15 July 2012
La Grande Boucle des Pyrenees 2012
The Bike Dreams cycling tour came to an end in Barcelona just over a week ago; seems like almost another lifetime given the charming weather the UK is experiencing at the moment...bring back the heat wave of the Spanish Pyrenees aye!
One afternoon, about two days before we rolled into Barcelona, I was spending the day in the firetruck and hence had a few moments to spare. What better way than writing a few lines of poetry to thank everyone on the Bike Dreams tour and read aloud at our farewell dinner in Barcelona. Below is what I came up with - enjoy!*
All the way from Nice to Barcelona,
87.75 legs spun over and over.
Up, down, and through the Pyrenees,
We cycled lots of km's thanks to Bike Dreams.
The many adventures came both thick and fast,
Thankfully the headaches of Hotel Anis were soon in the past.
At half six or seven we had brekkie each day;
Many preferred the latter time slot way.
Muesli, nutella, bananas and bread;
Sometimes we were lucky and even had eggs!
An organised frenzy soon took place around the campsite,
Tents, mats, and bags packed away in the morning light.
Eager cyclists were soon riding away,
Ready to take on the challenges of another day.
Very lucky with the weather we were,
Only a few days of rain to make us feel 'brr'.
The record heat wave of the Spanish Pyrenees,
Saw us melt in the sun and bought us to our knees.
Definitely ready to call it quits and throw the towel in,
The cycling spirit ensured each stage was finished on more than a whim.
As we climbed, the siren of the fire truck would cheer -
It was definitely loud enough for all to hear...
A lot of teamwork and effort went into lunch,
As a result, the cyclists always had something to munch.
Richard, the ladies plus the Van of Bob,
Seemed to be able to handle the ravenous mob.
Cheeses, meats, and salads galore,
We also had an occasional nutella war.
Dinner was always a feast with seconds for all;
Kudos to the chefs and their selection calls.
We were then treated to dessert by Rossanna -
Add in lots of vino and we were soon singing 'hosanna'.
The time would then come for Captain Wilbert to chat to the group -
"Good evening peoples - the day of tomorrow we have mountains and a loop"
Enquiries regarding vital issues were usually made -
The marmot moment and were lunch was to be laid.
Starting on La Bella, an award each day was meant,
For either an honorable, funny, silly or memorable event.
For example, Nina rode an extra 32km before the lunch spot in the hills,
All due to blind faith in Richard and Tomas's interesting navigation skills.
We also had highway and tunnel removals by police;
A pity Gill couldn't bat his eyelids to bring about peace!
The marmot went from one riding buddy to another,
The strength of new friendships turning a stranger into a brother.
Drivers, cooks, and others took part,
To share around the important marmat.
As Barcelona drew nearer and nearer,
The swearing at the Garmin grew clearer and clearer...
A mini tour through the Andes will see an adjustment to the route,
In time for the next Le Grande Boucle des Pyrenees group.
So, it is with a heavy heart that we pack away our bikes,
And wave farewell to each other during the long Spanish nights.
A massive thank-you to all on the bike dreams tour,
It has been a blast and much better than any brochure, I can assure!
Aurevoir for now, adios amigos,
Until we meet again,
Take care, be safe, and ride happy
Hannah
* Disclaimer: I do not hold any type of qualifications in poetry and do not pretend to be a poet. The above are merely simple musings from a KISS girl. All characters and references are not fictitious and are based on real events. However, in some cases, artistic license has been used.
6 July 2012
Tete-a-Tete about the Pyrenees
Somehow I will attempt to capture the past 2.5 weeks in the current post, and possibly keep it reasonably short as well... Good luck there Han!
Just over 212km, 2.162m of climbing, two more nights spent in a tent, and approximately 5 banana, 3 coffee stops and 2 flats are separating the La Grande Boucle des Pryenees cycling team from Barcelona. Nearly there.
The past few weeks have been filled with both amazing triumphs as well as pushing the mind to the limits. Don't need to worry about the body as apparently according to my new friend Chris - others are jealous that I can come into camp each night and put on a different leg. I did offer to share my spare walking legs around but nobody was keen to take me up on the offer.
The Pryenees group of cyclists I am traveling with is a lot larger than La Bells Italia - 44 cyclists compared with 21. Excitingly there are a few girls around my own age so I no longer get laughed at by the blokes when another female asks me to go to the bathroom with her - strength in numbers right?! We have lots of Aussies on the trip (we know where the good times are to be had), a few from NZ, some from Holland, as well as Canada, Brazil, Germany and Czech Republic. All up, including the big dreams crew, we stand at a total of 53. Poor Annika, our amazing chef, having to cook dinne each night - she literally cleans out the supermarket each day.
The Pyrenees has bought some beautiful climbing. I have climbed:
- Mt Ventoux (obviously more in Provence than the Pyrenees)
- Col de Portet
- Col de Mente
- Col de la Core
- Puerto de Cortefablo
- Puerto de Portalet
- Col d'Aubiqsue
- Col du Tourmalet
- Col d'Aspin
Then we have all the gorgeous gorges we climbed up and through. Some of the best kept secrets are the gorges through the Spanish Pyrenees such as the Cañón de Añisclo just outside of Puyarruego. We have ridden up mountains, next to rivers, past waterfalls, across a Spanish desert, whizzed down Tour de France descents, seen stunning vistas from what feels like the top of the world.
