Lunch with Antonio

Miles from Home - 5499.3
Firsts / Highlights - Another lunch at al Palazzo della Chigiana, climbed to the top of Torre del Mangia
Miles Ridden - 0 miles
Vertical Feet - 0 ft.
Route - No Route Today
People - Antonio de Miccoli.



This post is from June 13, 2009.

Today was my day to break down my bike and prepare to move to the Dolomites for what will probably be my last week in Italy. Breaking down my bike is not something I look forward to, so I compensated by visiting al Palazzo della Chigiana for lunch (the scene of the Sampler Platter that I wrote about earlier).

The owner, Antonio, recognized me when I walked in. He told me that today he would make “an even better platter than before”. I said, “Okay, have at it”. He put together an amazing assortment of prosciutto, salami, roast pork, cheeses and couple of kinds of bread and a pureed carrot mixture that is a cousin to his pesto that I had last time. He set me up outside to eat where I could draw in other English-speaking customers. He also delivered a glass of Chianti Classico along with the bottle and invited me to have as much as I wanted on the house. It is fair to say that I have found my favorite place to eat in Italy.

After lunch, I asked Antonio to calculate what it would cost to ship 6 liters of olive oil back to the U.S.. I knew I wouldn’t like the answer, but I thought it would be a great answer to most of my souvenir requirements. I was right, I didn’t like the answer, so I asked him, “What makes this olive oil special?”. He said, “I am a vat of oil. You make me and later come back. This oil is only from here up (indicating somewhere above his waist). Everything else goes to someone else. This is extra extra virgin oil”. I don’t know if it was the taste of the oil or the Chiani Classico, but the explanation worked. I decided to ship it back home.

Next the conversation moved on to his desert wines. They are not actually called wines, so he is allowed to ship them. He poured me a flight from least expensive to most. The least was not very interesting, and the middle is what he had poured for me on my last visit that I enjoyed. The last was something very special. Made from grapes that were aged to nothing before being pressed. Very sweet, but very enjoyable. It was the smallest bottle and twice the cost of the next less expensive. He said, “This is the very best. What the pope drinks”. I fell for it again and had a couple of bottles shipped home.

In all, I spent about 4 days of my total budget at lunch today. I hope it all makes it home.



As my last act of procrastination before packing my bike, I climbed to the top of the Torre del Mangia. That is one of the tallest secular towers ever built in Italy and is the focal point of the Piazza del Campo in the middle of Siena. It was built starting in 1325, so I think the stairway gets a pass on meeting building codes. It was a very narrow steep marble staircase with a great view at the top. I would have guessed that 387 steps would be a challenge, but the payoff for all of those hills I have ridden in Italy was that it was not so difficult.

Back in Siena Again

Miles from Home - 5499.3
Firsts / Highlights - Made the ride, ferry, 2 trains and another ride to get back to Siena. Excellent dinner at a medieval restaurant.
Miles Ridden - 19.59 miles
Vertical Feet - 2,158 ft
Route - View Today's Route Here.
People - Just me.


Visualizza Siena in una mappa di dimensioni maggiori

This post is from June 12, 2009.



I returned today from Elba to my quickly-becoming-home-base of Siena. This is a lively place on a Friday night. It is midnight right now, and I just returned from il Campo (the main town square). Everyone is dressed up and socializing. There is a lot of being seen, some eating, some drinking and the usual flirting. It was noticeable, however, that I didn’t see anything that looked like excessive drinking with a very young crowd late on a Friday. I have also not seen any open signs of drug dealing or use during all of my time in Italy. Obviously it exists, but you could easily convince yourself it didn’t from outward appearances.

When I say the crowd was young, I mean that if I could divide myself into two people, both of us would be in the prime demographic (I'm not talking about the kid on the scooter). As it is, the one of me felt a little like the lecherous old man mingling in the crowd. There were a few of us old farts sitting around the edges of the plaza, but it didn’t seem like a scene where I was going to be pulled into too many conversations.

There always seems to be a young heart to Siena, but on Friday night, it is really out there to be seen.

