm not entirely sure why, but my GPS routed us back to the Leaning Tower so we walked through the square and enjoyed it all over again.

I had been hearing a squeak on my bike and when I looked it over yesterday, I noticed that a bolt was missing from my rear rack.  Uh-oh.  That rack has a lot of work to do on the flight home, bearing about 20 pounds of olive oil and limoncello.  But...I had an extra bolt...from where I had taken the front fender off at home before we left.  And wouldn't you know that it was just the right size.  We have had several things like this happen on our trip.  There was the time we were out in the middle of nowhere when it was getting dark and simply could not make it to Fredrica's  house...neither of us had noticed the AgriTurismo on our way out, but when we doubled back...to find a highway and perhaps a place to stay...here, in the middle of corn fields, grape vines, and pear orchards, was a place where we could spend the night.  Today we were out at the Marina di Pisa, and I don't know, maybe it is windy and the waves crash majestically over the rocks all the time...or maybe...we were in the right place, at the right time and they did it...just for us.

I let the GPS direct us to the airport because, seriously, Pisa has the most convoluted network of one-way streets I have ever seen in my life.  We rode through a portion of downtown and stopped to get some lunch.  My last proscuitto and formaggio panini.  While we were there, we met a couple who spend 6 months sailing in the Mediterranean and six months in...Portland.  What are the odds?

We arrived at the airport without any problems, and did some people watching because we were so early.  When it was time, we packed the bikes in plastic bags and taped them shut.  The ticket agent sent them to oversized baggage and my fingers are crossed.  Three flights and two loooooong layovers and I will be home.

For the Love of Lucca

It rained hard most of the night and even through breakfast.  When the sun popped out, we figured it was our window of opportunity.  We had a route downloaded onto the Garmin, but it was only 12.5 miles to Lucca and the signage in Italy is very good.  We arrived on backs roads after waiting in a couple spots for local trains where we carried on conversations with the locals...love doing this.

Lucca, which is northwest of Pisa, was founded by the Etruscans and became prosperous through the silk trade.  The walls around the city remained intact as the city grew and when the walls lost their military importance, became a pedestrian promenade.  Each of the 4 sides are lined with a different species of tree.

We locked the bikes, put on our walking shoes and wound through the narrow streets of historical Lucca.  It is touristy...with plenty of shops and restaurants tucked here and there, which was good, because I wanted olive oil.  The first shop we came to had olive oil from the Lucca region.  It is understood that each region of Italy that produces olive oil...and wine, for that matter, is proud of their products and feel that they are the best.  We smelled the oil, and it was fragrant, a rich aroma that makes you want to go get a thick slice of Artisan bread and start dipping.  Ok, I told him, we'll be back, because I want to buy several bottles, but I don't want to cart them all over Lucca.  However, at a shop not two blocks away, the price for the same oil was not nearly 12 euros per bottle, but 8.  

I realize olive oil could make quite a mess in my checked bag if the bottle breaks.  What kind of mess would 4 bottles of olive oil AND a bottle of limoncello make?  I am hoping I never find out.  I have packed two of the bottles in my shoes...:)

It rained while we were in Lucca.  We ducked into a couple of stores, buying olives and olive oil, cappuccinos, sandwiches, and cannolis.  I haven't had a cannolo since I visited Aaron and Erin in Pennsylvania and they took me to South Philly.  The sun came out and we rode around the wall of the city which is about 2.5 miles in circumference.  It was wonderful to see so many people out walking, jogging, riding.

We headed back to Pisa (no more rain!) and started packing our things.  We have a late flight tomorrow, so we are going to try and get one more ride in...out to the marina which is about 10 miles away.  We'd like to be able to come back, shower and change before riding to the airport so a lot will depend on whether or not we can secure a late checkout.

It was our last evening in Pisa and we headed back downtown for a glass of wine.  We talked to the young woman behind the bar about the wine and where it was grown.  She is from Sicily and talked me into a Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon from there while Patty had Chianti.  We asked her to suggest a place for dinner and she sent us to a place called Spaghetteria.  We walked by it, but remember, Italians eat late, so it didn't open until 8.  We walked to another wine shop and sampled a wine from the area where we stayed in San Gimignano (Montoliveto) and one from San Miniato (Cusignano).  So fun. We were at the restaurant by 8:02 and the place was full by 8:30...full of Italians.  It had a sort of "Alice in Wonderland" decor theme going on...we laughed that perhaps the name of the restaurant should have been The Rabbit Hole.  Patty had spaghetti and mushrooms and I had a pasta called maccheroncelli with bacon, pomodoro, and Peccorino.  Fantastico!  We talked about the trip and our favorite things...favorite breakfast, favorite attraction, favorite town, favorite ride...we're going to do an entire post on it.  Here's a favorite for you...favorite Italian word...bellisimo.

