Having a Hard Time

I am frustrated. It is 3 o'clock in the morning. I have been glued to my new Italian computer for the last 18 hours and it looks like I will be doing this for the next several weeks. It is arduous and time consuming just loading up a new computer even if it is in your native language and even if you know what you are doing. I am trying to download all of the programs that I used to have on my now-dead-and-buried old laptop. Like all of my contact data, all my backup files, Mozilla, Google Earth, Garmin, Microsoft Office, Vius Software, Spyware software, Blackberry software, software for my camera, I Tunes, etc, etc, etc. I am simultaneoulsy learning over 20 software programs, all in Italian....all at the same time. I'm overwhelmed, mentally exhausted and have a headache. Everything takes much longer to download, the keyboard and how you place your fingers is different. It's like learning how to type all over again from scratch.

I must say, however, that by the time I am done with this (maybe by April) I will have learned ALOT of new Italian vocabulary. I just wish this had happened at some other time rather than now. I would rather be out there, socializing and speaking the language instead of staring at my computer all day long.

Hi-Tech Italian

So I gave up a gorgeous day of riding today, to go to one of Italy's largest shopping malls (a relatively new phenomena here) to shop for a new laptop computer. After taking a 1/2 hour bus outside the Florentine suburbs, I arrived at the mall and headed for Mediaworld, an enorrmous computer and appliance mega-store, kind of like Best Buy, but larger and more inviting.

I had asked my Italian friends' advice where to shop for a new computer. And as is usual, everyone has a "friend" in the business. Well, that made me feel real warm and cozy. Until I ran all over downtown Florence seeking out all of these "friends". .Who, as I discovered, either didn't sell computers, didn't know anything about them but can "get you one for a good price" or, here's the best....one of them nearly convinced me that I really don't even need a computer. What I really need is an espresso machine. I almost walked out of the store with a stunning, feature-packed De Longhi with all the bells and whistles. Until I stopped in my tracks, laughed at myself and as I pulled out my credit card, I looked at the cashier and said "Do you know any large stores around here that sell computers?" She said "No, but my cousin can get you one". I said "Grazie, e arrivederci." I left the espresso machine behind.

So I contacted my American friend, Melinda Gallo, writer and author of the best blog about Florence, Living in Florence. She knows every inch of this city, and she recommended Mediaworld. She was right. I should have just asked her in the first place.

I was really pleased by the experience. I had expected to hunt around and beg for sales assistance. But there were twice as many salespeople than there were customers. Available, passionate, animated, endlessly helpful, patient and very knowledgeable. I found exactly what I wanted. I was so welcomed with the atmosphere and assistance, that I decided to stay and shop around for a new camera. My last camera was damaged by water, months ago and I had never replaced it. So, while I was in Mediaworld, I bought an underwater camera that I don't even intend to use underwater, but it was small, light, virtually indestructible, and is perfect for the pocket of my cycling jersey.

I was having such a great time learning about all the Italian appliances, that I ended up spending a leisurely afternoon getting personal demos of espresso machines, vacuum cleaners, and unusual Italian kitchen appliances like pasta machines, pprosciutto-slicing machines, while expanding and practicing my Italian vocabulary. It was indeed an entertaining day and a great learning experience.

I usually hate malls. But I loved this one. I loved the people and the pace. Neither as rushed nor as aggressively chaotic as a New York mall and not as boring and antiseptic as a California mall. Nobody pushing and bumping into you, everyone smiling and yeilding, a very happy energy. It had an uplifting, dynamic, positive feel.

I also loved the salespeople. Except for the small touristy stores in downtown Florence, it has been my experience that Italian salespeople are the best. They are proud of their work, they are inherently passionate about their products, they love to give advice, want to make you genuinely happy, they enjoy talking to you, are not putting on an act, do not expect you to buy, are never pushy or assuming. They are just having fun. I don't know how many times a salesperson and I exchanged personal phone numbers with the intention of getting together socially. And in one case, we did.

Well, today was another milestone for me. Buying an Italian computer with an Italian keyboard with Windows Vista in the Italian language, instead of waiting for an American one. Everything happens for a reason. The more I have to make decisions like this, the more I realize that I have no doubts about digging myself deeper and deeper into the culture. I was really elated, having been able to conduct the whole buying process in Italian, technical jargon and all.

Working On Bike Things

Yesterday, upon arriving in Florence after a 150k ride, I broke my right shifter cable. Luckily it was at the end of the ride and I was stuck in my 12, not a bad gear to be stuck in. I asked Dominick to refer me to a bike shop that could fix this right away. He told me to go to Le Due Ruote which sponsors his race team and to ask for Giuliano.

Le Due Ruote is a mom-and-pop store, located outside of the downtown area and they've been in business for 80 years. As opposed to the bike store that I go to now, which is more of a large scale business enterprise. I got such a warm and cozy feeling when I met Giuliano. He fixed my bike on the spot and I hung out speaking with him and his wife for an hour.

Standing in the shop made me feel like I was taking a trip into the past. There were team photos plastered all over the walls, going back for years. Some of them were so old, they were brown and white. I just think it is so fascinating to see the old classic wool jerseys, the funny looking soft plastic "helmets" that they used to wear, the white socks and black shoes....and oh, those simple steel bikes. No wonder there are so many cycling museums here in Italy. Giuliano proudly showed me photos and trophies that his race team has won over the years. I asked him alot of questions about the origins of the team. A few of their team members went on to be pros. I asked him if there were any women on the team and he said that there are one or two, but that they never really ride. I asked him why Italian women do not ride bikes and he told me the same story that I hear from everyone else. Italian women play tennis and go to the palestra, where they ride spin bikes. They dress very fashionable and they really don't sweat because they don't like to sweat. For the most part, they wouldn't be caught dead on a bike. In a way, I wish there were more women riding bikes, that way I wouldn't feel like a freak. But on the other hand, I got all these guys to myself! Now....If I can only just have ONE. That's all I want. Giuliano invited me to ride with the team on Sunday. I don't know if I will, but it's nice to know that I'm welcome.

Then I rode to the office of Best Tuscan Tours and met with Dominick to review a proposal that I'm preparing for a prospective group tour for next summer. The prospect happens to be someone that I know from San Diego who is developing a summer abroad program that involves cycling. We reviewed the tour itinerary that I developed. He made some different suggestions on the itinerary. He reviewed prices and costs with me. I have alot to learn about this business and I'm happy to have someone who is investing the time to help me learn.

Cycling to Castello di Brolio

In my furthest dreams I never would have imagined myself going to a "business meeting" at Castello di Brolio, in the heart of Chianti country. And on a bike. And on a day as beautiful as today.

It's days like this that make all the excrutiating growing pains so bearable. It's days like this that make me feel so gutterally, so umbilically attached to this land. It's days like this (and I have to admit there are plenty of days "like" this) that have crystallized my decsion (or my "call") to settle here.

Leif is my good friend, my mentor, my coach, and has become kind of like a partner. He's been like a guardian angel to me ever since I met him a year ago. We've become good friends, great friends, nothing more, nothing less. Leif is the one who "noticed" me, took me under his wing, opened up the doors for me, took me on the road, introduced me to all the local people in the touring business, and we've spent thousands of kilometers together on the road. Today he took me to Castello di Brolio, where he had an appointment with their marketing folks to collaborate with them regarding some 2010 wine tastings and castle tours that he is organizing for his next year's tour clients.

It was an all-day, 90 mile adventure on the bike, at a time of year when Chianti land really shines. Most of the vineyards have already finished their vendemmia (grape harvest) and many of the vineyards are sending their grape skins and seeds to the grappa distilleries. What does this mean? It means that if you're on your bike, you get blasted with an intense smell of wine permeating the air all day long!! And you see these tiny little miniature vechicles, reminiscent of Matchbox trucks, bringing grapes to the grappa factories all day long! It's a pretty special and intersting time of year. The tourists are all gone and Tuscany starts feeling cozier. Being the start of my second year living here, it is begining to feel more and more like home. I've seen the seasons change once, and I am seeing them change again. I am feeling more established, and less like a newcomer.

