We have arrived in Sienna yesterday. We will cover our adveture in Orvieto, Pitigliano, Celle S. Rogo. All are in Tuscany. We will track back to where we left off at our last post:
10-01-08 ORVIETO TO PITIGLIANO - 61.4 km
Today we entered Toscany, leaving Umbria behind. We woke up at 7:30 and started packing our bags. The bike was chained to a door at the lobby, and our bags were three floors up. We packed the tiny elevator twice to get all our stuff down. At 8 am, the head nun came by (after prayers) to check us out. We rode into the center of town - two blocks - to the local Bar for coffee. We had our cereal earlier at our room. It is hard to find a good American breakfast in Italy, so when we can we buy milk, eggs, cereal, etc., and prepare the meals in our room with our little camping stove, and mess kit.
We had planned an easy exit out of town, but soon discovered that the road was leading in the wrong direction ( have't we been here before?). The correction added what seems our customary daily 10km "error penalty".
What causes all this is the fact that the roads aren't properly marked. If the map has a road number, the signs don't, or visaversa. Mauny selceted what looked like a quiet road out of town. When we fianlly got there we found ourselves having the steepest climb yet! We were climbing for over 4km on grades that had to be more then 10%. With the loaded bike, we once started pedaling after a short stop, and the wheel actually spun below us. I, for a moment thoght we broke the hub...
So, on a couple of occasions we walked the bike for 10 minutes which proved just as difficult. Once on top of the mountain, we actually had a fun ride in great weather. The descent down to Lake Bolsena was as pretty as it gets. We had a flat ride along the lake, and enjoyed some of the landscape Toscany is known for - vineyards, olive groves, and small pretty farms. We later ascended to the town of Gradioli where we had a coffee break at the local Bar. Two Italian cyclists stopped by to gulp a coppa'. We had a chat with people at a table next to ours. They were curious about our trip, and wished us a "bon voyage". At 4:30 we spotted a B&B and decided to check in. We left our bags in the room - at ground level this time around - and rode into town light, and fast. Pitigliano is a true charm. It is like a three dimensional scuplture of Escher paintings. We just loved it! There is an old synagogue there which is open to visitors. We bought chocolate covered mazza to take to our room. Back later in the evening, we bought groceries at the local Coop, and discovered that there was a big winery right next door. Tractors upon tractors where lumbering up the hills to enter the winery with white, and red grapes. After hours, they just park in front of the gate for the night. We are still looking for peanut butter, but no dice. We found baked chicken, and ate it with fresh salad, and mashed potatoes in ur room.
10-2-08
We initially intended to leave today, but after reading more about this area, we changed our minds. We will stay another day so that we could hike the ancient cave paths, as they are called here. These pathways were carved by the Etruscans BC. They were later expanded by inhabitants from the Middle Ages. Today, you can hike there with walls rising above you on each side. The area is thickly forested, and at this time we saw cyclemens in bloom everywhere. There are small streams flowing form all directions, and here and there you get a glimps of parts of this hill town. We wre glad to have decided to stay the day!
10-3-08, PITGILIAMO TO CELLE S. Rigo, 57K
After breakfast, we saddled up and went to the local coffee shop for the usual lfare. The weather forecast called for rain in the afternoon. Regardless, we went to visit the town of Sovana, which is quaint and pretty, and warranted about an hour. We then went back up the hill and made our way through Sorano, which we were greatly suprised by both the ride and the amazing cliff side position of the town. We rode up and down through beautiful tufa canyons. Saw bikers going the other way. After town, an ascent as the weather began to thicken and the wind began to blow somewhat. We spotted a tiny town on the map...Celle sul Rigo...would we find shelter there. We made it up the grueling ascent just in time..to a hotel with a young entreprenuer who had only one hotel thus far in his hote. After settling in, we walked through the tiny village, and had pizza at the local bakery before playing cards in the lobby at night, watching the local men coming and going in and out of the rain from the street to the bar. We felt that again we had outsmarted the weather.....
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
October 2nd: Writing from Pitigliano
Wed. 9-24-08 FORTONE TO GUBBIO - 46km
Today, we popped four tubes due to overheated wheels. I will elaborate later.
We left Fortone toward the ancient monestary of Fonte Avellana which is situated at 700 meter. After doing our compulsory "get-lost 10k", we got on the right road to begin an ascent into pristine countryside. The climbs were tolerable, and we managed a steady clip. The more challenging feat was the steep descents. They were winding switchbacks without any leveling to give the hands a break from the brakes. Mt. Catria looming to our right with building thunderheads we hoped were going to spare us (and they did). At the monestary we chained the bike to a guard rail on the main road, and descended on foot on a gravel road to visit the site. It is, as usual for monestaries, situated on prime real estate. We cycled through beautiful roads cutting through canyons with pleasant winding roads. The final part of the trip today was the extremely steep descent into the hill town of Gubbio. I knew the wheels could not take the constant braking, so I stopped the bike to cool off the wheels. As soon as we stopped the rear tube popped. What is one to do? Had I continued it would most likely blow. Once stopped the spinning and forward motion caused the wheel to heat up even more. Since there was no way to coast, I did the right thing. So, I changed a tube. On we went. No more than 2 km, and it popped again. I couldn't believe it, since I was very careful this time pumping the brakes. Luckily I found a small widening in the road to lay down the bike for the change. Twice more the tube blew as soon as I pumped it. I scratched my head, and discovered the real problem. We melted the inner rim liner during the first descent. The material bubbled deeply into the sprocket holes, one actually burst open. With the last good tube avalable, I decided to offset the holes. This worked, except for one hole. I put a tire patch to cover this hole, and we were finally cruising without incident. As we were finishing our descent we realized we were only 2 km from town! We could have walked if needed. Anyway, walking the bike with all the weight, on a flat tire would not be a good idea. We had one more hour before dark, so all ended up well. We will need to find a bike shop for tubes, and tape for the wheels.
As a result of this misshap, we cancelled our visit with SERVAS host and checked into a hotel near the center of town.
