| The Leonetti Family - Italia - July 2012 |
| Joe is still in England :( & Zaven is hanging out with friends in Monza so it was so nice to have some girl time with Shanna yesterday and with Shanna & Eliza today. Sitting outside, drinking Greyhounds & eating amazing piadina @ Farinami Milano ~ Porto Ticinese 15 luglio 2012 |
| Tuscany Bike Tour Costa degli Etruschi e Strada di Vino Etruschi Livorno to Piombino - Ferry to Isola di Elba 21-26 July 2012 |
| Right: Trial run with bikes before the trip. Needed to see how we did with the hills...and there were HILLS. My gear changers were in need of service - thank goodness we found a bike shop in Acqui Terme - we walked in with my bike and the owner said, "OH DIO un Special ZED." Specialized very exotic over here. |
| Day 1. We left the car at the port in Livorno and headed south toward Cecina de Marina. We got on the road with the bikes about 2.30 - mid day heat -tons of traffic and a massive hill. I never thought I would want to do a bike trip in Italy just because the Italians are such rotten drivers and they don't really have bike lanes. BUT the truth is that the drivers are way more tolerant of cyclists vs. runners, walkers, women w/ strollers or animals. I prayed a lot and we survived. Above right: Leaving Livorno - the weird bathing pools as there are not really beaches. |
| Yay, we made it to Cecina, checked into our hotel, parked our bikes in the 'bike deposit' (very impressive) and went for a stroll on the beach before dinner. |
| Day 2 VIDEO Leaving Cecina de Marina - Destination Piombino - it was only suppose to be 55 kilometers BUT we had crazy, crazy, crazy wind - dangerous it was blowing the cars into us and us into the cars - at one point I was blown off my bike. We had to go inland and follow the very hilly Strada di Vino - which was lovely and we are happy we did it but it turned our 3 hour trip into 10 hours, mamma mia. |
| Right: You can't tell by this photo but this is a magical natural pine forest - one of our trip highlights. |
| Right & below: Castegneto Carducci - really darling Tuscan village on the Strada di Vino. Since it was so windy many of the beach tourists (mostly DE & NL) came inland to wine taste and buy olive oil. |
| Right: Excellent lunch (we were starving and I would have eaten dirt) but not so excellent village - Sassetta - we were served, I am sure, from a creepy meth dealing satanist - but beside that the food was wonderful. |
| Day 3 Ferry from Piombino to Cavo ~ Isola d'Elba Right at the port, below on the ferry. It was nice to have a cruisy day after our crazy 10 hour day. |
| Right: VIDEO The Strada di Vino was just lovely - olive trees, vineyards, the classic Tuscan cypress trees and it wouldn't be Italy in the summer time without the cicadas - it was heaven. |
| Right: Finally, after hours and hours, we arrived in Piombino! Hotel Esperia was slayed by me on booking.com feedback - view to Elba lower right . Good view/bad hotel. If you ever go to Piombino - have pizza at da Luigi (via L. Da Vinci, 17). Luigi made me a heart shaped pizza! Rucola, grana, pomodorini, mozzarella di bufala e prosciutto...and heart shaped, can it get any better? |
| Cavo ~ Isola d'Elba Finally a beach day! |
| Day 4 Cavo ~ Isola d'Elba The view from our room ~ La Vecchia Scuola - loved it! |
| Right: Zaven took the day off but Joe and I did a little early morning exploring. We didn't realize what a mineral rich island Elba is - loved the red hills, the black beaches (below) and the little boy Ludovico hawking his pyrite. Who can resist a little kid in his swimuit and crocs selling rocks on the boardwalk? |
| Right: Beach picnic. I love red wine but in the summer I drink a lot of white - on Elba I disovered a wine (grape) called Ansonica and I loved it - it has a very high alcohol content ie has a kick but is delicious. There is a wine called Elba Bianco (White) which everyone was pushing, but really what is that? Like 3 different grapes? I am still young in my wine tasting and can't be confused with a lot of different flavors, or smells :) |
| Day 5: The long way home. Ferry to Piombino. Ride to Campiglia Marittima. Train to Livorno. Ride from Livorno Centrale to the port. Before this trip I was under the impression that Tuscans were uncool, but I now think that only people from Florence are uncool. We had to do a last minute tire buy when we got back to Livorno, for Joe's car, and just encountered the kindest people. Angels, good karma, both? Regardless, we are fortunate all the way around. Ansonica & gelato detox...and Avalon comes tomorrow ~ Alp trek next week ~ still on vacation!!! 28 July 2012 |
| After having Av's flight changed twice and then canceled last night...and then having him put on a Lufthansa flight, we are so happy to have him here! Cooking Mexican together and discovering that we have, in our little garden, the hottest peppers in the world...Ghost Peppers - what are the chances, we can barely get internet but some how the local nursery had these exotic Indian devil peppers. Av made an insane salsa. Right: pre dinner cocktails on the portico. So happy to have my family together! 30 July 2012 |
| In Milano checking out the bone church. Morbid and weird. Right: My handsome boys 31 July 2012 |