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of the Trento Bike Pages
A Trip To Italy
September 1996
By Lucia Gomes
lucia@antares.com.br, Sun, 27 Apr 1997 19:23:57 -0700
As we live quite far away, in Brazil, we (me and my boy-friend)
decided to make a trip where the bike wouldn't be our only way of
transportation - we also used a car, so that we could get to know more
places the same trip. It was a very difficult decision, because all
the Europeans told us to do everything on the bike even if we wouldn't
go to too many places. I had a lot of help from the people from
eurobike. We were basically in four areas: Lago di Garda, Toscana, the
Amalfitan Coast and Sardegna. We have mountain-bikes - Trek 8000 and a
Raleigh MT-500. We had off-road tires in Garda and slick tires in
Tuscany.
Lago di Garda
First of all, we found very important to have a guidebook, which we didn't
have, if you're not familiar with Garda. The information bureau will
give some stuff on that, but nothing really reliable. There are lots
and lots of trails there and it's very easy to get lost, or start in
one and end up in another. Luckily, there were always other bikers who
would give us informations. But I have the name of a very complete
guide in this area: Moser Bike Guide - Garda See 3, from Elmer Moser,
which is only available in German, as far as I know. Of course,
there's no use in buying one if you're not going to spend some time
there or if you're going there often. Anyway, if you can borrow it
from someone, or make a copy of a few trails, or even get it in a
library...
The north part of the lake is heaven for mountain-bikers of any level
- there are trails for everyone. Undoubtedly, the most impressive
thing is that you climb, climb and when you look back, the lake is
there, which means you have very beautiful views all the time. And, on
your way up, you pass by small villages where everybody waves at
you. Or, when you're on a single track, uphill, and there's someone
coming on the other way, downhill, they'll stop and let you try to
make it all, and will even encourage you.
We were there only for 2 days of mountain-biking.
Lago di Tenno
On the first day, we
went to Lago di Tenno, which we heard was beautiful. The lake itself
is really very beautiful - the colour of the water is unbelievably
green, it looks like a swimming pool. The area around the lake is very
nice also, because there are many trees. So, as far as you're out of
the pedestrian way close to the lake, you may have fun off
trail. There are also many trails in this area. So, we got kind of
lost, but someone helped us, and even if we didn't do the exact trail
(we might have mixed more than one), it was fun. There's a little on
road uphill, though, untill you get to Tenno.
Tremalzo
On the second day, we've done one of the many trails of Monte
Tremalzo, following all the recommendations we got from Andrea
Caranti. And I'm very glad I did it on the second day, because it's
really tough. I think I wouldn't be able to ride the bike next day.
But it really worth the effort. When you leave Riva del Garda, you
take the old road around the lake, which is a light and wonderfully
beautiful uphill. After, it becomes a little more steeper, but still
asphalt. Later on, it gets steeper and the pavement changes into
stones. Further on, it becomes a singletrack - uphill, where I got off
the bike often. We met some germans and another couple who were on the
same direction as ours, so I felt better, because they helped us know
we weren't lost. And I always had someone around. In the single track,
I've seen my boy-friend only at the top, because he made it all
without stopping, and I'm very proud of that! When we got at the top,
and could see the sign Tremalzo, photo time! After that, of course the
downhill. There was also another way, which was to continue on the
same track for approximately 14 km to arrive to another lake, which
name I don't remember, and then come back to the place we arrived on
our downhill. It was another valley so beautiful - sorry I can't
remember the name. I've lost all my maps and papers on our way back
home; I only have small notes. Well we came from this little town in
this other valley on the road untill we got to the same old road we
went up. I could say in a few words that the Monte Tremalzo trail is a
very tough one (steepness, pavement, technical), but with a great
reward, which is its scenery. So, I really agree with Andrea - it's a
must!