There have been close calls down the descents, especially coming around corners and nearly running over what I think was either a deer or a goat. Hence, I nearly ran over a dear goat. The next day it was nearly a dog to see the underside of some rubber tyre and another closes call with some interesting drivers going down Aubisique. Still, I am here writing this blog so I must be OK right?!
We had a rest day in Carcassonne, a little village that LTF goes through on their three peaks day. Surrounded on all sides by the Pyrenees, it was wonderful to spend a morning wandering through French markets, eating a choc custard crossaint, buying dried strawberries and sitting in a river with sparkling clear fresh water and watching the sunset. Very noice!!!
Yes, climbing up mountains for over two hours with gradients at a constent 8-9% for the last 7km can be tough, especially if a mountain has already been climbed that day but the rewards at the top, the sense of achievement and celebrating with others make it all worthwhile. I have found a beautiful sense of peace among the Pyrenees. Life isn't running at a million miles an hour, you aren't constantly hounded by emails and deadlines, and the fresh air definitely does wonders for the soul.
Apologies to all the food lovers who have been enjoying reading about the devine food I have been consuming recently. Our amazing cook Annika hasn't let us down - from Duck la'ronge to Paella, from curries to salads, fresh trout to tapas - all done on a camping stove. Amazing. However, bring on a good cup of Bushells tea and piece of piping hot toast with melted Western Star (salt free) butter and Vegemite.
Till Barcelona,
Ride safe, ride happy, ride in the moment
Han
Just over 212km, 2.162m of climbing, two more nights spent in a tent, and approximately 5 banana, 3 coffee stops and 2 flats are separating the La Grande Boucle des Pryenees cycling team from Barcelona. Nearly there.
The past few weeks have been filled with both amazing triumphs as well as pushing the mind to the limits. Don't need to worry about the body as apparently according to my new friend Chris - others are jealous that I can come into camp each night and put on a different leg. I did offer to share my spare walking legs around but nobody was keen to take me up on the offer.
The Pryenees group of cyclists I am traveling with is a lot larger than La Bells Italia - 44 cyclists compared with 21. Excitingly there are a few girls around my own age so I no longer get laughed at by the blokes when another female asks me to go to the bathroom with her - strength in numbers right?! We have lots of Aussies on the trip (we know where the good times are to be had), a few from NZ, some from Holland, as well as Canada, Brazil, Germany and Czech Republic. All up, including the big dreams crew, we stand at a total of 53. Poor Annika, our amazing chef, having to cook dinne each night - she literally cleans out the supermarket each day.
The Pyrenees has bought some beautiful climbing. I have climbed:
- Mt Ventoux (obviously more in Provence than the Pyrenees)
- Col de Portet
- Col de Mente
- Col de la Core
- Puerto de Cortefablo
- Puerto de Portalet
- Col d'Aubiqsue
- Col du Tourmalet
- Col d'Aspin
Then we have all the gorgeous gorges we climbed up and through. Some of the best kept secrets are the gorges through the Spanish Pyrenees such as the Cañón de Añisclo just outside of Puyarruego. We have ridden up mountains, next to rivers, past waterfalls, across a Spanish desert, whizzed down Tour de France descents, seen stunning vistas from what feels like the top of the world.
There have been close calls down the descents, especially coming around corners and nearly running over what I think was either a deer or a goat. Hence, I nearly ran over a dear goat. The next day it was nearly a dog to see the underside of some rubber tyre and another closes call with some interesting drivers going down Aubisique. Still, I am here writing this blog so I must be OK right?!
We had a rest day in Carcassonne, a little village that LTF goes through on their three peaks day. Surrounded on all sides by the Pyrenees, it was wonderful to spend a morning wandering through French markets, eating a choc custard crossaint, buying dried strawberries and sitting in a river with sparkling clear fresh water and watching the sunset. Very noice!!!
Yes, climbing up mountains for over two hours with gradients at a constent 8-9% for the last 7km can be tough, especially if a mountain has already been climbed that day but the rewards at the top, the sense of achievement and celebrating with others make it all worthwhile. I have found a beautiful sense of peace among the Pyrenees. Life isn't running at a million miles an hour, you aren't constantly hounded by emails and deadlines, and the fresh air definitely does wonders for the soul.
Apologies to all the food lovers who have been enjoying reading about the devine food I have been consuming recently. Our amazing cook Annika hasn't let us down - from Duck la'ronge to Paella, from curries to salads, fresh trout to tapas - all done on a camping stove. Amazing. However, bring on a good cup of Bushells tea and piece of piping hot toast with melted Western Star (salt free) butter and Vegemite.
Till Barcelona,
Ride safe, ride happy, ride in the moment
Han
4 July 2012
A box of chocolates
Let me paint the picture for you - I am currently sitting in a French campsite (pure luxury with toilet seats, toilet paper and a hair dryer!), listening to Bob Marley as well as the ping pong ball bouncing across the table, and am surrounded by the beautiful mountains of the Pryenees. A dinner of succulent lamb with fresh veggies followed by super sweet raspberries with yoghurt has just been polished off. The sun is setting behind the pink clouds and I have a cup of tea in my hand and piece of dark chocolate in the other. The laughter and chatter of my fellow cyclists completes the scene. Tough life aye?!
