Wednesday, April 29, 2009

20090429 - Todi

We woke to sunshine this morning. Because rain was predicted, our leaders decided to arrange for a city tour at 9:30. They told us at breakfast that there were going to change the time until the afternoon so that we could get in a ride before the rains were going to hit us. So I got ready to ride. As I was getting my bicycle out, two other riders joined me – Ted and Mark. They told me that the tour time couldn’t be changed. I decided to ride with them anyway. I could do my own tour later.

The loop was advertised as being 65 km with 1200 m climbing. After the first long climb, I was bonking so we decided to stop at a bar in Izzalini for a cappuccino and croissant – excellent energy food. We rode on to Morre where Mark and I decided to turn around and head back to the hotel. It was only 20 km, but we had already climbed about 1500 feet.

We got back to the hotel around noon. I cleaned up and went down the street for pizza. One slice had sliced potatoes and rosemary. The other was a combo with ham, hard-boiled egg slices, olives, etc. Not bad but not nearly as good as in Sicily and Naples.

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For the next couple of hours, I walked into the town through an ancient arch called Porta Romana. I strolled up a narrow street that soon became very steep. The street was lined with old stone buildings that contained apartments, shops, churches, etc. The street ended at the main town square – Piazza Popolo. It had a cathedral at one end, palazzi at the other end and on the sides. There were a few shops, museums, cafes and an ATM machine which I used.

I walked back on different streets passing more piazzi and old stone buildings until I came to the city park. I thought that I had taken more photos along the way of the park, the Tempio di S. Maria della Consolazione, the city wall and our hotel. I found out later that my camera had the wrong setting, so none of them came out. Before reaching the hotel, I stopped at a grocery for some fuel supplies and salty snacks. Julie does not like to serve junk food at our happy hours so we have to fend for ourselves. I also keep getting hungry on our cycling routes, so I needed something to keep me going between meals.

All of us had dinner at the hotel tonight, mostly because the food is excellent but also because a thunder storm moved through the area and we didn’t want to get wet walking to another restaurant. I had misto salumni Umbri, which was an overkill of local salami (but very good) and spaghetti with a pepper sauce (a little spicy, and delicioso). It’s now closing in on 10:00, so I am going to get ready for bed and try to digest my dinner. 

Statistics

Miles Max Average Riding Time Elevation Gain Weather
23 33 11 2:07 2500 Sunny with scattered clouds – 60’s

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

20090428 – Orvieto to Todi

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There is not much to say about today except rain, cool weather, a lot of climbing and getting lost. First of all, the rain. We started out with a heavy overcast that turned to intermittent misty rain. This wasn’t to bad when we were climbing, but it was pretty bothersome on the downhills. Especially when the temperature dropped to 10 c (50 f). We had to take it easy on the descents because of the danger of slippery roads. Right before we got to Todi, the skies open up and we got very wet. Ted, Kathy and I were the only ones doing the long route today. The others took a shortcut but they still got wet.

I mentioned the cool weather. It ranged from 10 – 17 c but it was mostly in the 10-12 range. The only time I felt really cold was when we stopped. Other than then it was OK.

The route had lots of ups and downs. It was advertized as having 1500 meters (about 5000 feet) of climbing. We did that or more. I don’t have the final statistics because the rain damaged my GPS. I’m waiting for it to dry out overnight to see if it still works.

I started the day by missing one of the first turns. So I immediately tacked on 3 km and about 200 feet of climbing. Ted, Kathy and I managed to go off-route much later and ended up on a narrow mountain road. We made it back to the route by using Ted’s Blackberry’s Google Map routing. My GPS was still working at that point, but it kept sending us to the wrong roads. It has something to do with the waypoints on the original route.

We all had a good time, though. Snacks on the road, pizza for lunch and Cliff Shot to boost our energy late in the day. We arrived at our hotel at 5:10 with just enough time to clean up and get to happy hour.

Dinner was at the hotel. We started out with two pasta dishes – a light lasagna with truffles and spaghetti with a fresh tomato sauce. Our second course also had two courses – game hen with a liver and mushroom sauce and lamb backed with rosemary. Dessert was tiramisu.

I didn’t take many photos because the clouds and fog made the visibility poor. The photo above was taked at Castello di Vibio, a beautifully restored hill town with very narrow streets and wonderful old buildings.

Daily Statistics

Miles Max Average Riding Time Elevation Gain Weather
57 29 11 5:26 5000 Mist and rain mostly in the 50’s

Monday, April 27, 2009

20090427 – Montefiescone to Orvieto

Double ear plugs and Tylenol PM were real useful last night. I slept very well and defeated the third-night jet lag jinx. I was up at 6:30 and down to breakfast a bit after 7:00. The breakfast buffet was mostly bread and cakes with some carbs of cold ham and cheese. There was yummy red-orange juice and a coffee machine where you can select the type of coffee that you want. I started with cappuccino and topped it off with some coffee americano. Several people from our group drifted in so we were able to chat.

