Tandem Tour of the Lombardy Italy District

I know most who follow our travels are thinking, “you just took a Tandem Tour in Europe”. And you would be correct. For 10 years Kathie and I have taken a European tour once every other year. This helped conserve vacation time and to some extent money.

Last year we finished our 5^th Tandem tour with the touring company Pennywise. We had thought that would be it until 2018. Pennywise is planning a tour in Belgium then which I thought was high on Kathie’s list of places to visit.

In early summer Kathie decided that she would prefer doing this year’s tour in the Italian Lombardy district instead of Belgium next year. After some bargaining and checking with Kathie’s work schedule we decided that Lombardy would be a go. Another change to our routine would be the timing of the tour. Most years Pennywise has offered two back-to-back tours. The second would be a repeat of the first.

In the previous 5 tours, when available, Kathie and I have always taken the second tour. In our first tour in Tuscany the second tour was the only one available to us. We had better luck with the weather that year and Pennywise made some adjustments in the second tour that made the trip a bit better. So we have made it a habit to take the second tour when we go.

This year Kathie had planned to trip to Florida in early October that conflicted with the second tour. Additionally one of the attractions to us was the first tour had many of our friends from previous Pennywise Tours that we always enjoy riding and touring with. This led us to taking the first tour this year.

September 14^th: On September 14^th Kathie worked from home as we finished packing and scheduled an Uber cab to take us to Dulles Airport. We had gone through Lufthansa to book our flights and at the airport we got into the Lufthansa check-in line to check our bags. After getting through the line, the person at the counter let us know that our tickets were United tickets and that we had to check in at the United Counter.

Luckily for us, United had a self-serve kiosk that had shorter lines. When we dropped off our bags, we found that one of our bike bags was a pound over-weight. I hurriedly open the bag and I took my wedge pack out. After leaving the counter I realized that the pack I was now holding contained several CO2 cartridges that I knew would not get through security. On our way to security I found a trashcan that received my packing mistake. 

We got through security and were soon on our plane to Frankfurt. In the trip I got to catch up on some of the movies I’ve wanted to see. “Hidden Figures”, “Gifted” and “Rouge One” got me through the flight.  Unfortunately for me, the movies did not induce sleep.

September 15^th: We reached Frankfurt in early morning German time. The layover was only about 45 minutes after getting through customs and the airport. We caught our flight to Milan, flew over the Alps, and we found ourselves at the Milan-Malpensa airport. We caught a taxi to our Motel, the Radisson Blu. After getting settled in we walked the neighborhood and found a local Pizzeria where we had a light dinner.

September 16^th :  Milano PICS : The next morning Kathie and I got up and stopped at the front desk to get directions and bus tickets to the tourist area in Milan. Our goal for the day was to take an art tour that included viewing the “Last Supper”. After getting off the bus we found a local café and had some fruit and croissants for breakfast. After breakfast we ventured out to find the monks dinning hall, which is the location of the “Last Supper”. After navigating to our location we waited for about 20 minutes for our tour guide to show up.

We found our tour guide and soon we started our tour. The tour started at the “Last Supper” where we had to wait in a sealed room to allow our body humidity to normalize. This took only about 15 minutes and soon we were in the room with the “Last Supper”. The room has two paintings that also include the “Crucifix”. The tour guide explained that the “Last Supper” was not a standard fresco. This was because Leonardo da Vinci waited for the plaster to dry before the paint was applied. This gave him more control  in the painting process and it took years for for the painting to be complete. This approach also made the painting more vulnerable to aging and deterioration. Only a decade after it was complete it was being “refurbished” and painted over. In the late 20^th century the layers of paint were removed the original painting was revealed.

After viewing the “Last Supper” our tour-guide walked us through to old sections of Milan and showed us artwork in the area.  This included inside and outside the churches in the area and public art.

After the tour, we were left to find our way back to the hotel. Luckily we had Kathie’s I-phone and used the GPS to guide our way. One of the things I wanted to see in Milan was the Duomo. Although we didn’t have time to tour it we did walk by it on our way to catch our bus to the hotel.

We did figure out our way to the bus and the Hotel. We retrieved our luggage and called a taxi to take us to the Central Train Station so that we could catch a train to Bologna. The Central Train station is a tourist site in itself. The fascists right before World War II remodeled the train station.   It took a bit to drag our luggage up to the departure platform for our train.

