Mountains to the Mediterranean

We left Spoleto for our early train departure to Rome and then onwards to Agropoli.We were ready to move on to the coast for some sea air and swimming. The train journey was interesting. We were lucky to have purchased seats as others stood crammed in the aisles, some fighting over their right to a seat. The man opposite Terence looked over and said 'e normale' (this is normal). I listened to the conversation that unfolded in our carriage, something about Venezuela and the way of life over there. These strangers in our carriage gradually strike up a conversation and converses until it is our time to get off at Agropoli. I love how Italians strike up a conversation with a stranger and then appear to be long time friends. 

We are informed that there are taxis to Castellabate but the quote of 35 Euro for a short trip doesn't match what we were informed by the owner of Reidenza Tamar in Castellabate. So we opt for a bus to Santa Maria di Castellabate (the beachside town below). We then get picked up in one of those tiny 3 wheeled ute vehicles and get zipped up the mountain to Castellabate.

The sweeping views of the Mediterranean are breathtaking. Aaahhh, it feels so good to be on the coast and smell the salt in the air. Castellabate is fabulous, perched at the top of the hill overlooking the sea below. We are staying in the UNESCO World Heritage historic town which is a maze of laneways and arched doorways, where everything echoes and the sun tries to shed brightnes where it can. We have stepped onto the movie set of my favourite Italian film called 'Benvenute al Sud'. We recognise the piazza where a lot of the film took place. It is fabulous! The local mean play cards, the odd voice can be heard echoising through the laneways.

We spent the afternoon at the beach, walking 4 km down the hill. We manage to find the public beach wedged between two private beaches. The water is warm but not too warm. We then stroll along the shore to the seaside town of Santa Maria di Castellabate. The vibe is relaxed as people wonder the street with swimmers , sandals and seasalt on their skin. 

This is home foe another 4 nights. The sun is shining and the sea is calling me ....

Spoleto to Spoleto loop

It was a couple of days ago when we completed our last day of cycling. However, it seems like an eternity. The heatwave in Umbria was beyond our capacity, so we decided to skip the hotel breakfast and make an early start for our mountain ride. Our 'road book' indicated that the ride was 'very difficult', the only ride graded us such during our days of cycling in Tuscany and Umbria.

It was mostly an uphill climb. However, there was welcome shade from the pines and oaks along the roadside. It even felt slightly crisp at one point. The scenery and smell of pine forest was spectacular. We had to complete a couple of mountain passes before we were at our highest point of 1123 metres above sea level. Everything was still and hardly a car, bike or person to be seen. Thank goodness for a random open alimentari (general store) as this was where we bought our fuel for the rest of the ride - a brioche filled with crema pasticcera and a cappuccino.

Although we were challenged, the silence and remoteness of the ride was worth it. After the highest point, it was down, down, down. We passed many small signs nailed to trees which warned people not to pick truffles.As we descended, the heat increased - dry, suffocating and windless. 

We were back in Spoleto by 12.30pm and the day was ours to explore. We met two local people who opened their hearts and shared their stories. One was a woman who was of Albanian/Bosnian/Herzegova descent. She came to Italy about 16 years ago and married an Italian man 3 years ago today. We stopped in her small alumentari to buy freshly made panini and this is where she let us in to her life. Terence placed his order of a pork and cheese panini. In her eyes, his order was scarilige. No, you can't order pork with cheese - 'mai' (never!). She convinced him to replace the cheese with tomato and to top it off, she drizzled some truffle oil. When our panini were made, she directed us to a quiet park overlooking the town to sit in solace and savour our lunch. She also advised us to return that evening to buy a dolce (sweet) that is delivered on Thursday nights from Naples. We returned that evening and she shared her passion of this dolce with us - tortini con ricotta e pera (small tart of biscut base (top and bottom) filled with buffalo ricotta and fresh pear or strawberry. it was heaven. She insisted that she cut each round tortina into quarters so that we would savour it slowly, in small mouthfuls. The tortini pulled us to devour the entire tortini in one hit but we resisted the urge, taking on our Albanian friend's advice. Mum - I have kept her details so that you can have the same experience when you visit Italy in September.