It was pretty cold out this morning when we started. I even had to wear a neck warmer and face mask. But by 11am, it was already in the low '50's and the sun was shining over a bright blue sky. We went by way of Galuzzo to Ferrone, where we had a cappucino and then on through Greve to Panzano, where I told Leif that I didn't think that I was going to be able to continue the fast pace to make it to the meeting on time, and I was really wondering if I would be able to do the whole 90 hilly miles. The cold weather was draining my energy and I've been "out of condition" over the past couple of weeks while my bike was in repair, and while I was busy having fun in Capri. But, instead of letting me turn back, he called the castle and asked them if we could be an hour late. You don't usually have to ask permission to be late for anything in Italy, but he did. Anyway, this took the pressure off, and we were even able to stop in Radda for a quick lunch where I accidentally mistook the sugar for cheese which didn't go too well with my tagliatelle. Poor Leif did a "monkey-see, monkey-do" and dispensed a spoonful of sugar over his ravioli di tartuffe. It was an expensive mistake!

The pasta hit-the-spot. I am becoming more conditioned to doing things like eating a real meal during a ride, and actually relaxing. When you're a bike tour guide, you have to do things in a very different way, because most bike tourists don't come to Tuscany just to zoom by all the magnificent scenery and not see anything. They come to taste the culture, to be coddled, entertained, and to be fascinated by the wine, the food, the scenery.

I had read about the 1,000 year-old Castello di Brolio in my casual studies of Florentine and Sienese history, and knew a little about it being the home of the Ricasoli family, who produces Tucany's best and oldest Chianti wines, and who established the original formula that forms the basis of what is known today as Chianti Classico . As we approached, I was pretty startled by its enormity and its commanding position on a promontory in the southern Chianti hills. Now I understand why it was such a strategic stronghold, having been possessed and re-possessed by so many kings, monarchs barrons and popes of Italian history.

Upon entering the winery, we were greeted by the reception staff and guided into the main tasting room, and then to the marketing offices, where Simone, the sales director, Leif's contact, greeted us. Leif introduced me and we engaged in a dialogue regarding how they can customize some wine-tasting tours that Leif is planning for next year. Then Simone announced that she is pregnant, and introduced us to the woman who will be taking her place. I was astonished to meet Jamie Biagi.....who also worked and lived in NYC at JPMorgan Chase. We had alot in common to talk about. It was indeed a surprising encounter. We exchanged contact information and will surely be seeing each other again in the future.

Riding back home I got a second wind and never bonked like I thought I would. We stopped in Panzano for another shot of espresso. As we rode, I kept on thinking about how much I would really like to take more photos of the magnificent scenery, which I never seem to be able to get enough of. But, as any cyclist knows, by the time you stop to take the photo, the angle, the perspective, the opportunity to capture the moment that you just saw through your eyes...is gone. You can't take photos of this. You are riding through a multi-dimensional panorama that is impossible to capture in a photo. But the memory is permanent and could never be explained or appreciated by anyone who isn't there, sharing the vision and the experience with you at the very same moment.

In one way, I regret this being true, because others cannot understand. And in another way, I just have to thank God for giving me this special, if not solitary, perspective.

Panzano with Leif

Today I did a bit of training with Leif, who is another tour guide and sommelier who has pretty much taught me the ropes of bike tour guiding. He's been working here as a professional bike and wine tour guide for 5 years. He's one of those cyclists who has a special sense of "radar"....he knows every inch of Tuscany's roads. He's been a great teacher and has taken a special interest in me. He's helped to orient me and has taught me not just the roads, but the best places for wine tastings, gelato stops, and has introduced to me to the owners of many B&B's, hotels in places like Radda, Castellina and Siena. He knows all the hot spots that tourists want to see, and where to take them for special meals, tours of vineyards and olive farms, etc. It has not only been a great education, but how could you not "love it"? I feel like a tourist myself...but wow...this is my work!!!

We rode south to Greve, where we refueled with a panino at Le Logge and then climbed further south to Panzano, where I was hoping the Conca d'Oro would be open, so that I could introduce Leif to the owners, who are friends of Gianluca. Unfortunately, they were closed, so we headed back for Firenze. It was pretty cool today, I had to wear panatloni, manicotti and a giacca antivento. Tomorrow we are heading further south, where he has some business to do at Castello di Brolio, (near Gaiole) where he's arranging a private wine tasting for some future clients. Next week, Leif and I will be working a tour together.

Capri from the Inside

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I never wrote about my very special trip to Capri in September. It was such a stunning experience that I couldn't find the words. I still can't find the words.

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In early September, Costantino, my very good Italian friend from Laguna Niguel invited me to Capri, to celebrate his 50th birthday. He and his wife Carol spend a month in Italy every year to visit his family in Capri, and to travel around. But this year was special for Costantino, because he was celebrating his 50th.

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I hadn't seen Costantino since my last trip to San Clemente, where, 4 years before, we had met and became good friends and cycling buddies. By pure chance, we had met each other on the road in San Onofre, on our bikes. After a year of always passing each other going in the opposite direction, we finally both spontaneously slowed down, introduced ourselves and that was the start of our friendship. We spent alot of time riding together through Camp Pendleton, and eventually his wife Carol joined us, and she eventually became a cyclist herself.

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Costantino was born and raised on Capri, the island next to Ischia where my family is from. So we share a common heritage, and this was the real thing that bonded us. We come from the same seriously crazy (totally nuts ) Napolitano blood, traditions and personality. Questo è qualcosa di molto particolare. Only an Italian would understand what I mean.

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I, like most travelers, had only previously seen Capri from a tourist's perspective in all its fantasty and glamour.....too many years ago, with my ex. But this trip was very different and very special because this time I had the opportunity to see Capri from the perspective of a person who was raised and lived there for the first 21 years of his life.

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I spent many special moments with him and his family, met many of his cousins, aunts and uncles who live there and own/manage some of the most celebrated hotels and restaurants on the island. With his wife, mother and sister, he took me everywhere and showed me everything. Like the soccer field that he played on as a teenager....like the church that he was baptized in.....like the cemetery where his father is buried. I learned many secrets of his past and met many of his childhood friends who never left the island and still remain there today. I saw a Capri that nobody gets to see.

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For me, the highlight was the many wonderful meals prepared by his graceful, vivacious mother at her house, and the nostalgic fish dinner at his aunt's house. Not to mention his elegant birthday dinner at one of the top restaurants on the island. and dancing in a seriouis VIP nightclub afterwards until 4am. I enjoyed some surprises.....for instance.....I never realized just how "famous" Costantino is.....we were followed and photographed by Paparrazzi who jumped out of nightclubs, restaurants, piazzas....When Costantino told me what to do when we saw them, I laughed and thought he was kidding...but he wasn't kidding....it seemed that he owned the island. I was amazed! I was so honored to be the only "outside" guest who he invited to his magnificent 50th birthday celebration. Love you Costantino!

