Semproniano to Montefiascone

Strava: 73.8 km, 1,194m, 3:58, 308 shifts

We somehow seem to be about halfway through this adventure already. Today we met our buddies doing our route backwards with Bike Dreams, the Dutch bike touring company I’ve done three big tours with. We also finished the third GPS segment of six on our Italy Unite route.

To meet up with Bike Dreams we had to have a slow start so looked around Semproniano in the morning, leaving at 10:30. At the planned place, 10 km along, Ype had just arrived in his lunch van. We had a nice reunion with him, then quickly the fastest riders arrived, guys doing the paved option. A bit later dirtier riders showed up, all happy. We ended up staying for a few hours; it was amazing to see so many people I knew from previous tours, over a dozen. Right after we said goodbye and took off, we met Greg bringing up the rear – I had last seen him five years ago in South America. Cheers to every one of you riding Bike Dreams Strada Italia!

We headed down the road, soon turning off on the gravel route. There were long sections of dirt road and trail with lots of puddles to dodge and some slippery climbs and descents. It started sprinkling and kept up until the end. Around 5 pm we stopped for drinks, cakes and warm sandwiches – good plan.

By then we were riding around Lago di Bolsena. We were staying in the town of Montefiascone, which, as typical, is at the top of a hill. It gently rained but I had to remove my jacket. Getting wet is better than being too hot. We got up to the town and our apartment was right there. The hostess showed us around, and where to park our bikes, outside in the rain. After a much needed shower, I went out to clean up my bike to bring it inside and the bike fairy had already cleaned all our bikes! Wytze is the best bike fairy.

After laundry it was time for dinner. We walked up the hill to the old town and had a great dinner. With local red wine, cantucci with sweet wine for dessert and Amaro for a nightcap. So good. The weather looks iffy for tomorrow so we’ll decide in the morning how far to ride, or to have a rest day.

Near Montalcino to Semproniano

Strava: 74.9 km, 1,954m, 5:48, 357 shifts

I don’t want to jinx myself but I had another great sleep. Up over 600m, far from any town, it was cool and quiet. We had a great breakfast then started before 10. The dirt road was fine but after just a few km we turned off on another crazy gravel trail. Rocky but scenic. One descent was so rocky and steep we actually had to walk it – how is that even possible? Eventually we descended fast on a road, then had a long hot climb, also paved.

We had drinks and snacks at a town on the climb and Wytze and Daniel had the presence of mind to buy extra food for later. Soon we headed onto gravel trails for good. There was one climb that was just barely rideable, so steep, so long. No photos possible. We ended up over 1,000m high in a National Park with no one around. We improvised the route a little and stopped at a picnic table with a water tap for lunch.

On we went, sweating massively on the steep climbs, cooling off deliciously on the descents. Oh, and biting flies. The trails are really rocky and you have to seriously be careful. One descent in particular sticks out in my mind: I don’t think I’ve ever braked so hard for so long. There were Andalusian Shepard dogs barking like crazy and running at/with us. It’s amazing what our wheels did for us. We each probably rode over a million rocks. Wytze and I were flying. Another record today: 52 minutes in my lowest gear (vs 34 seconds in my highest).

Finally we came out on a road, and had under 20 km to go. About six km from the end, around 5:30, we stopped at a bar for drinks and chips. I was starting to get tired. The last section was a breeze, downhill and paved, over 50 kph. Suddenly we were in the beautiful town of Semproniano and easily found the Locanda la Pieve which we had booked.

Our hostess showed us the garage then our rooms. Showers were so needed. Dinner was outside at 7:30, served by our gracious hostess. Delicious local food and wine, ending with Amaro after dessert. This type of place is just so good.

We plan to meet up with our Bike Dreams friends tomorrow for lunch. They are doing our route in reverse and have been having big days too. We should have a short ride to meet them meaning a late start. I am really in favor of that.

San Gimignano to an Agriturismo near Montalcino

Strava: 98.5 km, 1,940m, 5:51, 583 shifts

We woke up in our luxurious apartment, ate all our food, and took off at 8:30. We rode up to San Gimignano and accidentally did a scenic loop before finding the right track and heading down. It is nice that in Tuscany towns are on hilltops so you (mostly) start each day riding downhill.

