FESTA - PALOOZA! - in Tuscany & Umbria - Here's a recap of our '07 tour:
We just returned from La Corsa’s first “Spoleto Fest” tour in Umbria, Italy. Summer in Italy is a time of celebration, with festivals (called festas in Italian), concerts and special events taking place in every little town. In fact, we had the opportunity to enjoy so many different festas during the tour, we have decided to call this tour “Festa-palooza” from now on.
Our starting point was the ancient town of Spoleto, conveniently located just north of Rome. Spoleto was originally an important Roman city and many ruins remain. Because of its strategic position on the ancient “Via Flamminia” it remained a powerhouse throughout the Middle Ages. Today it is little changed from the way it looked many years ago. The first thing you see when you approach it is the imposing stone fortress looking over the town and the enormous arched bridge spanning the river valley. Since Spoleto is in the valley, we have great climbs waiting for us on either side of the town. Between the great landscapes and atmosphere of Spoleto and the little towns all around the area, there is no doubt that you are riding in the heart of authentic Italy!
July is the perfect time to visit Spoleto as the Festival dei Due Mondi (The Festival of Two Worlds) is taking place. Each day and evening for several weeks, a variety of performances take place in the most amazing places. We listened to a symphony one night which took place outside in the piazza in front of the beautifully illuminated 13th century Cathedral. It was truly a scene out of a fairy tale. Other events included a dance production set in the ruins of the ancient Roman forum, opera in the elegant theater and local folk music performances in front of the fountain at the local market square where we sat at an outdoor cafe and sipped a cappuccino while enjoying the music.
Our hotel, the Nuovo Clitunno, was right in the historic center and our host, Fillipo was eager to meet our every need. He introduced us to the owner of the local bike shop, where we had our bikes checked over (and picked up some nice Italian jerseys) before our first ride. Speaking of riding, we had some of the most beautiful roads to ride on – up into the countryside with hardly a car to be seen. Smooth pavement, gentle but long climbs very similar to the roads chosen for the Giro d’Italia or Tour de France. Our efforts climbing the switchbacks to reach the top of the hills were rewarded with a perfect espresso in the ever-present bar at the summit, and an amazing, winding, long descent.
On one of our loop rides, we realized it was approaching 2pm and we hadn’t yet had lunch. Europeans are very strict about meal times so we knew we had to find someplace soon or it would be too late. Our cue sheets make note of places to stop along the route for water, coffee, pizza, snacks or meals and we noticed that there was an ‘osteria’, or country style restaurant, in the next town.
Riding up to the entrance gate, we saw the traditional table out along the side of the road with a checked tablecloth, plate and wine bottle set out to indicate that there was a restaurant inside. We walked around but it seemed deserted. Fearing we were out of luck, we started pulling out our energy bars when Lori found the front entrance around the corner, spoke with the proprietor and indicated for us to come inside. Around back, we sat on a flower-filled patio in the shade of a grape arbour. Out came the most delicious platter of pasta you could imagine. Perfectly cooked penne with fresh tomato sauce and basil topped with local pecorino (sheep’s milk) cheese. We then got to try a very special treat. The chef brought out what he called a “brutto ma buono”, or “ugly but delicious” frittata. It was an omlette made with black truffles. Truffles are sort of like mushrooms but they grow wild and are very rare. Here in the States, they can be had in fancy restaurants for a small fortune. In Umbria, they are a local specialty and enjoyed as an ingredient in many dishes. Fortunately, the climbing portion of the ride was pretty much over, given all we ate! We were ready for a beautiful descent back into Spoleto.
One of the best things about this tour is that we spent at least two days in each town. It was so much more relaxing not having to pack and move every day. We still got to see plenty of sights and had some wonderful experiences exploring the many interesting little towns. We had perfect weather every day, which is typical for July, but if we had had a rainy day, it was nice to know we probably wouldn’t have had to ride in the rain. Having more than a few hours at the end of the ride each day also gave us plenty of time to get to know our way around and see and do all we wanted to in each of our three destinations.
