I was not born to be a runner, swimmer, weightlifter—and
especially not a tri-athlete—because I really don’t like any activity that
causes me pain or discomfort. In high school, I tried out for the wrestling team—for
a single day. And then the same for the swimming team. My comment after
quitting both was something like, “If I’m going to work that hard, I at least
want to get paid.” On the other hand, I love playing baseball, basketball and
volleyball, for the simple reason that I get lost in the joy of competition,
camaraderie, teamwork and a focus on the required skills, so much so I don’t
even notice that my body is being tested to the limits of its endurance.
 |
| We see this activity on nearly every street in the fall. |
Bike riding might seem similar to those more painful
sports, but against the odds, it has become one of my favorite activities during
the months we live in Italy. It’s not that I’ve changed, because I haven’t, but
riding on my e-bike in Tuscany requires so little effort and offers so many
rewards that I scarcely consider it to be exercise. Because so much of the area
surrounding the hill of Montecarlo is level, it was not even very difficult to
ride on our old mono speed bikes. Indeed, Lucy and I often rode around just for
fun during the years we lived at the Casolare dei Fiori in San Salvatore. But
in 2015, we moved up the hill to Montecarlo, and after that we rarely used our old
bikes because it was impossible to ride them back up the hill, and it took
nearly half an hour to push them up. We just rented a car and left our bikes to
gather dust in the closet.
 |
Collapsing houses are a common sight, as it
is often less expensive to build a new house
than it is to remodel an old one. |
A year ago, we bought two gently used electric boost
bikes, and now I want to go riding pretty much every day. I can fly down the
hill at 45 kph, ride for a couple of hours and then make it back up the hill at
15 kph, all the while barely breaking a sweat. Once down on the plains, I find
a plethora of little used country roads leading in all directions. Pescia and
Altopascio are just 15 minutes away. This week I rode all the way to Lucca in
45 minutes. Google maps said it would take about 70 minutes by bike, but apparently
their formula didn’t take into account that the first six kilometers were
mostly downhill, or that I would be going on an e-bike. I’m sure it would have
taken longer to return, but I took the train back as far as Altopascio, so I’ll
have to wait for another day to test the return time.
What do I love about riding in Tuscany? Well, first
off, it is Tuscany, and that word alone should be self-explanatory. Just
tossing out the word Tuscany sells books, wine, cheese, steak, ham and of
course vacation bliss—all for good reason. It’s one of the most beautiful and
famous regions in one of the most visited countries in the world. The weather
this fall has been unseasonably warm, even for Tuscany, so I have continued to
go riding almost every day.
Today is sunny with a high of 68f/20c, a little colder
than the previous month but still ideal. Lucy has been busy all week making a quilt, so I took off by myself in the direction of
Capannori, with the idea that I might make it to the Torre degli Spadoni. It
was almost 3 p.m. when I left the house, and it gets dark now around 5 p.m., so
I wasn’t sure I’d make it all the way, but the destination was not as important
as the ride itself.
 |
An almost unknown--and underfunded--park
that I rode past in Capannori |
In my younger days—much younger—I used to love riding
motorcycles. I started on a Honda 150, moved to a Ducati 350 and then upgraded
to a Triumph 650 Bonneville. None of these proved very useful once I married
and had the pleasure of raising four kids, so these bikes are only fond
memories now, but riding an e-bike is helping me make new memories. A bicycle
is almost soundless, so I can hear songs of the birds, the whir of the olive
harvesting tools and even catch snippets of conversation among the families working
in their fields. I see abandoned, ruined and collapsing farmhouses, signs that farming
was once the backbone of the local economy. It still is, to a lesser extent,
but I also see many factories that produce paper, plastics, textiles, machinery,
fertilizer, glass, chemicals and a variety of other industrial age products. I
also see numerous orti—backyard vegetable gardens—and, of course,
endless fields of grape vines and olive trees, as wine and olive oil are still important
industries.
I didn’t make it to the tower, but I made two
discoveries along the way that proved even more interesting. The first was an
archeological site called the Park of the 100 Roman Farms, basically in the
middle of nowhere. I didn’t have time to explore it, but later in the day I
looked it up online. The excavations were begun in 1987, and in 2004 the first
of many Roman farms was uncovered, with intact tools for making wine and olive
oil. However, I also found an article on the website “Toscana Nascosta” explaining
that promised funding for continued exploration and displays for visitors never
reached the archeologists, and the site, which could be a valuable “economic
and tourism resource” was nothing but “a waste of money.” The article also says
that a unique oak wood temple of Dionysus was also found in the same general
area, but plans for a museum focusing on this discovery have also stalled for
lack of funding.
I may go back to see the ruins of the farms on Monday,
though I don’t hold hope that I’ll find much worth seeing. Hopefully in future
years, funding can be allocated and further explorations will be made and displayed.
It’s part of an ongoing problem in Italy, because historical ruins are abundant,
but money is not.
 |
| Two riders doing a wheelie. |
I was probably only 10 minutes away from reaching the Spadoni
tower when I took a wrong turn on a route that Google maps showed to be a
through street when in fact it was blocked by fences from a factory. However, I
found something equally interesting on the dead-end street. About 40 young
adults and teenagers had gathered in a parking lot, many of them with scooters
and motorcycles. They were taking turns buzzing along the unused street pulling
wheelies and performing acrobatic stunts. Mesmerized, I stopped to watch and
take photos for about 15 minutes, astounded at the skills of these riders. They
could ride the length of the street with their bikes in a vertical position, a
delicate balance requiring just the right amount of acceleration to keep them
upright without flipping over backwards. Some of them were actually standing on
their bike seats while doing the wheelies.
 |
I found this very friendly and talented "gang' of bikers just
hanging out, socializing and practicing their tricks. |
I was approached twice by a couple of guys, who asked
me, “Ti diamo fastidio?” Are we annoying you? “Ma dai, ragazzi, siete
fantastici!” I said. You’re amazing! I told them that I once had a Ducati when
I was young. I also used to stand on my seat, but there is no way I could have done
the tricks they were doing. I asked if this was an organized group. They said
no, it’s just a group of friends, male and female, who gather every Saturday,
weather permitting, to socialize and show off their skills. I could have
watched for another 15 minutes, but I was worried about getting home before
dark. I hope to return some Saturday next spring to enjoy the show again. This
is something you’ll never find in a tour book—it can only be found while
riding quietly through the Tuscan countryside.