The board of departing and arriving trains had a listing on it for a train that was set to arrive in platform 22. We couldn’t find that platform and after some previous adventures with European trains Kathie was concerned that our train might come in on a non-existent platform. Luckily our platform was one easy to find and we were soon on our way to Bologna. 

Carrying our bike bags along with our “normal” luggage can be a bit of work. When we arrived in Bologna we got off the train with our entire luggage and started following the signs to exit the platform. Unfortunately the directions we got from the signs took us to the end of the platform without pointing us to the exit to take us to the taxi stand that we needed to get to our hotel. It took a bit of running in circles until we realized that we needed to use an escalator to get to the level that had taxi pickup. When we got there we didn’t see many taxis. After more investigation we found a taxi stand that required a phone call to hail a taxi.

After getting to the hotel we checked in and I went to the hotel bar to say hello to some of our friends who were there while Kathie took a nap. At the bar I said hello with our friends from Pennsylvania, Jim and Sonya and other friends Paul and Jodi and Dennis. After they left, I ran into a new Pennywise couple from Michigan, John and Becky.

After visiting I went back and got Kathie and we walked into the old part of Bologna where we found a nice Pizzeria for dinner. After dinner we wondered back to the hotel and got to bed for the night.

September 17^th: In the morning we got up and went to breakfast. When we walked into the room for breakfast there were many old and new friends to say hello to. We finished breakfast and made sure that we were packed and ready for our bus trip to Mantova.

Soon we had our bags on the bus and we were on our way. On the way we stopped at a rest stop on the highway and soon after we were in Mantova where the bus driver was unable to bus us to our hotel. The solution to this problem was to have all of us take our luggage and roll the luggage through the town to the hotel.

At the hotel we checked in and got settled. Soon Pennywise had box lunches ready for us before we started assembling our bikes. Assembling our bike went fairly smooth except that I cross-threaded a setscrew that is one of four that the eccentric into place. I tried to correct this but had to settle to use the other three setscrews to finish the job.

We finished assembly and washed up for the group dinner that Pennywise had planned for us. The dinner was at the upstairs banquet room of a local restaurant. The meal was four courses and we all had plenty to eat by time it was over.

September 18^th: MAP 1 :The next day we got up for the daily ride talk and I snuck down to the basement of the hotel to adjust a few things on the bike. I simply moved the bike a few inches and the rear tire blew out. I quickly replaced the tube and felt good that it happened when I had tools and help around me. We finished the ride talk and joined up with our friends Boyd and Elaine to start the ride. We got started and were only a few miles into the ride when I heard a rubbing noise coming from my wheels. I started to pull over to check out the noise when the rear tire blew again.

Luckily Boyd and Elaine were with us and helped me start to repair the tire. Luckily also because Boyd noticed that the bead on my tire had separated from the body of the tire. Luck was with me again when I had brought a spare tire with me. The counteracting pieces of luck were that I had not packed a second spare tube in our trunk and Boyd had one to lend us. With the help of Boyd and Elaine and Jim and Sonya we got the bike back together and we were on our way for the day.

The ride for the day was to Sabbioneta and took us along the Po River. After getting out of Mantova we traveled along wooded areas that lined the Po River.  About 10 miles out we reached a park area that took us down to the river that had a pontoon bridge that we crossed. On the other side of the river was a turn off that had some informational plaques along the side. Across from the turn off were more woods that looked like they were part of a re-forestation effort. All the trees were evenly spaced and of the same breed and age.

As we continued down the road we saw more forests with similar attributes. We also ran into an area that contained power plants along the river. Soon we came up on a dike that protected some small towns from flooding and had a trail on top of it that we used as our path.

We continued on our way and exited the dike then found ourselves on a country road and came to a T in the road that marked the beginning of the circle that we were going to take through Sabbioneta. Just as we got through the T we noticed several other couples at a café along the road. This seemed to be a good place to stop for a morning break. Just as we stopped it started to sprinkle, so we went inside in hopes that the rain would stop. We had coffees and the rain seemed to pick up a bit so Kathie and I decided that we would start back instead of risking a prolonged downpour.

The path back was almost identical to the one out except for the rain. The rain was light but persisted as light rain until we got back to Mantova. Once back in town the rain seemed to pick up a bit. The road into town was mostly cobblestone and forced us to think twice about riding or walking back to the hotel. Elaine and Boyd and Kathie dismounted but I thought I could maneuver my way back to the hotel via bike. I was able to get through the streets on the wet cobblestone but without Kathie navigating I was having trouble finding my way to the hotel.