Our new special person was the owner of the restuarant we chose to eat at. As we entered the empty, cool room, I though 'on no, what are we doing?'. There's nobody here. But we stayed put as this sweet 'nonna' (grandma) lit the gas stove and started preparing our simple dinner of pasta with tartufi. We weren't expecting much but it was a very pleasant surprise. The lady told us that she has had the restaurant for 55 years but sadly 'negozie' (shops) are closing all around her. Once upon a time, the streets were lined with stores but now they are dwindling off. People are struggling because of the Euro and the cost of living is too high. She tells us about the tax on housing/property which explains why people are selling left, right and centre. SHe expresses how times were better, less expensive during the times of the Italian Lira. There is sadness in her voice, in her expression, in her ody language. I can only imagine what the towns used to look like once upon a time when life was prosperous. There is despair in her voice when I ask if she thinks that Italy will ever revert to the old ways. Her answer is 'no, mi dispiacce' (No, I'm sorry).  We leave feeling saddened but grateful for our experience of meeting these two open people ....

Bevagna to Spoleto

We said our goodbyes to Fabio and Stefania, the owners of Albergo Il Chiostro di Bevagna. They were so lovely and made us feel at home. Fabio requested that I send him a postcard from home. I have no doubt that he'll tell future travelers of his friends who live in Freshwater, Sydney. Our ride yesterday was a tough one, mostly because of the distance (98km) and the soaring heat (37 degrees Celsius). If we were at home, we would never cycle in such heat but we've come here to explore the region by bike, so cycle we must. The long ride was to the town of Todi. It was ok but not fantastic. They main points worth highlighting was the stench as we rode by a genetic oil farm. My guess is that the bigs undergo genetic modification. I do know that the smell was awful even when we were upwind. Todi was ok but I got a sense that a large part of the old fortified town has been abandoned. Manly shop fronts have a 'for sale' sign in the window or are completely empty. It felt good to be back in Bevagna. We decided that we would experience the local festa food again but this time we ate at the Gaita of Santo Pietro. The food was good but not as good as the food from Gaita di Santa Maria. However, I do have to share Terence's brave culinary experience. He ordered 'lumache' (snails). He sucked those slippery suckers down his throat. I had the tiniest of tastes and it wasn't too bad. The were coated in so much oil, herbs and garlic which took away from the snail eating sensation. I watched in amazement as Terence devoured more than 20 snails. We left Bevagna this morning and had the mindset that it would be a cruisy ride. We even set off later than usual. However, the climb to our optional extra town of Todi was a bit tou on the body. Terence felt giddy when we got to the top but an espresso and brioche filled with creme patiss sorted him out ;-) We are now in the chic Umbrian hillside town of Spoleto. This is where we will call home for the last 2 nights of our cycling trip. Spoleto is quite chic with a decent selection of stores - antique, clothing, salumeria, cafes, restaurants and local food products. The clothing in Italy has been very disappointing. All the female clothing has tacky bling stitched on the front and almost everything is polyester or made in some foreign country like Bulgaria. What's with that?! I thought that I was in the fashion centre of the world. Not so from what I have experienced :( Right at the very top of the hill overlooking and protecting the town is an old fort or 'Rocca Albornoziana' built in 1359–1370. It was strategically built to protect the town from invasion. Ponte delle Torri situated behind the Rocca , is a striking 13th-century Roman aqueduct. We walked across the aqueduct and around the perimeter of the aqueduct before stopping for dinner. Our dinner choice was the best yet at a restaurant that offered great service and food. It was a fancy affair where we received amuse bouche (bite sized hors d'oeuvre) to start and the presentation was 5-star! My main was mouth watering - hand made torteloni filled with goats cheese and a puree of something (tasted a bit like chick peas) with shavings of truffle .... delicious!