We turned south and headed for Siena. The track took us on some really crazy steep paths – my low gear has never had such a workout! Sorry no photos. The kilometers pass very slowly on rough, steep terrain so it seemed like we’d never reach Siena, let alone our destination for the day, 60 km further. But somehow it worked. We rode hard and finally found ourselves climbing the steep road up to the famous town of Siena.

One minute we were sweating up another 15% grade, the next we were in a mass of tourists. We arrived right at an entrance to the Piazza del Campo, the big central square. We rode down to the bottom, then across, looked around, then decided we’d do better for lunch out of the tourist zone.

With only one false start, we got on the route and headed out of Siena, mostly descending. Our route turned off on a small dirt road pretty soon and we took it seven km until we found a beautiful outdoor restaurant. We had drinks (1.2 liters for me) plus sandwiches and cake. After a nap in an easy chair and it was time to go.

We had 40 more km and at first it was great, gentle slopes, lots of downhill. But nothing lasts so soon we were climbing a brutally steep 400m rocky dirt road, very sweaty. We somehow made it up that, and the climbing continued. Now we were up at 600m. It was so scenic, so classically Tuscany. Hills everywhere, some with towns on top, cypress trees, very nice air. At one point we could take a paved road or a ridiculous looking rocky, very steep trail. Wytze: “Well, we should do it so we can say we rode EFI.” (EFI=Every effing Inch) So we took the trail. I had to walk a few meters, Wytze just laughed and cranked it out. Soon there was a sign to our Agriturismo, just 2.2 km down a dirt road. I was so glad when we pulled in. Again, the day was harder than the numbers would suggest.

We checked in and before anything else, secured beers and snacks. We relaxed outside for over an hour. Then moved indoors to our rooms for showers. Soon it was dinner time. We had homemade wine (normal at an Agriturismo) with a great meal. It was about 2 ½ hours, very fun. Days like this aren’t easy but the sweaty hard work fades while the fun and comradery stays.

Lucca to San Gimignano

Strava: 89.9 km, 1,364m, 5:23, 436 shifts

Amazing! I slept soundly all night, again! This time I used earplugs which helped, now that I have real ones. After packing up and eating the little food we had, and we rode off through the wet streets to the café for breakfast.

We took part of a lap around Lucca on the bike path on the wall, then followed our gravel route. At first it was on wet paved roads, busy with cars and trucks on a Monday morning. But soon, we were off on small roads, then tracks and trails. For quite a bit of the time we were on the Canterbury to Rome to the bottom of Italy hiking path – the Via Francigena. Lots of it is quite rough, “paved” with big rocks. All the rain yesterday and last night left lots of mud and puddles.

We stopped in Fucecchio for snacks and drinks and to fix Andrew’s tire. We bought a spare tire but managed to fix his too. We continued on and eventually took a side trip to the town of Castelfiorentino for lunch. We found a nice Osteria and ordered massively, something like 10 drinks and two lunches each. All that steep climbing and riding on grass and mud makes for big appetites. It was such a good deal and so friendly that I left them a ★★★★★ review on Google.

Back on the track we continued, mostly off road. I think the distance today was maybe half dirt, half paved but the time was probably two-thirds dirt. The last 20 km had some pretty wild trails, super skinny and steep single tracks, long periods cranking up massive hills in 38×52 (my extreme granny gear). We got lost once and had to backtrack a skinny trail with sharp thorns grabbing us. We were all (of course except Wytze) getting tired as we finally approached San Gimignano. The numbers just do not tell the story of today’s ride. We rode up to town and through the main street to the top but it was so crowded it was disheartening. We tried to stop for beers but that was not even on. So we coasted down about one km to our apartment.

This was our best lodging yet: four bedrooms each with giant beds, fancy furniture, a nice kitchen, etc. For a very low price. We started the laundry and showers while our hero Wytze rode off to a store and bought a backpack full of beer, chips, fruit and nuts, plus a big melon just because. This kept us entertained until 7 when restaurants open. We walked back up and tried a place below the town with only one customer. It turned out to be great and after appetizers we each had amazing gourmet pizzas. Plus wine and liters of acqua frizzante.