Admittedly it has been a bit tough to find time to write about all the amazing experiences I have been privileged to have recently - I have been taking my own advice and living each moment! However, I would love to share some of the highlights with you all.
Let's take a few steps back to the end of the 1.75 leg adventure through Italia - most of these memories include food: we learnt how lemenoncello was made at a local family lemoncello grove in Sorrento. We then proceeded to taste the seven different types of liqueurs. These included different alcohol concentrations of lemoncello, and orange, mandarin, fennel, and liquorice liqueurs. We were told that people usually leave "very happy from this lemoncello grove". Definitely ticked that box.
Next up was a trip to a local gelateria in Sorrento where we learnt how Italian gelato is made. Naturally taste testing was included. My favorite was an organge, lemon and candied mandarin gelato. The gelateria, called Gelateria David, has been in the family for a few generations and has an owner who is currently married to a Sydney-sider. The good news is that he is not only marketing savy (pancakes are known as the PanDavid) but he has plans to open up shop in Australia - exciting times ahead!! And yes, I did go back in the morning for brekkie and consumed a Pan David with chocolate, fresh fruit and gelato. Damn marketing gimmicks! Nevertheless, it has been one of the best brekkies so far, excluding the pastries in Venice.
I can hear all of your thinking - "Are you now the side of a house Han?", "Your parents will be happy when you get home as it will be a celery diet for awhile..." Fortunately other activities have included a trek up Mt Vesuvius and a 6hr hike along "the walk of the gods" along the Amalfi coast finished off with a staircase of 1067 steps 🏀. So thankfully I still fit into my pants (let's just keep it on the hush that they are trackies). Back on track, I highly recommend taking the time to visit the ruins of Pompeii and have a guided tour to make sense out of all the rocks scattered around. Plus you get to go behind the scenes and take a trip to the Pompeii brothel where ceramics indicate the activities in each room - definitely stuff they didn't teach us in school.
However, at the top of the list is the climb up Mt Vesuvius. The pure, untamed strength of the mountain still permeates the atmosphere and the plumes of smoke hissing out the side of the mountain, plus strong winds literally blowing the clouds straight past you make for one awesome experience. I did feel a little like Bridget Jones afterwards though as I literally had an afro by the time we got off the mountain. We were also lucky as our guide, included in your ticket up the mountain, was explained to us as "the Casanova and ladies man of the tour guides available". It was a little contradictory given the wedding ring on his fourth finger. Nevertheless, Casanova didn't disappoint and delivered an interesting and fun tour. A pity about my hairstyle aye?!
On a side note, we ate at Il Principe in Pompeii - a Michelin star restaurant that emulates food eaten by Pompeiins (yes I may have just made that word up- it may catch on), over 2000 years ago. I had some beautiful seafood with orange and asparagus followed by an amazing warm chocolate fondante with fresh fruit. The evening was made special as the owner, his wife, and their son all took turns to come out, explain the different dishes, the philosophy of the restaurant and the special events that they put on. So if you are ever out in Pompeii, head to Il Principe!
The Intrepid tour soon drew to an end and it was tough to say goodbye to the new friends that had been made during the two short weeks we had been together, or even only one week in some cases. A few train rides later, I had made my way from Amalfi in Sourthern Italy to Nice, which is on the south coast of France. It was here that I rejoined the Bike Dreams Team to begin Le Boucheles Pyrenees. I arrived at Hotel Anis, aka Fawtly Towers, walked into the garage where all the cyclists we cleaning their bikes as was greeted with a very Australian "Oh bugger, you're back again!". It felt like I had come home.
Till next time,
Ride safe, ride happy, ride in the moment
Han
Admittedly it has been a bit tough to find time to write about all the amazing experiences I have been privileged to have recently - I have been taking my own advice and living each moment! However, I would love to share some of the highlights with you all.
Let's take a few steps back to the end of the 1.75 leg adventure through Italia - most of these memories include food: we learnt how lemenoncello was made at a local family lemoncello grove in Sorrento. We then proceeded to taste the seven different types of liqueurs. These included different alcohol concentrations of lemoncello, and orange, mandarin, fennel, and liquorice liqueurs. We were told that people usually leave "very happy from this lemoncello grove". Definitely ticked that box.
Next up was a trip to a local gelateria in Sorrento where we learnt how Italian gelato is made. Naturally taste testing was included. My favorite was an organge, lemon and candied mandarin gelato. The gelateria, called Gelateria David, has been in the family for a few generations and has an owner who is currently married to a Sydney-sider. The good news is that he is not only marketing savy (pancakes are known as the PanDavid) but he has plans to open up shop in Australia - exciting times ahead!! And yes, I did go back in the morning for brekkie and consumed a Pan David with chocolate, fresh fruit and gelato. Damn marketing gimmicks! Nevertheless, it has been one of the best brekkies so far, excluding the pastries in Venice.
I can hear all of your thinking - "Are you now the side of a house Han?", "Your parents will be happy when you get home as it will be a celery diet for awhile..." Fortunately other activities have included a trek up Mt Vesuvius and a 6hr hike along "the walk of the gods" along the Amalfi coast finished off with a staircase of 1067 steps 🏀. So thankfully I still fit into my pants (let's just keep it on the hush that they are trackies). Back on track, I highly recommend taking the time to visit the ruins of Pompeii and have a guided tour to make sense out of all the rocks scattered around. Plus you get to go behind the scenes and take a trip to the Pompeii brothel where ceramics indicate the activities in each room - definitely stuff they didn't teach us in school.