9-25-08 GUBBIO TO MANGARA - 15 km
Last night when we called from Gubbio to cancel our visit with SERVAS hosts, we discussed the possibility of staying with them tonight instead. Tim, and Marie, who lived just outside of town on a small farm up the hill, suggested they would meet with us in mid morning. Last night we had a chance to visit the town for a bit. The most amazing thing in this town is the huge palace which dominates the town no matter where you might stand. The winding streets, and ancient buildings are a marvel to the eye.
When Tim, and Marie showed up, Elaine left with Marie to the library, and Mauny left with Tim to look for parts for the bike. Tim was very kind in taking the time to drive around to two bike shops for parts. Luckily, the second shop had everything we needed for the bike. Mauny decided to schedule a tune-up as well. Tim dropped Mauny off at one end of town with enough time to walk through some of the neighborhoods before the scheduled meeting with Elaine and Marie for lunch in a popular local pizzeria which is underground. This by far was the best pizza we had so far (oh, there was to be yet another best pizza we were going to eat in the near future...). The arrangement was made for us to meet Tim, and Marie at their house early evening. We took the bike out of the hotel, packed our bags and rode to the neighboring town - 4 km away - to the bike shop for a tuneup. After the tuneup, we rode the rest of the distance to Tim, and Marie's house. The steepness of the hill, accompanied by the rough road defeated us on a couple of occasions, and we were forced to walk the bike. We arrived early, and parked the bike against the house. While waiting for our hosts' arrival, we walked around a bit. The place was beautiful, with a view of Gubbio in the distance. It got a bit cold, and late. We didn't know what to think. Finally, at dark, while walking downhill to warm up - cat in tow - they arrived. The reason for the delay was medical. Marie got some cactus stickers in her hand, and needed medical attention while in town. The house is without running water, but they keep making trips to fill containers of water. Water for drinking, for washing, for flushing, etc. Makes one appreciate how precious water is. We had a fantastic dinner, and a well deserved sleep.
Fri. 9-26-08 MANGARA TO PERUGIA - 37km
It rained at night, but cleared in the morning. Early in the morning we had a brief breakfast, as Marie was leaving for Rome, and Tim needed to drive her to the station. We liked both of our hosts, and felt sad we couldn't spend more time with them. We said our goodbyes, and mounted our tandem for the next let to Perugia. We rode in the kind of weather you know was going to get you: strong wind and a bank of clouds moving from the northwest. We hoped we could outrun this incoming cloud. As we put miles behind us, climbing, descending, and climbing again. The scenery dramatic, and just perfect for any cyclist - we felt that we did get lucky: except for a couple of sprinkles, we were spared the rain. In Perugia we were to visit Pierre Luiggie, and Sonia. These SERVAS hosts are true adventurers. They have travelled by van to places like Iran, Georgia, and Syria. They have fantastic pictures from their trips. Pierre Luiggi is an avid cyclist himself, and he had a place to store the tandem. They live in the heart of town in a building several hundred years old. We couldn't have spent three days in a better location with better people. We arrived in the early afternnon and Sonnia had to go teach and Pierreluigi had to go check his grapes crop, so we went up to the main square and visited the Cathedral and an overview of Perugia. The dinner we had the first night was a true Italian delight with rissotto, and other casserole dishes with fish, and vegetables. We were accompanied by a few of their friends who happen to be also SERVAS hosts. The atmosphere was cosy, amicable, and we felt we could live in such a town, and socialize with these interesting people.
Sat. 9-27-08: STAYING PUT IN PERUGIA - 0 km
Today we spent the day wandering around Perugia which is full of charm with multi-layered old housing, walkways, etc. Every turn is a treat. We saw the Etruscan arch, went to several churches (where weddings were also taking place). However, we found the Medieval Gardens closed. Just walking around this lustrous city was entertaining enough. We stopped for chocolate desserts and coffee, went to the antique market, shopped and then back to the apt. Sonnia and Pierreluigi had other plans with friends (to which were invited), but we opted to rest.
Sun. 9-28-08: ASSISI AND SPELLO
We got up early and had croissants and coffee at a cafe overlooking Perugia before walking to the bus station from which we went to Assisi. We were not that impressed with Assisi as it was overloaded with tourists and was quite a trap. It was also very pristine, and in spite of its antiquity and spiritual premise, seemed without a soul. We saw a couple Basilicas, but the tourists ran us out. So we hopped the train and took a 10-minute ride to Spello, which is a quaint little town built on a hillside. You walk up going through it and down coming back. Little cobblestone alleys. We just walked around there and had coffee. We took the train back to Perugia, but got off at the wrong Perugia station. Our books failed to tell us there were two. So we put out 18 Euros for the ride back to our hosts home. Live and learn. We took Sonnia and Pierreluigi out for pizza and had good scotch back at their apartment and shared pix of our separate travels before retiring.
Tues. 9/29/08 PERUGIA TO ORVIETO - 79 km
Just like the Wizard of Oz, after saying goodbye to Sonia, Pierreluigi lead us out of Perugia by bike about 15 k to where we met the Yellow Brick Road that would take us on the back roads to Orvieta. Today we had our longst climb. The climb was followed by our longest descent yet, but no blowups this time since there was enough time to cool off the brakes when grade softened periodically. Mauny's hands though, suffered the consequences of prolonged pressure on the break handles. Orvieto is like a cake carved out of a rock outcropping. It has the prettiest cathedral we have ever seen. We just loved it. Of course, as usual with these hill towns, there is the final painful ascent after a pleasant glide. Regardless, the 4 km climb was baby food as compared to the long gradual climb we had just completed, and what a treat! We checked into a hotel run by nuns. It was clean, and quiet. The room had a large balcony overlooking the valley below. Next door, a British cyclist who is riding solo, headed to Rome.