Getting here today was a little tense a couple of times. I rode my bike from my hotel to the ferry station as planned (15 miles). Once I got to Portoferaria, I thought I was at least ½ hour ahead of schedule. I grabbed lunch to take on the boat and casually headed to the ferry. There was not a lot else to do, so I decided to board early. At least I thought I was early. In reality, I was rushed on at the last second just as the ship blew its whistle and pulled out of the harbor. I later checked my itinerary, and found that I simply mis-remembered the departure time. If I had missed it, I could have caught another ferry an hour later, but my train schedule might not have been so easy. Just got lucky.

After the ferry landed on the mainland, I rode to the train station in the same town (only about 1 mile away). The station was unstaffed, but since I had a Eurail Pass, I didn’t give it a second thought. When any train arrives, it is a good idea to get on immediately since some stops only last about 1 minute. I carried my bike onto the designated bike car, and was met by the conductor asking where my bike ticket was. Bike ticket? I have never needed a bike ticket. He did not speak a word of English, and the only thing I understood was that he wanted a bike ticket, he was very insistent on it and he wasn’t going to be the one to sell it to me. Without anyone in the train station to sell a ticket of any kind, I was a little stumped for what to do.

As the discussion developed, my bike was already on the train, so my plan was that if the train started to move, I would make a dive for an open door. I couldn’t let the train leave with my bike. Through gestures, the conductor took my backpack and helmet and locked them in the locomotive compartment. He signaled for me to follow him down the platform. If the train were to leave now, I would be without my bike, clothing, money or passport. I didn’t think he was kicking me off the train, but the language barrier was becoming more serious than any other point on the trip. I was a little surprised that I understood enough to know what he was upset about, but I couldn’t make out anything about what he wanted me to do about it. I guess that represents a little progress in Italian, but not enough to be of the slightest practical use.

It turns out he was walking down the train looking for a car with someone who spoke English. In this part of Italy, it took a few cars before we located someone. We eventually ran into a Norwegian woman who had just spent the weekend on Elba taking an Italian language course. She told me that the conductor was trying to tell me that the train would stop for 15 minutes 2-stops down the line where I could get off and purchase a bike ticket. The woman accompanied me into the station and we were able to get it straightened out. The ticket only cost 3.50 euro, but made things a little more interesting than they needed to be. The funny thing was that the conductor never even checked to see if I had a ticket for myself. He was just very concerned that my bike didn’t ride for free.

In spite of the tight spots, the logistics-laden trip from Siena to Elba and back was a success. Bike, ferry and train only. Still no car on my itinerary after 1-½ months.

Speaking of language. I am still learning how much I don’t know. The other day, I learned how to pronounce the letters of my last name like you would if you spelled your name over the telephone. It hadn’t occurred to me that learning to say the letters of the alphabet would be such new territory. In Italian, H-O-W-I-E is pronounced

H = Acca
O = Aw
W = Doppia-Voo
I = Ee
E - Eh

I also learned that Chuck Cerasoli would not be a Sar-ah-SOLE-ee if his family still lived in Italy. It would be something more like CHAR-ah-sole-ee. I may not have that exactly right, but I am pretty sure about the Ce being pronounced Che. Chuck – come clean. What’s your REAL name?



I had my last dinner in Siena at a restaurant that looked so cool I might not have noticed if the food was marginal (it wasn't). If a U.S. company wanted to make a chain of restaurants with a midieval Italian theme, this is probably how they would try to make it look. The only thing they couldn't match is that this place was actually 700 years old. You can't see in the picture, but the open staircase goes up 3 stories to some unknown destination.

The flags on the walls represent the districts of Siena. There are 17 very strong neighborhood districts in this little city. Each has their own flag and drum corp that march through the streets regularly. It isn't just for show. I walked through a neigborhood where they had closed off the street for an outdoor dinner party in preparation for the upcoming Palio horse race. All of the people wore their district flags around their necks. No tourists to perform for, just flying the colors for themselves -- and maybe to show up their neighbors.

Arrivederci Siena.

Cinghiale

Miles from Home - 5499.3
Firsts / Highlights - Cinghiale sighting, back on the bike
Miles Ridden - 47.85 miles
Vertical Feet - 4097 ft
Route - View Today's Route Here.
People - Just me.