Assisi to Bevagna

Unlike most, we were fortunate enough to experience the very back routes from Assisi to Bevagna. The beauty of being on a bike is that you can avoid the busy road and jump ojn a arm trail instead. As we left Assisi, our road book directed us past local streets and then onto a little road called Vialle d'olivie (road of olives). We were cycling through a canopy of olives. All you could see ahead and behind you were olive trees. It was quiet and peaceful with only the odd walker or jogger passing by. At the end of the olive road, we arrive in Spello. We only pass through this medieval town and then wind our way to the bottom where the new, modern part of the town is. Terence notices that his crank is loose and is concerned that he won't make it to Bevagna. Luckily, we are informed that there is a bike store 100 meters ahead. Phew!! The bike is fixed and we continue on at a gentle pace on mostly flat terrain. We stopped for a short black (or 'normale') as they call it in the village of Cannara. From there we followed farmhouse trails alongside the Timia River. One of the highlights was seeing a peacock eith it's feather spread open on full colorful display. I'm not sure what Italians do with peacocks but he was hanging out with the chooks and ducks. We arrived in Bevagna before midday, a first as it was only a 31 km ride. We have arrived in the town at the time of a Festa. The Festa is called Il Mercato delle Gaite. During this festival healed for 10 days in June, the whole town harks back to it's medieval past, reviving ancient trades and a half forgotten atmosphere. The festa draws its inspiration from rivalries reflected in the division of Bevagna in medieval times into four districts known as 'Gaite'. Each 'Gaite' took it's name from a church. After lunch, we decided to do an extension ride to Montefalco. Montefalco was lovely but the ride getting there was tough, not because of the terrain but because of the heat. Temperatures have been soaring to 36/37 degrees. We could not drink enough eater and thank goodness for the watering fountains in every town, as we are able to refuel. We have noticed that our arrival into many towns is met by an avenue of beautiful trees. They are the same trees in every town and have bunches of tiny yellow flowers hiding amongst their green leaves. They have the most beautiful, sweet smell. If anyone knows the name of these trees, please let me know. Bevagna is a gorgeous little town in a flood plain. It's specialty is cashmere jumpers. We have been tempted as they feel so soft. Fabio and Stefania are the owners of our Albergo - Di Chiostro di Bevagna. They are lovely. Fabiola loves a chat and insisted that we eat dinner Gaita di Santa Maria. During this festival, locals and visitors are able to eat from tables set up in hidden courtyards. Each 'Gaite' organises it's own food stall. We suspect that Fabio convinces us to go to the dinner organized by his 'Gaite'. We follow his instructions, line up outside a ticket tent, order our meal and then we are ushered inside the courtyard by a young boy who is dressed in medieval garb. He is so cute. Het sets the table, places the cutlery which is sealed in paper bags and then comes back with our food. The pasta is simply delicious and I think it it made by the locals. I order a pasta with zucchini flower and Terence orders ravioli filled with Caccio cheese. I think this cheese is a soft sheep cheese and adds a creaminess to the pasta ...delicious! It was still 28 degrees at 10.30pm. Crazy, huh!

