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Hands down one of the best days in Italy (and a top day on the RTW trip actually) was the Tuscany bike tour we signed up for –it was done on a bit of a whim since the price was a bit high at Euro 60 for the day, but after our long hard day of absorbing art and culture at the Uffizi and the Accademia, coupled with a great hostel we dug around and found on HostelBookers, we decided to splurge. Besides the pretty pictures in the brochure and the note on the Web site to bring sunscreen, we just weren’t sure what we had in store for ourselves….the entire day just turned out so much better than we could have anticipated!

Is the Van Ever Coming Coming?

A bit earlier than Helen and Jenn might have preferred and we found ourselves standing at the  designated rendezvous point precarisouly perched on the curb looking for a vague “large van”  with several other mildly confused Americans waiting for the vehincle and company coming to pick us up for the short drive into the country. The van pulled up precisely on time, we piled in and were driven into the country to Bicycle Tuscany bike shop that is right in the heart of wine country…well really, everything is in the heart of wine country out here!

One of the big pluses that I have to say made a lot of the difference is the fact that the company is run by an American expat who has lived in Italy for decades – he has the unique perspective of knowing precisely what Americans expect while also providing an authentically Italian tour of the countryside. We were provided with well-kept ten-speed bicycles, a sturdy bike helmet (sometimes non-Americans think that it’s acceptable to leave out this detail) and even a water bottle to use for the 12 mile bike ride.

A Tuscan Wine Tour & Intriguing Statues!

Just a ten minute ride up the road and we stopped at the ritzy Mangiacane Winery for a tour  and a sampling as well. The property was absolutely gorgeous and there is actually even a five-star hotel on the premises. As we walked through the property, the winery was full of beautiful sculptures and paintings – naked ladies abounded because an arty-European calendar shoot was done on the estate – and someone likes booty by the looks of the garden art!

This would normally be the sort of thing that I would assume is out of my budget, or would have never splurged for if it weren’t for the biking package. As it turns out, although they only produce a few wines, they are delicious. The red Estate Wine was surprisingly flavorful and didn’t have that strong alcohol flavor that makes me often shun reds. The rose wine  was really light and my favorite of the two. Complimenting the wines was the house olive oil with some crusty soft Italian bread.

Under the Tuscan Sun
So, after the tour of the grounds and with only a bit of a lovely wine buzz after the generous samples, we all hopped back onto our bikes to continue onward. The countryside here really is everything you see in the movies. I had visions of Under the Tuscan Sun in my head as we booked the trip and it is just that beautiful. The countryside is quite literally covered with vineyards and olive groves. I wouldn’t describe the Tuscan countryside as lush –it’s a totally different color than that implies. Instead, of a dark lush green the acres of olive groves give the rolling hills a more muted green color with hints of golden as the sun glints off of the leaves and expansive wheat fields.

The bike tour is designed to accommodate the needs and desires of everyone on the trip – so with an announcement from Jillian, our guide, to go at our own pace we were able to amble through the countryside and fly down the hills at whatever speed our hearts desired only stopping to take a rest at certain viewing points so that we could reconvene as a group.

One of the biggest reasons that we loved this bike tour so much is that they didn’t skimp out on any aspect. We stopped for lunch after just another bit of bike riding at a really lovely little café called Cantinetta del Nonno. The meal was spectacular and complete – a bit of red wine on the table along with balsamic vinaigrette, oil and bread. Followed up with two courses: a salad and a main dish and capped off with an amazing  desert of pana cotta and coffee. We took lunch in the slow leisurely Italian style that had Jenn almost nodding off for a siesta by the end and all skeptically pushed back our chairs…questioning Jillian “We still have a couple of hours of bike riding?!”

I am a Turtle! AKA How to Bike Uphill
She assured us that we would have time to digest before hitting the hardest part of the bike ride – 2 kilometers of a pretty steep hill. So with that in mind the group spaced out a bit as I pedaled our way through the rolling muted-green landscape with a delightfully fresh outdoorsy scent catching on the wind and blowing across my face as I found my own groove and just cruised through the countryside.

The climb up the hill was pretty intense and I took my same strategy for hiking and applied it to the bike “I am a turtle. Slow and steady wins the race. There is no prize for whoever gets to the top first. I am a turtle.” This mantra got me up the 3,200 meters of the Himalayan trek and served me well here too. With only the briefest pause for walking to even out my breath I managed to pedal to the top and then hydrate and rest in a small gazebo while the others made it on their way up.

Oh Gelato, How I Love Thee
Jillian gave us one last surprise once the group was reassembled at the top of the hill –a small gelato shop was our special treat. We were all completely thrilled with the prospect of creamy, ice-cold gelato after the work-out all day.

After that it was back on the bikes for a breezy ten minute bike ride back to the bike shop before being driven back to town. The owner of the property, a dashing older Italian man with very little English, gave the three of us a lift back to town because the van was too full to hold the whole group –this was the perfect way to cap off the tour. We pulled out of the driveway in his beautiful Mercedes, all of the windows down, hair blowing in the breeze and he pumped Guns and Roses until it was pulsating  through the car as we flew through the winding roads on our way back into town.

We capped of the day by heading over to the corner store for quite but delicious Italian meal of our own makings. We were exhausted! But we wanted to just eat at the hostel and relax in our own room so we cooked up a feast that turned out really spectacular actually!

Quick Tips: Traveling in Tuscany

Where: The Academy Hostel in Florence is ranked one of the best in Europe, so consider that as an option – Florence was my base for exploring Tuscany. For other places to actually throughout the Tuscan countryside, a HostelBookers search yields  loads of cheap accommodation, fully online booking, and no booking fees.
When: Always a good time to go to Italy! Tuscany was gorgeous in the spring, and I’ve also traveled there in late August and loved baking in the warm heat with a glass of wine and pretty vineyards.
How: The bike tour I used is no longer in operation, so your best bet is asking at the hostel. They are all fairly similar, but some have hostel pick up and little extras (more wine and gelato!), so shop around.