This post is from June 8, 2009.


View Siena in a larger map



I was reunited with The Machine today after 9 days without a ride. My legs were a little tired, but it felt good to be back out there.

Since I left my bike in Siena to travel light with Brad, I had to come back to Tuscany to retrieve it. Not such a big sacrifice. I am staying for a second time at the Albergo Cannon d’Oro. I will stay a third time at this hotel when I get back from Elba in a few days (I will not have Internet access while on Elba, so if I don’t post any updates, it doesn’t mean I fell off the planet). You would think that with 3 stays on my itinerary that I must love this hotel. Not really. The breakfast is inadequate, 4th floor walk-up isn’t always welcome after a long bike ride, no A/C, bad bathroom, etc.. What it does have is a location in the middle of Siena and they allow me to store my bike and bike box here as I travel to other locations. I have really come to like Siena.

For Elba, I am finally doing some light touring. I will leave my bike box and backpack behind in Siena and only carry what I can transport by bicycle. I’ll ride to the train station in Siena, take the train to near the coast, then ride to the ferry. The ferry will take me to Elba Island, then I will ride to the other side of the island with my minimal pack. That will put me in a prime location on the west side of the island for the next 3 nights. I then reverse the whole routine and work my way back to Siena at the end of the week. (In case you’re wondering, that explanation was for my worrying mother – see the itinerary for details).



On most of my rides in Tuscany, I have heard rustling in the bushes next to the road. Not the little rustle like the lizards that are everywhere, a bigger, unidentified rustle. Today, I figured out what it has been. I heard the sound again and looked over. A cinghiale (Tuscan wild boar) was in the bushes looking at me. He gave me a distinct snort just to be sure I knew he was a pig. My first thought was, “that’s a cinghiale”. My second thought was, “why did I know that?”. The answer to the second question came quickly. I had cinghiale for dinner last night. Knowing how Italians treat people who mess with their families in American movies, I decided not to stick around to get to know him. I left him to go on his way and dig for truffles.

Chianti

Miles from Home - 5499.3 miles
Firsts / Highlights - Chianti
Miles Ridden - 42.47 miles
Vertical Feet - 3,480 ft
Route - View Today's Route Here.
People - Just me



This post is from May 29, 2009.

With my belly full of salami and cheese, I headed off to the Chianti region north of Siena. Nothing fancy with trains or ferries. Just out-the-door riding.

Today is my last day scheduled in Tuscany (more on that later). I realized while reviewing maps last night that I had missed the Chianti region altogether. As it turns out, that would have been a terrible mistake. While riding between hill towns for the past two days has been a good way to see them, today’s ride through the vineyards was even better pure cycling. I would call it 5-star. The description would sound like many other days – great scenery, fields of poppies, interesting old towns, high quality pavement, little traffic, hills and curves. I’m not sure how to differentiate this from some of the other good rides, but put this one on the list if you are going to ride in Tuscany.



Like I said earlier, today is scheduled to be my last in Tuscany. I now enter a very busy week with Brad Frazier coming to visit from Steamboat. I will be taking the train to Rome tomorrow and be there in time to watch the final stage of the Giro on Sunday – a time trial through the downtown artifacts (I hope I get to the right city on the right day this time). Brad arrives later on Sunday and we begin our whirlwind. A couple of days in Rome, then Cinque Terra followed by Venice. Brad flies out of Milan and I continue on my way. Since our week together is going to be so busy, I am going to be off the bike for a full week. If fact, I have made arrangements to leave it here at the hotel in Siena fully assembled so Brad and I can travel light.



After dropping off Brad, I will come back to Siena, grab my bike (and maybe make another trip to the meat and cheese shop), then take a train and ferry to the island of Elba. John Cowell and Callie highly recommended Corsica just north of Elba, but Elba is the closest I am going to get to it. Bruce Hodgkins from Boulder (who I met at the Garda Bike Hotel) told me that the island used to be a regular stop on the Carpenter / Phinney bike camps. In addition to being small enough to circumnavigate in a day and its virtue of being a Mediterranean island, the Carpenter / Phinney endorsement bodes well for its riding quality.