Today's Therapy

I start in the cozy cobblestone streets in my neighborhood, saying hello to merchants and neighbors (I'm sure they think I'm strange, rolling around in lycra instead of high heels, although they always chat and greet me with a smile) and within 5 minutes I'm on the "viale" (a 4-lane road where I am surrounded by the piercing energy of speeding motorcycles, busses and cars). I am pent up, and the motorcylces are so sharp, so sexy, so quick... the energy revs me up. Only moments later, the traffic is behind and I am crossing a little isolated "secret path"across the river to San Domenico. Then I am climbing, climbing, climbing the fanatastic road up through Fiesole, surrounded by ancient stone walls, with the spellbinding panorama of Florence now 1,000 feet below me, and then I reach this stunning Etruscan town where the road levels out for a minute, and then as I pass the chiesa, the Roman ruins, the pasticerria and macelleria, I suddenly enter heaven. All of a sudden, the cypress trees are standing above me, in a narrow lane that goes on for miles. They are always blasting with overpowering smells of pine. It is noticeably 10 degrees cooler up here. There are no cars. With the exception of other cyclists, I am the only moving object on this blessed road. The road becomes increasingly silent and I begin to see chicken coups, old stone farmhouses, endless vineyards and sprawling pastures dotted with bales of hay....quiet, peaceful unadulterated roads. The landscape starts to change and as I climb higher, the temperature falls another 5 degrees, the chestnut tress and pine forests start to appear. Did I really leave my apartment only 35 minutes ago? And suddenly the summit of Monte Senario comes into view 10 miles out in the distance, perched up on a commanding peak that dominates the countryside. My destination. I don't think I will ever stop being stunned by the beauty of the road that takes me there.

Today I was pent-up when I left my apartment, but this particular ride is my cure-all. As I turned up the second climb to Bvigliano where the road is a constant 8% grade, the still-surviving rasperries along the road begged me to stop to eat them. There is nothing like it. Nothing around....just me, the sight of Monte Senario, the endless vistas of rolling hills and vineyards....and raspberries. I saved my Powerbar for another day.

I stop to refill my waterbottle at the top of the climb, under the evergreen and chestnut trees. The water coming from this fountain is mountain-fresh, cool, soothing. And then I cover up my arms with my manicotti (did you ever wonder where that word came from? "Arm warmers") and I put on my windbreaker for the descent. And in another blissful 15 miles I am back in my piazza, saying hello again to the same neighbors and merchants. But I am in a totally different state of mind than when I left.

I savored every single moment of my ride today. Because I know that the weather is changing quickly. It is getting cold. Before you know it...and it could happen ANY day now.....it will be too cold to ride up north. The weather really changes fast. We've been blessed with such beautiful cool but not cold autumn weather. So I never know if today's ride up to Monte Senario will be my last of the season. As soon as it gets cold, the rides will be heading south into Chianti country. So, for now, I will appreciate every minute of this fantastic ride.

Getting Back on My Feet Again

This has not been a good month, although I've had some seriously exceptional moments, including a beautiful "insiders trip" to Capri, a couple of fun dates, some fabulous rides and tours, dinners and get-togethers with friends, some interesting (but not as much as I would like) new work, and many golden moments that happen to me every single day without fail, here in Florence. But I've been uninspired and unable to write. Until now.

I know that everyone has been wondering and worrying about me. I'm sorry. Unfortunately, almost everything that can go wrong, went wrong all at once.

In mid-September I was very, very sick with a virus and fever for 8 days. I could hardly move out of bed and hadn't been that sick in decades. I had a knock-out virus, infection, and fever. I went to my new doctor for the first time, and don't know how I even got there. It was strange to go to "my" doctor in the famed Piazza Santa Croce, and yet to have to walk up 3 dark flights of ill-maintained stairs. I cringed before I even arrived at the office. I don't know whether my doctor is representative of all doctors here, (maybe I just picked a bad one?) but I will need to find out, because I really expected a bit more automation and technology. Instead, I felt like I was visiting my grandmother's house. Was I being stunned with a dose of Italian healthcare system culture shock? Or did I just pick the wrong doctor? Instead of continuing into the office, I went home, took some antibiotics that I brought with me from the U.S which finally knocked the bug out of me. The whole neighborhood knew I was sick, and one day my doorbell rang. It was Giovanni (the outdoor florist in my piazza). All cheery-eyed, he announced himself and delivered me a beautiful little bouquet of "get-well" flowers. (No....I am NOT having an affair with Giovanni!)

A week later I broke out into an ugly, itchy rash all over my neck and chest which looked and felt like poison ivy. I was horrified and afraid that it would spread to my face. I was in pain. This time I just went to the pharmacy, where the very friendly and capable pharmacist, who I've relied upon before, suggested a a tube of "Calendula".... which burned the hell out my skin. I found out later that Calendula is a mixture of Marigold flowers and St. John's Wort. The rash lasted 2 weeks.

No wonder all this wine. I'm conviced that drinking wine everyday here is a cultural necessity. It is the most effective and beautiful drug in the world. But, don't spill it on your computer.

Yes. After spending 4 blissful days in Capri at Constantino's and Carol's house (friends from San Clemente, Calif....he was born and raised in Capri and his family lives there for many generations)... I spilled wine on my computer. My jaw dropped and my body shook as I slowly watched the LCD screen fade away and my computer gasping for its final breath of air.... and then the lights went out. Spento. Morto. That was 2 weeks ago, and it took 5 days of pure panic to find somone seemingly worthy of trying to save it. No authorized Sony service centers around here. Today I got the dreaded "dead motherboard" diagnosis.

No, I'm not that stupid so as not to back-up my data. The last time I backed it up was only a week before it died. So I'm ok. But being without a computer is starting to make that rash come back again!

So, I have to succumb. I've started shopping around for a new laptop. I am asking everyone I know....what do you think of the ACER Aspire? That's what I'm thinking of buying. I really need an Italian tastiera (keyboard) anyway. Writing without the correct Italian characters and accents makes me look pretty stupid. Learning Windows Vista in Italian will be frustrating at first, but hey, if I'm gonna live here, I gotta "go for it".

Right?

Making the final decsion to buy an Italian computer or to have my brother ship me an American one from Best Buy......well.....I guess that's the "second stage" of adapting to my new country. Reality is really sinking in. I'm really giving up all of my American "stand-by" cures. It's scary. Not the Italian computer. But the realization that I'm really here. And I'm really staying here. The first year was bliss. This year is really going to be a killer year. I thought my guts had already been tested. But it's only just begun. I guess I must feel as though it's worth it.

And it is.

You think that's it? No. I didn't get to the good part yet. So, what I didn't mention, is that while I was sick, my bike was also sick. It was sick in June, and just kept on getting sicker, until I finally had to admit that my 2nd chainring was worn out. Living with a champion cyclist for so many years, I got used to having someone take care of all those mechanical things. Now I'm just an old female American sucker trying to look like a cyclist and I'm realizing that maybe I'm just not taken seriously. Bottom line is that I couldn't ride my bike for 3 weeks, instead of what would maybe have taken 3 days in America. Renting a bike in the meantime was a killer... because it didn't fit me right and hurt my back.

And that's not all. I almost swallowed my dental bridge while I was eating calamari in Capri. So I am missing 2 teeth. Then today, while finally renting a computer, I took my serious prescription eyeglasses out of its case to look at the invoice, only to find that they are broke.

So, I'm toothless, blind, without a computer, and until yesterday, was without my bike. I've been seriously challenged and just trying to cope day by day.

I'm spending 85% of my time trying to manage everyday living, trying to figure out which fire to throw water on for just a few minutes.

It's during moments like this that most people would give up and just want to go back to America. But I don't feel that way. I will somehow try to figure out how to navigate the healtcare system, I'll find out how to buy and use an Italian computer, and I'll savour the beautiful moments that I would never be able to find anywhere else.

Luckily, yesterday one of the problems was solved....my bike was finally repaired. I rode up to Monte Senario and found my peace in the stillness of this sacred spot. Along the way, the vineyards were starting to change colors, the chestnuts were falling off the trees, and there were still many bushes bursting with rasperries along the road. Just enough to keep me smiling. As I rode through Bvigliano, there was a chestnut festival going on. For just a few hours I was able to forget all these problems.

I hope the inspiration to write again will come back to me. In the meantime, I am spending virtually all of my time being inducted into the Italian world of healthcare and technology. It has not been fun, and I am just hoping to survive with a clear mind.