We walked up to the top of town after, marvelled at the views of the towers, and had gelato at a store that said “Best gelato in the world.” This was 20m from another shop that sold “The most famous gelato in the world.” Marketing genius or something. Ours was delicious but expensive too. We walked back home, I wrote this, and we get to do it all over again tomorrow.

September 8, 2024 was our first rest day. It turned out to be a good choice since it really rained a lot in the afternoon. Breakfast was at a little café, lots of pastry with a sprinkle of rain.

We walked through the old city and stumbled on the famous Guinigi Tower – this is the one with trees growing on the top, 44m up. I had made a note in 2018 to come back someday and climb it. So we climbed the 230 steps and spent quite a while on top enjoying the view.

After a look at the Piazza dell’Anfiteatro we headed back home to relax. I worked on maps and GPS tracks for the middle section of our tour we have just started. I think I got them split in a way that will work nicely with our Garmin bike computers. I also went out a couple of times for shopping and checked out a big church nearby. After a nap I got to talk to Katie at home in Santa Cruz and my mom in San Francisco. I had leftover risotto for lunch, then we all went out to a delicious dinner at 7. For second dessert we finished off the fancy Italian cookies from the night before. It might sound boring but I loved this first rest day.

La Spezia to Lucca

Strava: 97.5 km, 394m, 4:43, 210 shifts

I wish I knew what controlled my sleeping. Last night I slept so soundly for over nine hours with great dreams and woke up rested and energized. Best sleep in weeks. We had a small breakfast of yogurt and fruit, then left at 8:30.

The gravel track took us out of La Spezia, up over a hill on some tiny, steep trails. Then flat, including a muddy section. We stopped at 40 km for breakfast, causing consternation in the café when we ordered all of several items and lots more. We shared everything and it was truly great 👍

We continued on, for a long time by the coast in an area of non-stop beach places. Road bikers were out training en masse on Saturday, passing us handily. Traffic was a little scary. At 70 km we rode a boardwalk to the beach and Daniel and Wytze had a swim while Andrew and I had cold drinks in the shade. We headed inland, more tiny farm roads and dirt trails. At one point there was barely a trail at all. We got to Lucca and the first bar we tried was closed. So was the second but we asked, “Just for drinks?”, sure that was ok. So we had a round of double malt beers which came with delicious olives, nuts and more. 50 meters on we found a pizzeria. Two pizzas and a bottle of white wine later, we were ready to find our apartment. But right next door was a small grocery store with tons of interesting stuff, so we stimulated their economy too, buying enough for dinner, well over €100.

Lucca is a great small city, surrounded by a wall. I unicycled here from Venice in 2018. Our apartment was inside the wall, just around a few corners, and our host (who called himself the Key Boy) showed us around. Showers, laundry then I had a deep solid nap. I got up to help Daniel make dinner: salad, fish, onion and tomato appetizers, mushroom risotto, and special Italian cookies and cheesecake for dessert. Plus red wine with dinner, dessert wine, and chocolate for after. It was great and lasted until almost 10 pm.

I am really looking forward to another long sleep tonight and a rest day tomorrow!

Lizza (Levanto) to La Spezia

Strava: 47.3 km, 900m, 3:02, 91 shifts

I woke up after a good long sleep feeling still tired. Good thing we had a short easy ride today. We packed up, then I gave my bike some love due to all the wet and dirt yesterday. We took off at 9. Down in town, it almost looked like rain while we sat outside at a café sharing pastries. I had hot chocolate that was just as thick as in Spain.

Straight up from town was a 600m climb, but it wasn’t too steep and was the bulk of the climbing for the whole day. The road was wet but the sun came out and it was warm. At the top, we headed for one of the famous five “lands” of Cinque Terre, Manarola. It was about 15 km of rolling gorgeous riding with the obligatory stop for drinks.

