Exiled to Elba: Only Four Days

When each and every bicycle trip comes to an end, my sentiments are bittersweet. 

At that point in time, I am feeling strong and at one with my bike, the hills all seem feasible and I am confident enough to experience the thrill of the downhill speeds without sitting on my brakes. In short, I am enjoying myself, I am feeling athletic and I don’t want it all to end. On the other hand, I am tired of wearing the same clothes day after day, of being sweaty and disheveled most of the time and I am badly in need of a haircut, a pedicure and some “girlie pampering”.

Luckily, that is what we plan for the last few days of a trip: a fancy resort, preferably with a beach, where we can relax and be lazy. No biking, no sight-seeing, no work of any kind. We come to a complete stop and just enjoy.

We finished this trip on the island of Elba at the wonderful five star resort, The Hermitage, which is in the infinitesimally small community of Biodola. We were only there for four wonderful days and we could have stayed much longer.

Our arrival day was an easy 50 kilometres, downhill from the hilltop town of Massa Marittima, across the valley to the sea-side and along the coast to Piombino, where we caught the ferry. We left our lodgings at 6:30 in the morning so that we could make a morning ferry which we did easily.  We arrived in Elba by 11:00 am, just in time for a wander around the ancient port town of Portoferraio, a coffee at the harbor and a little later, lunch in the pedestrian square. 

 

Then it was time for the last effort of our bike trip; six kilometres up a curvy, busy road to the ridge and then straight down a steep, tiny road to the Bay of Biodola. 

The long entrance to our hotel was lined with lush flowers, affording peek-a-boo views of the many tennis courts with matches in session. We rode our bikes up to a grand loggia where we were greeted warmly, as if we had just emerged from the Rolls: coiffed, dressed and fresh, rather than as two rather tatty visitors on bikes.











The view from our balcony overlooked the beach and the bay and was a constant source of delight, no matter what the time of day. We had chosen the right place.
There was so much to enjoy.

The food was wonderful and we soon established our own little routine with a substantial buffet breakfast on the large front deck, a little beach time on the lounge chairs lined up on the white sand beach, a little swimming in the marvelously salty sea water, a light lunch on our balcony, a rest time, more beach time followed by a walk. We enjoyed dressing for dinner, although my choices were limited. We started with our ritual Prosecco and nibblies on the deck before going in for dinner at our window table with a view.

   

I love the routines of these grand European hotels. It is always the same table for dinner, the same deck chairs at the beach, the waiter who remembers what you want, and the impeccable service at every turn.

  Unfortunately, we never found time for the pools, the swim up bar, the tennis or the luncheon buffet; but I did fit in a haircut at the salon and a pedicure at the spa, both of which made me feel a whole lot better about being around the gorgeous and well-dressed female clientele at the hotel.

So, yes, Napolean was exiled to Elba for less than a year, but it was no great hardship for him.

 On one cloudy morning we took the bus in to Portoferraio and did a bit of a tour of the fort, the tiny cobbled streets running up the hill and the villa where Napolean stayed. Right on the cliff, he had an unobstructed view of the sea and walled battlements up to the light house where he could walk, a garden to sit in and plenty of rooms to entertain his guests, write his thoughts and plan his next strategy. It was an interesting morning but we were anxious to get back to our lovely resort, especially as the sun had now come out.

The Hotel Hermitage Elba is truly a place to linger and to enjoy. It was a fitting celebratory end to a lovely Italian bike trip. 

Come on Back to the Middle Ages

Montepulciano

I love wandering around the cobble streets of small villages in central Italy, gazing up at the stone houses built so long ago and so close together; emerging into a sun-filled piazza, anchored at one end by the church and the other by the town hall, and marvelling, as I sit in a pleasant café, at how little has changed since the Middle Ages.

Siena

 These villages were all developed long before the automobile and so the streets are narrow, made for pedestrians, along with the occasional beast of burden. Built high on hilltops for protection, they have remained small and people friendly to this day. The more sensible village councils have banned cars from inside the walls, save for service vehicles. It is as if the tourist just took a step backward into the Middle Ages.

going to the parade in Volterra

However, the thing that really impressed me was how these families, who obviously have lived in the same place for centuries, still maintain the customs and traditions of medieval times. 