By the way, to all you Italian film lovers out there, you've got to see the new film "Baaria" which was nominated as Italy's hopeful for a 2010 Oscar award. It's coming out with English subtitles next week. It is outstanding.

Work and Play

Today I worked in the morning for Florence by Bike for a group of tourists who were renting hybrid bikes for a morning through Florence. Then after returning to the shop, I found that my Colnago was finally repaired, so I took it home and rode up to my favorite place, Monte Senario. It was good to have my bike back, after it being in the repair shop for 3 weeks. I guess it's hard to get Shimano parts over here, because it took a very long time for the shop to receive the part and get it installed on my bike.

Bike Club Meeting at "La Locanda di Nemo"

Today I participated in the annual planning meeting of my bike team. On a Sunday. I thought it was a bit peculiar to have a club meeting on a Sunday. Because it was planned to be a luncheon that took place about a hundred miles away from here. So it meant that you couldn't ride. I couldn't understand why a bike club would give up a ride for a meeting. Because meetings in Italy are never short encounters. They take all-day and they're more like weddings. You get the whole package, minus the happy couple. A 6 course meal. Singing. Entertainment. Wine. Grappa. The whole family comes, including the kids, who sit at their own table. There was even an animal farm on the premises to keep the kids from self-destructing.

Our meeting which took place at "La Locanda di Nemo" was in the middle of the woods, way up north in the Mugello region, deep deep in the wilderness. Transporation had to be arranged for those without cars. What should have taken 1 hour to get there, took 2 1/2. Because nobody was on time. Everyone was late, including the president and team captain. (I was wondering if those sneaky bastards snook in an early ride). As I was waiting for them to pick me up, I wasn't surprised to receive an SMS "Siamo in ritardo" (we are running late) as I waited in a pastry shop in Piazza Beccaria taking my 3rd caff� of the day. "Siamo in ritardo"...the most common SMS message that I receive here in Italy. Nobody cared about being late. Nobody apologized. Nobody was sorry. Nobody was anxious. Except for me.

I guess they really wanted to get our attention and our complete dedication. I might sound like I'm being critical, but I'm really not. It's just a matter of breaking out of the American mode of getting to the bottom line. You ride, you meet, you eat, you go home and do a million other things. Not here. Life in Italy is slow motion. It is affecting my metabolism, my mind. But that's the beauty of Italy.

It was an all day affair. Lunch consisted of the typical Tuscan prosciutto, bruschette, salume, mortadella, ribollita, tortellini, beefsteak, wild boar, potatoes, porcini mushrooms, zucchini and desert. Wine of course. Four different desserts. Grappa.

With a cleaver the size of a chainsaw, the locally famous 70 year-old owner/butcher, Nemo, demonstrated his cutting-edge skills by butchering the side of beef that would soon find its way onto our table with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth and somehow avoided keeping his inflated belly out of the beef. He was probably the same guy who killed the cow.

Then all the waiters started singing ancient Tuscan songs. The whole restaurant sang and laughed. It was difficult to decipher the conversation because there was a great deal of old dialect going on. But somehow I survived.
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I am really tired of meat, the staple food of Tuscany. Cows, pigs and wild boar. Lard. Fat. Each one is wonderful in moderation, but in Tuscany it can get a bit overwhelming. Try finding a fresh whole fish. Not possible. If you're a vegetarian, you could survive on the fresh produce in Tuscany, but at the same time you would be tortured by the overwhelming sight of meat everywhere. Today's meal made me crave the cuisine of my southern Italian heritage.

After this gluttonous meatfest, we were supposed to have a meeting. Unable to move, I somehow made it out of my chair into the meeting room. For another hour the 14 participants actually had a cohesive, productive, organized meeting with a clear-cut agenda. I was shocked. Everyone agreed on everything. No stodgy board debates. No dissertations. No arguments. The board approved the T-shirt design that Rebecca presented. Everyone agreed on the Raduno route propsal for next year. Everyone agreed on the Christmas party. Everyone agreed on going to the Maratona delle Dolomiti. Everyone agreed on the annual club outing. Everyone smiled and agreed as their lips sunk further into their second and third glasses of grappa.

Now I understand why meetings are preceded by feasts. And wine. And grappa. Everyone agrees to everything.  So there's a method to this madness.  Only problem is that the next day nobody can remember what they agreed upon.  So they gotta do it all over again !!

Brevard Bike Tour

This was a 2 day tour. Thursday and today (Saturday) I worked with Roberto to lead the Brevards on a tour from Impruneta to to the idyllic Podere la Capella, a wine estate that produces a prized Chianti Classico where we had a private lunch prepared by the owners, followed by a tour of the wine cellars, chapel and vineyards. After such an elegant lunch consisting of white truffle bruschette, tagliatelle pomodoro, coniglio, patate and a pear torte, it was hard, but I had to encourage our clients to get on their bicycles again to burn off some of the calories, but they were spent! So, we shuttled to Castellina in Chianti where we toured the town on foot and then on to Radda in Chianti to drop them off at their hotel. I left my bike there too, since I would be returning on Saturday to guide them back to Florence. Roberto and I had some lively conversation on the way back in the van.

Today we shuttled to Radda where we met Ryan and Marianne again. We had a great ride today. We rode up to Badia a Coltibuono, where we stopped to tour the castello, and then on to Gaiole, where a bike race was taking place. We then headed for Castello di Brolio, after which we endured the steep climb up to Volpaia to enjoy a light lunch in the piazza. Then we rode again to Lucarelli. It was perhaps the most beautiful route that I've rode in all of Tuscany. We dropped off our clients at their hotel in Florence and said goodbye, as they got into their rental car, an Alfa Romeo, to continue their Italian journey together.

It's so nice to meet people from all over and it's weird to know that I will probably never see them again, but that their impressions of Italy will always be influenced by our brief encounter.

Girlfriends in Florence

Most people I've met here have said that it is very difficult for a foreigner woman to make friends with Florentine women. They are rumored to be very "closed" and unaccepting of newcomers. It probably is especially true for a city like Florence, where students and tourists come and go all the time. Why should someone invest the time in a friendship if they think you might be gone tomorrow? This is what I've heard, but not necessarily what I think. I think it's not really true, and that if I had a better command of the language that it would come more naturally to me. I am still having a hard time with the language, and I will write a post on this subject soon.

The two women friends that I have are Lucia and Lia. These are precious relationships, different different than what I am used to in the U.S. Making women friends is a real challenge, and it is hard to be profound because you really cannot relate to each others' lives as intimately.

Lucia was my private language instructor last year and we developed a personal relationship because we spent many hours together speaking Italian, and so she came to know me very personally. Yesterday Lucia and I got together for lunch and caught up with each other. Lucia was born and has lived here in Florence all her life, except for the time that she has spent teaching in Georgetown University and Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass. She is fascinating and an outstanding author of many books on the subject of Italian politics. I would like to get to know her even more.

And the other Florentine woman that I've made friends with is Lia. Lia works for the bike store that sponsors my team and she has been very accepting and supportive of me since I first came to Florence. She recruited me to the team and made many introductions. I owe alot to her kindness. Today she took me shopping all over Florence, to try to find a Christening gown for the grandaughter of one of my friends in California. I didn't know where to go shopping for an item like this, and when she offered to help me, I thought this would be a great way to spend an afternoon together with a local girlfriend. It was a fun day, but a little frustrating, because when we entered the shops, Lia would start speaking so fast that I couldn't understand a word she said. When Florentines speak between themselves, they speak very fast and they use expressions that are uniquely Florentine and not necessarily Italian. We did find a few beautiful gowns, but they turned out to be beyond my girlfriend's budget. It was a fun day with Lia.