Under the Tuscan Sun

There are some people with whom you feel an instant connection, a kindred spirit.  Daniela was one of those people for Patty and me.  She is so vibrant, so wonderfully Italian...and can I just say here that I love how Italians speak English...they say cook-ed, or say you are very clever, and sometimes put the emphasis on the wrong syllable and it is just...delightful.  She made us a wonderful breakfast and with hugs and smiles sent us on our way through San Miniato towards Pisa.

San Miniato is set high on a hill and has a medieval quality to it.  And yes, we had to ride up and up and up some more to get there.  It is home to the chiesa San Francesco, where yesterday morning, from a half mile away when we were riding towards Daniela's house, we heard singing.The streets are very narrow and because parking is so limited, the city has built an elevator...from a parking lot up to the city.  Daniela told us that a very important bank has offices here and many people who are employed there use the tower to get to work.

We had passed a brick archway and wanting to take some pictures, I walked out into the traffic lane.  Yes, there was a car coming, but I didn't think too much about it.  The driver was motioning for me to cross...ummm, no, I don't want to cross.  I want to take a picture, and motioned that I was taking a picture.  The driver was grinning, and also motioning that she was taking a picture...then I realized...it was Daniela!  We had a good laugh about it, said more goodbyes, and headed down the hill towards Isola.

We made good time passing through Castelfranco di Sotto, Calcinaia, Uliveto Terme, and Caprona.  Above Caprona, there is a large structure built into the cliffs...not sure what it is...perhaps someone can enlighten me?

We had called Marco, our host at the B&B in Pisa, and told him we would arrive between 12 and 2.  But when we rode into Pisa, along the Acquedotto Mediceo, we looked for the Leaning Tower, as a reference to get to the B&B.  Couldn't see it.  I know, that's what I thought, ha ha. We were at the end of our Garmin loaded route, so we entered his address into the GPS.  I think EVERYTIME I have done that so far in Italy (7, maybe 8 times) the Garmin has given me a screen that says "no results found".  But today...tada...it said calculating...routing us so that we arrived at...2 pm.

An aside about the Garmins...Patty and I both purchased the Italy ds card for the Garmin...we both downloaded the same routes...but twice today,  her Garmin wanted us to do one thing and my Garmin wanted us to do something else.  It was never a major difference, but it was a little frustrating.  We have one more chance to test her model 800 and my 705 together and that is on a short out and back to Lucca tomorrow.

We showered and then headed out on foot.  Yes, we saw the tower and took the obligatory "quick...someone save the tower from falling over" photo...but it was just as much fun to take pictures of people "posing" to save the tower.  We ate dinner near the square, Patty opting for spaghetti carbonera while I had capricciosa pizza.

As I write this, it is thundering and lightning and pouring down rain.  Are you laughing?  You should be, because we are...we have had amazing weather, almost no rain at all, and our last ride of any length on this trip is a 25 miler to Lucca.  Fingers crossed.

We Can Get Lost Riding...or We Can Get Lost Going to Dinner

Not every day is a 10, but today was.  We left Marco and Margherita's house just after eight...no breakfast or coffee, just Italian hugs and molto thanks for a splendid time.  This couple is going to go far...you can take that to the bank.  One more little family story...Margherita told us that too much rain ruins the olive harvest.  The olives need to be full of oil when they are harvested, not water.  The olive pressers send out some sort of invitation, and you get a time when you bring your olives in to be pressed.  Margherita does not want her olives mixed with another grower who might be bringing an inferior quality of olive.  When she and Marco took their olives in last fall, she did not go home, even though it is uncommon for women to have anything to do with work from the fields.  She waited with the hundreds and hundreds of pounds of olives and listened to the comments of the pressers..."the color is good", "the flavor is good"..."whose oil IS this"?  And she smiled coyly and walked over to the pressers and said, "It is my oil."

For the first time on our trip, Patty and I both used our Garmins on a route that I had mapped at home.  Easy peasy.  Her Garmin 800 is a little different from my 705, and there is something very comforting about following a purple ribbon on a map screen that is headed in the direction you know you need to go.

We were ahead of schedule and since we hadn't had lunch, we stopped at a little bar.  The temperatures were in the 80's and we had done a bunch of climbing so we were sweating...profusely.  The owner immediately motioned for me to follow him.  I thought he was showing me where the toilette was, but instead, he opened a door to a small market, where there were meats and cheeses and bread.  Why yes, proscuitto and formaggio...please.  We asked for something cold to drink and he brought us two glasses of white wine with ice cubes in the glass.  I thought it was okay, but Patty couldn't finish hers.  I think this is a very normal lunch in Italy...this morning around 10 we had stopped for a cappuccino and some men who were working nearby came in and ordered a sandwich, salami or proscuitto and cheese on a hard roll along with a tumbler glass full of wine.

