dbrk
06-02-2004, 06:00 AM
We returned home from Italy with much to do in the usual ways but also to (at least) one important surprise. As some of you know (and last year's TdFL folks might recall) there is some thirty odd acres adjacent to our fifteen out here in Bristol. It went for sale while we were away but, thank goodness, yesterday we closed the deal on it. The alternative was neighbors! Yeegads!! No!! Not that!! Anyway, it's the whole hillside and some on the front of the house side-of-the-property; it will now remain wild as long as we live and provide a nice place to camp, if you are so disposed, with a second large pond. For those with cross bikes or mountain bikes, well, you have access now to a slice of paradise. I digress, but this has been the week's adventure and has delayed description of our trip to south central eastern Italy.
We had ten days in Italia, all during the Giro, eight of which had to be spent in one place: Caramanico Terme, Abruzzo, a spa town with sulpher waters and very, very nice hotel that caters to water-takers and get-away sorts, called La Re'serve. There were no American tourists here all week nor did I see any (we stand out like...uhh....Americans) during the one day we spent in the lovely coastal city of Pescare. To get to Caramanico Terme you head east from Rome and as you enter the Appennine mountains the region of Abruzzo begins to cut itself off from Rome's Lazio and divide itself between the tall (green, lushly forested, remote) and _very_ tall mountains (grey, snow-capped, somewhat forbidding) and the Adriatic coastline. Nestled half-way up the road leading to the Passo S. Leonardo, Caramanico Terme is a tiny place unto itself with one main road, the S.S. 487.
Many of the S.S roads are excellent for riding; the equivalent of a county road in western New York (you win some, you lose some). S.S. 487 was a typical barely two laner that wove itself through the mountains with tiny spurs taking you to even more remote villages; it was effectively one long road of switchbacks and hairpin turns. I visited three such off the main road places during the week, all clusters of small mortal and brick houses with a town square and a church. There was a Cappucin monastery in Caramanico Terme that provided a beautiful refuge inside a place that was refuge and get-away to begin with. The hotel was the sort of place that Euros go to wander about in fancy oversized terry cloth bathrobes with matching Adidas-like RichardSachs inspiring sandals and clogs. The spur road villages look like the way tiny human habitations were meant to be: there are no sub-divisions or McMansions like we see sprawling over American countryside. San Giacomo and San Leonardo barely revealed any inhabitants when I coasted through, my Campag hub making most of the available noise.
This portion of Abruzzo is also dominated by the Parco di S. Majella (or something close to that), a national park and reserve that seemed similar to, say, the way the Berkshires has people in it but is mostly forest and left alone. The particular critter being protected here is a feisty sort of mountain goat called the lama bianca---at least I think that is what they are since I only once caught a glimpse of them, a veritable slew on a hillside far, far up the pass, near the top. The S.S. 487 winds its way through the park as the only access and---here is the bad part---it provided my only road for the entire week. I had to work three hours each afternoon and could not afford more than a two hour or bit more ride in the morning. This meant that going far, far down the hillside towards other road access was not possible because the climb back up was so formidable and long: so for a week I rode UP and then DOWN this nearly-non-traffic'd mountain pass road heading south: up to San Leonardo from Caramanico Terme and then back down.
The road up to Passo S. Leonardo was a steady climb, some signs saying 8-11%, though it never slackened much, it only turned sharply up on the typical switchbacks. It was cool, even cold on the cloudy days, and once I was rained on; the descent made you wish for a copy of La Gazzetta della Sport to stuff in your jersey. I saw a handful of riding during the week and several more on the weekend. If you had time to ride through or about the region you would get even more spectacular views and likely a deeper sense of accomplishment. But honestly I much preferred last year's trip to Umbria where the roads are more like the Finger Lakes, more rouleur style with occasional hard climbs rather than this one-or-the-other up and down or ride the valley/ride the climb. So I would my experience riding as only average or less because I was stuck to this route: it was a solid 1.5 hours up and over the Passo (about 20km from town but, honestly, it was UP) and I descended the backside (going south) for another 6k before turning around to re-climb (steep!!!) and then make the flying descent on the narrow, winding road back to Caramanico Terme.