Each village is divided into areas or wards, called contrada.  A small village like Montepulciano, has about four contrada, while the big town of Siena has seventeen. Of course that is vastly reduced from their original seventy-four.

Each of the contrada has its own colours, its own flag and its own marching band. The inhabitants all have medieval dress of one kind or another which is brought out and worn proudly at festival times. 

banner in Gubbio

At certain times of the year, the flags and banners are hung from the houses; there are parades and eventually a medieval festival, usually in the summer time, featuring a contest between the contrada. You can imagine how these traditions draw in the tourists.

the contrada of the dragon in Siena

One of the most famous is the palio of Siena: a world famous bareback horse race around the massive and sloping central piazza, which is filled with truckloads of dirt for that one contest which takes months of preparation and which is over in seconds. Only ten of the seventeen contrada take part each year so there is a process for choosing the three repeaters that will fill out the roster. We were lucky to catch that parade and that process on the day that we entered Siena. 

the Dragon contrada is chosen to be in the palio 

It was such fun to be part of the huge crowd in the square after the parade of the Contrada of the Dragon and to watch the second floor windows of the town hall,   open one at a time for, first, the heraldic trumpet fanfare followed by the emergence of the flags of the three successful contrada that would round out the ten contrada competing this year. The roar of the crowd was deafening, the songs of that contrada, were sung fortissimo and the young men went crazy leaping about and shouting as the flag of their contrada emerged victorious.

guards with crossbows in Volterra

practicing with bullocks in Larino

But there are many kinds of contests, other than horse racing, hearkening back to the skills of medieval times. In hilly Montepulciano, renowned for its wine, teams of young men push barrels up the steep and winding streets to the cathedral; in Volterra, they have a target shooting competition with crossbows; in Larino, they have a race of carts pulled by bullocks; in the large piazza of Arezzo, there is a jousting competition on horseback, and these are just a few.   

Scanno

Then to round off the festivities there is singing and dancing, eating and drinking for, after all, this is Italy, and they know how to have a good time. It is a lovely thing to be part of especially when you realize these traditions have been going on long before Europeans came to Canada.

from the castle San Gimignano

children practice drumming in Gubbio

words of the contrada song

They teach the youth how to drum and to march and to wave the flags and to compete in the various contests. We were in Gubbio just a day before their medieval festival and we saw and heard the little boys practicing their drumming and marching through the streets in the early evening in preparation for the big event in the days to come.

flag waving is an art in Siena parade of the Dragon contrada

As you might have guessed, these contests features the young men of the village, full of energy and displaying the strength and enthusiasm of the young.  I have to compare this with so many other countries where testosterone-filled young men engage in terrorist activities, join gangs and fuel conflict between factions in a very real and violent way. My vote goes to the Italians who encourage the youth to expend their energy in a contest that hearkens back to olden days, which provides much entertainment for visitors, keeps the family traditions alive and gives much cause for celebration when it is over.

through the Etruscan gate, up the cobbled streets, Minas returns to the Middle Ages in Volterra

Florence or Firenze: Grace or Passion. Is the City Either of These?

The Firenze skyline from the Piazzale di Michelangelo

I was really looking forward to our four day visit to Florence.

Just the name, Florence, as westerners call it, evokes grace and culture, stately architecture and symphonic music, images of flowers and the care of old fashioned nurses. On the other hand, Firenze, as Italians have always named it, calls up images of passion and fireworks, the music of classical guitars and operatic tenors and all manner of erotic statuary and paintings. 

Elegance and passion please: David and Hercules in the Piazza della Signoria

What did I want? Well..... would a combination of the elegance of Vienna and the earthy soul of Prague be too much to ask for? I guess it was because I was a little disappointed in my experience in Firenze.

  

Minas at the Piazzale di Michelangelo

Florence/Firenze is a huge place and, to the city’s credit, they have managed to make it people friendly by keeping the cars at bay and leaving the old city centre to the people. But what crowds of people there were. Do you know how quickly a few bus loads of tourists can fill a piazza? There were line ups for everything: line up to buy the ticket, line up to get in, shuffle along in the line to see the exhibits and line up to get out.