Tue. 9-30-08 ORVIETO - 0 km
We spent the entire day enjoying what this town has to offer. It is a rather small town, but it has enough to fill a day, or more. We first walked around the perimeter admiring the steep walls it is built on. These walls are tufa rock outcrops that are in themselves a natural fortress. We then proceeded to enter the famous 52 meter deep well. This is a storybook well with internal corkscrew staircases. Yes, two staircases, one for going down, the other for climbing out. It is an impressive enginnering feat of middle ages when the citizens prepared for a long siege by the Imperial army (Rome was sacked at this period - one needs to read more history books on the subject). The climax was the large cathedral. This is by far the most impressive cathedral we have ever seen. Photos will not do it any justice. One must see it in person. But, we will have photos in the future, nevertheless. We crossed the plazza in front of the cathedral to visit the Etruscan Museum. Now, we know ( we think) who these people were...We tucked in for the night after more latte, chocolate, and other Italian delights. We ended the day with a room-cooked dinner.
Today, we popped four tubes due to overheated wheels. I will elaborate later.
We left Fortone toward the ancient monestary of Fonte Avellana which is situated at 700 meter. After doing our compulsory "get-lost 10k", we got on the right road to begin an ascent into pristine countryside. The climbs were tolerable, and we managed a steady clip. The more challenging feat was the steep descents. They were winding switchbacks without any leveling to give the hands a break from the brakes. Mt. Catria looming to our right with building thunderheads we hoped were going to spare us (and they did). At the monestary we chained the bike to a guard rail on the main road, and descended on foot on a gravel road to visit the site. It is, as usual for monestaries, situated on prime real estate. We cycled through beautiful roads cutting through canyons with pleasant winding roads. The final part of the trip today was the extremely steep descent into the hill town of Gubbio. I knew the wheels could not take the constant braking, so I stopped the bike to cool off the wheels. As soon as we stopped the rear tube popped. What is one to do? Had I continued it would most likely blow. Once stopped the spinning and forward motion caused the wheel to heat up even more. Since there was no way to coast, I did the right thing. So, I changed a tube. On we went. No more than 2 km, and it popped again. I couldn't believe it, since I was very careful this time pumping the brakes. Luckily I found a small widening in the road to lay down the bike for the change. Twice more the tube blew as soon as I pumped it. I scratched my head, and discovered the real problem. We melted the inner rim liner during the first descent. The material bubbled deeply into the sprocket holes, one actually burst open. With the last good tube avalable, I decided to offset the holes. This worked, except for one hole. I put a tire patch to cover this hole, and we were finally cruising without incident. As we were finishing our descent we realized we were only 2 km from town! We could have walked if needed. Anyway, walking the bike with all the weight, on a flat tire would not be a good idea. We had one more hour before dark, so all ended up well. We will need to find a bike shop for tubes, and tape for the wheels.
As a result of this misshap, we cancelled our visit with SERVAS host and checked into a hotel near the center of town.
9-25-08 GUBBIO TO MANGARA - 15 km
Last night when we called from Gubbio to cancel our visit with SERVAS hosts, we discussed the possibility of staying with them tonight instead. Tim, and Marie, who lived just outside of town on a small farm up the hill, suggested they would meet with us in mid morning. Last night we had a chance to visit the town for a bit. The most amazing thing in this town is the huge palace which dominates the town no matter where you might stand. The winding streets, and ancient buildings are a marvel to the eye.
When Tim, and Marie showed up, Elaine left with Marie to the library, and Mauny left with Tim to look for parts for the bike. Tim was very kind in taking the time to drive around to two bike shops for parts. Luckily, the second shop had everything we needed for the bike. Mauny decided to schedule a tune-up as well. Tim dropped Mauny off at one end of town with enough time to walk through some of the neighborhoods before the scheduled meeting with Elaine and Marie for lunch in a popular local pizzeria which is underground. This by far was the best pizza we had so far (oh, there was to be yet another best pizza we were going to eat in the near future...). The arrangement was made for us to meet Tim, and Marie at their house early evening. We took the bike out of the hotel, packed our bags and rode to the neighboring town - 4 km away - to the bike shop for a tuneup. After the tuneup, we rode the rest of the distance to Tim, and Marie's house. The steepness of the hill, accompanied by the rough road defeated us on a couple of occasions, and we were forced to walk the bike. We arrived early, and parked the bike against the house. While waiting for our hosts' arrival, we walked around a bit. The place was beautiful, with a view of Gubbio in the distance. It got a bit cold, and late. We didn't know what to think. Finally, at dark, while walking downhill to warm up - cat in tow - they arrived. The reason for the delay was medical. Marie got some cactus stickers in her hand, and needed medical attention while in town. The house is without running water, but they keep making trips to fill containers of water. Water for drinking, for washing, for flushing, etc. Makes one appreciate how precious water is. We had a fantastic dinner, and a well deserved sleep.
Fri. 9-26-08 MANGARA TO PERUGIA - 37km
It rained at night, but cleared in the morning. Early in the morning we had a brief breakfast, as Marie was leaving for Rome, and Tim needed to drive her to the station. We liked both of our hosts, and felt sad we couldn't spend more time with them. We said our goodbyes, and mounted our tandem for the next let to Perugia. We rode in the kind of weather you know was going to get you: strong wind and a bank of clouds moving from the northwest. We hoped we could outrun this incoming cloud. As we put miles behind us, climbing, descending, and climbing again. The scenery dramatic, and just perfect for any cyclist - we felt that we did get lucky: except for a couple of sprinkles, we were spared the rain. In Perugia we were to visit Pierre Luiggie, and Sonia. These SERVAS hosts are true adventurers. They have travelled by van to places like Iran, Georgia, and Syria. They have fantastic pictures from their trips. Pierre Luiggi is an avid cyclist himself, and he had a place to store the tandem. They live in the heart of town in a building several hundred years old. We couldn't have spent three days in a better location with better people. We arrived in the early afternnon and Sonnia had to go teach and Pierreluigi had to go check his grapes crop, so we went up to the main square and visited the Cathedral and an overview of Perugia. The dinner we had the first night was a true Italian delight with rissotto, and other casserole dishes with fish, and vegetables. We were accompanied by a few of their friends who happen to be also SERVAS hosts. The atmosphere was cosy, amicable, and we felt we could live in such a town, and socialize with these interesting people.