I got my bags in the van and started riding around 9:00. The weather was in the low 60’s and overcast – muggy but no precipitation. I took the first few tricky turns with some other riders. We were giving each other confidence that we were going the right way. Soon after we left town, I was riding alone. I stopped a couple of times to take pictures, but nobody caught up to me. I found out later that most of the group took a shortcut so that they could get to a prime scenic area early enough so that they wouldn’t be too late getting into our hotel.

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The route went through pretty farm country and old villages. It was not too difficult but it had lots of rollers, some of them relatively steep. I’m glad I got lots of miles in my legs before I got here. My Bike Friday is performing well, so I’m glad I brought it instead of my regular road bike.

The route went east to Magugnano then northeast to Graffignano. It then turned north then west through Civitella d’Agliano. I stopped here for a banana and to take off my leg warmers. I had already taken off my jacket and it was nearing 70. Right before I reached Bagnoregio, I headed north again and met the sort-cut route. I caught up to Steve Mendleson (a GPC’er from Oakland) and we rode together into Bagnoregio and out to Civita.

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This is a prime scenic area and draws lots of tourists. Here’s and explanation that our ride directors provided. “The saddle that once connected Civita to its bigger and busier sister town, Bognoregio, eroded away. Civita teeters atop a pinnacle in a vast canyon ruled by wind and erosion. But, while its population has dropped to 14, the town survives (and even has a website: http://www.civitabagnoregio.it).” We did not walk over the bridge and climb up to the town. I just took a few photos.

We turned and back-tracked to Bagnoregio. We stopped at a bar (in Italy, bars are coffee and snack shops). I had a couple of paninni and some juice. After that, we forged on north to Orvieto getting a terrific downhill. We paid for it with a climb up to the town and our hotel.

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Orvietto is known for its Duomo. It has Italy’s liveliest facade (according to Rick Steves). I strolled over and visited it after cleaning up from my ride. I realized that we had been here before with the Bensons and the Parkhursts several years ago. The town has much more to offer than what we saw back then. There are lots of cafes, museums, shops and surprising underground excursions of St. Patrick’s Well and the Pozzo della Cava – a network of Etruscan-era caves. Some of our group went for a tour of the well. I decided to come back to my room and catch up on my journal.

Mt room is really nice. It’s much larger than the single room that I had in Montefiescone. It has a real shower stall and a queen-sized bed. The first hour of wifi is free which is a real bargain in Italy.

We had happy hour again at 6:00 – local wine with apple slices, cheese, crackers, tomatoes and peppers. Julie talked about food and the restaurants she chose for tonight and tomorrow night. Tome reviewed today’s route and took comments from people that had them. Then he talked about tomorrow’s ride. Finally, we started to talk about ourselves – what our occupations were or are and where we worked. We didn’t finish but we will tomorrow night. There is quite a variety of professional skills.

We split up into groups for two restaurants. Our group went to Mauriccios. I had noodles with ham and asperagras and veal with cherry tomatoes and rocket lettuce. We finished at 9:30. Now it’s time to get ready for bed. Breakfast isn’t until 7:30 so I can stay up a little later and sleep a little later.

Daily Statistics

Miles Max Average Riding Time Elevation Gain Weather
43 39 12 3:39 3300 Overcast & 60’s to low 70’s

Sunday, April 26, 2009

20090426 – Rome to Montefiescone

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I had a little trouble sleeping last night. I fell asleep instantly a little after 10:00 but something woke me up after an hour or so. After putting in ear plugs and forcing myself to relax, I drifted off. It was caused partly by jet lag. Tonight is the dreaded third night where jet lag is the worst. Vino rosso and Tylenol PM will help.

I was up at 6:30 and at breakfast at 7:00. We had the same buffet as yesterday – orange juice, bacon and eggs, breads, fresh fruit and yogurt. I checked out at 9:00 and joined part of our group waiting to load the bus. We did that a little later and then left for Montefiescone at 10:30. The ride took us through the uninteresting outskirts of Rome and then into the countryside past farm land and ancient villages. We arrived at our hotel shortly after noon.

 

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After unloading our bags and checking into our room, we had the option of going to eat or putting our bikes together. I decided to eat first and went to a nearby trotteria with two couples in our group. I had spaghetti with meat sauce.  There were lots of Italian families there having their Sunday mid-day dinner.

After lunch, I went back to our bicycle assembly area across the road from our hotel. My Bike Friday went together really fast. I had to spend a little time adjusting my new brake pads, but it was easy to do. A few sprinkles got me slightly wet. Some of us were planning to take a “test ride” to see if our bicycles still worked, but the clouds looked too threatening. It’s a good thing we didn’t go because some heavy showers came down later. Tomorrow is supposed to be a better day with no rain.