We decided on the first day that we would not subject ourselves to that kind of experience so we didn’t. Instead we found other ways to enjoy the city. The piazzas are large and there are many of them, and there are usually more than enough café seats to go around. Just sitting sipping a drink and watching the people was a pleasure. 

I did have a few pangs of jealousy at the spectacular outfits of the Italian women and the shopping bags in nearly every female’s hands. No looking at leather bags and shoes for me. One of the downsides of travelling by bike is that shopping is rarely possible. Of course Minas would tell you that was a benefit as there is no time or money wasted on shopping. The “You don’t need it,” comment becomes “You can’t take it with you.” True! 

Minas and his sexy Fiat Cinque Cento

But then just look at the toy he would have loved to have come home with.

Ponte Vecchio across the Arno River

The Arno River runs wide and deep right through the heart of Florence and a walk across the Ponte Vecchio and up to the Piazzale di Michelangelo and the Boboli Gardens on the other side affords some calming green space as well as spectacular views of the church domes and spires of Florence. 

the skyline of Firenze from the Boboli Gardens

The round dome of the duomo is evident in peek a boo views from all over the medieval core of the city.

We had tried to buy tickets on line for the Uffizi and for the Duomo and for the Accademia with David several weeks before we got to Florence. They were apparently all sold out so we gave up. However, one noon time, we walked by the Accademia and there were no line ups so in we went and saw the great statue. What was more interesting to me were the half dozen unfinished works of Michelangelo where the statue was just emerging from the immense block of marble. No pictures allowed unfortunately.  

the ornate back wall of the Firenze duomo

We managed to do the same trick just walking by the duomo in the early evening of the June first holiday when there is no entrance fee.  It is a large barren gothic basilica and I am certainly glad we didn’t wait in any lines for that one. Climbing the tower seemed to be a popular line up and another one we bypassed. 

The Uffizi Gallery will have to wait for another visit.

the duomo and Leaning Tower in Pisa

The other big city on the Arno is Pisa and, probably because I was expecting to be disappointed, I was, instead, charmed. The famous duomo, the Leaning Tower, the CampoSanto (cemetery) and the Baptistery are all clustered in the far corner of the city, backed by the old walls and set amidst green grass. Our early morning visit gave us the place to ourselves for a short while and this made all the difference to our enjoyment.

the famous Tower and it really does lean

Am I picky? Probably.

typical Tuscany

view from the tower in Montepulcano

There is much to love about Tuscany: the rolling hills clad in vineyards and olive groves; the smaller, more manageable places of Montepulciano, and San Gimignano which are crowded by day but are magically empty in the evening for leisurely after dinner strolls; and the bigger cities like Siena, Arezzo and Lucca that may not have the Unesco Heritage designations or the world famous monuments but still are lovely medieval walled towns with many features to explore. 

And of course we can’t forget the wines of the area which we have sampled in abundance  and which we will not soon forget.

Chianti red

Orvieto white

vino nobile di Montepulciano

Little things please me. 

duomo of Siena from our room

Opening the windows of the very modest B&B room in Siena to find a magnificent view of the cathedral was a thrill.

jasmine in bloom

Inhaling the heady scent of jasmine as I cycled past hedges of the fragrant blossom was intoxicating.

Finding that the patron saint of Siena is Santa Caterina and the flag of the medieval quarter we stayed in was the dragon rampant just like the Welsh flag I was born under brought a smile to my face.

Santa Catarina in Siena

il drago in Siena

And especially, I love a market.

the market of Pistoia

In the past few weeks we have been off the bike more than we have been on it as we toured the big attractions of Tuscany. 

Cathy and some of the towers of San Gimignano

But when it comes right down to it, I guess I am a village girl at heart. I love nothing more than riding into a smallish village on my bike, checking into a small hotel, exploring the village on foot and having a delicious dinner with a good glass of wine (or two).

Unfortunately, our tour is nearly over, although we have already started to talk about the next one.