However, at the top of the list is the climb up Mt Vesuvius. The pure, untamed strength of the mountain still permeates the atmosphere and the plumes of smoke hissing out the side of the mountain, plus strong winds literally blowing the clouds straight past you make for one awesome experience. I did feel a little like Bridget Jones afterwards though as I literally had an afro by the time we got off the mountain. We were also lucky as our guide, included in your ticket up the mountain, was explained to us as "the Casanova and ladies man of the tour guides available". It was a little contradictory given the wedding ring on his fourth finger. Nevertheless, Casanova didn't disappoint and delivered an interesting and fun tour. A pity about my hairstyle aye?!
On a side note, we ate at Il Principe in Pompeii - a Michelin star restaurant that emulates food eaten by Pompeiins (yes I may have just made that word up- it may catch on), over 2000 years ago. I had some beautiful seafood with orange and asparagus followed by an amazing warm chocolate fondante with fresh fruit. The evening was made special as the owner, his wife, and their son all took turns to come out, explain the different dishes, the philosophy of the restaurant and the special events that they put on. So if you are ever out in Pompeii, head to Il Principe!
The Intrepid tour soon drew to an end and it was tough to say goodbye to the new friends that had been made during the two short weeks we had been together, or even only one week in some cases. A few train rides later, I had made my way from Amalfi in Sourthern Italy to Nice, which is on the south coast of France. It was here that I rejoined the Bike Dreams Team to begin Le Boucheles Pyrenees. I arrived at Hotel Anis, aka Fawtly Towers, walked into the garage where all the cyclists we cleaning their bikes as was greeted with a very Australian "Oh bugger, you're back again!". It felt like I had come home.
Till next time,
Ride safe, ride happy, ride in the moment
Han
26 June 2012
Blog Post 5: Demonstrations of the strength, plus pure stubbornness, of the human spirit
Who remembers Grant Hackett claiming the gold medal in the 1500m freestyle at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games despite having a partially collapsed lung? Or John Landy winning the 1500m race after stopping to help pick up Ron Clarke at the Aussie Nationals just prior to the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. What about Forest Gump refusing to leave Lt. Taylor? And how about the sheer stubbornness of Cadel Evans when he continued riding in 2010 Tour de France after fracturing his elbow?!
The strength of the human spirit really is incredible and it isn't just reserved for the superheroes of our society. Throughout my trip I have been constantly amazed at the continuous displays of courage, persistence, and the never, never, never give-up attitude. While this blog only offers some brief insights into a few examples on the current topic, hopefully it may provide a little bit of inspiration the next time you need an Up'n'Go or pick-me-up.
My first example comes from the conclusion of my first Bike Dreams Tour. After arriving in Como we had the option on our rest day to ride up to the Madonna del Ghisallo; the chapel holds an external flame for all cyclists who have died as well as Fabio Casartelli who died on the Northern Italian slope. While not a long climb, a mere 8.7km from Belagio to the Chapel, it did have some intense average gradients of 10-12% i.e. bloody hard work. Throw in some 32 degree weather plus midday sun and you have an interesting combination.
Knowing I wasn't going to be on the bike for two weeks during my next Italia adventure, I was keen to see the chapel and get out for one last ride. Also keen to go out for a ride was the Bike Dreams mechanic Richard (previously mentioned in Blog Post 3 for a lifesaver award having helped me climb some mountains). Richard's partner Christine had also joined up with us along the way and hence it made perfect sense for the duo to borrow the tandem from Aussie couple Andrew and Christine to climb up the mountain.
Now the tandem is an interesting bike - it can't be carbon as carbon would snap too easily. As such, a tandem requires a steel frame and is a very heavy bike - fine on the flats and downhills but a lot harder to go uphill with the extra weight. Also, riding a tandem requires good communication and coordination between the two riders. Overall, it requires a fair bit of skill, strength and ability to ride.
Richard and Christine had never been on a tandem, didn't have cycling cleats to hold them onto the pedals and Richard was suffering from a severe gastro for the second day - poor Christine who was on the back...
Nevertheless, everything was going smoothly all the way to Belagio -nice flat riding, a gelato for everyone (except Richard who was on bread and water rations) and a lot of enthusiasm to see the Chapel. We soon began the climb and it was clear that Richard was far from his peak. While usually an extremely strong rider, the lack of food for two days plus heat and steepness of the climb seemed to be too much. *if anyone suffers from squimishness it would probably be best to skip the next few sentances*. After climbing for ten minutes, Richard had to promptly get off his bike and literally looked like one of those cartoon characters who has a continuous jet of spew streaming out for at least 3 minutes. Definitely the way to win over the ladies. The proclamation of "[gurgle, gurgle] You go on -I am not [gurgle gurgle] going to make it to the top" was spluttered out between the spew jet streams. With great reluctance, myself, Glyn and Lex left Christine with the green-faced Richard and continued up the mountain.