Tuscany
From Riva del Garda, we got back to the car and headed to Florence,
with a stop in Verona. Of course, we got lots of traffic closer to
Florence - the road was under construction. But, anyway, we got there
later than we were supposed to and we had a little trouble to get in
the center of the village with the car (that's where our hotel
was). By the way, I highly recommend making reservations for a hotel
in Florence no matter when you're going. I would say pretty much the
same about San Gimignano and Siena. But, if you're going in September,
as we did, reservations are a must, because it's high season in
Tuscany! And we didn't know that, so it was kind of stressy on this
matter. Back to the tour, I'd say, although it's tough to get in
Florence, it's great to stay in the center - it's a pedestrian zone,
with all the monuments right there, everything quite close. So, forget
your bike while you're there and think of it when you're done. You can
ride the bike to Piazzzale Michelangelo, which is a small hill on the
other side of the river to have a beautiful view, but still very
close. If you have more time, you might want to check some of the
suggested tours outside Florence, at the site Florence Bike
Pages.
Out from Florence, we decided we should stop somewhere in Tuscany,
leave the car and start our small round tour on the bike for 4 days
and come back for the car. As we like very much wines, we had
reservations for one night at a vineyard in Radda in Chianti. Besides
that, we wanted to see Siena and San Gimignano, and maybe Volterra,
because it was almost out of this route. It should be a good idea for
those who want to do a bigger tour in Tuscany, including Lucca (which
I've heard is very beautiful) and Pisa, Prato and Pistoia. So, we
decided to start from San Gimignano. But, as I said before, when we
got there, there was no room in town. It's important to notice that in
Tuscany almost all the towns are located on the top of a hill, and
surrounded by medieval walls, with a pedestrian zone in the
center. Therefore, if you're riding a bike, there's no use staying
outside the walls, unless real close to them. There was nothing like
that available, so the lady in the Tourist Office suggested me to call
Volterra and that's where we started our tour, which was Volterra /
San Gimignano / Radda in Chianti / Siena / Volterra. It would be fine
to have a map (the Touring Club Italiano has good maps and guides - we
used the Guida Rapida d'Italia - Toscana, Umbria, Marche and the
Michelin - Tuscany), but actually you're on a road and there are
signs. Besides that you can always ask - people are very friendly and
there are lots of tourists.
For those who have more time, after all the informations I've got, I'd
suggest a bigger tour - Florence / Pistoia (through Prato) / Lucca /
Pisa / Volterra / San Gimignano / Siena (through Monterrigioni) / if
there's time, you include a round-trip tour - 80 km - to Montalcino /
Radda in Chianti / Florence.
Volterra was a great surprise! It's a wonderful little village on top
of a hill with very friendly habitants. We had the luck of being there
during the hospitality week, held once a year, when the habitants
organize many things including a night walking tour on the walls, lit
by candles, which ends at the Roman theatre, recently discovered. It
was fantastic!
Volterra/San Gimignano (30 km)
On the next day, we started our bike
tour. The first part was a great downhill, very windy, because you're
on the top, with great views of alabaster fields, and other lower
hills. When you get to Castel San Gimignano, you make a left and
you'll soon be able to see the San Gimignano towers up on a hill. From
Castel San Gimignano, starts the uphill. By the way, Tuscany is up and
down all the time, but nothing very hard. This uphill has a lot of
curves, so that when you look to the towers, you think you're closer
than you really are. Don't forget to see why this region is famous for
the wine - you'll see grape trees all over Tuscany - no matter if
they're small private properties or big and famous vineyards. It's a
very beautiful scenery and it smells so good, at least in
September. In San Gimignano, besides visiting the Piazza della
Cisterna, which is in the middle of the village, the Duomo, and
walking on the main street, I suggest you go to a local delli, buy a
bottle of wine, some salami and prosciutto and go see the sunset at
the Rocca di Montestafolli, where you can go up on one of the towers
and have a great view. And, on the evening, if you like ice-cream,
don't miss the gelateria, which won prizes, in the Piazza Della
Cisterna - it's very hard to choose, they have so many flavours...
San Gimignano/Radda in Chianti (50 km)
From San Gimignano to
Poggibonsi, it's a downhill. From there to Castellina in Chianti, it's
a long smooth uphill (about 20 km), with lots and lots of vineyards-
you're now in the Chianti. The bottles with a black cock and a DOCG
labels are the Chianti Classico. From Castellina to Radda in Chianti,
it's a quite flat terrain, full of ups and downs, if you understand
what I mean. Radda is a small little town. Quite close to it is
Volpaia, which is a vineyard (Volpaia Castle) and a few nice local
people. There's a bar/restaurant/market, where you can sit and have
something to eat. It's mostly like a delli. The only difference is
it's all homemade - and this includes the cheese, the wine, the
salami, and naturally the crostini. You just ask for the affetatti
plate and let the lady prepare it to you. If you want, you can also
cross the street and buy some wine to take home. In all this area
there are many vineyards, which you can visit, but it's better to make
an appointment. We stayed overnight at Podere Terreno, a vineyard very
close to Volpaia. The owners offer a complete homemade meal,
including, of course, their wine, besides lots of interesting stories
and people from many places all over the world. The morning we left,
there was a group of bikers arriving in the afternoon.