Leaving medieval Montone for spiritual Assisi

We literally rolled out of Montone on our bikes to the valley below. The one stretch of road at the base of the valley was spectacular with fields of wild, red poppies and crops of ginormous onions that have gone to seed (or so it looks). It was an easy ride through farmland in this fertile valley of Umbria. We got confused as we arrived in the town of Umbertide, but managed to get on track. The notes seem to leave out a few landmarks when we arrive in bigger places. Some of the towns so small that we enter and exit within  a 300m distance. At the 28km mark, we had the option of an extension. We decided to take it as it was still early in the day and we didn't want to arrive in Assisi super early. However,the catch was that the ride was graded as 'very difficult'. It commenced from the town of Casa del Diavalo (House of the Devil) ...strange name for a town. It was a steady uphill climb through farmland and oak and pine forested patches. The trees provided the welcome shade protecting us from the heat in parts. It was up and up and up for about 12 km. At the halfway point, I did think of turning around, rolling down the hill and joining the 'shady' core route. But neither of us said anything, so we soldiered on with sweat dripping off us. We stopped at la Dolce Vita Ristorante for a coffee and to refill water. The man who served us was lovely and refused to let us leave with tap water in our water bottles. He filled our water bottles with his bottles of refrigerated cold spring water. Italians don't do the tap water thing. After leaving the ristorante the climbing relented and we now enjoyed some undulating. We could enjoy the views of the valley and fertile farmland below. We passed a man who was selling handmade wicker baskets o n the side of the road. He was comfortable seated beside his car whilst we copped the full sun. After a series of undulating hills, we were turned a corner to a vista of Gubbio in the distance and then it wad downhill from there. Phew!!! Our picnic lunch was in a random spot at the entrance of a private  property in the direction of Fraticciola Santa Bischina. We sat under the cypress pines with a billy goat watching over us from a wire fence running between the property and the goats' paddock. We then carried on to a hilltop town called Fraticciola Selvatica at 635 m above sea level. It had a quaint feel. Nobody was around. They were probably sleeping after pranzo. We exited the town perched on the top of the hill with a steep ride down to the valley with the dry heat whipping past our faces. I could feel the mercury on the thermometer rising as we descended at speed. Woah ...now it felt like the forecast of 34 degrees!! We were now nearing Assisi, only 16 km away.  The heat was more than worth it. I was so excited as the sunflowers were showing their yellow faces. What a truly incredible sight - a sea of yellow faces following the sun. Everywhere else, the sunflower plants had not flowered. But here it was sooo hot and dry, that we were lucky enough to get a glimpse of what the area looks like when it is in full yellow swing. The scenic ride to Assisi was gorgeous. We passed quaint little towns - Petrignano and Palazzo. We stopped in Palazzo for a gelato. The road book recommended Gelateria Oxy, so we had to stop. The gelato was creamy but the pistachio flavour still lacks the punch of the Sicilian Gelateria in Rome. One last climb up to Assisi and then we are home for the night. The views looking up to The Basilica St Francesco was fabulous. The basilica loomed over us and seemed to protect this town of 'peace'. It was 4 pm but the sun felt hotter than ever. Once again, the directions to the town were not very clear so we were getting frustrated - hot, tired, grubby. After a much awaited shower, we roamed the town. Although it is a busier tourist town, it had a lovely feel. We roamed the stores,bought some fresh black truffles (as you do!) and lost ourselves in the narrow streets. The sun doesn't set until after 9pm, so we savor the views and the charm for as long as we can.

Medieval Montone

We pushed our bikes out of the stone gates of Cortona with the smell of jasmine leading us out and the sound of bells ringing. We we left the obelisk and piazza Garibaldi behind us, our descent up the mountain was immediate. The climb was gradual and the shade from trees kept the temperature down. I was feeling good. The vineyards became pine forests lined with a deep purple wild lavender on the roadside. We rode in silence apart from the crazy chirping birds. Hardly or car or bike passed us. We then slowly rolled for about 15 km below to the fertile valley below. Tuscany became Umbria and grapes were replaced by corn and newly planted sunflowers. The little towns were just that ...little. Maybe a bar, a handful of houses. As we neared the town of Petrelle, Terence spotted 2 deer running across the field of baby sunflower plants. I wondered whether the farmers would be disappointed by the destruction of plants as the deers bounded through the crop. Petrelle was interesting. Our only reason for the stop was the need for a mid morning espresso. The woman who ran the bar seemed to be the only person around. She followed us in at a snail's pace with her long cigarette hanging out of her mouth. I ordered the usual - uno espresso e uno macchiato. She refused my macchiato as her cigarette remained in position, so I opted for an espresso. Her shiny hair was a wig and her small dog had ADD and couldn't stop jumping up on my legs. Her conversation was limited and she seemed to forget the word 'prego' every time we said thank you (grazie). The next biggish town was Trestina. Our road book had a discrepancy failing to highlight a busy roundabout, so we got lost and confused. We turned around and asked for directions. Back on track, we made our way through light industrial areas of Cornetto and Promano. Thankfully, this part of the ride was short and we soon tucked under the highway and started climbing the hill/mountain to  most of it was in the shade and the whiff of forest was magical. As we left the forest and the road stretched out, the sweat was dripping off my face and the dry heat of the day was in full force. It wahe midday. The views of the fertile valley and surrounding mountains was worth it. We stopped to take photos of the amazing onion crop in flower. We crouched amongst the onions and took happy snaps. The medieval town of Montone is fortified by a stone wall that surrounds the old town. It is perched at approx 500m above sea level and overlooks the green valleys of Umbria. Albergo Fabriccio is just outside the old town and is rather fancy for us. We are treated with a swimming pool. Lunch in Ristorante Del Verziere was fabulous - caprese salad (tomato, buffalo mozzarella, basil and olive oil), pappardelle with Ragu made from rabbit (for me) and a tagliere (I think this is what it's called. It looks like a square-ish spaghetti) with shaved truffles (for Terence). The smell of truffle wafting from Terence's dish was incredible. He was in truffle ('tartufo') heaven! After lunch, we wondered through the narrow, winding medieval streets of Montone. It is truly like stepping back in time. I sometimes feel like we are characters in a fairytale. How can this place be so? How can it be that everyday people live amongst the age old buildings. Every door looks like a secret passage. Every cobblestoned alley tells a story. Everything is quiet apart from the men who are playing an Italian card game in the main piazza. They shout and keep score. Aahhh, the simple pleasures of life ....

