I have been meaning to post all my thoughts on our recent trip to Italy but as usual time has run away from me. I only hope I can recall all those aromas, scents, scenery and hills and do them justice.
We spent 8 days cycling through Umbria and staying at 4 different "Country Houses".This was a very different holiday for us, one with a purpose other than lazing poolside and stuffing our faces; well there was still some of that but as a reward rather than a daily occurence. We flew to Rome, took a short train ride to the city centre, changed trains and headed to Foligno. I have to say growing rather jaded with air travel, train rides hold the element of something undiscovered as in the scenery and the destination. We arrived late afternoon and took a dip in the pool and came away a little sheepish when the pool nazi upbraided us for not wearing our bathing caps!!!. We had to borrow them from reception and we looked like a techincolour bunch of Ail G impersonators! We ate a fabulous meal which included the local speciality of Stringozzi (unsure of spelling)picante pasta. We felt the need to carb up for the first sortie on our bikes.
We cylced and rested alternate days and stayed in each "hotel" 2 nights. We averaged 20 miles on our cycling days. The company gave us great route notes and we set off with panniers full of water, snacks and sunblock. The compnay collected our bags and moved them for us to the next destination. How do I begin to describe the scenery. If my chicas are reading this they will upbraid me for resorting to comparatives. I felt as if I was cycling across a virtual Van Gogh canvas. Yes I know he is Dutch and we were in Italy but those sunflowers and fields of wheat were so entrancing. The photographs I took did a poor job of capturing the colours. We stopped in Assisi, Spoleto, Spelo, Perugia, Bevagna, Montefalco, San Giacomo all medieval towns with spectacular architecture,gelato, ambiance, pizza, fountains, pasta, plazas, chuches on every street, more gelato and too many hills.
This cycling holiday became more of a culinary and cat tour. As we stopped to eat and drink whenever possible and the girls insisted on petting every cat along the way.
Each hotel was unique and family run and our meals were included and I did not eat one bad meal. I even manged to eat pannacotta for lunch and dinner in one day. We started every evening with a glass of Prosecco and dined on terraces with panoramic vistas of the Umbrian valley. Think vineyards, olive groves, church spires,turrets, fields of sunflowers, green hills and a warm ochre glow. Why do tomatoes taste so sweet in Italy? Is it the sun? One remembers why they are indeed a fruit.
The rides were at times challenging and our team leader(aka Cracker)had to leave his bike on many a peak and trapse back down to aid the ailing and wailing females!
We were all suitable attired in hats, fingerless, gloves and padded shorts. A group promise was made not to take any pictures below the waist as none of us wanted to be immortalized in pixel wearing black lycra with what looks like a nappy wedged in the back. Each day saw only a little chafing and many an application of Butt Butter.
We finshed our trip hot ( heatwave temps)happy and feeling relativly fit. I think we may try it again in another country perhaps coastal.
Check this website if you want an idea of what we did. I am now looking at a cycle tour in Chile for November.
http://www.headwater.com/
We spent 8 days cycling through Umbria and staying at 4 different "Country Houses".This was a very different holiday for us, one with a purpose other than lazing poolside and stuffing our faces; well there was still some of that but as a reward rather than a daily occurence. We flew to Rome, took a short train ride to the city centre, changed trains and headed to Foligno. I have to say growing rather jaded with air travel, train rides hold the element of something undiscovered as in the scenery and the destination. We arrived late afternoon and took a dip in the pool and came away a little sheepish when the pool nazi upbraided us for not wearing our bathing caps!!!. We had to borrow them from reception and we looked like a techincolour bunch of Ail G impersonators! We ate a fabulous meal which included the local speciality of Stringozzi (unsure of spelling)picante pasta. We felt the need to carb up for the first sortie on our bikes.
We cylced and rested alternate days and stayed in each "hotel" 2 nights. We averaged 20 miles on our cycling days. The company gave us great route notes and we set off with panniers full of water, snacks and sunblock. The compnay collected our bags and moved them for us to the next destination. How do I begin to describe the scenery. If my chicas are reading this they will upbraid me for resorting to comparatives. I felt as if I was cycling across a virtual Van Gogh canvas. Yes I know he is Dutch and we were in Italy but those sunflowers and fields of wheat were so entrancing. The photographs I took did a poor job of capturing the colours. We stopped in Assisi, Spoleto, Spelo, Perugia, Bevagna, Montefalco, San Giacomo all medieval towns with spectacular architecture,gelato, ambiance, pizza, fountains, pasta, plazas, chuches on every street, more gelato and too many hills.
This cycling holiday became more of a culinary and cat tour. As we stopped to eat and drink whenever possible and the girls insisted on petting every cat along the way.
Each hotel was unique and family run and our meals were included and I did not eat one bad meal. I even manged to eat pannacotta for lunch and dinner in one day. We started every evening with a glass of Prosecco and dined on terraces with panoramic vistas of the Umbrian valley. Think vineyards, olive groves, church spires,turrets, fields of sunflowers, green hills and a warm ochre glow. Why do tomatoes taste so sweet in Italy? Is it the sun? One remembers why they are indeed a fruit.
The rides were at times challenging and our team leader(aka Cracker)had to leave his bike on many a peak and trapse back down to aid the ailing and wailing females!
We were all suitable attired in hats, fingerless, gloves and padded shorts. A group promise was made not to take any pictures below the waist as none of us wanted to be immortalized in pixel wearing black lycra with what looks like a nappy wedged in the back. Each day saw only a little chafing and many an application of Butt Butter.
We finshed our trip hot ( heatwave temps)happy and feeling relativly fit. I think we may try it again in another country perhaps coastal.
Check this website if you want an idea of what we did. I am now looking at a cycle tour in Chile for November.
http://www.headwater.com/
3 comments:
This cycling trip sounds fantastic! I would love to get some more details about it.
I was also interested to hear about the food, of course. Your comment about tomatoes reminded me of something that I just read. Apparently, tomatoes need "heat" more that "light" in order to ripen. I think that must explain why ours are still green on the vine -- after weeks of cold rain.
How were the roads for biking, by the way? Did you feel like you were taking your life in your hands? Or did they have bike lanes?
Bee, this has to be one of our best holidays. The roads were mostly thru villages, we used one cycle lane but we did have to use a few main vias and you know how the Italians all think they are formula one racers! Still we were not too worried and the temptation of the next meal was incentive enough to get us pedalling faster.
I am trying to conjure up the tastes as I sit amongst the drizzle and fog. Veal with Arugala was one of the best with a balsamic reduction and chilled prosecco. Oh I so want to be Italian. The girls loved it too Chica 1 leaves this afternoon so I will be Ms Woebegone for the next few days. There is still so much I need to learn on blogging and she has been helping me. I would love it if we could plan a cycling holiday for next year with you and your crew, Is Sig likely to agree to such a lively vacation? Check out the website for idea on places. Sicily sounds divine.
I like the idea of Sicily a lot! We haven't pinned down next summer's hol yet . . . I will speak to the man.
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