Radda in Chianti/Siena (60 km)
We headed Gaiole in Chianti and our
first stop was at the Badia a Coltibuono - an abbey on a marvellous
site. It's a short detour uphill on such a beautiful road, with so
many trees, that it seems you're in a forest. From Gaiole, we had a
look at the Castello di Meleto and rode towards Castello di Brolio,
which is a red construction very impressive. We didn't get to visit it
because it was lunch time, but I think it worth a visit. By the way,
everything besides the restaurants closes at lunch time - I think
people go home, have lunch and take a siesta, then back to work. And,
be aware: off lunch and dinner hours, you won't be able to have a meal
- only sandwiches (panini) or maybe a pizza. From Brolio to Siena (23
km), it's quite flat. But, once you get to Siena, don't think all the
uphill you did to get there was enough. Be prepared: after you enter
the porch, if you skip the traffic and go straight, there's a steep
uphill, where there's a lot of people on the street. And I'm sure you
won't want to get off your bike to push it up. So keep a little breath
for this final part. Don't look up, just pedal and listen to the
people encouraging you - you'll make it ... and after it's over,
you'll feel like a champion! Now, the best thing to do is go to the
hotel (try to stay inside the walls), leave the bike, take a shower,
and have a meal in one of the restaurants at the Piazza del Campo,
where the Palio is held in August. It's a shell shape square with many
restaurants around it and lots of tourists too. You might pay a little
more to eat there but it's not that much and, after this day, you sure
deserve it! Siena is a nice city, with many things to see. Enjoy it!
Siena/Volterra (60 km)
The next day was our last and toughest
one. We wolud go back to Volterra through Monterrigioni and Colle di
Val d'Elsa. We spent a little time in Siena and left to Monterrigioni
(10 km from Siena). It's a tiny little round village inside
walls. It's a must and a very quick visit. Unfortunatelly it started
raining when we were about to leave. So we waited about half an hour
and, as it didn't stopped, we went on in the rain. Do you know
"cycling in the rain"? Well, that's it. After about 20 minutes
of a heavy rain, th sun was trying to come out again. But we were all
wet - every single part of my equipment, including the clothes, was
pouring. When we got to Colle Val d'Elsa, where the worse uphill of
our trip started, we made a technical stop - drying, eating and
resting a bit. From there, up to Volterra, the road has beautiful
views and become windy as you go up. As it's a side-wind, you almost
loose balance from time to time. Once we got there, we had a great
sensation of victory.
Amalfitan Coast
From Volterra, we got the car and headed to Montalcino (to get to know
the famous "Brunello di Montalcino", which really worth a visit for
those who love wine) and to Sorrento where we stayed overnight. Next
morning we went to Positano and took a day off (we had a lot of
driving the day before!) to brouse around. It's a very charming little
village and it was a very nice day. It's all built on the mountain and
there's an one-way twisting road which goes all the way down to the
sea. Before it goes up again, there's a pedestrian area which is the
center of the village - don't miss it! Incredibly, there are lots of
things to see in there including a promenade over the sea which takes
you from one beach to the other, passing by a few nice and cozy
restaurants.