After Elba, the agenda opens up again. Maybe I will head to the Dolomites and attempt some of the great passes of the Alps (Stevio, Gavia and the dreaded Mortirolo).

Since I will be off the bike for the next week, this marks the end of the first month of riding in Italy. It is really only 27 days, but the month boundary will be crossed before my next ride. What a month. Here are some of the key stats. Turns out I’ve gathered a lot of information:

Miles ridden – 1,099.97
Elevation gained – 73,153 feet (from sea level to top of Mount Everest 2.52 times)
Time in the saddle – 77 Hours, 26 Minutes
Heartbeats while riding – 514,642
Average heart rate while riding – 111 bpm
Maximum heart rate while riding – 178 bpm
Average speed – 14.17 mph
Maximum speed – 41.1 mph
Calories expended – 63,642 (software over-estimates this a bit)
Calories ingested - Untold. Lots
Liters of water – (see calories ingested)
Pedal rotations – 371,642 (approximate)
Longest day – 110.96 miles
Shortest day – 6 miles
Riding days – 22
Travel days - 2
Rest / tourist days – 3
Days driving a car - 0
Rain days – 0 (don’t let acknowledging good luck change that luck)
Flat tires – 0 (see rain days)
Mechanical failures – 0 (see rain days)
Broken sunglasses - 1

Return to the Scene of the Crime

After my faux pas with the cheese sampler platter, I decided to go back to that shop and make things right. I went inside and requested my own sampler platter. That was one of the best culinary decisions I have made since arriving in Italy.

The person who I assume is the owner is a bit of a clown. He told me that I was going to get, “the very best” from a “famous shop in Siena”. Then just to be sure I understood, he said, “yum, yum, yum”.

He cut up some salami, roast pork, prosciutto and something I think he called “bull” (I’m pretty sure it wasn’t Rocky Mountain Oysters). Then the cheese guy selected 3 types of cheeses and 2 types of bread. They finished off the platter with a small cup of pesto and some unfiltered olive oil. With that done, the owner didn’t ask if I wanted a glass of wine, he asked what type of wine I wanted. I went with a mid-level Vino Rosso from one of the local vineyards.

I was determined to give away some of my food after my last incident. When a customer came in and was having difficulty deciding, I offered him a piece of my cheese, and after tasting it, he immediately knew what to do. I’m not sure that evens the score, but I felt like I at least tried.

This shop, al Palazzo della Chigiana, is like the Zingerman’s of Siena. They have excellent food and are not afraid to charge for it. The platter is sold by weight rather than product. Anything you get is 50 euro per kg (a little less than $31 / lb) plus wine. For lunch, that gets pretty expensive, but I would gladly do it again.

I can’t share any pictures of this place, although I would like to. The owner is a little eccentric and really does not like pictures taken inside his shop. He has a sign up saying “no photos, no film” in a couple of languages. When someone shows up and tries to take a picture, he pulls out a halogen lamp that he shines in their face and tells them, “is illegal”. The photographer is usually a bit stunned and the customers think it’s pretty funny, but I’m not sure he intends any humor. After my previous experience with stealing his customer’s food, I decided not to press the issue.

When I was finished, I told the owner that it was the best lunch I have had in my month in Italy. He announced that to the other customers in the shop, and then served me a complimentary glass of desert wine.

Giro d’ Tuscany

Miles from Home - 5499.3 miles
Firsts / Highlights - Open jaw train-assisted route, Montepulciano, Pienza, Montalcino and wine tasting with Ron Famiglietti
Miles Ridden - 42.47 miles
Vertical Feet - 3,480 ft
Route - View Today's Route Here.
People - Ron & Lisa Famiglietti

This post is from May 28, 2009.

The 2-train assist was a success – barely. As you know from the plan I described yesterday, I planned to leave Siena by train and go to Montepulciano xxx. From there, I wanted to see 3 Tuscan hill towns that had been individually recommended as well as in the guide books. In order, they were Montepulciano, Pienze and Montalcino. After the last town, I was to ride to a train station in Buonconvento to get back to Siena. I intentionally scheduled a shorter ride because I wanted to have time to spend in the towns along the way.

