Italy by Bike: A few days later...

ITALY BY BIKE: THE WAY IT SHOULD BE DONE

After visiting small villages amidst the pastoral scenery and alpine beauty of the region of Tuscany, I truly feel there is no better place to ride a bicycle. For the past five years I have been obsessing over the creation of this project. Yes, most bike touring companies will offer this kind of trip, but you will find that they all follow the same routes through the wine and tourist areas.

My heritage is full Italian. I was the first person on either side of my family to be born outside of the country. Our roots run deep. One grandfather was a Baron, while the other was Goat herder searching for a more profitable life in the US. The house that was left to me was built in 1783 and was seized the Germans and then the Americans during WW2.

The villages we will stay in are Italian through and through. Most likely you will have to use your hands to communicate with the locals because they don’t speak a lick of English (besides, half of the Italian language is hand gestures! Ha!).

Highland Tuscany typifies Italian cuisine where the ingredients are simple and delicious. The peasant foods are the foundation of all Italian meals and of course, must be washed down with delicious red wines. Food will be collected in the small specialty stores and butcheries found throughout the different villages while vegetables will be harvested from the home garden. Hearty meals will prepared by my mother with recipes that have been passed down from her grandmother.

In my opinion, the only way to experience Italy is on a bicycle. Whether touring or day trips, you don’t get closer to the people than on the road at the pace of a bicycle. Short stops to take in an espresso or a panini (or gelato!!!) are the perfect way to see the passion and personalities of Italian culture.

The roads, built years ago by horse and buggy and used for goat herding, snake through the terrain, constantly turning to expose a new incredible vista. We will climb mountain passes and ride past vineyards, ancient churches, castles, lakes, and rivers.

Although most of the daily rides will begin and end at our villa, we will take several opportunities to stay overnight in other unique locales.

These places are riding distance from the house, and we will take different routes to and from these destinations to see more of the landscape. Overnight outings will be to such places as Cinque Terre, Island of Elba, San Geminagno, Siena, and Pisa. All reside in the region of Tuscany but have drastically different landscapes and attributes.

Mileage will vary based on the day and the energy level of each participant. My goal is to average 70 miles per day with ample stops along the way to take in culture and coffee. Many of these days we will have a “sag” wagon that will follow to transport gear and anyone who may need a break during the day. All levels of riders are encouraged to join us. I am confident that we can accommodate everyone each day.

\The excitement and sometimes stress of road cycling has to do with dealing with vehicles. In the highlands of Tuscany it is less populated and has considerably less traffic than many other areas. With that said, we will run into cars on the road, and I have found that Italians are very respectful to cyclists. It is a national pastime with its history rooting back centuries. You will see Ferraris speeding down the road but generally they will give you plenty of berth on the road. However, for added precautions it is required that your insurance policy has international coverage, or please purchase additional travel insurance.

Italy is a country where leisure and family are the most important parts of life, and we want to convey this to our guests. If you feel that a day of rest is important, we can provide a detailed itinerary for you to see other towns via foot, train or bus (or allow you to just sit back and relax at the villa for the day). Bagni Di Lucca is the local center of our villa and worthy of a exploration. It dates back to Renaissance times as a spa and health destination. The marbled baths are filled with volcanic thermal waters and are a perfect way to rest tired legs after a day of riding. Bagni has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site because it exemplifies a typical and classical Italian town. A walk through town will take you back in European times.

Meanwhile, Lucca, the provincial center of the region is a wall-fortified city that was used during the Roman revolution. This tightly spaced city exudes Italian flavor. From rustic restaurants to chic boutiques, it is a true blend between old and modern worlds. An easy bus ride or a 40km bike ride will give you a day of exploration to satiate your senses.

It is my goal to make this the best bike trip possible. I have thought long and hard about how each day can be orchestrated to maximize your cultural and cycling experience. However, each participant must understand that this is the first time I have taken on the creation of such an adventure. You all know my experience as a mountain and ski guide. With this trip, I am breaking exciting ground for my own business. Cycling is a relatively new passion for me and I see it as a perfect way to show you this incredible part of the world. Please understand that while there might be hiccups in the organization of this journey, I guarantee a grand adventure!

For example, this incredible villa with 9 bedrooms, a full cellar for wine processing, and many reading and smoking rooms has only one bathroom.

When the house was remodeled it was only my grandparents living there. We have installed a great outdoor shower and hope to have another built earlier this summer, but that still only leaves one toilet. The kitchen is a bit small as well, but my mother and helpers are able to cook up some savory meals anywhere. Keep in mind that while I have ridden and driven these roads before, I may need to consult my map and ask for assistance at times. We might take a “wrong” (in parentheses because its all beautiful) turn somewhere, but I will always find our way home.

In return for a little understanding on your part, I am making this trip very affordable compared to other companies. I am just trying to cover our costs for operating and make a little money to put back into the house for future trips.

I am offering this trip only to people with whom I have spent time in the past and who are up for a good adventure. It is my intention to create a full flavored experience with unforgettable memories from the seat of your bicycle and nights around the outdoor dinner table with bottles of wine and laughter. Everyone who has been invited is already a fairly strong ride and a fun personality to boot. It will be a family experience with Petit (my wife), and my mother all working (when they have Talus, who will turn one while we are there, under control). I will do my best to match people up based on their desires and abilities, and I really think that everyone will have a great time together.

We will be using the Pisa International Airport for pick-up and drop-off for the trip. If you choose to travel to other locales in Europe/Italy, we can make sure that you are taken care of in Pisa. If you haven’t done any travel in Europe, a train ride is a classic experience. You can choose a bigger airport and travel to Pisa via the Eurail. Check http://www.eurail.com/ for schedules and fares.

