+4422/-4217m
max grade 15%
Sat 4th to S.Gimignano
> Taxi to LHR at 6.25. Flight to Pisa on time at 8.50. Met with Hudgells Crows Redmans and Clayton. Nice flight with views of Matterhorn. Arrived 12 gorgeous sunshine . Van and car to first stop S.Gimgnano. Amazing towers which can be seen for miles beautiful medieval town. We were in hotel in main square. The Cisterna. High ceiling room with beams and splendid views across the Tuscan hills. Lunch outside in the square - first aperol spritzer of the trip - sunshine in a glass. Visited the church - frescos 15thC on every wall notable Annunciation by Fillipi. Up the tower for stunning views over town and country. The 14thC towers were built by families at the time. 15 remain used to be many more. Back to hotel for drink in square and Scobles arrived from Florence at about 5pm with Paul Rivera and wife Lilian - just with us for the evening. Also met Natalie from Oz who was an extra to the group.
> Another walk around just the 2 of us an excellent gelato coconut and choc with cherries and a visit to the wine museum. Dinner in hotel. Lovely antipasti then pasta and grilled veg. Local white Vernaccia was fruity and delicious.. Bed at 10pm
> Sun 5th 42km S. Gimignano to Panzano
> Brekka lots of choice and good coffee and great views over Tuscany. 8.30am. Market in main square - time for a mouch around while Bernard got the bikes fitted. Lots of merry banter around the bikes down a quaint alley at the back of hotel. Hot sunshine. Bought a bag for mum and a belt for Nigel. Set off eventually at 11.30 wonderful downs and taxing ups before lunch with epic view at Barberino - ancient walled hill top town. Lunch of ravioli handmade cheese and spinach and aberol spritzer on a terrace overlooking vineyards and hills. Quick look in church to see the 13thC preserved body of the bishop died 1295. After noon cycle was again stunningly beautiful with the lowering sun creating wonderful recessions - hill on hill on hill into the distance. Long final climb but steady gradient and we all made it to the gelato at the top on the left at Panzano di Chianti. Melon flavour interesting. A hard day 42 Km. Jane was recovering from a cold and found it tough going. Hotel right nearby the gelato shop - wheeled bikes around to the back. Rooms spacious with views into the square and to the hills. Great hot shower and washed bike pants and rung out with towel a la LEJOG technique. Down to dinner at 7.30 - semi-drunk German landlord was slightly off putting! Aberol spritzers not up to standard but a good meal of pasta followed by beef escalope wines local Greve white and a nice chianti - and we are in Chianti - it's not just a red wine it's a region! Bed at 10pm.
> Mon 6th 40km Panzano to Devoli near Vagliglia
> Good brekka in a room with lovely views of vista. Depart at 9.30 main group to Greve via bikes and amazing scenery sunshine and dirt tracks and church at the top of the hill. Smaller group via taxi. All well met in Greve and to the amazing wine chianti experience with cards in slots to gain wine tasting experience of chianti Classico and reservas and Montepulciano etc etc very good and then coffee an depart via separate ways. A long but pleasant haul by bike back to Panzano for pizza in the square then off we go to Radda. Not too bad but a long haul the last bit. Coffee and refresh in Radda then onwards to Vagliglia. Stopped En route to watch grapes in the de stalker machine and onwards into wine processing. Long hill on gravel but wonderful evening sunshine then from Ailoi down to Devoli vineyard and wonderful hotel for swim and drinks and amazing meal around a beautiful table Superb meal and wines. Bernard u did us proud
> Tues 7th 40km Devoli to Siena
> Breakfast under a persimmon tree looking across the Tuscan vineyards. Great choice of fruits, yog , egg, bacon, croissant etc though getting a cup of tea was a challenge for David - the loose leaves were a problem! Had a wander around the estate to see the vineyards and another idyllic swimming pool set high over the landscape. At 10 am there was a wine tasting and tour of the cellars and winemaking facility. 