Toscana 2013

Thursday, 26 September 2013

We were staying at San Donato which is well-positioned off the Siena-Florence road.  It is a very small village whose centre is closed to traffic.  We stayed in a B&B, Le Terrazze del Chianti, run by a couple from Naples who have completed the premises in a very sympathetic way.  There were just 5 bedrooms with a lovely terrace and beautiful views of the surrounding Chianti hills.

View from our room 

We had forgotten how hilly Tuscany is, so the ride was a good workout.  Some of the descents into Greve in Chianti were very steep and we were thankful we were not riding in the opposite direction.  The climb up to Panzano was steady and very pleasant.  We stopped for a simple lunch at the main square before riding down to the river and up to Piazza back to San Donato.

San Donato-Sambuca-Badia di Passignano-Greve in Chianti-Panzano in Chianti-Piazza-San Donato

The next day, we took a shorter ride just to Castellina in Chianti, the next village.  It is a long drag up but a great ride back.  Then we went into Florence to watch the Men’s Under-23 Road Race.

Florence is now swamped with tourists eating slices of pizza and drinking Coke along the streets.  The city cannot take this punishment much longer. 

We were recommended a very traditional trattoria in the city centre.  It is frequented by the local shopkeepers and workers, always a good sign.  The food was excellent and atmosphere chatty and happy.  It is not for those who want to linger over a glass of wine as the management prides itself on feeding their customers quickly and cheaply.  Shhhh…… it is our secret trattoria!

On Saturday, we were back on our bikes, cycling another circular route from San Donato to Radda in Chianti, Castellina in Chianti and back to San Donato.  The route offered a mix of everything, flat roads, gradual climbs, lumpy bits, scenic countryside and 2 towns where we stopped for coffee.  It was a nice ride.

Giro di Lago Varano

Monday, 23 September 2013

The Gargano peninsula is in northeast Puglia.  It is about 3 hours’ drive from where we live.  We have always wanted to visit the area which is both scenic and the site of ancient pilgrimage routes.

On our way up to Tuscany for a week of cycling and the UCI World Championships in Florence, we decided to stop at Rodi Garganico, an old port.  During the summer, the Gargano is very popular with tourists, the main towns being Peschicci and Vieste.  Late September is a good time to visit.  The weather was superb, not too hot and the tourists had by and large left; it is a very short holiday season.

Peschicci

We cycled around Lake Varano, to the west of Rodi Garganico.  It is a saltwater lake and a sanctuary to many wetland birds.  Leaving Foce di Varano, we found ourselves on the Isole di Varano, a thin strip of land of about 15km long.  On one side is the Adriatic sea, the other the lake.  There were quite a number of campsites along the way, but these are discreetly hidden behind the native eucalyptus and pine forests and empty this time of the year.

Turning inland, we passed the peninsula of San Nicola di Varano (a peninsula within a peninsula!).  There were abandoned remains of an 11^th century Benedictine monastery and an old military base from which seaplanes took off during WWI in defending the Dalmatian coast.

San Nicola di Varano

From San Nicola, the ride climbed up to Cagnano Varano with beautiful views of the sea, lake and countryside.  We rolled in Rodi Garganico in time for some pasta and a glass of wine.  Certainly one of our favourite rides.

Views of Lake Varano

Conquering Mont Ventoux

Tuesday 9 July 2013

We got up early and left Aigues-Mortes for Bédoin where we started the ride.  The first few kilometres are quite gentle, then you turn into the trees where it really ramps up.  There were loads of riders, 99% of those going faster than us.  This was a real test to see if our gearing with the Rohloff was sufficient.  Most of the bikes that passed us were probably lighter than our gearhub!  We were fortunate that it was sunny with little wind.  The route was lined with caravans, claiming their space ahead of the Tour de France that is passing on Sunday.  We even passed one group of Bavarians who were already singing along with their accordion and dressed in lederhosen.  The last 6km were very exposed in an amazing moonscape.  We turned the final sharp bend into the finish and were delighted that we had conquered one of the iconic mountain climbs, the giant of Provence.  It is 20.8km with an average of 7.5% gradient and a final height of 1,912m.  After that, it was downhill back to Bédoin, an omelette aux truffes and a few glasses of rosé.

Mt Ventoux

View from the Col des Tempêtes

At the summit

In memory of Tom Simpson who collapsed and died at this point on 14 July1967 during the Tour de France. 

In Search of Fingal's Cave: Epilogue

We never quite got to Fingal’s Cave and hope that this visit to the Outer Hebrides and Western Highlands will be the first of many.  There is still so much to explore.  Although we struggled en route to find places open for tea, coffee or a meal, the population seem to be well-served by a handful of Cooperative supermarkets with polite staff.  The collective efforts to represent local producers, artisans and businesses, the absence of the usual high street brands really allow one to appreciate the individual charm and character of the Islands.  We could have has better weather but the saving grace was that the rain and wind kept the midges away.

All in all, it was a tough couple of days’ cycling, but a great test for the new bikes and the Rohloff gearing.  We stopped off at Shand Cycles on the way back and thanked them again.  We explained that everywhere we went, people admired the bikes and hopefully, we have made a few more sale leads for them.