Sat. 9-27-08: STAYING PUT IN PERUGIA - 0 km
Today we spent the day wandering around Perugia which is full of charm with multi-layered old housing, walkways, etc. Every turn is a treat. We saw the Etruscan arch, went to several churches (where weddings were also taking place). However, we found the Medieval Gardens closed. Just walking around this lustrous city was entertaining enough. We stopped for chocolate desserts and coffee, went to the antique market, shopped and then back to the apt. Sonnia and Pierreluigi had other plans with friends (to which were invited), but we opted to rest.
Sun. 9-28-08: ASSISI AND SPELLO
We got up early and had croissants and coffee at a cafe overlooking Perugia before walking to the bus station from which we went to Assisi. We were not that impressed with Assisi as it was overloaded with tourists and was quite a trap. It was also very pristine, and in spite of its antiquity and spiritual premise, seemed without a soul. We saw a couple Basilicas, but the tourists ran us out. So we hopped the train and took a 10-minute ride to Spello, which is a quaint little town built on a hillside. You walk up going through it and down coming back. Little cobblestone alleys. We just walked around there and had coffee. We took the train back to Perugia, but got off at the wrong Perugia station. Our books failed to tell us there were two. So we put out 18 Euros for the ride back to our hosts home. Live and learn. We took Sonnia and Pierreluigi out for pizza and had good scotch back at their apartment and shared pix of our separate travels before retiring.
Tues. 9/29/08 PERUGIA TO ORVIETO - 79 km
Just like the Wizard of Oz, after saying goodbye to Sonia, Pierreluigi lead us out of Perugia by bike about 15 k to where we met the Yellow Brick Road that would take us on the back roads to Orvieta. Today we had our longst climb. The climb was followed by our longest descent yet, but no blowups this time since there was enough time to cool off the brakes when grade softened periodically. Mauny's hands though, suffered the consequences of prolonged pressure on the break handles. Orvieto is like a cake carved out of a rock outcropping. It has the prettiest cathedral we have ever seen. We just loved it. Of course, as usual with these hill towns, there is the final painful ascent after a pleasant glide. Regardless, the 4 km climb was baby food as compared to the long gradual climb we had just completed, and what a treat! We checked into a hotel run by nuns. It was clean, and quiet. The room had a large balcony overlooking the valley below. Next door, a British cyclist who is riding solo, headed to Rome.
Tue. 9-30-08 ORVIETO - 0 km
We spent the entire day enjoying what this town has to offer. It is a rather small town, but it has enough to fill a day, or more. We first walked around the perimeter admiring the steep walls it is built on. These walls are tufa rock outcrops that are in themselves a natural fortress. We then proceeded to enter the famous 52 meter deep well. This is a storybook well with internal corkscrew staircases. Yes, two staircases, one for going down, the other for climbing out. It is an impressive enginnering feat of middle ages when the citizens prepared for a long siege by the Imperial army (Rome was sacked at this period - one needs to read more history books on the subject). The climax was the large cathedral. This is by far the most impressive cathedral we have ever seen. Photos will not do it any justice. One must see it in person. But, we will have photos in the future, nevertheless. We crossed the plazza in front of the cathedral to visit the Etruscan Museum. Now, we know ( we think) who these people were...We tucked in for the night after more latte, chocolate, and other Italian delights. We ended the day with a room-cooked dinner.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
September 23rd, Urbino to Frontone, 47k
Our intention this a.m. was to wake up at 6 a.m. But we were so cozy in our sleeping bags that we did not leave until 9, instead of 8 a.m. We boiled 4 eggs for breakfast on our alcohol stove and had it with bread and anchovy spread and of course, with hot tea. Today we are trying to get to Gubbio, 45k to the south. We set our goals on the town of Cagli. The weather started off cloudy and cool and we were cold in our long descents. The road flattened and narrowed as we entered Furlo, a national forest area with steep gorges and an ancient Roman tunnel to go through. We stop for coffee past the tunnel in an area where Mussolini used to do the same (La Golena at Gola di Furlo=, for its beauty. Elaine gets her phone card stuck in the phone booth and has to call on the baristas to bail her out to no avail. Mauny and tools to the rescue! After Cagli, we stop at the side of the road to eat p&j sandwiches and press on after that. When we reached Frontone, a town before we are to make a major ascent into the national forest (with no towns en route), the weatherman, Mauny notices a huge thunderhead and believes it would not be best to press on. We stop in a lovely little 2-star hotel in Frontone for the night. After checking in, we go for a little walk in the town and then return to the room. Mauny is an accurate weatherman as we do have showers that would have been treacherous conditions for us had we pressed on. Our room opens onto the roof and we handwash clothes and cook in the bathroom. We do have coffee in the restaurant as well as apertifs of limoncello after dinner. Hey you have to have some class. 55Euros for the hotel is a bargain in these parts. That is about 75 dollars. Elaine makes many calls to Servas to continue cutting our expenses while experiencing Italy with the locals.
September 22nd: Urbino, 10k
We wake up to no rain and wet clothes on the line. But the sun is peeking out. Mauny is out of clean clothes and borrows one of Elaines shirts. Our breakfast is hot tea and a new creation that Elaine wants to market...peanut butter and nutella sandwiches...but perhaps will inject them into a croissant.
We have a steep descent and then a short ascent into Urbino. We lock the bike, while everyone is in awe of our mode of transport. We visit the big Cathedral, the palace of the Ducale, and the National Gallery. Murals are on display from the 15th and 16th century with other paintings from the 17th and 18th centuries. The city is a true gem.
We spend two hours at the Internet cafe, buy some groceries for tomorrows ride. We ride back to the campground which is on top of hill, from which you can see the walled city of Urbino. You can hear the church bells ring from our site. That night we have mashed potatoes with salami. We will have to decleanse ourselves upon our return to the states. Each night seems filled with checking maps, guidebooks, and listings of Servas hosts. No time for luxury reading.
We have a steep descent and then a short ascent into Urbino. We lock the bike, while everyone is in awe of our mode of transport. We visit the big Cathedral, the palace of the Ducale, and the National Gallery. Murals are on display from the 15th and 16th century with other paintings from the 17th and 18th centuries. The city is a true gem.