Leaving Montepulciano through the mountains into the valley and back up the hill to Cortona

We said our goodbye to Montepulciano as we rolled out of the stone 'porta' (door) and made our passed vineyards and olive groves. Apart from the birds chirping, there was not a sound to be heard. Where are they. My guess is that the locals are still in bed. In the valley we passed fields of wheat, corn and sunflowers. Oh how glorious this place must look when the sunflowers are in full bloom. Of all the fields we cycle by, I only spotted one yellow sunflower greeting the sun above. It was probably the first of the season. The others are perhaps 2 weeks away from showing their yellow faces. We gradually climbed out of the valley only to quickly descend to the beautiful shoreline of Lago Trasimeno (Lake Trasimeno). We ended up on a single lane dirt track skirting our way alongside the lake. I kept checking in with Terece to see if we were on the right path. It just seemed so remote. We stopped in the tiny town/ village of Borghetto to buy some bread and a tomato. The bread was rock hard and god only knows why, but they don't add salt to it so it is super bland. What's going on ...I thought I was in Italy! After Borghetto, we decided to take the extra long extension route starting in Riscovello where the Battle of Trasimeno took place in 217 BC. Hannibal's army defeated an army of Romans. I am relying on Terence for this info as the history stuff just goes over my head. From here we started to climb. I am glad that i suggested a wonder through the lovely town of Tuoro with locals in full swing - chatting in the piazza, gathering outside the pasticceria (where i enjoyed a sugared donut filled with vanilla crema pasticcera and Terence enjoyed a chocolate croissant)and catching up wih friends in the local cafes and bars. The first of 3 climbs was 6 km. The ascent was gradual but the sun was scorching. Thankfully, it is dry heat. At the end of the climb, we stopped for a picnic lunch at the top of the mountain pass in a pine forest. We had the basics - bread, tomato, pecorino cheese and prosciutto. We then rolled down the mountain taking in the beautiful views of the Castello Pierle (Pierle Castle).The obligatory espresso stop was a must in the tiny 'blink and you'll miss it' town of Mercatale. Not to a soul was to be seen. The espresso made little difference to our energy levels as we commenced our second climb. This one was supposed to be 5km but felt like more. It was merciless! I just wanted to stop but the distraction of wildflowers and cherry trees with fruit kept me going.The best part about cycling uphill is the downhill reward. The views we stunning and the rustic farmhouses dotted the mountain side. We stopped at the bottom to sample some maraschino cherries and then joined the core route map to our hotel (Hotel Italia) in Cortona. However, the hills were not finished with us for the day. We had 3 more km before reaching the hill town of Cortona. Yay, the cycling is over and we are now in Cortona. It has a lovely feel with narrow streets lined with shops and cafes. Local flags depicting the local commune (municipality) fly above doorways. We are sipping only the last of our Campari sodas before we start to wonder. The one thing I will remember most about today is the scent of jasmine. It followed us everywhere and greeted us as we arrived in Cortona among many of the smaller towns. Sweet, delicate and subtle. If only could bottle it!!!