It wasn't too hard to find Daniela, our B&B host, but we jokingly considered telling her she was going to have to move down the hill.  She is a former grade school teacher who loves to travel and loves people.  What a wonderful find for us.  We sat out on her patio and had cold water and talked about travel, and Tuscany, and truffles.  It seems San Miniato is the white truffle capital of the world.  Every year in November, people from all over the world come for the truffle festival.  Daniela and her husband André have two dogs that are truffle hunters, because you either have to have dogs or pigs to sniff out the truffles.

She suggested a restaurant that cooks authentic Tuscan fare within walking distance for dinner so off we went at 7 pm.  We knew it was an AgriTourismo and walked up the road to the first one we came across.  A long table on the terrace was set for 15 and two or three people were standing nearby.  It looked like it might be a celebration of some sort.  Patty saw someone come out of the kitchen and asked if we might have dinner.  Yes, it was okay.  Yikes, totally out of my comfort zone.

We waited another ten minutes or so and a crowd of people formed, some German, some Italian.  We all sat down and food started appearing.  Crostini with a creamed mushroom topping, also a meat topping with carrots and tomatoes.  Then spaghetti with tomatoes and ham on a bed of pesto.  Later, thin slices of beef rolled around zucchini and cheese.  Tiramisu for dessert and chianti to drink.  The table was quiet at first, but we soon realized that none of these people knew each other.  We talked to them about where they were from, what they would do in San Miniato, whether Germany would win the World Cup.  They were all, however, staying at the AgriTurismo, which was more that we could say.  We felt like party crashers...very lucky party crashers.  The sunset off the terrace was amazing, there was a peacock on a nearby shed, and the owner of the AgriTurismo was dining with us, intent on making sure everyone was comfortable and full.  It was...magical.

We walked back to the B&B in the dark, laughing about how our misstep had turned into an adventure.  Daniela was so happy that we had had a good time, because her heart is to share her love of Tuscany with the people who come and stay with her.  We asked her a favor.  Yes, it was a little forward...but we asked her if she had any limo cello.  Turns out, she makes her own.  So we sat out on her patio for the better part of an hour sampling her limo cello, another liqueur called Mirto which is made primarily in Sicily, and one called Agricanto which is a sweeter liqueur from Trento.  Thank you, Daniela, for making our day here so very special!

Different Spokes for Different Folks

Margherita and Marco serve breakfast at nine, and there was a rain shower that passed through, so we got a late start on our ride today.  I loved listening to Margherita talk about her family.  Her grandfather, Caesar, who still lives on the farm, had a stroke last year.  They were in the midst of making wine when this happened and the winemaking is a very involved, very precise process.  They do not use sugar, but rather add grapes for the second fermentation, and without Grandpa's sure and steady hand, were unsure how to proceed.  They called his friends, many who were in their 80's or even 90's for advice.  And when Grandpa was able, he told them what to do.  They had the wine tested...and often this is expensive, but because Caesar has farmed this land for decades, they charged Margherita and Marco 5 euros...and declared the wine perfetto.

The first half mile of our ride was uphill, and we stopped at a grocery store for water.  When I came out, Patty asked me if I'd mind riding solo today.  Yesterday took a huge toll on her energy level and she just felt like she needed a day to recharge.  She would stay and enjoy San Gimignano, while I rode to Volterra.  

It was a great training ride.  I was surrounded by vineyards and olive groves on low traffic roads with a LOT of hills and a fair amount of wind.  When I had ridden the 17 miles to Volterra I had over 2100' of gain.  I snapped a couple of pictures, but they do not do the landscape justice.  Even with the haze, you could see 30 miles or more.  I saw a handful of cyclists out on their bikes and it is always "Ciao, ciao!" when you pass.

Patty walked into San Gimignano and did a fair amount of people watching.  The town is so photogenic, and gift shops and restaurants abound.  This is a popular stop for tour buses and the gelaterias had lines out the door.  

We met at the B&B around 4 and watched the rest of the first stage of the Tour de France.  The sprinter finishes always amaze me...I'm never sure how much is skill, how much is strategy, and how much is luck?  This morning we met a couple from The Netherlands who are going to eat dinner with us and then watch the Netherlands play Costa Rica in the quarter finals of the World Cup.  We asked them if they watched the Tour but he said professional cycling had become a "circus" with all of the commercialism.  I had to chuckle, because, seriously, sometimes when I watch football (soccer), I feel like I'm watching theatre.

We opted to have dinner at Casa del Poggio tonight.  Oh my.  Margherita and her mother Daniella make many dishes from family recipes that have been handed down from generation to generation.  We had pasta with tomatoes, garlic, basil, and their own olive oil, and then for a secondi dish, we had  Tomino, a cooked cheese, round zucchini that had been fried and tossed with roasted almonds, and a zucchini and onion frittata.  All of that with a bottle of their chianti.  Yes, it was...very yummy.

Tomorrow we are riding north to San Miniato.  It should be an easy ride of just 25 miles on low traffic, back roads.  I remember when we were planning this trip and I could not remember Miniato...could not spell Gimignano...and though I have only been to a small fraction of Italy, I feel as if I have gotten to know her much, much better.