We spend two hours at the Internet cafe, buy some groceries for tomorrows ride. We ride back to the campground which is on top of hill, from which you can see the walled city of Urbino. You can hear the church bells ring from our site. That night we have mashed potatoes with salami. We will have to decleanse ourselves upon our return to the states. Each night seems filled with checking maps, guidebooks, and listings of Servas hosts. No time for luxury reading.
Sunday, September 9th: Into the hills from Catolica, 49.7 km
We woke up at 7:30 and as directed by our hosts, we ate in the hotel restaurant. It seems that they have some type of arrangement for such things for their guests. Fantastic chocolate croissants. It is hard to imagine, that just a week ago, we were bailing water out of our tent and now we are getting first class treatment. After loading our bikes, we knocked on our hosts door and they came down to the garage and then outside to take many photos prior to departure. We wished we could have stayed longer, but we must move on, especially when the skies are kind. We are proud to have been Georgias first Servas guests.
The ride today is throught the hill towns in Le Marche. This is what we came for. Windy roads through fields of of olive, apple, plum trees and grapevines. Our goal is the jewel of Umbria...Urbino. It is about 5:30 when we arrive in the outskirts. We see in our guide book that there is a campground outside of Urbino...but will it be open? We took a chance, after a hard climb, it was hard to give up what we had gained. We screamed down a steep descent, only to find ourselves having to climb up the steepest part of our trip so far...and were so glad to see the doors to the campground open! We camped here for two nights, so that we could spend a full day in Urbino. We had showers on and off, but no worres with our new rainproof tent. We made soup, with tuna and cheese sandwiches, took hot showers and hung some clothing out to dry. However, it rained during the night and the clothes would have to go into plastic bags for our next leg of the trip.
The ride today is throught the hill towns in Le Marche. This is what we came for. Windy roads through fields of of olive, apple, plum trees and grapevines. Our goal is the jewel of Umbria...Urbino. It is about 5:30 when we arrive in the outskirts. We see in our guide book that there is a campground outside of Urbino...but will it be open? We took a chance, after a hard climb, it was hard to give up what we had gained. We screamed down a steep descent, only to find ourselves having to climb up the steepest part of our trip so far...and were so glad to see the doors to the campground open! We camped here for two nights, so that we could spend a full day in Urbino. We had showers on and off, but no worres with our new rainproof tent. We made soup, with tuna and cheese sandwiches, took hot showers and hung some clothing out to dry. However, it rained during the night and the clothes would have to go into plastic bags for our next leg of the trip.
Sat., September 20th, On the "Panoramica" - 35 km
This morning we said goodbye to our lovely Servas host in Verseba outside of Rimini (home of Fellini, by the way). Our goal today is to take our fully loaded tandem on the train south from Rimini to Pesaro and then ride north along what is called the Panoramica a cliffside ride along the Adriatic.
We are forewarned that we must carry our bike up and down steps at the train station (the number of these steps at each station will be different). Then we must quickly decide which end of the train has the bicycle loading car. All of our years of lifting weights (and doing aerobics paid off) as we were able to accomplish both. Fortunately we poised the bike away from pedestrian traffic on the platform - midway, and Elaine ran ahead of Mauny to direct him to the proper car to store our bike. No car was marked so we chose our own. Getting the bike up the three stairs with a narrow door on the train was the most challenging aspect of this journey. However, in the end, we had the whole car to ourselves and no conductor even checked our tickets. Then we had to hurriedly get the bike off the train, before it left for the next stop after Pesaro. Our hearts were pumping.
Finally in Pesaro and after some discussions with a charismatic taxi driver (we think), we made our way to the entrance of the Panoramica. About mid-way we stopped at a recommended restaurant (La Rupe) with a view in a tiny old town on a hill. In addition to eating lunch there, we walked around the town and took some pictures. The sun was breaking through clouds at last.
Then we rode on to Cattolica where we were going to stay with another Servas host for the night. After meandering around a couple seaside towns, we found our way to Cattolica.
Our host told us she lived in a hotel (Hotel Kurstaal). We were pleasantly surprised at our wonderful accomodations. They live in a penthouse at the top of a seemingly very high end hotel. We were given our own two rooms with a bath (and kitchen if we so chose to use it). We had a wonderful view of the plaza where a military band played later in the evening and we watched a fountain dance to music being played on the square. We were actually greeted by the mother of our host, who showed us the garage where we could store our bike and then took us our room and told us that our host, Georgia Galanti, a graphic artist, would be arriving around 6:30 and we would have dinner at 7:00. Georgia arrived as expected, and tooke us for a walk around the pristine town and then to her parents home (the penthouse) for dinner. Apparently, Georgia is working on a home now in the Panaramica and these are her digs in the interim. Her husband is an actor, but was travelling. She had a very charming 6 year old son, appropriately named Leonardo. After a lovely dinner prepared by Sandra, at the end of which we had homemade limencello in frozen ice cups (I must buy some before leaving Italy--Sandra has provided the recipe), Sandra and Georgia went to an art opening in another town. The opening was for a touring theatre troupe and Georgia had created all the promo for it. Because we were leaving early in the morning, we could not go. You just cannot do anything. So Mauny and I retired to our room and watched TV.
We are forewarned that we must carry our bike up and down steps at the train station (the number of these steps at each station will be different). Then we must quickly decide which end of the train has the bicycle loading car. All of our years of lifting weights (and doing aerobics paid off) as we were able to accomplish both. Fortunately we poised the bike away from pedestrian traffic on the platform - midway, and Elaine ran ahead of Mauny to direct him to the proper car to store our bike. No car was marked so we chose our own. Getting the bike up the three stairs with a narrow door on the train was the most challenging aspect of this journey. However, in the end, we had the whole car to ourselves and no conductor even checked our tickets. Then we had to hurriedly get the bike off the train, before it left for the next stop after Pesaro. Our hearts were pumping.
Finally in Pesaro and after some discussions with a charismatic taxi driver (we think), we made our way to the entrance of the Panoramica. About mid-way we stopped at a recommended restaurant (La Rupe) with a view in a tiny old town on a hill. In addition to eating lunch there, we walked around the town and took some pictures. The sun was breaking through clouds at last.