We rode all the way to the bottom of Manarola, where I had dinner once back in 2018. The crowds then were huge but now it’s unbearable. I don’t recommend any of the five “lands” at this time of year. It’s simply tourists watching tourists. Wytze did have to swim so we went all the way down and he did go in, but then we hightailed it out of there. That meant riding up steeply for a while but it just got better and better as we escaped the town. Wytze said it best: “It looks much better from further away.”

We rode for a while then stopped for a relaxed lunch at a gorgeous place, unpretentious and uncrowded, with a killer view of the sea far below. We had fried seafood, salad, mussels, cheese etc.

After lunch it was only 10 km to La Spezia, mostly downhill. We cruised into town down the road I had driven up before. Our apartment was right downtown, pretty easy to find. We had to carry up three stories, but soon were having showers in our spacious and modern apartment.

Daniel had a nap and the rest of us went downtown. My charger had died so I bought a replacement. Wytze needed a cable. Then we walked to the water front and I thought to type craft beer into Google maps. Next thing you know we’re having nice beers on a quiet street.

We picked up some breakfast food on the way home, then headed out to meet Daniel for dinner.  We had picked a highly rated seafood restaurant and had a long relaxed giant dinner there. We had about six courses of appetizers including raw oysters and more mussels, with prosecco. Then we each ordered another course and called it a night. Wonderful!

Neirone to Lizza (Levanto)

Strava: 84.7 km, 1,132m, 4:45

I woke up early this morning and counted six bells from the nearby church. While they were ringing the rain started up. It rained and rained, but we finally got up and had a good breakfast at 8. We decided to wait until 10 as the rain was stopping. We said goodbye and walked up the driveway. At the top, I mounted up and the rain began again immediately.

We blasted down and the rain let off briefly then went big again. We took two gravel detours, one with super slippery exciting rocks we had to very carefully walk up. By the time we got to the bottom of all this we were soaked, dirty and happy.

The rain let up for a while and we stopped for drinks at a seaside town. Around 50 km we decided to head up the first big climb and stop at a restaurant partway for lunch. It was hot climbing but then the rain started up again for real. We sheltered for a while under a cliff, then went on. The restaurant was closed, no surprise so we had to continue. There was a long, super fast, incredibly wet descent, wettest I’ve been for quite a while.

Then, just as the sun was coming out we saw an open restaurant, very friendly and welcoming. Lunch was meat lasagna but they made me some spaghetti pomodoro, with a bunch of other snacks and drinks, just great.

We only had another 20 km with lots more descending. Soon we hit the seaside, at the north end of the famous Cinque Terre area. We descended super steeply, to the actual sea. But the track was wrong and there was no way to proceed. But there was an elevator up a few stories to what looked like a train track. A big sign said no bikes which we conveniently ignored. The elevator held two people and bikes. Daniel and Wytze went up first and yelled down, “Bikes are forbidden” so we knew it was fine and went up.

We emerged onto a bike path on an old train track. The sign said 5 km to our destination town of Levanto. It was gorgeous, 90% in tunnels with occasional amazing views of the sea. Soon we were there and realized we had somehow skipped a 500m climb called for by our route! We went to the beach and the water felt great. Daniel and Wytze swam for a while, Andrew patched a tube, then it was 5 pm and time to move on to town. At the bar, each drink came with a significant side dish which was nice. While relaxing a new plan was made: buy dinner foods in town and cook in our apartment, saving an extra 190m climb.

We got sparkling white wine, red wine, pasta, salad, nuts, olives and a bunch more and somehow fit it all in. I rode off with a big slab of parmesan cheese in my jersey pocket and other foods stashed everywhere. The three km ride up was crazy steep, up to 20% grade, but of course we did it. We found the apartment and were let in. It’s spacious and modern in an old village, high above Levanto. Showers first, clothes in the washer, then make dinner.

It was so cozy and nice, toasting with Italian sparkling wine, eating lots and telling stories of crazy bike adventures. I feel like we’re really in the life now. My body has adapted and my legs are getting strong. We laughed when the rain started blasting down so hard it was loud. Tomorrow’s forecast is for ☀️ but you never know.

Alessandria to Neirone

Strava: 107 km, 1,417m, 5:11, 296 shifts

What a difference being cool makes for sleeping. Andrew scored 98 on his watch which means objectively he slept like a log for a long time. Subjectively I did too. With the Aircon blasting me all night it was almost too cold but not!