Positano/Amalfi/Ravello/Positano (50km)
Unfortunately it wasn't as
beautiful as the day before - it seemed as it would rain. Anyway, we
decided to go to Ravello, which is a 6 km uphill right after
Amalfi. The road is really something - all by the sea. Of course, we
got a light and quick rain, which didn't bother us at all. I'm sure
that in a car you can't see as much as in a bike. We stopped to visit
the Emerald Cave, which is nice, and made a few photo stops. The road
is very narrow and plenty of tourists cars and buses. We've seen a
quite common scene - all the traffic got stuck because there was a bus
on a curve and it couldn't make it all in once because there was
another bus on the other way. So they spent a while to pass. For us it
was fun, because we could go through with our bikes and we had all the
road for us. Amalfi is a fishing and tourism port on one side of the
road and the town is on the mountain side. It has a very pictoresque
church. On to Ravello, we started a beautiful climbing, in a valley -
the Dragon Valley. On the way up, you can still see the sea from time
to time, and small villages on top of the hill, on both sides of the
valley. Once up there, it's a great feeling, and also a wonderful
view. We were starving by that time and it was quite cool, so nothing
better than a home-made pasta and a glass of the wine. After, we went
to visit the gardens and the spectacular view of the sea, and,
according to a local map, we decided to take a different way down. It
was a mess! In the begging, downstairs, then, we took a path to the
right, which became narrower and narrower, and, if we decided to go
back, it would be a very painfull ride up. We thought we might have
gotten the wrong way, so we tried a different one, to the left, which
fortunately took us to somewhere - it was another little village, all
trimmed, because there was a party being held (it was Sunday). But
there was no way down through there - we could see the sea, but to get
down there, we'd have to carry the bike. So we went back up to Ravello
on a paved road (we were on the other side), and took the same way we
came up, down to Amalfi. When we got to Amalfi, the sky was getting
dark, with very heavy clouds. We tried to hurry and escape from the
rain - no use - it caught us on that beautiful road! But, still, it
was a wonderful view: the mountains dark and the horizon reddish,
because it was almost sunset. It was kind of wird, but we loved it -
it's adventure! So, finally, we arrived back to beautiful Positano
completely wet, but very happy. After a warm shower, we went to the
grocery and bought lots of afettatti, cheese, wine and bread and had a
very special meal at the hotel.
Sardinia
I don't have much to say about biking in Sardinia. But there are lots
of bike pages about it in the Internet. And, if you need any help, I'm
sure Lucio Caddeddu will be glad to help you. It's such a big island!
And so beautiful! And we only spent one week! It sounds enough, but
not when you're talking about going so far just to get to
starting-point of the trail. We left Positano towards Civitavecchia,
where we got the boat to Sardinia. We stayed at Costa Smeralda, which
is a very nice and famous area. As we had a one-week stay in a hotel,
we did several one-day trips, and we didn't get to go to the southern
part of the island is, where Cagliari is located. Every day we took
the bike with us, but, as explained above, we didn't use it. Anyway,
I'll say here what we could have done. First of all, there's one thing
you might do: go all the way round so that you can visit all the
island, staying each day (or couple of days) at each place. This way
it's easier to use the bike. Well, back to our reality, one day we
did a boat tour of the Arcipelago, which I highly recommend. It's a
"cruise" on a small boat going to all the islands of the
Maddalena. But you should take your snorkel instead of your bike! The
other day we went on the bike (finally!) to visit the only inhabited
island - La Maddalena. It's nice and cool, with very beautiful
beaches, almost all flat terrain. You have to take a boat to get to
the island. Once you get there, just take a tour around the island
(it's quite small) and, if you want to, take the bridge and go visit
Caprera island. The other islands of the Arcipelago, you only can
reach them by boat. The other day, we went towards Alghero. From there
we could have used the bike to go to Nettuno's Cave, which is a must!
I've never seen or heard about nothing like that - it's a fabulous
work of mother-nature, for so many millions of years! To get to cave
entrance, there's a very long stair down, and then back up, but with
an unforgetable view and some scaring sea sounds, so it's worth a
visit! But we'd rather go by car, so we would have time to go
snorkelling. Of course, if we were staying in Alghero, we would be
able to go to the cave on the bike (it's a flat terrain, all paved)
and we would still have time to go snorkelling. The next day, we went
to the middle of Sardinia, to get to know a little about it's
civilization - the "nuraghe" - it's very ancient, and interesting. We
got to Nuoro and decided to go further on, so that we might take a
trail from the mountains to the sea. It sounded great, but we still
didn't know how far and high we were going, and, besides, we would
have to come back all the way up, which would only be possible if we
had a very good orientation of the trails and, of course, if we were
staying nearby. It's impossible to come all the way from Costa
Smeralda, do the trail, and go back on the same day, unless you know
very well the places, and eventhough, you'll probably be deadly tired
at the end of the day. Well, we only realized that after we got there,
but, anyway, it was great to go there. The road between Dorgali and
Baunei (around 40 km) is very interesting - it looks like the moon!