Weather was not great, cloudy and rain over much of Italy during the day but only for brief periods. There is this odd sporadic coverage of the Giro during the entire day on the RAI networks but a few half hour spots with interviews and talking heads and weak production values. My Italian improved immensely as the press fell in love with Cunego (say: Cooo-nay-go with all the stress on the first syllable) during the unfolding week. The closest we got to the race was when it did the long run up to Spoleto (now there is a nice town!! PhatMatt lived there, a fine fellow and a lovely walled city in Umbria...) where there was a fine crit/lap race (with Pettachi the winner, I believe). Otherwise the Giro went up the Abruzzo coast but skipped the Appennines, or so it appeared, because these are tall, steep mountains, sparsely populated, a peasant heritage, remote and unvisited.
I took the Pegoretti Marcelo which acquitted itself handily and the Sci-con case seemed to keep it safe and sound despite tons of schlepping and the merciless indignities of the airlines (which included two transfers).
If I were to ride in Abruzzo again it would have to be on a tour with a sag wagon style guide because then you'd see more and cruise with destinations rather than make loops or up-and-backs. Umbria and Tuscany are much more friendly for long loops and riding by yourself.
Two last points: the food in Abruzzo is _wonderful_, more like the southern Italian food of my strictly Neopolitan immigrant mother and her family. I preferred it to Tuscan and Umbrian faire but it was also more vegetarian friendly, insofar as anywhere in Italy even remotely gets that notion (they...uhhh...don't). My favorite human sight (other than the urban wonder of every woman dressed to the nines...) were the Italian grandmothers in their long single "house dresses" (what my own grandmother called them) with black wool stockings and always a kerchief covering a weathered face, sitting usually in their doorways. The Italian grandpas were never sitting with the women but together in old suits, buttoned up shirts, hats, often playing cards. This is not a wealthy region historically and it shows itself best through simple pleasures.
From Pescare you can stand on the beach (thousands of unoccupied cabanas in true Euro-style, too early in the season) and see the snow capped peaks. This is always a marvel.
Next year we return to Umbria but are flying into Milan to make the trip to Dario's first. Oh yeah, and we did tons of yoga and everyone else had a good time doing mostly that. If this is workin', I'll take it.
dbrk
We had ten days in Italia, all during the Giro, eight of which had to be spent in one place: Caramanico Terme, Abruzzo, a spa town with sulpher waters and very, very nice hotel that caters to water-takers and get-away sorts, called La Re'serve. There were no American tourists here all week nor did I see any (we stand out like...uhh....Americans) during the one day we spent in the lovely coastal city of Pescare. To get to Caramanico Terme you head east from Rome and as you enter the Appennine mountains the region of Abruzzo begins to cut itself off from Rome's Lazio and divide itself between the tall (green, lushly forested, remote) and _very_ tall mountains (grey, snow-capped, somewhat forbidding) and the Adriatic coastline. Nestled half-way up the road leading to the Passo S. Leonardo, Caramanico Terme is a tiny place unto itself with one main road, the S.S. 487.
Many of the S.S roads are excellent for riding; the equivalent of a county road in western New York (you win some, you lose some). S.S. 487 was a typical barely two laner that wove itself through the mountains with tiny spurs taking you to even more remote villages; it was effectively one long road of switchbacks and hairpin turns. I visited three such off the main road places during the week, all clusters of small mortal and brick houses with a town square and a church. There was a Cappucin monastery in Caramanico Terme that provided a beautiful refuge inside a place that was refuge and get-away to begin with. The hotel was the sort of place that Euros go to wander about in fancy oversized terry cloth bathrobes with matching Adidas-like RichardSachs inspiring sandals and clogs. The spur road villages look like the way tiny human habitations were meant to be: there are no sub-divisions or McMansions like we see sprawling over American countryside. San Giacomo and San Leonardo barely revealed any inhabitants when I coasted through, my Campag hub making most of the available noise.