5 wines to try all Dievelo - rose(same grape but only 12 hours fermentation with the grapes compared with 15 days for the reds); chianti Classico and 3 more reds all Sangiovese grape, one 100%,one 80% with Merlot and petit Verdot, one a reserva which has been aged in oak barika (small barrel) for 2 years rather than 1 yr and a top of the range aged for 4 yrs. A very good tour by a guy with a dry sense of humour and just the right amount of info. Back on bikes at 11am. A steep haul up out of the valley along a white road (gravel) 'Bianca strada') to Vagliagli then up again to a viewpoint of Siena and a geocache which Natalie found hidden in a war monument. Beautiful ride up and then down a long long Bianca strada with fabulous views and on to coffee at Querciagrosso. More up and down across a railway - saw a train pass- then a turn off along a difficult path with stones and grass up to the amazing hilltop walled hamlet of Monteriggioni where we had a delicious lunch outside in the sunshine with views of castle walls and towers. Tried the local Tuscan soup - quite tasty- and a cool glass of white wine followed by delicious gelato coconut and chocolate. Onwards to Siena in the afternoon with a lot of up along quite busy road. Wendy Jane and Bernard were at the back and we waited at the top. They had stopped to see a wild bore and baby.......... Allegedly ! Through very busy traffic into Siena a car almost sliced me as it cut across my path. We entered the city wall through a big ancient red brick gate then through narrow pedestrian street with high brown tenements we annoyed many walkers as we wobbled between them at last arriving at the impressive shell shaped campo - a vast open paved area sloping in on all sides down to palazzo with enormously high tower. We peddled across and parked bikes and celebrated our arrival with aperol spritzers and beers. The lovely waiter kept bringing us delicious pizzas to go with our drinks. Another km of narrow streets brought us to the rose gate out of the city and just beyond past the ospedale psycologe was our hotel S Caterina. Our room was unusual with a mezzanine bed space in the roof with a tiny metal staircase up to it. Showered and changed then a walk back to the campo for a vast meal of 5 courses. Ercole was our host with delightful descriptions of our menu and wines to match- Vernaccia white then rose then chianti. The restaurant was called Guidoriccio. Tomato/bread porridge starter then antipasti then 2 courses of pasta - delicious veggie lasagne then tasty gnocchi - lastly beef cooked al sangua with rosemary and sage. Very full! Walk back to hotel for a good sleep.
> Wed 9th 43.5km Siena to Asciono
> Gentle start with brekka at 8.30 in a room looking out onto garden patio with wonderful views of the Tuscan hills surrounding Siena. Much laughter at brekka about the 'small' meal the night before. We set off for the Duomo at 9.30 cycling through the Puerto Romana in the SE of the city to the Campo then across that walking the bikes and onward to the Duomo for entry at 10.30. The outside of the duomo is a vision of whites and pink with rich painting and ornate statuary. The tower is white and dark green striped and a hint of the huge dome roof can be seen from the Piazza. Huge arched build attached at the right is where a much bigger church was started but never completed. This cathedral was built from 14thC and stopped building because of lack of workers during the Black Death pandemic. Going inside the effect is stunning with a consistency of design - high columns in white and black stripe soaring up to the vaulted ceiling with the wonderful starry dome above the altar. But the marvel is the marble inlaid floor depicting all manner of battles and animals in amazing detail and with wonderful geometric borders; the small library was delightful with frescoes in brilliant colours and illuminated manuscripts open below. A Donatello bronze of John the B was interesting and the hex pulpit was impressive and huge. It got very busy as the crowds trekked in we left by 11.30 out of the southern gate St Marco again through narrow streets dodging pedestrians. A bit of traffic before turning off onto a beautiful rolling smooth empty road with stunning views of sandy coloured fields and hilltop villas. Views back to Siena every km or so. Coffee stop at villa Di Corsano and onward again similar vistas to lunch with a hill at Caffe Briccola in Monteroni - delicious pesto gnocchi and aubergine parmigiana and a white wine. In the pm we found a strada Bianca with some tough ups and downs through amazing hills and entering Les Cretes with sharp slippages of land giving craggy edges to the hills. We lost John who had a puncture so Bernie went back to attend while Stu became leader up some very steep and difficult gravelly undulations. Saw sheep being tended by sheep dogs of a brilliant white - yelping as we passed -one lay with just it's head peaking out of the grass - then sprang up as we passed defending the sheep. Arrived at a smooth road at last with a hill up into Asciono along the Main Street never any pavements to th square for a aperol then to the hotel up again to clean white rooms more basic but fine. Evening meal was surreal with the usual 5 courses but accompanied by karioki which Patrick and Bernie and David and Malcolm joined in. Encouraged by Natalie dancing . She then fell prostrate with left hip pain! A most bizarre evening but good food and great fun and the Brunello 2007 at 24 euro was a bargain.