It's a very narrow road, on one side, rocks, beyond which is the sea,
and, on the other, towards the interior, a big valley. It was kind of
foggy, almost nobody around, only goats, so I could swear I was on the
moon! Baunei is a very small village on the mountains, from where
depart all the tours - trekking or MTB - downhill, towards the sea. It
must be really something, because the trails lead you to a beach,
where you can only arrive by boat, walking or on a bike. We went to
the starting- point, which is a restaurant a few km uphill from the
village, called Il Golgo. When we got there, the restaurant was
already closed for the season, but even if it was open we would'nt be
able to go, because we had a long way back "home". But we could see
the terrain was not an easy one - lots of small little stones! The
other day, rest day: we just drove near our hotel making several stops
in every "cala" we saw. So we could say we've tried snorkelling all
over Costa Smeralda, including Porto Cervo, which is very famous, and
very, very, very very expensive, and Porto Rotondo. On our last day,
we finally packed our bikes, and we headed north, to Corsica, crossed
it from south to north, and took a boat to Nice, where we spent a
couple of days and came back.
Odds and Ends
I might say that this trip, my first one on a bike abroad, was
surprisingly better than I thought - it was really fantastic! The
roads were very well paved, the drivers very well educated, respected
us very much, the food was great, very well prepared, we ate well
anywhere (of course it was special at some places), and the people
were very kind, always ready to help. Maybe I wasn't expecting that
much, so I suggest you to be ready for anything, as you should in any
trip, and you'll have a great trip.
As I love eating I can't finish my report without talking about
food. Don't miss the funghi porcini. If you're there in September, ask
for the fresh funghi porcini, if they have it fried, it's something
out of the world! Try also the tagliata al funghi (it's meat cut into
small pieces) And for dessert, try the "cantucci con vin
santo". Cantucci is a kind of very hard toast with almonds, which
become soft if you dip it into the vin santo, which is a kind of Port
wine. There's also a kind of cake, made out of almonds and nuts, very
nourishing, called panforte. In Volterra, try the venison dishes, such
as boar, if you like it.
Useful directions
I'd like to list some restaurants, hotels and wineries which I've been
to and some which I was recommended during my research before
travelling, as well as the telephone numbers of some Tourist Offices:
Riva del Garda
-
Albergo Villa Maria: the owner and her daughter are there all the time trying to make
your stay as good as possible
-
restaurant: Pié de Castello - typical food - raw meat(sort of carpaccio) and afettati
Florence
-
restaurant: Pizzeria della Volpe (beside the Bargello Palace): very simple and cheap
-
Il Chibelino (Piazza Dalla Signoria)
Volterra
- Tourist Office: (0588) 86150.
- restaurant: Il Pozzo Degli Etruschi
San Gimignano
-
Tourist Office: (0577) 94-0008 / fax: (0577) 94-0903.
-
rent a room at Signora Totti's house
Siena
- Tourist Office: (0577) 28-0551 / fax: (0577) 28-1041
- close to Siena: Strove in Chianti Albergo Ristorante Casalta: (0577) 30-1002
Amalfitan Coast
-
Positano Tourist Office: (089) 87-5067 Hotel La Bouganville:
(089) 87-5047 It's very well situated - just in front of the small
square on the begginning of the pedestrian zone, and has a parking lot
very close. The owner and his son are very kind and always ready to
make your stay more comfortable. restaurant: Il Guadacino: nice food,
good prices, local people, wonderful view (it's located on the
promenade which begins at the end of the main beach)
-
Ravello
Tourist Office: (089) 85-7096 (it's better to check out the local maps before)
Vineyards
- Fattoria di Barbi (Montalcino): (0577) 84-9421. The owner
runs the association of the Chianti Wine Producers. They have a
complete list of all the vineyards, including informations on which of
them you can stay overnight, only eat or just visit. I think it's
worth a visit to at least one of them.
- Podere Terreno (Chianti): (0577) 73-8312
- Fattoria di Monsanto (Chianti): (055) 805-9000
- Poggerino (Chianti): (0577) 73-8212
- Badia a Coltibuono (Chianti): (0577) 74-9498
- Altesino (Montalcino): (0577) 80-6208