The first town, Montepulciano, was on my list because I had heard high recommendations, but also because it is where Ron Famiglietti, a pediatrician from Steamboat, has lived for the past month with his wife Lisa learning Italian. Their pre-school son, Primo, is also in a school that teaches 100% Italian. They rented a nice little one-bedroom apartment inside the walled city and have stayed there the entire month, only leaving town by bicycle.

Ron showed me their apartment and gave me a quick tour of the city. After a slice of pizza for lunch, we went to a Cantina (wine cellar) and did a little tasting. I was off to a slow start for seeing 3 hill towns in one day, but it was good to spend some time with Ron.



Next stop was Pienze, another beautifully preserved city. I spent a little time exploring, but not nearly as long as Montepulciano. By the time I reached Montalcino, I felt like Clark Griswold from “Vacation” standing at the edge of the Grand Canyon. I climbed up into the town, took a picture, and said, “Gotta go”. Fortunately, the final 8 miles to the train station were mostly downhill, but I knew that any delay was going to mean that I would miss the train back to Siena. I was in the middle of rural BFE, but the GPS said I was close. I rode into town hoping that the GPS would guide me right to the station without incident. With ½ mile to go, I saw the train-crossing light start flashing and the gate dropping down. Was my own train going to prevent me from getting to the station? I considered sprinting through, but thought better of it. When the gate finally lifted, I rode into the station, and there was my train waiting. I got on and looked at my computer. 3 minutes to spare on a 6-hour ride.



Addendum

I just got back from dinner at the same restaurant where I had the pumpkin risotto a few nights ago. Not only did the waiter remember me. He remembered what I ordered and where I sat. He recommended an antipasto and second course that would be a good contrast to my last meal. This time it was crustini with ewe’s cheese & honey and gnocci with meat sauce. Both were great. The kicker was that when he presented the check, he would not accept a tip. At first, I was afraid he was offended by the size of the small tip (I have been told not to tip like we do in the U.S.). That wasn’t it. He said that I was a repeat customer and he would prefer that I have a coffee tomorrow and think well of their restaurant.

Train-assisted success - Volterra

Miles from Home - 5499.3 miles
Firsts / Highlights - Train-assisted route, San Gimignano, Volterra and descending 18% cobblestones through medieval streets of Colle di Val d’Elsa
Miles Ridden - 62.57 miles (+3 or 4. Forgot to start GPS when I got off the train in Poggibonsi)
Vertical Feet - 6,322 ft
Route - View Today's Route Here.
People - Just me

This post is from May 27, 2009.



I attempted a new technique today. I rode The Machine from the hotel to the train station and took the train for ½ hour to a town called Paggibonsi north of here. This accomplished 4 things. 1) It allowed me to reach some towns that would have been a real stretch if I had done them from the hotel, 2) big sections of the ride would have been out-and-back if I had left from the hotel, 3) being “out there” committed me to my ride (if I didn’t make it back to Siena, I would have none of the comforts of home and have to pay double rent for a second hotel – I made it back at 7:30), and 4) purely by coincidence, the train’s part of the journey was into a headwind, so I had a tailwind for a little more than half of the ride.

Tomorrow, I am going to attempt the ever-perilous double train-assist route. I will take one train to my start location, ride my route and catch a train at another location back to Siena. There are plenty of things that could go wrong with the plan, but I am leaving enough time that I should be able to spend time in the towns along the way and still catch the train. If I miss it, it’s going to be a hard ride back to Siena before dark (or an unplanned hotel with stinky clothes).

The GPS has been nearly a necessity for all of my self-navigated rides, but for the train-assisted route, it worked beautifully. First, the GPS lets me know when to get off the train if I can’t see a station name. I have used that feature a number of times. More importantly, it found a route out of Paggibonsi so I could find the roads I planned for my route. Then, of course, there is the usual benefit of having it beep at me for every turn and traffic circle throughout the day to let you know where to go. I carry a map as a backup, but I almost never need to use it. Everyone who has used a GPS knows that they are not yet perfect, but I would not want to be without it on this trip. The level of detail it has in its maps for all of the tiny little roads throughout Europe is impressive.



