Two birthdays were celebrated. AJ and one of his original business partners from Munich in AJ’s Fitness. This is Bettina, a classy lady. She and her husband are an impressive couple.
The guests were friends from the fitness studio — as well as friends and family from North America. AJ’s husband Darin is originally from Reno. (A very funny guy. Constantly entertaining. They’ve been together for 31 years.)
Saturday afternoon was a pool party. I skipped it fearing all large bodies of water. 😀
Saturday night was the BIG party at a huge, exclusive villa.
I slept on the upstairs patio couch.
You’d be correct in ASSuming that a smelly backpacker was out of place in a mansion this impressive. 😀
Birthday presentations.
I was happy and honoured to be able to attend.
I do love southern Spain, too. If forced to live amongst the chain smoking Europeans, it would be in Andalusia.
But if forced to name my best ever, I say Sorbillo’s in Naples. Gorgonzola, ham, mushroom. Fantastic. And inexpensive.
When I first travelled Italy at age-17, Rockin’ Ronnie introduced me to Calzone. Oven-baked folded pizza made with leavened dough. It originated in Naples, as well.
Back in Italy in 2023, I thought I’d further explore the pizza homeland.
Alice Pizza is a super popular chain. Light, airy dough made with little yeast.
Of 60 varieties, my server in Lucca recommended something unique. Like a pizza ham sandwich. Served cold, not hot. Delicious.
In the mountainous north, Mikey likes a Trento pizzeria run by a family from Napoli.
This was the combo recommended to me by the boss. Spinach. Pork. …
This Capricciosa in an airport restaurant was surprisingly good. Plenty of artichokes.
… 25,000 miles—from Berlin to Antarctica—without any money!
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Wigge had only 3 concerns during his travels: How do I get some food? How will I get to my next destination? Where can I sleep?…all without money!
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Ultimately, I had to quit after day 3 because of illness.
Drinking from the same hoses and standing pipes as every other cyclist, I suffered some sort of stomach problem. Diarrhea. Threw up on my shoes, at one point.
Didn’t eat for about 36 hours.
BUT if not sick I might have still quit after Siena. Completing about 190km of the 472 total.
For one thing, the afternoon lightning storms were terrifying. Even the most experienced riders hunker down in lightning. Two were killed in Tuscany as I post — both hit by falling trees.
The rain turned some trails into impassable mud baths. … Though it did soften up some other trails.
My bike is excellent for normal bikepacking — but the Tuscany Trail was far more technical than I’d expected. A mountain bike with very little weight attached is what most experience riders were rocking.
I was envious of the electric mountain bikes.
My bike was the 2nd most inappropriate rig. Worse was a 2-person tandem. Husband and wife. I wished them luck.
I was cycling with ALL my gear for a months long trip.
On one of the many downhill, rocky trails a screw came loose on my front pannier rack. So my front saddle bags were rocking side-to-side.
In Siena I took as much off the bike as possible (see photo below) and went to find luggage storage.
IF you Google “siena luggage storage” you’ll find a wealth of options.
All lies. In Siena there are only tobacco shops who hold a few bags as side income. And they only open randomly. Not Sundays. … And this was Sunday.
WHY doesn’t Siena have 24-hour lockers like most Italian tourist cities.
My theory since age-17 is that Italy is hopeless for tourists.
Nothing works. Nothing is open when you need it.
A long history of government inefficiency and corruption makes it this way.
Note that Germany and Switzerland next door are two of the most efficient nations.
There are no real enforced rules in Italy. Yet every time a tourist turns around somebody is yelling at you for violating an unnecessary rule. Yeesh.
When tourists complain, it’s explained that Italians don’t care about entrepreneurship nor efficiency because they value lifestyle over money. I don’t buy it.
Chain-smoking and sipping tiny espressos is not a healthy lifestyle.
I’d definitely return to Tuscany for cycling. But not likely the most famous ride ➙ the Tuscany Trail.
For one thing, it’s mainly a ca$h grab by organizers. They spend very little and pocket over 100 € / person. Normally capped at 3000, in 2023 they went up to about 4700 bikes. Too many for these trails and small towns.
Better, for example. is the Ganza Gravel event. October is much better weather than June. Cyclists have 3-4 different routes to choose from. Folks get together for meals in the evenings. There might even be a food festival at the end.
For those who are not really cyclists, the supported electric bike tours looked very good to me. Not inexpensive.
On the advice of the waiter at a chic eatery 😀 called Porks in the central market (Mercato Centrale) in Florence, I had Tagliatelle with Amatriciana sauce for lunch. Better than Bolognese, I thought.
Cost is about USD $61. Expensive for a hostel bed, but not expensive compared with other options in Vancouver. A friend got a room in a Richmond AirBnB for not much more, however.
It’s one big room full of independent bunk beds. A bit crowded.
Luggage storage is convenient. First item free, second piece will be charged at $5 per night per item. HOWEVER — they won’t store a bike or bike box. I had to take a taxi back to the airport and check it into airport luggage storage. (Maximum 48 hours).
… a writer and adventurer, and an enthusiast for all things endurance challenges, particularly in the mountains.
Whether it be a race or a solo adventure, her desire to push her limits has led her to numerous corners of the world.
In 2021 she completed a global challenge to run, solo and unsupported, across a mountain range on every continent, including three world-first traverses. She’s also competed in long-distance bikepacking races, including becoming the two-time first woman in the Silk Road Mountain Race and first woman in the inaugural Atlas Mountain Race – considered two of the toughest off-road bike races.
Outside of her personal pursuits, she is on a mission to get more people outside and challenging their own comfort zones, particularly women and girls, which she has championed by launching a book called Tough Women: Adventure Stories.
Rick McCharles 