This portion of Abruzzo is also dominated by the Parco di S. Majella (or something close to that), a national park and reserve that seemed similar to, say, the way the Berkshires has people in it but is mostly forest and left alone. The particular critter being protected here is a feisty sort of mountain goat called the lama bianca---at least I think that is what they are since I only once caught a glimpse of them, a veritable slew on a hillside far, far up the pass, near the top. The S.S. 487 winds its way through the park as the only access and---here is the bad part---it provided my only road for the entire week. I had to work three hours each afternoon and could not afford more than a two hour or bit more ride in the morning. This meant that going far, far down the hillside towards other road access was not possible because the climb back up was so formidable and long: so for a week I rode UP and then DOWN this nearly-non-traffic'd mountain pass road heading south: up to San Leonardo from Caramanico Terme and then back down.
The road up to Passo S. Leonardo was a steady climb, some signs saying 8-11%, though it never slackened much, it only turned sharply up on the typical switchbacks. It was cool, even cold on the cloudy days, and once I was rained on; the descent made you wish for a copy of La Gazzetta della Sport to stuff in your jersey. I saw a handful of riding during the week and several more on the weekend. If you had time to ride through or about the region you would get even more spectacular views and likely a deeper sense of accomplishment. But honestly I much preferred last year's trip to Umbria where the roads are more like the Finger Lakes, more rouleur style with occasional hard climbs rather than this one-or-the-other up and down or ride the valley/ride the climb. So I would my experience riding as only average or less because I was stuck to this route: it was a solid 1.5 hours up and over the Passo (about 20km from town but, honestly, it was UP) and I descended the backside (going south) for another 6k before turning around to re-climb (steep!!!) and then make the flying descent on the narrow, winding road back to Caramanico Terme.
Weather was not great, cloudy and rain over much of Italy during the day but only for brief periods. There is this odd sporadic coverage of the Giro during the entire day on the RAI networks but a few half hour spots with interviews and talking heads and weak production values. My Italian improved immensely as the press fell in love with Cunego (say: Cooo-nay-go with all the stress on the first syllable) during the unfolding week. The closest we got to the race was when it did the long run up to Spoleto (now there is a nice town!! PhatMatt lived there, a fine fellow and a lovely walled city in Umbria...) where there was a fine crit/lap race (with Pettachi the winner, I believe). Otherwise the Giro went up the Abruzzo coast but skipped the Appennines, or so it appeared, because these are tall, steep mountains, sparsely populated, a peasant heritage, remote and unvisited.
I took the Pegoretti Marcelo which acquitted itself handily and the Sci-con case seemed to keep it safe and sound despite tons of schlepping and the merciless indignities of the airlines (which included two transfers).
If I were to ride in Abruzzo again it would have to be on a tour with a sag wagon style guide because then you'd see more and cruise with destinations rather than make loops or up-and-backs. Umbria and Tuscany are much more friendly for long loops and riding by yourself.
Two last points: the food in Abruzzo is _wonderful_, more like the southern Italian food of my strictly Neopolitan immigrant mother and her family. I preferred it to Tuscan and Umbrian faire but it was also more vegetarian friendly, insofar as anywhere in Italy even remotely gets that notion (they...uhhh...don't). My favorite human sight (other than the urban wonder of every woman dressed to the nines...) were the Italian grandmothers in their long single "house dresses" (what my own grandmother called them) with black wool stockings and always a kerchief covering a weathered face, sitting usually in their doorways. The Italian grandpas were never sitting with the women but together in old suits, buttoned up shirts, hats, often playing cards. This is not a wealthy region historically and it shows itself best through simple pleasures.
From Pescare you can stand on the beach (thousands of unoccupied cabanas in true Euro-style, too early in the season) and see the snow capped peaks. This is always a marvel.
Next year we return to Umbria but are flying into Milan to make the trip to Dario's first. Oh yeah, and we did tons of yoga and everyone else had a good time doing mostly that. If this is workin', I'll take it.
dbrk