Then we rode on to Cattolica where we were going to stay with another Servas host for the night. After meandering around a couple seaside towns, we found our way to Cattolica.
Our host told us she lived in a hotel (Hotel Kurstaal). We were pleasantly surprised at our wonderful accomodations. They live in a penthouse at the top of a seemingly very high end hotel. We were given our own two rooms with a bath (and kitchen if we so chose to use it). We had a wonderful view of the plaza where a military band played later in the evening and we watched a fountain dance to music being played on the square. We were actually greeted by the mother of our host, who showed us the garage where we could store our bike and then took us our room and told us that our host, Georgia Galanti, a graphic artist, would be arriving around 6:30 and we would have dinner at 7:00. Georgia arrived as expected, and tooke us for a walk around the pristine town and then to her parents home (the penthouse) for dinner. Apparently, Georgia is working on a home now in the Panaramica and these are her digs in the interim. Her husband is an actor, but was travelling. She had a very charming 6 year old son, appropriately named Leonardo. After a lovely dinner prepared by Sandra, at the end of which we had homemade limencello in frozen ice cups (I must buy some before leaving Italy--Sandra has provided the recipe), Sandra and Georgia went to an art opening in another town. The opening was for a touring theatre troupe and Georgia had created all the promo for it. Because we were leaving early in the morning, we could not go. You just cannot do anything. So Mauny and I retired to our room and watched TV.
Monday, September 22, 2008
We are in Urbino! Our first true hill town
We have made it to the hill town Urbino. What an adventure this has been. But, let us step back in time:
Last Sunday, 9-14, we were still huddled insinde our leaky tent bailing out water continuously. I succeeded getting money out of the last ATM in Sottomarina. Weather is what we would call a tempest! Supposed to get better tomorrow. I cleaned the bike form the sand, and rust formed on the chain. The rest of the time we read, and sit at the local restaurant sipping "cafe Americano con latte caldo". The papers are full of pictures, and headline about this severe storm with flooded streets all over Italy, but not a mention of two poor cyclists from America shivering in their tent...
Monday, 9-15-08: Sottomarina to Mesola, 104 km
We never planned to ride this long, but with our Micheline map we were forced to ride almost half the distance trying to find our way. Here is the rule: the Micheline map has selected towns listed on it. Not one of the towns they selcted to indicate on the map corrolates to the road signs - not even one! So, each time we are at an intersection, nothing makes sense. On the other hand, the Italian road signs do not indicate distances from and to. This makes it difficult to throw in a wild guess. As the day goes by, we realze that we need to ask as many people as possible who look at us puzzled as we mispronounce the names of their towns. Anyway, if not for our desire for a true adventure, we would have booked a guided tour...
So, we ride the Po valley with bike paths on and off. It is flat, fast and a marvelous view. We had an adventure finding how to get on a ramp leading to a big bridge across the Po. We finally passed over this giant river, and onto another smaller Po. The weather was threatening but we were spared any rain.
As we crossed a small river, just before the town of Loreo, Elaine sees a helmeted guy in a church yard. She tells me he must be looking for a bathroom. As we round the curve we see against the wall at the side of the road a sight we never expected to ever see: a red tandem, Santana no else twing a BOB trailer. A lady was standing next to it, and we stopped in awe. The guy returned form the church yard, and we all started laughing. How incredible could this be? We met Elizabeth from Austria, and Peter from Switzerland. Both about our age, and travelling along the Po Valley all the way from their home country. We were going in opposite directions, they from Ferrera to Venice, us from Venice to Ravenna. There was a nice country-side restaurant next to the churck, and we sat down for a drink and a long friendly chat. This so far is a big highlight for us!
We parted company after posing for photos. Our quest for easy navigation continued with our inadequate map, and the enigmatic towns. It was getting late in the afternoon, and we realized we were going to have to be creative. There were no hotels, no campground - nothing in this area with only a small rural towns. Suddenly, at about 7:30 Mauny spots what looked like a playground, and a picnic area with tables, chairs, and swings. There was a building suggesting a restaurant, but no, it is a small airport. It looked quiet, but two cars were parked in front of the building. Elaine knocked on the door, and two ladies with a young boy came out. Elaine asked if we could camp there. They saied it was. We started pitching our tent, and suddenly one of the ladies came and said we could sleep inside the restaurant, because it was supposed to rain that night. We asked about the morning, all in broken Italian, Spanish, French, and some English. We understood that this is a private airport that was not going to be used for several days. They gave us keys to the restaurant so we could lock ourselves in, and said we could leave the back door unlocked after we left. This was an experience of hospitality at its best! We slept while it rained outside ( We still had our leaky tent, and it would not be fun to have to bail it again).
Tuesday, 9-16-08: On to Marina di Ravenna, 88 km - Surprise no. 3!
We had a good wake up at our little airport dwelling. We didn't mention the friendly, and playful kitten the kept us company through the night. Acutally, we wanted to get it inside, but didn't want to break its habbits in case it was being trained not to enter. So we cuddled, and played but put it outside for the night.
The good news is: no rain! On this ride we are still on flat terrain cruising at 20-25 kph with occasional head wind. We pass a couple of charming towns such as Porto Garibaldi, and Comancchio. Both having a small canal - a slice of Venice, and a busy town center. The new shocking surprise it that most campgrounds closed on the day we departed Sottomarina. This wasn't mentioned clearly in our guidebook. We are now in late afternoon after crossing by ferry into Marina di Ravena to discover that we are tired, and are forced to either continue into Ravenna risking getting lost and riding in the dark. So, we check into a nice hotel at 100 Euros! We start doing the math with our fingers in total shock. We couldn't afford this situation on an ongoing basis. We must find as many SERVAS hosts as possible, and verify that there are some campgrounds open thorughout the year, somewhere in Italy. We had a good hot shower, and cooked a meal inside the hotel (this is something we had mastered many years ago while travelling in Mexico.