Over the past month, I have made 2 more new Italian female friends. One of them, Simona, I met while I was clothes shopping at Rinascente. She has been calling me to set up a time to get together and I've been so busy that I haven't been able to follow up on it. The other, Sla, I met at a GranFondo. We drove to the coast together and rode the Giro della Maremma two days ago. She is a lovely person and I hope we can keep our friendship going. She is not really a cyclist, but she seems to be a little more independent than the typical Italian women that I've met in Florence.

Gran Fondo della Maremma

Oggi, ho passato una giornata splendida e avventurosa al Gran Fondo della Maremma con una nuova amica fiorentina, che ho incontrato domenica scorsa al Gran Fondo della Toscana. Prima di mattina sono andata in bici a casa sua a Novoli e siamo partite in macchina per Scarlino Scalo, la partenza del giro. C'erano circa 200 ciclisti che hanno participato nella questa manifestazione, e eravamo le uniche donne. Abbiamo fatto il percorso corto di 60K, che era privo di traffico, piatto e proprio ventoso. Ho scoperto che il territorio e il panorama della Maremma sono belli, ma secondo me, noiosi e non cosi' belli in Toscana. Al pasta party dopo il giro, abbiamo passato tre ore festeggiando, mangiando, bevendo e parlando con un nugolo di appassionati ciclisti della squadra "Viaccia" del Prato.

In Italia, queste manifestazioni di ciclismo sono diverse delle manifestazioni di ciclismo negli Stati Uniti, nel senso che non sono basate solo sul giro. In Italia un granfondo e qualcosa di molto piu' particolare, e una grande occassone, e davvero un evento che dura tutto il giorno. Dopo il giro tutti fanno le doccie e si passa il resto del giorno chiacchierando, facendosi degli amici, mangiando e festeggiando. E qualcosa di molte piu' socievole e casuale rispetto agli Stati Uniti. Qui in Italia, nessuno guarda il proprio orologio di fretta per tornare a casa. Tutti i paritecipanti vogliono rimanere insieme per festiggiare, e molti ciclisti portano le loro famiglie al party. Rispetto all'Italia, negli Stati Uniti, facciamo le gare, prendiamo qualcosa piccolissima da mangiare di corsa, e poi' scappiamo subito di fretta, tutti sporchi, stanchi, affamati e senza doccia per tornare a casa per fare le altre cose.

La prima volta che sono andata a un granfondo qui in Italia l'aprile scorso, ho notato questa practica e non mi e piaciuta questa abitudine di uscire in cui i ciclisti passano il tempo dopo il giro. Sono abituata alla pratica di fare tutto in fretta. Non mi aspettavo che i giri fossero eventi che duravano tutto il giorno. Ma dopo 4 grandfondi, mi sono resa conto giorno per giorno che io sono in fase di ambientamento, e che questa abitudine a rallentare e una delle ragioni che sono venuta in Italia prima di tutto.

Prima di partire per Firenze, siamo andate al mare per rilassarci, per godere il panorama e per prendere un gelato. E stato' un giorno divertente ed e stata' un'esperienza interessante.

Riding with Will from NYC

On Sunday during the Giro della Toscana I met Will Schneider from NYC, a professional USA Cycling Coach and Cat 2 racer, owner of VO2MaxOut, who is here in Tuscany for the week, training a cycling client. During the pasta party after the Granfondo we got to talking, sharing stories about New York and Tuscany. We decided to hook up for a ride together before he leaves for New York. So we arranged to ride together today. I warned him that I'm no competition for him, and as long as he wanted to do a "fun" ride, that I could show him some great roads. He very willingly agreed.

It was a blast of a ride and we had an excellent time together. We rode up to Monte Senario, and just like everyone from out-of-town who rides with me up there, he was fascinated. One of the monks even offered to take us for a tour of the convent and the church. It was fascinating for me, even though I've been there at least 10 times in the last month.

On the way back I thought he would probably want to get back to his hotel right away, but he offered to take me to lunch, so I took him to Rocco's in the San'Ambrogio market, which is one of my favorite lunch spots, and I knew that a New Yorker would love it. And he did.

Anyway, it was another great experience, meeting someone from back home and sharing the Tuscany that I've come to know.

Granfondo della Toscana

Today I participated in the Granfondo Giro della Toscana (The Granfondo of Tuscany) with my team, pictured here. This is a classic Italian Granfondo event that starts in Florence and transverses the Tuscan countryside just before the harvest when the vineyards are bursting with mature grapes and the weather is optimal. The whole concept of Granfondo has fascinated me for years, so I was thrilled to ride in this, my 4th Granfondo of the year.

I rode the 138k course which took us through Greve, Castellina, San Gimignano, Certaldo, Montespertoli and more. Of the 700 cyclists who particpated, I only saw one other woman. Of course I can't complain about being surrounded by so many bellissimi Italian men. I certainly never lack for company on the road. Our team placed 13th out of 32 participating teams. Not bad for a team that is only 2 years old! The team received 6 bottles of wine as prizes, and I was the proud recipient of one of them, in recognition of being the only woman on the team to participate in the event.

Tonight's Sunset

After riding up to Monte Senario today, I worked at home and then switched to my city bike and took an evening spin around Florence. I took this photo of the Ponte Vecchio a few hours ago with my Blackberry phone! Absolutely no editing.

I can't believe it is almost a year since I've been here, and I'm still taking photos as though I'm a tourist. I hope this feeling never wears off.

Patti Smith Comes To Florence

This one's for you, Meg.... My sister Meg literally used to follow Patti Smith and Bruce Springstein all over the United States. Meg was one of those "groupies" back then. At that time, a Patti Smith concert would draw tens of thousands of people and the tickets would sell out in minutes.

Next week Patti Smith is performing in the little venue of Piazza Santa Croce, and so far, I haven't found anybody here who even knows who Patti Smith is. But I will be there, and hope to be surprised by an audience who will appreciate one of the boldest, most revolutionary American female singers ever.

Night Rider

Almost every evening during the summer just before sunset, I take off on my city bike for a spin around Florence. It's so great to be able to ride a bike at night, I would never have imagined it to be so possible....everything is so lit up that you don't need lights, and the cars are so aware of cyclists because there are so many of us. What a delight! It always makes me feel as high as kite, as free as a bird.

I visit my favorite places and things, beginning with my favorite, very powerful Giambologna statue at Piazza Signoria, where I circle around a few times, gazing at my town hall, the Palazzo Vecchio, still not believing it. Usually there are musicians playing in the piazza, where there's such a profound feeling of life emanating from the tourists whose amazement you can feel in your bones, all of them taking photos in front of the loggia or palazzo or fontana, or the replica of David. Sometimes I even stop my bike when I see a couple taking photos of each other, and I ask them if they would like me to take the photo of the both of them. It feels so good to do that. It makes me reflect on the times when I was a visitor here. I feel so lucky to be able to observe all this as a person who belongs here, rather than as a visitor. But I know that they are probably happy just to be visitors.

Then I take a few laps around the Arno, watching the sun slowly dip behind the river and the Ponte Vecchio. For the last 2 weeks, the sunsets have been spectacular, with brilliant explosions of hot reds and oranges bursting from the horizon and turning the entire river into a rainbow of bright reflections. And the moon is almost full. So, on one side, the sun is setting over the Ponte Vecchio, and on the other side, the moon is rising over the western bridges, the Piazzale Michelangelo and Piazza Poggi. If this isn't heaven, with all this history, with all this art, with all this natural beauty, then I don't know what is.

After the sun goes down, I head up to Borgo Ognissanti and San Frediano. Then I walk my bike across the Ponte Vecchio because it is too small and crowded to burst through on a bike. I often stop in the middle of the bridge to listen to the guitarist who entertains the crowds there every summer night, and again, I think how lucky I am. Then I ride back home through Piazza Repubblica, going past the Duomo and back to my Piazza Sangemini, where I park my bike, and then walk past the lively cafe's to my apartment, where,I again thank God for bringing me here.

After my spin I met Leif for dinner at a trattoria in San Frediano and we talked alot about how we both ended up pursuing our dreams in Florence.