After a grueling 75minutes of climbing, plus a few meltdowns on my behalf, the three survivors were able to pay their respects in the cycling Chapel, take a few happy snaps and chill out for 30minutes. After deciding it was time for lunch (at 2:30pm in the afternoon; Hannah was definitely grumpy by this stage - lack of food in a Macdougall = short temper) we started riding back down the mountain to the previous town about 1km away. Low and behold we see Richard and Christine crest the hill, ride over the top of the mountain and make it to the cycling chapel. Both drenched in sweat, tears and other charming bodily fluids, the two both exuded an aura of happiness at having conquered the mountain through absolute sheer stubbornness and strength of spirit. Bloody awesome stuff and massive kudos.
My second example comes from my two-legged Intrepid Italia adventure while staying in the little town of Gubbio. On this trip we had two lovely ladies from Delaware in the USA. While both have numerous strengths of character, such as humour, organization etc etc, Patty suffers from an extreme fear of heights. As such, the prospect of traveling up the highest peak in Gubbio to overlook the town via 'a birdcage' chairlift didn't seem quite appealing.
A lot of research had gone into the trip on Patty's behalf, and while it seemed like the perfect fit, the birdcage chairlift had been causing some angst and sleepless nights. Having experienced the power of distraction during intense training sessions, I suggested to Patty that she could borrow my iPhone and listen to some music while going up the chairlift. The idea was readily accepted and plan put in place.
Lining up and looking up the mountain with the chairlift was a little daunting, even for someone who isn't scared of heights. The chairlift incorporated literally a metal birdcage frame big enough for two people to squeeze into. The floor was a few bars of iron with large gaps to see through and you needed to jump into the cage as it didn't slow down to pick you up - I didn't think Patty was going to make it! However, earphones firmly in place with 'Grease Ligtening' pumping out, Patty was firmly ushered into the birdcage by her friend Tri and taken up the top. After a few finger imprints, beads of sweet and 14 "are we there yet?" to Tri, Patty made it to the top of Gubbio. I was so proud of her for looking her fear in the face, taking it on, and conquering the mountain. Thank-you John Travolta!
My final example for the blog post also comes from the Intrepid Italia adventure in the form of my new friend Richard, who hail from New York and is in the NY Police force. His journey to the NY Police Force hasn't all been roses and gelato, it has been full of ups and downs. Richard was born with cerebral palsey and when he was entering his early teens, doctors told him by his early twenties that he would be in a wheelchair. Having a 'screw that' attitude, and 'I am going to forge my own path' mentality, Richard promptly began going to the gym and taking martial arts classes in an attempt to build strength in his legs and defy the doctor's predictions. He also had surgery on his legs to lengthen the calf muscle. Richard is now in his thirties, has been a cop for a number of years and is showing no sign of slowing down - especially after I witnessed some dam cool moves on a dance floor in Rome. Doctors - they don't always get it right.
The choices and attitude you take determines the path you take in life - what will your attitude be?!
13 June 2012
An Italian Lunch (blog post 4.1)
Quick, schnell, andare, no no no - pronto, somebody pinch me!! I believe I may have just died and gone to heaven. No, i havent just run into George Clooney in Como (although a friend of a friend did) and agreed to enter the realm of marriage bliss - manana mañana. Instead, I have just returned from Spello where we had a feast at the Enoteca Properzio - the most famous wine bar in Umbria. I can now definitely verify this claim. Eight generations of sommeliers and harvesting Umbrian grapes from the vineyards between Spello and Assisi in my mind makes the Angelini Family experts within vitoculture world. The Intrepid group was treated to a guided seven-course meal matched with speciality Umbrian wines, olive oil and Modena balsamic vinegar; I was assured that the kilo joule fairy had waved her magic wand today.
We began with some bruschetta covered in olive oil. 'So what!' I hear some of you thinking, 'you can get olive oil for five bucks a pop down at the local BP service station..' This was no ordinary olive oil my friends. Many years in the making, only 5000 bottles ever made (we marked the thousandth bottle), organically, biodynamically, sprititually, ecumenically, gramatically grown olive oil - it was THE olive oil. And matched with a light, fruity grechetto wine. Under the instruction and watchful eye of Roberto Angelini, we firstly swirled the wine to release the aromas, next we held the glass next to our hand to determine the colour. A bit more swirling, some deep inhaling over the wine glass and finally the first sip. Bliss.
A few more varieties of bruschetta were then consumed with more wine before we moved onto a traditional Italian salad with Modena balsamic vinegar and our first experience of an Umbrian red wine. Definitely moving into my home territory now, however, a food/wine coma was starting to set in and the aviators were needed for a sneaky five minute power nap between courses. Mattia, our Intrepid tour leader, had some great ideas about setting up a similar Enoteca but with a room full of couches and beds where people can rest between courses - genius in my books.
Nevertheless, we powered on and were treated to a platter filled with all of the different types of meats and cheeses you could imagine. Two cheeses were flavoured, the rest were for dipping lightly in acacia honey. I took a stab at which cheeses to dip into the honey, and while I think I may have got one mixed up, my inexperienced palate found the whole platter delightful.
Desert was a simple affair of chocolate biscotti matched with a sweet desert wine and Italian espresso. Perfetto. The beauty of presenting guests with simple, traditional, Italian food that was bursting with flavour, and then combine it with rare, quality, regional wine was a winning combination. Naturally I had to roll onto the train and opted not to walk the 8km back to the hotel, a wise decision that was mentally justified by my stair running session this morning - all the 'that girl is crazy' looks from the Italian public have to be worth something right?!
