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.