Weekend Riding in Chianti With my Team

Please don't ever let me take this for granted.

I enjoyed a full weekend of riding with the team, yesterday an 80K ride to Piazza and San Casciano, and today a 130k ride to San Gimignano, where this photo was taken just outside the city wall.

Great people and 2 gorgeous days of riding through towns that are destinations for cyclists from all over the world. But no big deal to the guys in the team who were raised here and consider this just another ride. To me, it is a dream come true. All mine, in my own backyard.

All the guys in the club are super fun to be with, they accept me although it is rare for a woman to ride a bike, so I am lucky. I really enjoy observing the tight friendship they have...and I get a kick out of how they chit-chat together during the ride. It's a true honor to be accepted into this group and to have the opportunity to build team friendships over time.

Opera in Verona Via Train And Bike

It took 3 trains, 6 hours and one flat tire to take my bike with me on the train from Florence to Verona yesterday. But it was worth it, and the advantage of having my bike in Verona for the day made it a snap to get around and re-visit this sparkling, compact city in the few free hours that I had before attending the opera, Tosca in the Arena di Verona.

Pictured left, is my ugly old city bike (even so, there's something very cute about it) being repaired right outside the train station in Bologna, where I was making a tight train connection to Verona.

I could have opted to take one simple, speedy, direct EuroStar train from Florence to Verona in less than 2 hours, but bikes are only permitted on the local trains. Which meant that I had to take the slow, circuitous route and 3 trains instead of one. But I planned it out very well, had my tickets beforehand, and took along plenty of reading (although the scenery became the main distraction) to entertain me on the train. I knew it would be difficult to drag this big heavy bike on and off the train, but as expected, the other passengers were very helpful in assisting me.

Little did I plan on discovering that my front tire would be flat upon arriving in Bologna with only 40 minutes to make my connecting train. But fortunately, my apparent dismay attracted the attention of a very friendly and kind Bolognese man who escorted me directly to the local bike shop. I told him that I was on my way to see Tosca in Verona, and he immediately broke out in song, passionately reciting Tosca's highlight aria, Recondita Armonia. I started singing with him, and here we were, singing together as we crossed the main trafficked street with my handicapped bike, in front of the train station in Bologna.

It just made me think how unlikely it would be for anyone in America to know those lyrics, and underscored one of the endless reasons why I so belong here in Italy.

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Upon arriving in Verona, I checked into the hotel and enjoyed the freedom of riding through this very navigable town on my bike with such ease, saw everything that I wanted to see and even had time for a little bit of shopping, a shower and an aperitivo before entering the grand arena for a very memorable performance of Tosca.

The opera itself was as stunning as the spectacular ambience of the arena which echoes with so much nostalgia for me, some very special and thrilling memories of moments attending some of my favorite operas here in summers gone by.

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In the morning I revisted some of the shops and then took another 3 trains back home....this time feeling like a seasoned pro. Now that I know just how to travel with my bike on the train, I have some more day-trip destinations in mind that I can't wait to plan!

Touring Along the Road to Scarperia

Today's 100k tour took us up to the Mugello region, following a route along the Sieve River. Leif joined me and Clare today, and knowing this region well, led the way to Scarperia, known for its famous international autodrome, where we refueled with a caffe' and panino in this very warm and cozy diminuitive town.

As we entered the main piazza, I was struck by the imposing medieval Palazzo dei Vicari, whose facade is decorated with coats of arms of the Vicars, some of which were finished in glazed terracotta. The style of these looked familiar to me, and I wondered if they might have been the work of the della Robbia family. When I got home, I looked it up, and found out that
I was correct! It made me feel good to know that I am starting to get a "feel" for certain aspects of Florentine art. I also learned that this building had been damaged by 5 earthquakes in the past 500 years, and restored each time.

I'm packing a day bag and getting ready to go to Verona for the next 2 days for an opera break. It's been several years since I've seen an opera in the Verona arena, and made last minute plans to see Tosca, one of my all-time favorites.

Firenze is Coming Alive Again !

The instant that I opened my front door to go to the market this morning, I could tell immediately from the energy and number of people on the street, the chatter, the welcoming noise, that everyone is returning from le ferie, (their vacations)....All of a sudden Florence is starting once again to BUZZ !

Little by little the stores are starting to re-open. On the way to the market I passed by dozens of people who were greeting each other with big smiles, embracing and welcoming each other back from their vacations. Everyone is soooo tan! The market was filled with chatter about how everyone spent their vacations. Merchants and customers, neighbors and friends. Children filling the piazzas again. Mothers busy at the market once again. The tourist population has diminished. People wearing suits going to work on their bikes and motorcycles. It was one big reunion today.

I spent much of the day walking and riding my city bike around town observing with glee this feeling that my beautiful city is coming alive again. What a welcoming day! It was a good feeling to look into the shops and to see the familiar faces of merchants and shopkeepers who are all smiling and talking today. I'm happy that everyone is back. But it really makes me wonder, how does a country continue to function (or does it?) when the entire population disappears for a full month? There's a decidedly different feel here now. Back to normal. I am so glad that I didn't take the month off, because I really got to see what happens when a country closes down and what it feels like when it opens up again!

Another Great Tour With Clare

Clare and I had a sensational ride up to Convento Monte Senario, one of my favorite destinations and Polcanto with lots of climbing, and ended our ride going south across the Arno with a grand finale descent into Firenze from Piazzale Michelangelo. Even as we left at 7:30 in the morning, Florence was engulfed by a thick, heavy, hazy hot blanket of humidity. But as we gained elevation beyond Fiesole, the thick stiky air began to lift, the refreshing smell of pine refreshed and welcomed us, offereing us shade, invigorating breezes and shelter from the heat. Clare and I have spent so many hours on our bikes this past week getting to know each other, I feel like I have made a new friend.

I am very thankful to Leif for referring me for this private bike tour, because it was an opportunity to use my creativity in planning and choosing the best route to suit a number of different factors, including her preferences, abilities, the weather, the traffic patterns, relative interest of the destinations, as well as Clare's athletic ability, endurance and skill level. I feel like I "got it right" all four times. This gave me the experience also in testing my own knowledge and strengths, as well as to determine what I can do to be better. The icing on the cake, was that Clare has a similar riding style as me, so our pace, spinning techniques and climbing style were really in "sync" with each other.

Last night, I received a note from Claudio, my friend who owns La Dolce Vita Wine Tours , asking me if I could do a bike or preferably a hiking tour for him in San Gimignano in October, and knowing that Leif is also a hiking guide, referred the business to him.

Do All Roads Lead to Greve?

It seems like they do, but I'm still learning! Today again, Clare and I met for a private tour and we headed south through San Casciano and on to Mercatale, where we took a peaceful, exceptionally beautiful, backroad to Ferrone. Then we cut south again and on the way bumped into Leif who was heading in the opposite direction as well a few professional cycling teams that were out training, followed by their team support car. Then we went on to Passo dei Pecorai and Greve, where we stopped to refuel.

Greve is a central cycling crossroads, located in a position that makes it a logical rest stop for many cycling itineraries in this part of Tuscany and you always encounter many other traveling cyclists in the piazza. You can tell the cyclotourists from the local cyclists, based on whether they go to a bar for a quick espresso, or whether they actually sit down to eat. For me, it's unthinkable to sit down and eat during a ride, but with clients, it's a totally different experience. You do it because you want to talk to them more and learn more about them, and it is a bonding experience and a time to promote your business and yourself.

I remember the first time I was in Greve about 20 years ago, it was a sleepy bucolic town that has since become very commercialized. It still remains welcoming, yet in a different way than it used to be. Personally, I would rather stop in smaller towns like Mercatale that aren't as popular with travelers, that only have one bar, but where you're the only passer-by. So, as I develop my own favorite cycling itineraries, I will seek out the less popular places to stop. Although places like Greve are usually more interesting to tour clients, so I'll need to make that distinction.