Until next time,
Eat well, happy and in the moment,
Han (+ a few new kilos)
We began with some bruschetta covered in olive oil. 'So what!' I hear some of you thinking, 'you can get olive oil for five bucks a pop down at the local BP service station..' This was no ordinary olive oil my friends. Many years in the making, only 5000 bottles ever made (we marked the thousandth bottle), organically, biodynamically, sprititually, ecumenically, gramatically grown olive oil - it was THE olive oil. And matched with a light, fruity grechetto wine. Under the instruction and watchful eye of Roberto Angelini, we firstly swirled the wine to release the aromas, next we held the glass next to our hand to determine the colour. A bit more swirling, some deep inhaling over the wine glass and finally the first sip. Bliss.
A few more varieties of bruschetta were then consumed with more wine before we moved onto a traditional Italian salad with Modena balsamic vinegar and our first experience of an Umbrian red wine. Definitely moving into my home territory now, however, a food/wine coma was starting to set in and the aviators were needed for a sneaky five minute power nap between courses. Mattia, our Intrepid tour leader, had some great ideas about setting up a similar Enoteca but with a room full of couches and beds where people can rest between courses - genius in my books.
Nevertheless, we powered on and were treated to a platter filled with all of the different types of meats and cheeses you could imagine. Two cheeses were flavoured, the rest were for dipping lightly in acacia honey. I took a stab at which cheeses to dip into the honey, and while I think I may have got one mixed up, my inexperienced palate found the whole platter delightful.
Desert was a simple affair of chocolate biscotti matched with a sweet desert wine and Italian espresso. Perfetto. The beauty of presenting guests with simple, traditional, Italian food that was bursting with flavour, and then combine it with rare, quality, regional wine was a winning combination. Naturally I had to roll onto the train and opted not to walk the 8km back to the hotel, a wise decision that was mentally justified by my stair running session this morning - all the 'that girl is crazy' looks from the Italian public have to be worth something right?!
Until next time,
Eat well, happy and in the moment,
Han (+ a few new kilos)
Italia on 1.73 legs
The two wheels have been packed away and are now awaiting my arrival in Nice. A special shout out to the Bike Dreams team for organizing this and to Glyn who cleaned/packed it away given my rushed departure out of Como - I think it will be my shout at the next few (hundred) coffee stops...
So feeling almost slightly naked without my bike but have definitely put the 1.73 legs and carbon finish to good use over the past week on the Intrepid Italy Uncovered tour. Not many people can say that they literally walked their legs off; it has been pure bliss each evening coming back to the different hotels and being able to whack off one leg. Apparently it doesn't work on both sides though - mum explained that one to me a few years ago around the same time we had the birds and bees talk.
It has been fantastic meeting lots of new people - Intrepid have a policy of a max of 12 people per tour. As the Italy Uncoveored Tour is a combo package (I.e. Umbria and Rome to Amalfi) we had a changing of the guard in Roma with the NZ sisters and New Yorker leaving us and two girls from Mebourne, two from Orange (NSW), a Canadian and Brazilian joining us. The couple from Wollongong, two friends from Delaware (USA), plus myself, are the lucky ones who are going all the way from Venice to Amalfi.
Having an Italian as our Intrepid Tour Leader, affectionately dubbed Capo Mattia, has made the world of difference and meant that we have eaten at all the best local places in Venice, Gubbio, Assisi, Spello and Roma (please see blog post 4.1 for a blow-by-blow description on the lunch in Spello - it was only supposed to be a paragraph in the current blog post but the excitement captured by my typing fingers saw a stand alone post created).
It is interesting how quickly one can start to get to know a city and how quickly one can slip into patterns. Being back in Venice I knew I wanted to go to the Peggy Guggenheim for some Picasso, the Galleria dell'Accademia for some local Venetian art, and participate in a 'must do' Gondola ride; for those not wishing to spend €80 there is the taster option to cross over the Grand Canal on a Gondola for the relatively cheaper price of €2. All new experiences. However, I returned to the hidden little park I had found on both mornings in Venice for some exercise (and receivied the same number of weird looks from the Venetians) and tracked across town, down some alleyways, and crossed a piazza with two trees in the middle just to find the bakery where I had had the Worlds Best pastries. I even got a free biscuit from the lady behind the counter because she remembered me. No longer the timid traveller, I made my way boldly down unexplored alleys and pathways, knowing that in the end you always find some landmark you are familiar with. Unfortunately, my Italian language skills haven't improved quite as much as my confidence and I ended up buying some rather oddly shaped g-string pads definitely made for Italian women - not quite the 100% cotton ones with random fact sheets that they sell in Woolworths back home.
Going from the 'big smoke' of Venice to the little country town of Gubbio, where the population is only 32 000, provided a chance to catch ones breath and explore a gorgeous medieval town at a leisurely pace. Naturally, our groups exploring included frequent gelato stops, scrumptious Italian foods with highlights such as a truffle Lasagne at the two Michellin star restaurant Grotta dell'Angelo, and a locally bought Italian picnic lunch overlooking Gubbio and Umbria that saw stuffed olives, fresh fruit, delectable cakes, and devine cheeses all consumed. I really don't know why I then had a massive craving for a meat pie with lots of Heinz Big Red Tomato sauce a few hours later, I think my brain wiring is experiencing some malfunctions. Either that or demonstrating the power of our addiction to sugar and ingrained habits.