> Thurs 10th 38km Asciono to Montalcino
> Brekka across the road was good not great but muesli and yoghurt and cake with choc spread and grapes was plenty! Set off out of Asciono up hill with wonderful views a long climb to the abbey Monte Olivete Maggiore set amongst steep wooded hills. Massive red brick buildings almost hidden. We parked and walked down precipitous brick path across a draw bridge with statue of Mary above . Abbey church baroque while abbey monastery where there are still 30 monks in white habits was medieval with library and refectory in use still. The cloisters with frescoes of the life of St Bernardino from the 6th C were the main attraction. Amazing detail and everyday vignettes as well as scenes of battle, gore and miracles. The frescoes were painted by 2 artists Sodomo and ..... The former made critical comments of the monks' poor remuneration for his artwork - example 'short-armed' monks with no visible hands in some scenes. An hour with art then back up to coffee shop set midst the trees and greenery very pretty Che Bella! But P not feeling well today. Cycled an amazing descent to lunch at Buon Convento a delightful walled town to Osteria with arched and brick interior. Great menu turistico for 15 euro. Soup and cold meats and a macchiato. Cycled onwards and upwards to vineyard Vino Di suga and lovely Christina with red hair scraped back and torn jeans boots and a petit leather jacket. Interesting tour of the cellars and saw the wine being pumped from the fermentation chamber to the storage vat. Down one the two levels to 50 metres below to the barriques chamber with hundreds of barrels. Tasting of Brunello which is 100% Sangiovese grape and has to be in barrel or bottle for at least 5 years to be called Brunello. If not then just vino Rosso. Tasting was informative but not overwhelmed by this red wine. Tends to be expensive beacause of the long maturing process. Onward and upward in the late afternoon sun with fabulous views over sandy coloured hills and vineyards. Hand picking grapes and tractor in the vineyards at the side of road I stopped and greeted 'come stai?' And was answered 'no bene'! Very long up in one and one but not too puffy; traffic a bit busy. At last at Montalcino and very pretty hotel just at the town gate with pool and views. Rooms with mini fresco details on the walls and sofas and chairs to match the pretty curtains. Quick swim very chilly then shower and walk to castle and cathedral through narrow streets with enoteca Brunello at every turn. Dinner near castle at Osteria - mushroom soup then delicious beef tongue with parsley sauce and Brunello of course ! But house red tasted just as good!
> Fri 11th 46 km Montalcino to Montepulciano
> A lovely brekka in a pretty dining room with views over the Tuscan hills and the swimming pool just below the window. We left by 10 am but without P and G as he was still not on full power. We headed down the hill a wonderful whizz for a few km then found a white road which climbed for a while then some ups and downs which were all fine and views around as usual of golden hills and terracotta villas and the characteristic cypress trees. Anna went a different way to avoid the gravel but we all met up after a stiff climb into Pienza for lunch. This had the narrow medieval streets we have come to expect and the Pope Pius II Piazza which was small but apparently perfectly formed. We explored the church which had tall elegant columns with pink marble and arches and ceiling painted in blues and gold. Lunch just outside the town gate. Salad of Pienza pecorino cheese for lunch and a white wine. Delicious gelato ginger flavour and dark chocolate. Onward and downward via a precipitous white strada followed by impossible ups and downs for about 10 km. Views of the hilltop towns were magnificent but the gravel and gradients kept us very occupied. I took a gentle right sideways topple when a motorcycle came towards me and my right foot was cleated. No great damage though so carried on but soon after I had a puncture which Bernard efficiently mended. After a steep upward haul we all arrived at Montepulciano grand piazza at about 6 pm. The way up was complicated through amazingly steep streets but the welcome from G and P was great and we took end of trip photos and sipped prosecco to celebrate. The Piazza Grande was impressive with lovely palazzio and cathedral. Downwards a daring angle through busy pedestrian streets to the oldest hotel the Marzocco. Rather austere marble and old photos and prints but huge rooms and very comfy. Out to meal across the road at 8 pm for usual antipasti and beef stew and wines served by helpful young Italian with good English . A nice meal followed by the traditional vino Santi and biscuits and also a sort of trifle made of the same was delicious. Bed at 11 pm.
> Sat 11th Oct Montepulciano and home
> Lie in. Brekka in bed thanks to thoughtful hubbie. Explored the city - cathedral, museum and palace and shops. 12.30 lunch with team at Osteria with a gorgeous view. Pick up at 3pm to Pisa. 2 hr drive then plane at 7.50 pm with 11 of the group then home by 10pm. End of a great trip.