Today’s route visited 2 of the medieval hill towns that were on my “possible destinations” map before leaving the U.S. - San Gimignano and Volterra. You can see Wikipedia descriptions of the towns with the links in the “Highlights” section above if you are interested.

If you find yourself in Siena with a bicycle (or and Italian or German sports car), go to my GPS route and do the last 20 miles of today's ride. It is like a cycling test track. A tough climb followed by a long descent with curves, perfect pavement, forest, shade and no traffic. A good way to finish the ride.

I have been hesitant to say anything about the weather, but after a full month with nothing but clear days, I suppose I have to risk the jinx and say it has been great. Apply whatever superstitions you like, but please keep the good weather coming. I can't assume it will stay this good throughout my stay, but I'll take it while I can get it. As I am writing, the wind just kicked up dramatically. That didn't take long. This town has been around for a lot of years, but it sounds like it is about to blow away. Shutters are slamming around town and roofs are clattering. I guess I shouldn’t worry about it. I’m sure Siena has seen a wind gust before.

Sampler Platter

Miles from Home - 5499.3 miles
Firsts / Highlights - Good dose of Tuscan Sun. Meat and cheese sampler platter.
Miles Ridden - 51.00 miles
Vertical Feet - 4,167 ft
Route - View Today's Route Here.
People - Just me



This post is from May 26, 2009.

After getting lost again walking home from dinner last night, I am finally doing a little better finding my way around Siena. I managed to plan and execute a course more-or-less without incident today. The meanderings you can see on the GPS track upon return to Siena were mostly intentional exploration.

In spite of the relatively high dose of rest I have had (I believe it has been 3 of the last 7 days off the bike), I did not feel particularly comfortable in the saddle today. The route was very good considering that I just made it up by looking at paper and GPS maps, but I seemed to want to be standing up and getting off the bike more than normal for a 50 miler. Not really sure why.

I needed a long night’s sleep last night, so by the time I was ready to ride, it was getting too late for my planned train-assist route. Instead, I headed south from the hotel. I did, however, build the train-assist route for the GPS that I hope to do tomorrow.


When I got back to Siena after my ride, I was making my way through the crowded pedestrian street. In front of a specialty meat and cheese shop, I saw a nice looking sampler platter with slices of 3 different types of meat and as many cheeses. A young boy was standing behind the platter and seemed to be tending to it. I tried a piece of cheese, which was excellent. The boy was too young to work in the U.S., but I figured this was a family-run shop. He said something to me, which I assumed was an explanation for the type of cheese I was eating. “Cow’s milk?”, I asked, since I thought I heard a word that sounded like “Cow”. No luck. I then tried one of the pieces of meat. No comment from the boy.

I decided to go into the shop. Although I cannot really buy meats and cheeses while staying in a hotel, I saw some baked goods that looked like good road food for tomorrow. I was nervous about leaving my bike outside for more than a few seconds, and I was unsuccessful getting anyone to help me, so I left the shop. I decided to grab one more piece of cheese before getting back onto The Machine. This time, the boy’s father was there and said, “No…No”. It suddenly dawned on me what had happened. I asked, “Privato?”, and he said, “Si”. Fortunately, “I’m sorry” is one of the few phrases I know in Italian, and I got to use it. I was really embarrassed, but he had good taste in cheese.

I thought about this at dinner tonight from the kid's perspective. "I'm watching our things, just like dad asked. This guy walks up wearing lycra and a helmet and starts eating our food. I ask him to stop, but he just smiles and takes more. Being little sucks. What am I going to do? Kick him in the chins?".

0 for 1 on Self-Navigation

Miles from Home - 5499.3 miles
Firsts / Highlights - First pedal strokes in Tuscany. Pumpkin & mushroom Risotto at Guidoricco’s
Miles Ridden - 29.81 miles
Vertical Feet - 2,791 ft
Route - View Today's Route Here.
People - Just me

This post is from May 25, 2009.

Some of you may remember that I nearly got lost on my underwater navigation exam for my SCUBA certification. Getting out of Siena today, I’d have drown if I were underwater. I attempted to locate a bike shop that was only about 1 mile from my hotel, and it took me an hour, 6 miles and 500 vertical feet to do it. When I finally got there, they were closed for the afternoon break.