Wednesday 9-17-08, 10.2 km - Marina di Ravenna to the City of Ravenna
Up early at our 100 Euro Riviera Hotel. We eat the included breakfast, and pack our panniers for a short ride into town. The bike was stored for the night in the hotel garage, so we pull it out, install the panniers on, and off we go. This session with the panniers takes up to an hour each day when we fold camp regardless whether we camp, or stay at a house or hotel.
Arrived in Ravenna at about 11:00 am to find that the hostel we were going to check into was closed. You see, in Italy most businesses are closed in mid day. Luckily they allowed us to lock our bike in their storgae bin, so that we could walk around town. Ravenna is famouse for its mosaics. Today we are only seeking information regarding where to find good maps, and a rainproof tent. We also acquired information about storing bikes, and internet access. Today ended with information about everything, a purchase of groceries for the next two days. We chacked in, brought the panniers to the third floor where we stayed, and after a shower and dinner, we were in bed.
Thursday, 9-18-08. Zero Km, A Day in the City of Ravenna
We woke up early so that we could visit the museums, and cathedrals with enough time to find maps, and the most important item - a good tent.
Even though Ravenna is a city of cyclists, we decided to do it on foot. We would only walk about 6-8 km, and it would free us from the bike for the day. We visited many fine sites with unbelievable moasaics such as we have never seen before. When we publish pictures after our return, it will become obvious why Ravenna is such a unique town. However, besides the historical sites, we marvelled at the people who ride bikes all over town. There were dressed up ladies riding with high heels, old men going about their business, and grandmothers carrying their granchildren in baskets. Many people do business with store owners without even getting off their bikes! Oh, and we found a tent! Alas, it is bigger than what we hoped for ( 4 people) adding close to 10 lbs to our total load. The good thing is that the poles have shorter links, so that it packs better on our rear saddle. We also found good maps that were recommended to us by our first SERVAS hosts. We have accomplished the most improtant things we set out to do to make our trip more comfortable. We set up our new tent at the hostel's back yard, and I cut out the tub of our leaky tent, discarding the top. This tub would become our bicycle cover for those rainy days. Leaving the bike uncovered proved to be a bad thing. It is in pretty bad shape after a rainy ride as it is, and needs a wiping, and lubricating.
At the hostel, two cyclists from Holand checked in. They rode all the way form Holand along the Rhine, and were enroute to Rome. So far the long distance cyclists we have been meeting were headed to Rome...
Friday, 9-19-08: Ravenna to Rimini - 62 km. A Crappy Rainy Day!
We awoke to a clooudy day with rain in them. We decided to leave no matter what. The reason was that we had made arrangements to visit with a SERVAS host just north of Rimini, and we didn't want to miss our date. As we were packing the bike the rain started. First a drizzle, and then steady rain. We rode a few km to Basilica di S. Apollinare in Classe. We had to get on the main highway for a few kms, but soon we spotted a small and pleasant road to Classe, and arrived at the Basilica. From then on, we kept riding carefully, dodging pot holes, and bad spots. This is when we got our first flat. The rain took a pause, thankfully, just long enough for me to change the tube. We came upon the beautiful coastal town of Casenatico, with its decorated fishing boats, and a nice harbor scene. We stopped for pictures, and a cup of hot coffee. Our rain gear works fine, but it doesn't protect our feet. We called our SERVAS host, Mariolena to let here know we were expected to arrive at her house at 4 pm. We are a bit better at second guessing our Micheline map, and have managed to "outsmart" it on a few occasions...our new maps do not include this area. We arrived at Viserba (just a bit north of Rimini), and knocked on our host's door at around 5pm. We trully felt thankful that our host, Mariolena let two wet cyclists stay the night at her lovely house. We had a tasty Italian dinner, with soup, pasta, and cheese. We drank wine, and herbal tea, and had very interesting conversations. Mariolena is a fine artist who loves watercolors, and has been a photographer for many years. She has exhibited in galleries, and we enjoyed here photo books. We slept like babies!
Last Sunday, 9-14, we were still huddled insinde our leaky tent bailing out water continuously. I succeeded getting money out of the last ATM in Sottomarina. Weather is what we would call a tempest! Supposed to get better tomorrow. I cleaned the bike form the sand, and rust formed on the chain. The rest of the time we read, and sit at the local restaurant sipping "cafe Americano con latte caldo". The papers are full of pictures, and headline about this severe storm with flooded streets all over Italy, but not a mention of two poor cyclists from America shivering in their tent...
Monday, 9-15-08: Sottomarina to Mesola, 104 km
We never planned to ride this long, but with our Micheline map we were forced to ride almost half the distance trying to find our way. Here is the rule: the Micheline map has selected towns listed on it. Not one of the towns they selcted to indicate on the map corrolates to the road signs - not even one! So, each time we are at an intersection, nothing makes sense. On the other hand, the Italian road signs do not indicate distances from and to. This makes it difficult to throw in a wild guess. As the day goes by, we realze that we need to ask as many people as possible who look at us puzzled as we mispronounce the names of their towns. Anyway, if not for our desire for a true adventure, we would have booked a guided tour...
So, we ride the Po valley with bike paths on and off. It is flat, fast and a marvelous view. We had an adventure finding how to get on a ramp leading to a big bridge across the Po. We finally passed over this giant river, and onto another smaller Po. The weather was threatening but we were spared any rain.
As we crossed a small river, just before the town of Loreo, Elaine sees a helmeted guy in a church yard. She tells me he must be looking for a bathroom. As we round the curve we see against the wall at the side of the road a sight we never expected to ever see: a red tandem, Santana no else twing a BOB trailer. A lady was standing next to it, and we stopped in awe. The guy returned form the church yard, and we all started laughing. How incredible could this be? We met Elizabeth from Austria, and Peter from Switzerland. Both about our age, and travelling along the Po Valley all the way from their home country. We were going in opposite directions, they from Ferrera to Venice, us from Venice to Ravenna. There was a nice country-side restaurant next to the churck, and we sat down for a drink and a long friendly chat. This so far is a big highlight for us!