Thankfully I was able to clear my head and wash alway the thoughts of meat pies during our hike down from Gubbio. After feeling a bit like Keira Knightly in Pride and Prejudice when her hair is whipping alluringly around in the wind while overlooking rugged mountains (just replace the Lakes district with Umbria and the 19th century style dress with a Polo T-shirt and Ray Bans), we made our way down a steep, gravel path where I constantly felt like Mr Tummnus from the Narnia movies would step out from behind the next tree. Hopefully I am painting some good pictures because I have literally felt like I am in a movie set the whole time I have been away. The surreal feeling extended into Assisi where midnight walks saw the stars speckled in an inky backdrop with the Basilica di San Francesco bathed by the city lights in the foreground. Unfortunately, the picture wasn't completed with the friar who had been spotted earlier that day; the Nike runners glimpsed intermittently under the tunic would have been picture perfect.
The three hour train ride from Roma to Naples is nearly at an end. To say I am just a little excited to go the home town of pizza and try the best pizza in the world, according to Eat, Pray, Love and our Intrepid guide notes, is a little bit of an understatement. Be prepared for more blog posts on food, apologies if I have made anybody hungry!
Till next time,
Ride safe, ride happy, ride in the moment
Han
So feeling almost slightly naked without my bike but have definitely put the 1.73 legs and carbon finish to good use over the past week on the Intrepid Italy Uncovered tour. Not many people can say that they literally walked their legs off; it has been pure bliss each evening coming back to the different hotels and being able to whack off one leg. Apparently it doesn't work on both sides though - mum explained that one to me a few years ago around the same time we had the birds and bees talk.
It has been fantastic meeting lots of new people - Intrepid have a policy of a max of 12 people per tour. As the Italy Uncoveored Tour is a combo package (I.e. Umbria and Rome to Amalfi) we had a changing of the guard in Roma with the NZ sisters and New Yorker leaving us and two girls from Mebourne, two from Orange (NSW), a Canadian and Brazilian joining us. The couple from Wollongong, two friends from Delaware (USA), plus myself, are the lucky ones who are going all the way from Venice to Amalfi.
Having an Italian as our Intrepid Tour Leader, affectionately dubbed Capo Mattia, has made the world of difference and meant that we have eaten at all the best local places in Venice, Gubbio, Assisi, Spello and Roma (please see blog post 4.1 for a blow-by-blow description on the lunch in Spello - it was only supposed to be a paragraph in the current blog post but the excitement captured by my typing fingers saw a stand alone post created).
It is interesting how quickly one can start to get to know a city and how quickly one can slip into patterns. Being back in Venice I knew I wanted to go to the Peggy Guggenheim for some Picasso, the Galleria dell'Accademia for some local Venetian art, and participate in a 'must do' Gondola ride; for those not wishing to spend €80 there is the taster option to cross over the Grand Canal on a Gondola for the relatively cheaper price of €2. All new experiences. However, I returned to the hidden little park I had found on both mornings in Venice for some exercise (and receivied the same number of weird looks from the Venetians) and tracked across town, down some alleyways, and crossed a piazza with two trees in the middle just to find the bakery where I had had the Worlds Best pastries. I even got a free biscuit from the lady behind the counter because she remembered me. No longer the timid traveller, I made my way boldly down unexplored alleys and pathways, knowing that in the end you always find some landmark you are familiar with. Unfortunately, my Italian language skills haven't improved quite as much as my confidence and I ended up buying some rather oddly shaped g-string pads definitely made for Italian women - not quite the 100% cotton ones with random fact sheets that they sell in Woolworths back home.
Going from the 'big smoke' of Venice to the little country town of Gubbio, where the population is only 32 000, provided a chance to catch ones breath and explore a gorgeous medieval town at a leisurely pace. Naturally, our groups exploring included frequent gelato stops, scrumptious Italian foods with highlights such as a truffle Lasagne at the two Michellin star restaurant Grotta dell'Angelo, and a locally bought Italian picnic lunch overlooking Gubbio and Umbria that saw stuffed olives, fresh fruit, delectable cakes, and devine cheeses all consumed. I really don't know why I then had a massive craving for a meat pie with lots of Heinz Big Red Tomato sauce a few hours later, I think my brain wiring is experiencing some malfunctions. Either that or demonstrating the power of our addiction to sugar and ingrained habits.
Thankfully I was able to clear my head and wash alway the thoughts of meat pies during our hike down from Gubbio. After feeling a bit like Keira Knightly in Pride and Prejudice when her hair is whipping alluringly around in the wind while overlooking rugged mountains (just replace the Lakes district with Umbria and the 19th century style dress with a Polo T-shirt and Ray Bans), we made our way down a steep, gravel path where I constantly felt like Mr Tummnus from the Narnia movies would step out from behind the next tree. Hopefully I am painting some good pictures because I have literally felt like I am in a movie set the whole time I have been away. The surreal feeling extended into Assisi where midnight walks saw the stars speckled in an inky backdrop with the Basilica di San Francesco bathed by the city lights in the foreground. Unfortunately, the picture wasn't completed with the friar who had been spotted earlier that day; the Nike runners glimpsed intermittently under the tunic would have been picture perfect.
The three hour train ride from Roma to Naples is nearly at an end. To say I am just a little excited to go the home town of pizza and try the best pizza in the world, according to Eat, Pray, Love and our Intrepid guide notes, is a little bit of an understatement. Be prepared for more blog posts on food, apologies if I have made anybody hungry!
