Reports by Wayne Joerding

Cycling in Greece and Italy enabled us to see some of the most historic and scenically beautiful places of Europe, from ancient to modern. This online journal documents a cycle trip from Athens, across the Peloponnese, and up the Italian boot. We climbed steep mountains, sped down the other side, sweated out the humidity of south Italy, struggled our way up to Gubbio, and enjoyed deserted resorts on the Italian coast. The food was the best, the scenery spectacular, and the drivers courteous.

This cycle journal describes my trip from eastern Washington state, through the central basin area of Oregon, across Nevada, Utah, Colorado, and Kansas to the Missouri border. Most of this route follows the Adventure Cycling Association Western Express route, famous for it's long distances between towns, food, or water. However, the less traveled central basin of Oregon presents even more challenges requiring careful planning.

The route follows the northern rim of the Mediterranean Sea, along the coast of Spain, France, across north Italy, the coast of Croatia, Greece, and Turkey. Powered by pastry, we pedaled and pushed our bikes from the sandy beaches of Spain to the sandy beaches of southern Turkey, over hills, over mountains, and across rivers of all sizes. Along the way, we found helpful people, stunning scenery, and great food.

Cycling in Greece and Italy enabled us to see some of the most historic and scenically beautiful places of Europe, from ancient to modern. This online journal documents a cycle trip from Athens, across the Peloponnese, and up the Italian boot. We climbed steep mountains, sped down the other side, sweated out the humidity of south Italy, struggled our way up to Gubbio, and enjoyed deserted resorts on the Italian coast. The food was the best, the scenery spectacular, and the drivers courteous.

Was the first bicycle tour in Italy? I have no idea but Italy is probably the most popular destination for bicycle touring next to a trip to the local ice cream shop. And in Italy, the most popular destination is Tuscany. It's not surprising, Tuscan wines, renaissance treasures, warm summer nights, and rolling hills, what visitor has ever been able to resist the charms of Tuscany whatever the mode of transportation.

Everyone chooses a tour for different reasons, depending on their interests and experience. I had two reasons for wanting to visit Italy, history and the check-box effect.

I mostly like to travel in order to see historically interesting locations and wonder at the human drama played out at those locations. For a child of western civilization (although my European friends my find that claim presumptuous for an American) one can't find a richer stage than that provided by central and northern Italy. My route would take me from Rome, the seat of the most important civilization of the ancient Mediterranean through the lands of the earlier Etruscan civilization, to the birth place of Renaissance Europe, Florence. Along the way, my route promised pleasant scenery and good food. I found all of the above and more in my trip.

I had a wonderful time, everywhere I went the people were friendly, the drivers reasonably considerate, and the touring spectacular. Why the Extremadura? The Extremadura is a very interesting part of Spain for any American because the people in Extremadura have had such a profound impact on the history and development of America. It turns out that the two most famous (or infamous) conquistadors, Pizzaro and Cortez, both hail from the Extremadura. Many other Extremadurans joined them in the conquest of central and south America by the Spanish. Why? During the early 1500's, the Extramadura was a relatively undeveloped part of Spain, filled with minor nobility and controlled by absentee landlords. There were few prospects for a second or third son growing up in this region, and it was a tough neighborhood. The region had long been a contested area in the wars between the Moors and the Spaniards, it was dotted with walled towns, and inhabited by enduring people accustomed to hardship and violence. The opportunity for wealth and fame in the Americas was a magnet for aggressive young men who had few prospects for inheritance and were well trained to fight for what they wanted. Very many of them did achieve wealth and fame, very few of them died peacefully in their bed. They were prepared to live and die by the sword and their wits, most did so.