Spello was our next stop on the tour. Just a few miles outside of the better-known town of Assisi, Spello is build entirely out of the pink and white stone quarried in the nearby mountains. We enjoyed a beautiful ride from Spoleto to Spello, stopping for a break in the hill town of Montefalco, famous for it’s red wines.
Speaking of wine, one night we arranged for a wine-tasting dinner. Our hosts poured about 10 different wines for us to try, explaining their features and origins while we enjoyed course after course of delicious food. Favorites with the group were the ‘bruschetta’ (pronounced broo-sket-ta), toasted slices of Italian bread topped with the best quality, organic, extra-vergin olive oil and salt, and the ‘rebollita’ (pronounced re-bowl-lita) a hearty vegetable and bean soup topped with a splash of extra virgin olive oil – perfect fuel for the next day’s ride. Lucky for us, they ship wine to the US because it would have been hard to carry all the bottles we bought.
The highlight of Spello was our hotel, the Palazzo Bocci, a real palace building that made us all feel like royalty. Our bikes were in the nicest bike room we’ve ever seen! Breakfast outside in the courtyard was really special and again, the weather was perfect.
One day while in Spello we did a ride around Mt. Subasio, the famous mountain on the foot of which Assisi located and where St. Francis spent part of his life. Still a natural paradise, the entire mountain is now a protected zone. There are only a few tiny towns along the way but we had time to stop in Assisi to see the famous church of St. Francis and try some of the famous local pastries. The last leg of our ride back to Spello was literally through a small, paved path through an olive grove called the Via degli Olivi.
We earned our after-dinner gelato and found the Friday night hot spot with the local teenagers – guaranteed to have the best gelato in town. In the nearby city of Perugia, the summer festival called Umbria Jazz was going on. We had the option to go hear Sly and the Family Stone or Pat Methany in concert. Every year, Umbria Jazz draws big names in the music world. We look forward to learning of next year’s program.
After two days in Spello, Lake Trasimeno was next. Our destination was a small town up the hill from the lake shore, called Castel Rigone, where we stayed at the amazing Relais La Fattoria. The ride to the lake was especially fun while we rode through the Torgiano vineyards, one of the wines we’d been drinking all week. After lunch at the top of the hill with a view of the lake down below, one of the group went into the bar to use the rest room. The bartender didn’t realize anyone was inside, and closed up the bar to go home for the day. We were ready to continue our ride and wondered where John was and what was taking so long. Finally one of us went back to get him, only to find him waving frantically behind the locked front door of the bar. Fortunately, the bartender was still in the piazza talking to some friends and John was rescued. John was upset because he was about to hop behind the bar and begin a different type of tour.
The local cyclists often stage bike races that end with our climb from the lake up to Castel Rigone. One of our Italian friends, a very successful racer, told us a story about the time he was on the climb, fell behind the lead rider by a few minutes and realized he had no chance of winning. When no one was looking, he let the air out of one of his tires and pretended he had a flat in order to save face. None of us thought of anything that clever but we were happy to see the town at the top of the hill. Castel Rigone is also built entirely out of the local stone and in the same style making for a beautiful, unified appearance. Our hotel was originally a XXX and fit right into the scenery. The best part was the pool which we all jumped into after our ride.
Some of the guys ventured into neighboring Tuscany, riding to Cortona on the loop day. An amazing ride up the valley through the farmland and then over the Passo di Spina??? along a deserted mountain road surrounded by green trees and with views of the picture postcard landscape as far as your eye could see. They loved the old center of Cortona with its small alleyways and old clock tower.