We arrived back in Florence slightly after noon and I showed Clare one of my favorite restaurants, Osteria da Giovanni, which became my favorite last year when I dined there with my friends Lori and Fred from California. Then Clare and I decided to meet again on Sunday for another tour, but this time we'll head up north.

I was pretty pooped from the last few days of riding in the heat, and wanted to take a nap when I got home, but got busy doing some shopping and writing. Last night I was so tired that I decided not to go out, but to do some catching up on the phone with friends from California and family in New Jersey. It's always hard to coordinate the timing of phone calls to the States, so I have to set a schedule to do it once a week.

I was hoping to be able to ride with my team tomorrow, because I haven't rode with them in ages, because of Ferragosto and because I've been working. But tomorrow I need to recover from the past few days of riding in the heat, so that I can be ready to take Clare on another tour on Sunday. Hopefuly I can ride with the team next Saturday, since most of them will probably be back from their vacations, and I don't think I will be working that day.

Also, today I heard from my friend Rebecca, who is hiking 500 miles along the Camino de Santiago de Compostela pilgramage trail in Spain. She's been walking for weeks, and has a couple of weeks to go, before she arrives in Santiago. It's hard enough cycling in this heat, I can't imagine walking 500 miles, day after day.

From New York Harbor to Greve in Chianti

I met Clare again today for another private bike tour. We headed south into Chianti territory, stopping briefly at Impruneta for an art & history break, and then on to Panzano to rehydrate before the descent into Greve where we swapped career stories over uno spuntino, (a snack). A senior exec at Nike, and an accomplished athlete, Clare was one of the original R&D brains of the company, where she has enjoyed a 28 year fascinating, still-going-strong career. We toured the piazza and Clare took some photos of the monument of Giovanni da Verrazzano which dominates the center of the piazza.

Giovanni da Verrazzano was born here in 1485 and lived in the Castello di Verrazzano which is now the largest winery in Greve. Because of Verrazzano's history in Greve, the town has a particular significance to me. The Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge which connects Brooklyn with Staten Island is named after Giovanni da Verrazzano, who in 1524 discovered New York Harbor where I lived most of my life. Telling my little story to tour clients seems to make the town of Greve come alive to them from a unique perspective.

As a child, from the age of 6 – 11, I witnessed the construction of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge from my backyard. You could say that we grew up together. Its emergence had a powerful impact upon the residents of my neighborhood in Bay Ridge Brooklyn but especially to us kids. Experiencing this gargantuan structure materializing right in front of our eyes was mind-boggling for a child, and at times haunting. I remember sometimes being afraid of it, as it looked like a monster growing out of the water. It was so close that the nuns had to keep the classroom windows closed because of the construction noise.

The completion of the bridge was a monumental milestone for New York City, because finally you could actually drive from Brooklyn to Staten Island instead of taking the ferryboat which doesn't even exist anymore. When the bridge finally opened, a significant part of the Brooklyn Italian population (including my family) moved to Staten Island, and even today, the Italians are the largest ethnic group on Staten Island.

So, although most Americans don't know Giovanni da Verrazzano, New Yorkers are very aware of his contribution not only to Italian history, but to American history and the landscape of New York City.

We headed back to Florence, passing through miles and miles of vineyards, noticing that the grapes in the past week are ripening and looking abundant as we approach the harvest, which will take place throughout Tuscany very soon. The summer has gone by so quickly.

Clare and I were glad that we left early in the morning for our ride, because we avoided the afternoon heat which eventually hit a high of 114 degrees Fahrenheit in Florence. We arrived back in Florence by noon and made another appointment to ride on Friday.

How Much Do I Owe You?

Today I led my first "private" bike tour. This means that the rider has requested a private, dedicated personal tour guide all to themselves. The business came through my good friend Leif. My client for the day, Clare, from Portland, Oregon, was alot of fun to ride with. Our skills and energy levels were perfectly matched!

I met her at the Ponte Trinita, and after quickly assessing her riding abilities we headed up Via Faentina to Olmo. She was up for some more climbing, so we headed further up to Bvigliano. As we breezed back down our descent to Fiesole, I could hear her gasping in awe at the sights. There's just no way to express the intoxicating effect of Tuscany's sensual environment. And there's no way to absorb the experience from anything but a bike. As a cyclist you breathe it all into your mind, into your lungs, deep into your whole body.

I topped off our ride by taking Clare for a quick spin around Fiesole and then a caffe. At which point she asked me "How Much Do I Owe You?". I was pretty flabergasted, because I had never even thought of pricing, and feel guilty charging someone, when I'm the one who had such a great time! I felt like I should be paying her! I wasn't prepared with a response, and I don't know how private tours are priced. We only spent 3 hours riding. So, I told her that I had to check with Leif, since the business came through him. She said that she'd like to ride again on Wednesday, and a few days next week. I led her back to her hotel.

Tonight Leif and I caught up over a pizza and I asked him about pricing. He, being one of the most experienced tour guides around, explained the pricing rationale. Again I was shocked, because it's more than I would ever have expected. Not bad for having a good time!

Ferragosto

Today is Ferragosto in Italy, the feast day of Mary's Assumption. It is a major Italian holiday. It is also the day that the Romans honored the gods with a celebration they called Feriae Augusti. Ferragosto is, next to Christmas, Easter and New Years, the most important holiday in Italy. Most of the Italians take the entire month of August off anyway, but today the entire country is in shut-down mode. Similar to our Labor Day, but more significant.

Today I took a ride north again to Monte Senario, which has become my favorite quick ride. It's also the coolest, most shaded and most spiritual ride that I have found. Indeed, the city is deserted and the backroads which are always quiet, were just as quiet as usual. The photo above I took of a pretty farmhouse along the road on my way back from the convent.

Exploring Some New Territory

The streets are getting hotter and emptier. I'm surprised at how well I've adjusted to the heat in Florence. It's easy whenever I think of what it was like living in Brooklyn as a kid, when the only way you could cool off was by taking numerous cold baths, and fanning yourself with the refrigerator door. On some streets the kids would open up the fire hydrants. And the police didn't stop them. Nothing like New York heat where the city streets would burn straight through your soles and you could barely make it to the street corner without passing out. This, in Florence is ever more bearable, although most people here are looking quite uncomfortable.

Florence is suddenly emptying out in a mass exodous for the beach. It is Ferragosto (August vacation) which will climax this Saturday, 15 August, (which is the equivalent of our Labor Day.) Florence will be totally deserted on Saturday. I am looking forward to it in order to more meaningfully connect with la mia bella citta' (my beautiful city) even more intimately. I want to get to know her better. I am her new resident and few people have that priviledge. I am blessed and a day doesn't go by that I don't appreciate this gift.

Rolling out of Florence on my bike has been an amazing adventure. Every moment is filled with endless roads whose beauty is spellbinding. Riding under the cypress trees with the intoxicating smell of pine, seeing the abundant groves of olive trees, the old stone houses, the wildflowers along the road, the green fields dotted with bales of hay and laced with vineyards, is beyond stupendous . After climbing up to Fiesole, a whole new world opens up in the roads beyond. The only human beings to be seen are local cyclists. Many still bucking the helmet idea.

Today I ventured out again to ride at the higher elevations up to Bvigliano, where it's always guaranteed to be at least 15 - 20 degrees cooler than in Florence. A natural choice. Then I headed up to Scarperia in the Mugello area of Tuscany. I stopped to have a quick panino and feeling so strong and motivated, I decided to have a tiny glass of vino rosso. What a mistake! What had seemed like a flat road on the way from Pratolino didn't feel so flat on the way back.