Such was my first introduction to self-navigated bike travel in Europe. Until now, I have been with bike hotel guides or Experience Plus. I haven’t had to establish or follow my own courses. In my defense, there probably could not be a more confusing city than Siena to get started. Even with the GPS telling me where to turn, it was almost useless due to unmarked streets, incorrectly marked streets, construction, police kicking me off pedestrian-only roads and turns so close together that the GPS cannot differentiate them, particularly with the narrow view of the sky from the little streets. Take a look at the GPS route, and you will see my circles and figure-8’s as I attempted to get out of the maze.

I had hoped to get some route recommendations and tighten my front hub bearings at the bike shop, but the only real success I had was to inflate my tires. While I was waiting for the shop to open, I went in search for some food to get me started on my ride. I didn’t want a full restaurant, just something simple, like, maybe… Pizzaland. Fortunately, there was one just around the corner.

The riding changed dramatically almost as soon as I passed outside the walls of Siena. It became the rolling Tuscan countryside of legend. I can see why this is so popular with cyclists. Quiet country roads, little traffic, rural scenery and the grades are not nearly as fierce as the other locations I have visited before now.

This is certainly the most rural place I have visited yet. Today was just an orientation (apparently needed), but I think I will actually need to plan for food and water on longer rides. At the other places I have ridden so far in Italy, I have never been more than a few kms from the next town and the next sidewalk bar (café). We’re not talking about stretches from Steamboat to Kremmling here, but you could get thirsty if you ran out of water.



My one café stop today happened to be during the magic live-coverage hours for the Giro. Popovich was on a solo break-away on one of the famous white-dirt roads in Italy. There is a special name for those roads, but I don’t remember what it is. Almost immediately after leaving the café, I found myself on one of them. It wasn’t by design. Neither the paper nor the GPS map showed it being unpaved, but having just seen it on the Giro, and because one of the criteria for The Machine was to be able to handle dirt roads, I decided to proceed. As usual, the more difficult path was the more rewarding. I found some beautiful villas and even a castle that most people will never see. Of course, I also found some 16% grades that most won’t find either. It starts to get difficult to keep the rear wheel from slipping on a road bike at 16% on a loose surface. I was able to keep the rubber side down, and overall, it was a good trade-off.

I was startled by how quickly things turn rural outside of Siena. This picture was taken only 1.5 km from the city wall.

There are a number of hill towns I would like to see near here. The recommendations I hear again and again are Volterra, Gimignano, Montalcino, Pienza and Montepulciano. I would still like to do a 2-day tour to pick up a couple of those towns with an overnight out there somewhere. Tomorrow, I think I will go for the train-assist. Ride a train in the general direction of Volterra, then get off and ride the rest of the way there and back to Siena. The train will extend my reach and motivate me to get back if I want to eat and sleep. It also avoids doing an out-and-back route that is sometimes unavoidable on unfamiliar roads.

So far, my experience is that city hotels in Europe are more typical of what you are warned about with European travel. Expensive, noisy and lacking in the amenities the American take for granted. I rarely do this, but I had to ask to be moved to another room last night. Mine was almost in the lobby and next to a marble staircase. Since there is no elevator, the stairs get a lot of traffic and I could hear every step and word said in the lobby. Today, they moved me to the third floor, which seems to be quieter, but is sweltering with no A/C. Fortunately, I have a ceiling fan. That shaved head seems like a good idea right now.

Bathrooms here are a new adventure every day. Today’s has a tile floor and a curtain in the corner. There is no type of shower pan to keep the water in a specific part of the bathroom. There is a drain in the floor on the same side of the room as the showerhead, but that is the only thing that differentiates it from the rest of the bathroom floor. There are also an infinite variety of toilet flush mechanisms. I have not seen a U.S.-style handle yet, but just about everything else. The most common is the two-button system. One for the big flush and the other for the little flush. Choose your flush based on the desperation of your situation.

If you don’t hear from me for a few days, I am probably lost riding around the Tuscan countryside. I will have my credit card, so I can’t imagine being lost could be too bad. I’ll make it back for my luggage eventually.