It was ‘festa’ time again. That night, we started at the ‘Festa di Cinghiale’ in one of the small towns near the lake. Held at the local soccer field, a big tent was set up with tables and benches and there was a roaring fire at the grill. The town ladies were behind the counter cooking pasta. The men were tending the grill and were shocked to learn that a group from the States came to their little party. We were instantly the guests of honor. For about 10 Euros, we had fresh melon wrapped in prosciutto, wonderful papardelle with cinghiale ragu (homemade egg noodle pasta with wild boar sauce), grilled cinghiale sausages, grilled lamb chops, the best tomato and cucumber salad imaginable, home made wine, and watermelon for dessert.
Next was the Festa di Toro in the town of Tuoro. This time the event took place at the beach on the lake and the specialty was grilled bull steaks. Too full to eat more, we tried some of the amusement park rides and settled in at the stage where the dancers were two stepping to a live band. No matter their age, from little kids to very old people, they all did the same dance to every song. It was very entertaining to watch. We hit two more festas on our way home for an after-dinner grappa and some more live music.
Our ride to Citta di Castello was perfect. Empty country roads, sunshine, two amazing climbs with descents to match. The first was up to a ridge with views over all of Umbria. The second was to the town of Pietralunga, where we had the best ‘pollo allo spiedo’ (rotisserie chicken) for lunch. They clearly stuff the chickens with lots of garlic and seasoning before cooking but nothing we’ve ever tried at home tastes as good. But that happens often after a hard ride. Whatever you eat tastes better after 50 miles.
From the last pass we descended all the way to town, nestled in the Tiber river valley. Citta di Castello is a medieval town still surrounded by defensive walls. We stayed at the Hotel Tifferno, another old palace turned into a hotel. Our room had a spiral staircase leading up to a sleeping loft, shuttered windows that opened onto the church square, and original modern artwork by a renown local artist on the walls. The contrast between the old building decorated with antique furniture and the modern art was interesting.
Our closing dinner at a popular trattoria again featured truffles, this time shaved over fettuccini. We would all miss the 4 course meals when we returned home but without riding all those miles maybe our appetites would return to normal. The gelato, however, we would still crave. While you can now find it in bigger cities at home, it’s just not the same as in Italy. The Italians have made an art out of the proper way to scoop the gelato with a flat spoon, push it against the side of the bin so it softens a bit, and practially paint it into the cone so the three flavors all fit without getting mixed up. They finish the cone with a swirl of whipped cream on top. Perfection for 2 euros!
Our last day of riding brought us one of those unforgettable, unplanned events that makes traveling worthwhile. We did a cool down loop in the valley planning to stop for a lunch break in the town of Sansepulcro. When we got there, the only places open, as it was Sunday, were filled with tourists. We were spoiled by 9 days of authentic Italian living and didn’t want to eat with a bunch of foreigners. So we decided to keep riding and look for someplace else.
Along a main road, we saw a big Shimano balloon flying across the road – the type you often see at finish lines of races and triathlons. We decided to check it out. A mountain bike race had just ended and all the cyclists were celebrating at the post-race pasta party. We asked the organizers if we could possibly pay to join them and eat lunch. He said “wait here a minute”. Two minutes later, he returned with tickets for us to get lunch and wouldn’t hear of taking any money. We filled our plates with pasta and porchetta (roast pork) and joined a table of Italian mountain bikers for more food and laughs. They loved hearing about our trip and the places we visited, wondering how we knew about such secret gems of Umbria and obviously very proud at the pleasure we found in their beautiful region.
That night we said our farewell to Umbria, called the green heart of Italy for good reason, with celebratory drinks in the piazza. Again, there was a big antiques fair going on in town that day so we had a chance to poke around. Unfortunately, there was no way the gorgeous furniture and lighting fixtures would fit in our luggage but they were worth admiring anyway. It was a perfect summer night and everyone was out filling the tables at the outdoor cafes. We joined the laughter and clinking of glasses to toast our trip. Already, some of us were making plans for our next La Corsa tour. Once again, it was an enjoyable and unforgettable experience of riding in Italy.
2008 Dates: July 2 to July 10
Terrain: Moderately Hilly | Daily Miles: 40 - 70 | Difficulty Level: 3
$4,295