Pick-up and Drop-off at the airport will be every Sunday. Due to the nature of the trip, everyone’s itinerary will be a little different and we will do our best to make sure that you aren’t waiting too long.

Booking will be a revolving door situation beginning August 29th and ending October 6^th, on a first to sign up/ first served basis. We will never have more than 9 people in house at a time, and we encourage everyone to stay for two weeks. Payment will be adjusted for shorter and longer stays.

The house configuration is such that there are two bedrooms with two single beds and four bedrooms with one queen bed and how you choose to sleep will factor into the cost of your trip.

Rates for a two week package per person:

Double occupancy with queen bed: $2300.00 USD

Double occupancy with two single beds: $2500.00 USD

Single occupancy with queen bed: $2700.00 USD

* If you don’t mind sharing a room with a someone you don’t know we will do our best to match individuals.

Packages Include:

Transfer from Pisa International Airport on Sunday’s (addition for other days of the week)
Room in classic Italian villa
Homemade breakfast and dinners paired with Italian wine prepared in Canapali
Daily bicycle guiding with vehicle support and riding snacks
Occupancy when cycling on overnight excursions
Travel resources for off day visits
Use and assistance of bicycle repair and maintenance equipment

Foreseeable Additional Expenses:

Airfare and overland travel to/from Pisa International Airport
Additional baggage fees for transporting bicycles (see your airline carrier for requirements) Cost estimate: $150.00 each way *
Travel Insurance with medical coverage. **
Daily coffee and eating breaks during cycling excursions.
Dinners during overnight excursions
Souvenirs, gifts, maasage and gratuity/tips

* Bicycles will be available to rent at Poli bicycles in Lucca. Average cost for road bikes will be $40.00 per day and will depend on quality of the bike.

** Travel insurance is a good idea for any international trip. Coverage will include emergency evacuation, hospital charges, lost baggage, damaged to baggage, emergency trip cancellation, etc. Cost based on cost of vacation. Estimated cost: $175.00

Suggestion: www.ihi.com/

A few days later...

Greetings all...
We are still trying to find the balance between sitting at the computer and playing on mountains and rocks and open roads. For some reason the cool wind and smells of fall as we carve smooth singletrack is more alluring than the meager glow of the mac.
Hence... a few days have passed since our "proposal" posting... and we are happy and healthy and rollin' on down the road in a big box smelling like tempura (thanks to the sushi joint in Jackson, WY). From Driggs we made it over the pass into Jackson by nightfall on Thursday to enjoy nachos and a beer at the local saloon and have debates over which hat-bandana-Wrangler wearing man was actually a REAL cowboy. Good fun!
Loretta's home for the night was a large parking lot (church parking, come to find out) near the town of Jackson. Seems she was misbehavin' because the nice policeman shined a f*@%*ing bright light directly in our faces through the back window at 4am. Uh... we got in late and didn't know where to go? Uh... she won't actually start right now in the cold so we can't move anyway? He was charmed by David's disheveled look and Loretta's sleek lines and sent us off to bed for a few more hours given that we promised to get out of there at sunrise. Okay, officer.

Have you ever witnessed the Tetons on a sunny fall morning? We connected with our friend, Jake Kilgrow, for a road ride with magical views of rock and ice and new-fallen snow. Yeah, rolling down smooth pavement through multi-colored aspens with the Tetons hovering above... just couldn't convince ourselves to stay in and update the blog. :)
Jake has a great place out of Wilson, WY with wife Jen, cute little blonde dude, Charlie Red, and a baby girl to arrive any day. Thanks for the ride and the shower, Jake!
We are on a speed tour of the western states. From Cali to OR to ID to WY and now in UT. The drive from Jackson was not the 31/2 hours we were told... Loretta is not a sports car... but it was a beautiful 41/2 hour drive into sunset and colors and wide open spaces and a funky antique/ second-hand "store" in Afton (I think that's Wyoming). This place is difficult to describe, with every imaginable tool, jewel, article of clothing, rack, bottle, marble, fun junk (and beyond) piled upon itself many times over, with a bickering old couple wandering amidst the madness... worthy of a screenplay for sure.
Smooth cruising into Park City to meet up with Thomas and Jeff. By 5am the following morning we were setting up "camp" in the parking lot in front of the Black Diamond building (Thomas' office) for the annual ski/gear sale and swap. Countless locals showed before daybreak to set out used and new gear and search for this year's sweet deal. Loretta was there in all her glory, complete with music and a slideshow and free coffee for passers-by. She is a show-stopper!
We spread the word about GlobalLines, showed off our grease-mobile, scored some good deals on gear for the winter, and by noon were headed back to Thomas' house with heavy eye-lids ready for a nap.
It was a quick transition from 45 minutes of deep (much needed) sleep to climbing into the mountains of Park City on our mountain bikes. It's fun to ride with the "locals" and get all the incredible rockin' and rollin' singletrack that this place has to offer. Up... down... up... down... down... down... all with a view and a perfectly cool sunny day... 3 hours of pure fun.
Of course, after a long bike ride, why not a sauna and stretch at Thomas' house? (Indeed, the hospitality of friends has been deeeeelightful) And... a large pizza meal with pumpkin pie and ice cream for dessert. Are we hedonists?
This morning is, well, another glorious day in Utah... and we're heading to Telluride via Salt Lake where we'll stop at our friend Scott's "workshop" filled with incredibly creative art and ideas. We are ever-inspired by the multitude of unique paths we cross.
Happy day to all.
Oh... by the way... in case you missed the memo... we're engaged (to each other).