This Is Where I Live

This is my front door. I live on a prestigious Florentine street (pictured below) called "Borgo degli Albizi", which was named after the noble 14th century Albizi family who were rivals of the Medici and Alberti families. The family still owns many of the palaces on this street. In fact, most of my street consists of palaces, my building being one of the few exceptions. Although the Albizi family owned most of this street in the 14th century, the street has existed since ancient times.

Next door to me is an antique shop and a jewelry shop. The whole block is laced with stylish boutiques as well as the typical alimentari, macellerie, pasticerrie e pizzerie.

This photo on the left is a view of my street. I'm not sure when the drainage system was added to the streets of Florence, but I suspect that given the many times that the Arno river has flooded the city over the centuries, that the drainage system is probably pretty ancient too.

If you look at the top photo, you can see the sewer drain below the curb directly beneath my door. A few nights ago while unlocking my front door, my keys slipped out of my hands. I could not believe when I looked down, that the keys went right into the sewer. I didn't have my phone with me. I was so shocked, that I sat on the curb and started crying. People came from all over the street to try to help. Finally, Giuseppe, a neighbor from across the street, came out of his apartment with a large iron tool and he wrestled with the sewer grate until it came off!! Another neighbor came with a rubber glove. Then Giuseppe started fishing in the sewer until finally........he pulled my keys out! I don't know what I would have otherwise done. Since then, I've permanently attached my keys to my handbag, so that it will never happen again!

Reflections On My Father

Happy Birthday daddy. Today you would have been 80 years old. Although it's been 15 years since you've been gone, I feel you all around me. You are in me, and you live through me. I still miss you the way that I did when I was only 5 years old. Remember that day, when I came with you to get your hair cut in the barber shop? You were only 6 feet away from me, but you were innaccessible, and I couldn't just climb into the barber chair to kiss you, so I cried. Instead, I took your overcoat in my hands, and smelled it, because I couldn't bear having you be even 5 feet away from me, in the barber chair, inaccessible for even a moment.

I still miss you the way I did when Meg, Carol and I went to summer camp and I cried every night until you came to visit us on the weekends with mommy and baby George. I know that you were doing what you thought was the right thing....to have us spend the summers with other girls in the countryside rather than on the streets in Brooklyn. But then I didn't understand that. Now I do.

And all my life, you were my greatest inspiration, my greatest motivator, my idol. You inspired me to success. You were always there. Even when I didn't want you to be!

You taught me to love Italy because you did. You taught me to love Italian customs, because that's the way we lived. You taught me to love Napoletano humor (and insanity), you taught me to love la commedia del arte, you taught me to love Italian opera. You taught me to love Italian tradition. I would never be living in Italy if it wasn't for you.

Because living in Italy is as close to being with you, our family, and my past, as I can get. And perhaps, if you hadn't died, I would never have had the reason to search any further. But if I did, you would have been very proud that I found my new life here. Yes, you would have been proud.

Daddy, if it wasn't for you, I would never be the woman I am today. I would never love and appreciate the things that I love. And you are with me all the time, daddy.

What's Happening in Florence?

Whenever I want to find out what special events, shows, exhibits, concerts and sagres are happening in Florence, all I have to do is to consult one of the many billboards which are strategically placed throughout Florence, found on building walls in or around the major piazzas. This is a custom that I've only seen in Italy, and each comune has laws that govern the use of space, and the amount of time that an advertisement can be attached to the wall. There are public workers called attachini comunale whose job it is to take down and refresh these billboards on an ongoing basis. In fact, the film "Ladri di Biciclette" (The Bicycle Theif) tells the story of an attachino in Rome whose bike gets stolen, and because having a bike is a requirement of the job, he has to recover his bike in order to keep his job as an attachino. If you haven't seen the film, I recommend the 1948 film directed by Vittorio De Sica, who won an Oscar for this outstanding neorealistic film.

Riding With Ellen From San Diego

Today was my first time working with a potential client for Best Tuscan Tours. Much to my surprise, the potential client turned out to be a lady cyclist from San Diego who knows many of the same people that I know in the southern California cycling community. She even knows my good friend Susan from San Clemente. In fact, Ellen was a mentor for Robert Panzara's Death Ride last year, and my girlfriend Susan has just accepted the same job for next year. Ellen and I hit it off from the start.

Ellen, who belongs to the well-known Cyclovets in San Diego, is a professor at San Diego City Community College. She's on an expedition here scouting out the territory for a large student tour that she and her colleague Candice are planning for next summer. The theme of their tour is "art and cycling in Italy". They will be selling this tour to the art, student and cycling community in Southern California and they hope to recruit at least 15 participants for a multi-dimensional tour that will take in the best of Italian art and cycling in Tuscany.

Being the biggest and best cycle touring company in Tuscany, it was only natural that she would have hooked up with our company. So, I will be working for Ellen and Candice, helping them to design parts of the tour which will fulfill some of their particular desires related to cycling, visits to bike factories and cycling museums, on -road guides and support and perhaps even accomodations, transportation, wine tastings and cooking lessons to round out their tour. So I spent a good part of our ride understanding her requirements, giving her some ideas, and telling her what we could do to round out her program to customize her tour to make it a smashing success.

So, I met Ellen this morning at Piazza della Repubblica, and I took her for a ride to Impruneta and Greve-in-Chianti. We spent most of the time talking about her visions of the tour she wants to develop, and I think we will be able to custom design several days of cycling and van support at the very least.

We then passed by her hotel and I met her colleague, Candice, who is a fascinating woman who is a graphic arts designer who also teaches at SDCC. We shared a lively discussion at lunch. They were equally fascinated by the story of how I ended up living in Florence and getting my Italian Citizenship and after lunch I took them to see my apartment, and then brought them to Santa Croce where we said goodbye.

The next step is that Ellen will write out a list of their requirements for my review and I will develop a proposal for her to review.

Where Should I Go??

Today I had a really tough time deciding where to ride on my day off. There are so many choices. Last night I studied several options and maps and Google Earth and must have spent at least 2 hours mapping out some alternatives. It was a tough decision.

When I first joined my bike team I would make sure I was at the ride start location slightly early, so as not to miss the ride. But one of my earliest observations about life in Italy is that nothing starts exactly on time. Not a bike ride, not the opera, not Sunday Mass, not dinner. Life is lived at a more relaxed pace. One of the endless reasons to live here. Although I fully expected and wanted this, it was at first frustrating. Especially when you're pumped to ride, and you just raced 5 miles at breakneck speed to get to the ride on time.

Upon arriving at the ride start, everyone would start socializing. After which, a passionate discussion would ensue on selecting a ride destination. The discussion would then become a sales presentation. Each man would try to sell the team on why their suggested destination is either more beautiful, interesting or challenging. The presentation evolves into a deliberation. The deliberation evolves into a emotional debate, with everyone talking at the same time. The debate becomes a negotiation. A priceless process. I loved it. Each man would describe their suggested route with such love, such adjectives, such passion, such intensity. On one ride, the process took 45 minutes, but it was pure entertainment. Once agreed upon, everyone would depart for the ride with gigantic smiles, feeling like they earned their right to ride.

I am just starting to comprehend the endless number of ride destinations, the thousands of different roads that wander through abundant fantasy landscapes, the infinite ride options. I am understanding better why it is so difficult to decide which way to go. How do you choose, when all the options are equally tantalizing, one more beautiful and filled with surprises than the other?

It's like walking into a gelateria and having 100 different tempting flavors to choose from. You want them all. With gelato, you can choose more than one flavor. And you can taste-test them all if you want. But it's almost impossible to decide where to go on a ride.

Well, after much deliberation, today I rode up to Monteloro where I went off the main road and explored some hidden villas and vineyards. Then I rode on to Polcanto and Pratolino. I still cannot believe that after riding just 3K outside of Florence, I am riding on such tranquil country roads with the cypress trees towering above me and the constant visual stimulation of the bucolic Tuscan landscape all around me. What a great day of exploration and fun!