Breakfast was down the street at a bar/focacceria. Pastries and drinks and my focaccia had green olives (electrolyte supplements). Delicious.

We started riding about 9 at a relaxed pace. The track we were following was excellent, on very small farm roads mostly, with one section on just grass. We stopped in a beautiful town called Gavi, very old with a fort on the hill. We had drinks at a bar supplemented by pizza and focaccia that Wytze bought nearby. We had a look in the church, then headed on.

The weather was cloudy, looking like rain. We cruised a long way and stopped in a town after 60 km. There was a sign for an Osteria that said ‘menu €10’, so we checked it out. Looking closed from the outside, there were tons of local workers inside for lunch. It was a mostly self-serve cafeteria, pizza first, then your choice of pasta or rice and stew. I had to ask her to stop filling my bowl with pasta, enough is enough! It was great, and included drinks and dessert. Yesterday we ate at a Michelin listed restaurant, today a very of-the-people Osteria.

After lunch, a few drops of rain fell, nothing much. We continued up the narrow valley, then came to the biggest climb of the day. Over 400m in eight km. No problem but it was hot work. It’s a bit humid and we were dripping sweat.

Once on top we had only 10 km to go, rolling, mostly down. The road was one narrow lane, twisty with zero cars, nice! We turned off our route for the last four km. We got to the right village then took an amazing route up, on walking paths so steep it required my lowest gear.

We arrived at our B&B and our hostess welcomed us. We stored our bikes indoors then shared a couple of big Moretti beers on the patio. She offered to do our laundry so we quickly showered and gave her a bag with pretty disgusting contents.

We arrived early, before 4:30, so had time to relax before dinner. I even had a short nap. Dinner was risotto then tuna salad, served with bread, appetizers and local bulk red wine. Next up was apple torte, and finally she brought out her homemade limoncello and blueberry-cello, tasty. Our hostess spoke English and told us lots about food in various parts of Italy and about the town. The population is 60 and many people are 85+. Her neighbor is 105 so it must be a “blue zone”. I lasted until 9:30 but was tired from sweating all afternoon, actually from riding hard for four days straight.

Rivarolo Canavese to Alessandria

Strava 114.6 km, 375m, 4:57, 192 shifts

I slept well in the modern hotel and we had a good breakfast at 8. We looked for a local bike shop but it was a figment of Google’s imagination. We rode off and soon connected with the Italy Unite gravel track which took small roads but often diverted onto farm tracks or gravel paths between fields of rice and barley.

We found a real bike shop along the way, out in the country, with a nice owner who wanted to know all about our route. When we told him about the Colle de Nivolet, he said “Maybe it would be better in reverse” meaning the way it was designed. Wytze got a replacement cleat for the one he lost on that climb and I got a cool looking rear light.

We powered on to Livorno Ferraris for drinks, then again with a lot more gravel to Casale Monferrato at about 80 km for lunch. We went pretty big, each ordering lunch then getting three dishes more to share.

It was warm but not really hot, high 20s. The last part was 35 km to Alessandria, again on a mix of paved roads and dirt tracks. Sometimes riding on grass, sometimes rocky gravel or dirt, with occasional mud or big puddles. I’d estimate we rode 30% offroad. It was 29° when we arrived and we immediately found a great bar called Esco bar. Four big 🍺 arrived and all was good. This cooled us off and we headed the final 900m to the apartment we had rented. We had to wait 20 minutes for the guy but he was very nice and even helped me carry my bike up the two flights. The apartment is nice, with Aircon and a washing machine, luxury. It feels like quite a deal at €25 per person.

After showers and laundry everything seems nicer. I wrote up this post then had a fun video chat with Katie at home in Santa Cruz. Then it was dinner time. It was sort of a repeat of yesterday, a very fancy place, elegant fine dining outdoors. I like these meals because they are so tasty but the servings are small. I am not yet needing more. And we’re not going overboard at all on alcohol.

Back at the apartment it was icy cold, then we noticed there are no blankets… Oh well, after hot nights, being cool is great.