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My room is a single. It is small and has a bathroom with a shower that sprays the floor. It is comfortable for me with a window that I can open and a TV where I can watch Italian TV. It’s 4:30 and I am tuned into a bicycle race while I am writing this journal. I can’t tell which race it is because the broadcasters are speaking Italian. I think that it appropriate to watch bicycling while we are here to ride, too.

Our first official meeting is at 6:00. After that we are having a group dinner.

Later…..

We had our happy hour and enjoyed the famous local vino blanco called Est! Est! Est! and some local condiments. The condiments were sweet and went very well with the sweeter variety of the wine. After happy hour, we introduced ourselves and then had the rules and regulations given to us by Tom and Julie Leever, our tour directors. Tom also gave us a route rap for tomorrow’s ride to Orvieto. Dinner followed at 7:30. We had two pasta courses – lasagna and round noodles with sausage. This were followed by veal with potatoes and a green salad (small portions). Dessert was panna cota. We finished at 9:15. It’s time for bed.

Saturday, April 25, 2009

April 25 – Rome

Tylenol PM did the trick – I got a solid night’s sleep. I was up at 6:15 and down to the restaurant for breakfast at the 7:00 opening time. It was a decent buffet with fresh fruit, bacon and eggs, strong coffee and lots of bread. (The melon was a little green). After breakfast, I walked around the hotel to get acclimated. Then it was off on the free shuttle to the drop-off near Capitol Hill.

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View from My Room

My walk was from the drop-off to Campo de Fiori where the food vendors were fairly scarce. Then I walked to Piazza Navona and looked at the fountains. It was too early to have a tartufo, but I did walk over to the apartment where we stayed the last time in Rome. The proprietor was in his T-shirt shop next door, but he didn’t recognize me.

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Campo de Fiori

Next, I walked to the Pantheon where I listened to an excellent Rick Steves audio tour on my iPhone. I bought a granita di coffe at the Tazza d’Oro Casa del Caffe. It was as good as I remembered but I was starting to get hungry for lunch. I walked over to a lunch restaurant recommended by Rick Steves but it was closed.

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Tazza d’Oro Casa del Caffe

I picked up the pace and walked past the hundreds of people at the Trevi Fountain and ended up at the Piazza di Spagna and the Spanish Steps. Flowers were blooming on the steps – something I don’t remember from past visits. I had lunch near the steps at Ristorante alla Rampa – pasta with tuna and fresh tomatoes and tiramisu.

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Spanish Steps

The weather was really nice – sunny and in the 70’s. This and the Italian celebration of the ending of its participation in WWII brought lots of people out to the streets. This was especially apparent on my way back to the shuttle drop-off. I decided to walk up to the Piazza del Popolo and then back on via del Corso. On the way, I stopped at a shop that was selling Ferarri paraphernalia. I went into the shop because I saw I Ferarri bicycle.

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My Ferarri

At the end of my return walk, I climbed the Grand Staircase to Capitol Hill and got a good view of the Forum. Then I went to the pick-up address for the shuttle back to the hotel. It didn’t show up so I had to take a taxi. I found out when I got back that the pick-up address changed and the website printout that I had was wrong. I let them know that I was unhappy.

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The Forum from Capital Hill

I decided to go to a near-by restaurant tonight. Several other BAC people were already there and I got to meet them. The group included our leaders, Tom and Julie Leever. I needed some protein to go with my carbs and fat, so I ordered spaghetti carbonara along with a large salad and a medium beer. It was good and not very expensive.

April 23 – 24 SFO To Rome

So here I am in Rome, at least in the outskirts. I am staying at a Holiday Inn of all things. Not exactly an Italian experience, but it is convenient between the airport an the city. It has a shuttle both to the airport and to the city. I was about 10 minutes late to catch it from the airport so I took a taxi instead. It cost me 30 Euros, but it was worth it. My room is a typical Holiday Inn room – two queen-sized beds and a plastic bathroom. It is clean and quiet, and the staff is very friendly.

My flight from SFO seemed to be a lot faster this time. Maybe it was because of the three movies that I watched – one about Ernie Davis, the football player, a James Bond thriller, and one about David Frost’s interview with Richard Nixon. We can cross these off of our Netflix queue. I got lots of walking exercise in the Frankfurt airport getting to my gate and waiting around for the Rome leg to leave. The flights were on time and reasonably smooth although there were some rough spots especially coming in to Rome.

When I got to my room, I was very sleepy. I showered and walked around the grounds to get acclimated. Then I laid down on the bed to watch the news on CNN and BBC. I kept waking myself up. Dinner was at 7:30 in the hotel’s restaurant. I had an excellent shrimp pasta entree with a lemon and spinach sauce – Timballo di Tagliolini con salsa limone, spinaci e gamberi. It was really good.

Now I am back in my room with my teeth brushed and a couple of Tylenol PMs in my stomach. I anticipate a good night’s sleep to be ready for a Rome walking tour tomorrow.