Till next time,
Ride safe, ride happy, ride in the moment
Han
3 June 2012
A cylinder + a chain + a few colorful words = completion of the 2012 La Bella Italia
Wow. What an amazing few weeks with the Bike Dreams team. We rode as a group of 28 riders from the ferry in Belagio into Como two days ago; ironically I punctured in the last five meters. There was a rather large sigh of relief knowing that I didn't have to change my tyre and could go drink some champagne, or sparkling wine, instead. Como marked the end of the La Bella Italia tour and I am extremely excited to be rejoining th Bike Dreams team and ride from Nice to Barcelona in two weeks time.
The adventures since the Dolomites are numerous - Stelvio has been climbed and conquered, a three peaks with over 3200m of climbing and gradients of greater than 18% have heard a few colourful words come out of my mouth, and new foodie experiences have been enjoyed.
The day of the three peaks is definitely one that I will never forget. I will be internally grateful to the Bike Dreams mechanic, Ricahrd, who put a 32 cog on the back of my bike. For all those not quite in the world of Lycra, having a 32 on the back meant that instead of going backwards down the steep mountains I was able to crawl up them at 6-7km per hour.
The day also included my first puncture of the trip, it just happened to be in a dark, damp, cold, wet and miserable 750m-long cobblestone tunnel. The perfect place to puncture right?! Still being the sight cycling novice that I am, I had packed my Co2 gas cylinder but didn't realize one has to have a converter to get the gas from the cylinder into your bike tube. My adopted Dutch parents, Theo and Marjan, luckily saved the day and not only got out their converter but also helped the DID change her tyre. Life saver award of the day number one.
After riding up and down some more mountains, we were on our last descent for the day with 8km till the campsite. Somehow I managed to break my chain during this descent. The Aussie attitude of 'bugger that' came into play. As such the next 7.5km down hill saw me ride without a chain. We hit some issues though as with 665m till camp we came to a hill. Alright if one can peddle but not too great in my then current situation. The boys were keen to push me to the campsite but it was a bit dicey with all the Italian traffic. Low and behold Ray, the mountain biker from Townsville, joined up with us and had a 9 speed quick link that would hold my broken chain together. Life saver award of the day number two.
Naturally i have been experienceing amazing food, quite surprised i havent actually put on about 10kgs yet... I tried venison for the first time yesterday but, more excitingly, my spinach at dinner (trying to emulate Pop Eye and get big and strong) had butter in it; it is interesting the cravings one gets when away. I have also had fleeting cravings for charcoal chicken and a kebab with lots of garlic sauce- these generally occur at the top of mountains when there is nothing but you, the wilderness, and half of a melted energy bar in your back jersey pocket covered in the banana you squished earlier that day...
The next part of my journey does not include two wheels, not sure how I will go, but involves lots of sightseeing from Venice down to the Amalfi coast. New people, new locations, and new stories to come!
Till next time,
Ride safe, ride happy, ride in the moment
Han
The adventures since the Dolomites are numerous - Stelvio has been climbed and conquered, a three peaks with over 3200m of climbing and gradients of greater than 18% have heard a few colourful words come out of my mouth, and new foodie experiences have been enjoyed.
The day of the three peaks is definitely one that I will never forget. I will be internally grateful to the Bike Dreams mechanic, Ricahrd, who put a 32 cog on the back of my bike. For all those not quite in the world of Lycra, having a 32 on the back meant that instead of going backwards down the steep mountains I was able to crawl up them at 6-7km per hour.
The day also included my first puncture of the trip, it just happened to be in a dark, damp, cold, wet and miserable 750m-long cobblestone tunnel. The perfect place to puncture right?! Still being the sight cycling novice that I am, I had packed my Co2 gas cylinder but didn't realize one has to have a converter to get the gas from the cylinder into your bike tube. My adopted Dutch parents, Theo and Marjan, luckily saved the day and not only got out their converter but also helped the DID change her tyre. Life saver award of the day number one.
After riding up and down some more mountains, we were on our last descent for the day with 8km till the campsite. Somehow I managed to break my chain during this descent. The Aussie attitude of 'bugger that' came into play. As such the next 7.5km down hill saw me ride without a chain. We hit some issues though as with 665m till camp we came to a hill. Alright if one can peddle but not too great in my then current situation. The boys were keen to push me to the campsite but it was a bit dicey with all the Italian traffic. Low and behold Ray, the mountain biker from Townsville, joined up with us and had a 9 speed quick link that would hold my broken chain together. Life saver award of the day number two.
Naturally i have been experienceing amazing food, quite surprised i havent actually put on about 10kgs yet... I tried venison for the first time yesterday but, more excitingly, my spinach at dinner (trying to emulate Pop Eye and get big and strong) had butter in it; it is interesting the cravings one gets when away. I have also had fleeting cravings for charcoal chicken and a kebab with lots of garlic sauce- these generally occur at the top of mountains when there is nothing but you, the wilderness, and half of a melted energy bar in your back jersey pocket covered in the banana you squished earlier that day...
The next part of my journey does not include two wheels, not sure how I will go, but involves lots of sightseeing from Venice down to the Amalfi coast. New people, new locations, and new stories to come!
Till next time,
Ride safe, ride happy, ride in the moment
Han
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