Bike trip to Tuscany, Italy

[donheff]

DW and I just returned from a bicycle trip to Tuscany with some additional time in Rome and Venice. It was a wonderful trip. This was our first cycling trip so we selected one that was easy to moderate. Rather than tackle the toughest of the Tuscany hill country we chose Tuscany by the Sea which has a good amount of flat terrain, a moderate amount of rolling hills, and a few optional challenging hills. This was billed by the tour company (VBT) as a wine and food tour and they didn't disappoint. All of out accommodations were excellent, and the food and wine were delicious. The Tuscan country side is absolutely beautiful and the people are friendly. Some of my fellow travelers and I will be posting pictures on my family web site. Any one who is interested can access the gallery here.

The group of participants was a mix of 40 to 60 somethings, couples and singles -- all fun. Most were not biking fanatics except for a group of four woman in their mid to late 40s who left their husbands at home. All of them trained at the same club and one was a aerobic instructor. We called them "The Mary's" and they were very competitive. after nearly a week of riding I started to get my wind and was able to beat two of the Mary's up a 7K hill to a small town. The attached photo shows me being accepted as an "official Mary." The second photo shows the town we rode to.

The poster formerly known as donheff

 

[Deetso]

That looks absolutely wonderful. Congatulations on making it to Mary status.

 

[Sheryl]

Is that San Gemenano (sp?) What a wonderful trip - can't wait to browse the gallery. Thanks Donheff!

 

[Moemg]

Looks like a great trip !

 

[donheff]

Is that San Gemenano (sp?) What a wonderful trip - can't wait to browse the gallery. Thanks Donheff!

That is Perina, a very small town near to Magliano in Toscana, another small town. It is also near to Orbetello, a slightly larger small town on the coast. These are places I never would have traveled to on my own. You can see it on Google maps here.

 

[Joss]

Hail Mary! (formerly known as donheff)

It's gorgeous. Did it make you want to stay there... extend your visit?

 

[CyclingInvestor]

very nice looking trip. Beautiful scenery.

VBT has a top-notch reputation - glad to see that they delivered.

 

[donheff]

Hail Mary! (formerly known as donheff)

It's gorgeous. Did it make you want to stay there... extend your visit?

It is definitely nice. But for me it is a vacation. I read a lot about people who move to Tuscany to retire but for the long term I prefer central cities. I liked Rome a lot.

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

i was going to just say wonderful or gorgeous but someone already took all the good adjectives so i'm just gonna say i'm jealous.