We parted company after posing for photos. Our quest for easy navigation continued with our inadequate map, and the enigmatic towns. It was getting late in the afternoon, and we realized we were going to have to be creative. There were no hotels, no campground - nothing in this area with only a small rural towns. Suddenly, at about 7:30 Mauny spots what looked like a playground, and a picnic area with tables, chairs, and swings. There was a building suggesting a restaurant, but no, it is a small airport. It looked quiet, but two cars were parked in front of the building. Elaine knocked on the door, and two ladies with a young boy came out. Elaine asked if we could camp there. They saied it was. We started pitching our tent, and suddenly one of the ladies came and said we could sleep inside the restaurant, because it was supposed to rain that night. We asked about the morning, all in broken Italian, Spanish, French, and some English. We understood that this is a private airport that was not going to be used for several days. They gave us keys to the restaurant so we could lock ourselves in, and said we could leave the back door unlocked after we left. This was an experience of hospitality at its best! We slept while it rained outside ( We still had our leaky tent, and it would not be fun to have to bail it again).
Tuesday, 9-16-08: On to Marina di Ravenna, 88 km - Surprise no. 3!
We had a good wake up at our little airport dwelling. We didn't mention the friendly, and playful kitten the kept us company through the night. Acutally, we wanted to get it inside, but didn't want to break its habbits in case it was being trained not to enter. So we cuddled, and played but put it outside for the night.
The good news is: no rain! On this ride we are still on flat terrain cruising at 20-25 kph with occasional head wind. We pass a couple of charming towns such as Porto Garibaldi, and Comancchio. Both having a small canal - a slice of Venice, and a busy town center. The new shocking surprise it that most campgrounds closed on the day we departed Sottomarina. This wasn't mentioned clearly in our guidebook. We are now in late afternoon after crossing by ferry into Marina di Ravena to discover that we are tired, and are forced to either continue into Ravenna risking getting lost and riding in the dark. So, we check into a nice hotel at 100 Euros! We start doing the math with our fingers in total shock. We couldn't afford this situation on an ongoing basis. We must find as many SERVAS hosts as possible, and verify that there are some campgrounds open thorughout the year, somewhere in Italy. We had a good hot shower, and cooked a meal inside the hotel (this is something we had mastered many years ago while travelling in Mexico.
Wednesday 9-17-08, 10.2 km - Marina di Ravenna to the City of Ravenna
Up early at our 100 Euro Riviera Hotel. We eat the included breakfast, and pack our panniers for a short ride into town. The bike was stored for the night in the hotel garage, so we pull it out, install the panniers on, and off we go. This session with the panniers takes up to an hour each day when we fold camp regardless whether we camp, or stay at a house or hotel.
Arrived in Ravenna at about 11:00 am to find that the hostel we were going to check into was closed. You see, in Italy most businesses are closed in mid day. Luckily they allowed us to lock our bike in their storgae bin, so that we could walk around town. Ravenna is famouse for its mosaics. Today we are only seeking information regarding where to find good maps, and a rainproof tent. We also acquired information about storing bikes, and internet access. Today ended with information about everything, a purchase of groceries for the next two days. We chacked in, brought the panniers to the third floor where we stayed, and after a shower and dinner, we were in bed.
Thursday, 9-18-08. Zero Km, A Day in the City of Ravenna
We woke up early so that we could visit the museums, and cathedrals with enough time to find maps, and the most important item - a good tent.
Even though Ravenna is a city of cyclists, we decided to do it on foot. We would only walk about 6-8 km, and it would free us from the bike for the day. We visited many fine sites with unbelievable moasaics such as we have never seen before. When we publish pictures after our return, it will become obvious why Ravenna is such a unique town. However, besides the historical sites, we marvelled at the people who ride bikes all over town. There were dressed up ladies riding with high heels, old men going about their business, and grandmothers carrying their granchildren in baskets. Many people do business with store owners without even getting off their bikes! Oh, and we found a tent! Alas, it is bigger than what we hoped for ( 4 people) adding close to 10 lbs to our total load. The good thing is that the poles have shorter links, so that it packs better on our rear saddle. We also found good maps that were recommended to us by our first SERVAS hosts. We have accomplished the most improtant things we set out to do to make our trip more comfortable. We set up our new tent at the hostel's back yard, and I cut out the tub of our leaky tent, discarding the top. This tub would become our bicycle cover for those rainy days. Leaving the bike uncovered proved to be a bad thing. It is in pretty bad shape after a rainy ride as it is, and needs a wiping, and lubricating.
At the hostel, two cyclists from Holand checked in. They rode all the way form Holand along the Rhine, and were enroute to Rome. So far the long distance cyclists we have been meeting were headed to Rome...
Friday, 9-19-08: Ravenna to Rimini - 62 km. A Crappy Rainy Day!
We awoke to a clooudy day with rain in them. We decided to leave no matter what. The reason was that we had made arrangements to visit with a SERVAS host just north of Rimini, and we didn't want to miss our date. As we were packing the bike the rain started. First a drizzle, and then steady rain. We rode a few km to Basilica di S. Apollinare in Classe. We had to get on the main highway for a few kms, but soon we spotted a small and pleasant road to Classe, and arrived at the Basilica. From then on, we kept riding carefully, dodging pot holes, and bad spots. This is when we got our first flat. The rain took a pause, thankfully, just long enough for me to change the tube. We came upon the beautiful coastal town of Casenatico, with its decorated fishing boats, and a nice harbor scene. We stopped for pictures, and a cup of hot coffee. Our rain gear works fine, but it doesn't protect our feet. We called our SERVAS host, Mariolena to let here know we were expected to arrive at her house at 4 pm. We are a bit better at second guessing our Micheline map, and have managed to "outsmart" it on a few occasions...our new maps do not include this area. We arrived at Viserba (just a bit north of Rimini), and knocked on our host's door at around 5pm. We trully felt thankful that our host, Mariolena let two wet cyclists stay the night at her lovely house. We had a tasty Italian dinner, with soup, pasta, and cheese. We drank wine, and herbal tea, and had very interesting conversations. Mariolena is a fine artist who loves watercolors, and has been a photographer for many years. She has exhibited in galleries, and we enjoyed here photo books. We slept like babies!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