I was using my Garmin to navigate but in the town the directions were very close together and confusing. I enlarged the map on the Garmin and got myself in the general direction of the hotel but unfortunately I didn’t recognize the hotel area when I got there.  After circling the area a few time I got a cell phone call from Kathie who was back at the hotel. I gave her my location and she got directions from the hotel clerk, then found me and walked me back.

I parked my bike and took a shower then Elaine and Boyd, and Kathie and I walked to the local grocery store to get supplies for lunch and that nights happy hour. When we got back to the hotel we found a small room off the lobby that had a table where we thought we could share lunch. Unfortunately the clerk told us we couldn’t use the room because others were planning to use it. We thought we could move into the bar area but that was closed also.

After lunch Kathie and I walked down to a local bike store to buy some tubes so that I could replace the one that Boyd gave me earlier in the day. We also bought a water bottle for Dan and Jean. It was interesting to see a bike shop from a different country.

Many people gathered for happy hour in the lobby for happy hour but were disappointed when a no venue was available, but we did form groups that wanted to go to dinner together. Jim and Sonya, Dan and Jean and Kathie and I walked down to a local Bistro where we had a great family style meal.

September 19^th: MAP 2 :The next day we got up for breakfast, packed our luggage for the transfer day and headed for Peschiera. Heading out of Mantova Kathie and I made a wrong turn and ended in a shopping plaza that was not on course. I took us about 15 minutes to figure out how to get back on course. After getting going again it looked like we were on our own and most other teams had passed us.

As we continued on I noticed a bike with a blinking light about a half-mile ahead of us. I thought we might catch that bike but at one point the bike in front of us had disappeared and I thought that we fell behind. Not too long later we came to a dogleg in our path. We took the left and then an immediate right and found Boyd and Elaine resting on the side of the road. They thought that we were ahead of them. We talked with them for a few minutes when, a man in a compact car stopped by us and started talking to us in Italian. We told him we spoke English. I think he thought we were English. Then someone said that we were American and he looked more interested. He said goodbye and drove on.

After a few minutes, Elaine and Boyd and Kathie and I got back on the road.  Just a little down the road, the man who stopped to talk to us was outside the gate to a small farmhouse. We waved and said hello to him and as we passed he asked us if we were interested in some Italian Coffee. I am not a big coffee drinker but Boyd is and he stopped his tandem and rode back to the house and we followed.

Alessandro invited us into his house and we all sat in the dinning area while he prepared coffee and tea for us. We had great conversations with Alessandro and how he was trying to learn how to speak English and he was a retired technology teacher. It was a joy to get a glimpse inside one of the many houses that we bicycle past on these trips and get a taste of the culture we had not yet seen.

After enjoying the Coffee, Tea, Cookies and conversation with Alessandro we went outside to get on our bikes. He took us across the private square in front of his house to a pomegranate tree in a corner of his lot. He took a pomegranate off the tree and shared it with us. Then he gave each of us a pomegranate to carry with us on our trip.

Several miles down the road from Alessandro’s house we came upon one of the site-seeing locations on this day’s trip. Parco Giardino Sigurta is a botanical park has a beautiful array of gardens. A path takes visitors through the park and lets them see the entire grounds. We entered the park and started visiting different areas of the park. The path was hillier than anything we had encountered so far on our tour. At one point we started down the hill and I thought that our tour was about to end. On the way down we saw signs that pointed us to the concession area. We took that route but found that there wasn’t a way out of that area except to back track. So we went back and continued on the road we were on before.

This road started to climb and soon we knew the tour was not about to end. In fact our stop at the concession stand was only the first half of the tour. We continued through the park and somewhere toward the top of the park was a path that was a road with pavers on both sides of the path and grass down the center. As we were riding this section on the right I hit some loose pavers that caused me the move to the middle of the path. This section was a little rough so I jumped to the left portion of the pass. I didn’t feel that I was in control of the bike so applied the brakes and came to a stop. There were rose bushes on the left side of the path and I managed to drag my left leg through the thorns.

We finished touring the park and I we stopped at a rest room where I got some towels and cleaned off my wounds. The second site seeing location for the day was at Borghetta, which was once part of the defenses at water crossing in the area. After having spent time at Alessandro’s and at the park, Boyd and Elaine and Kathie and I decided to skip this part of the tour and move forward.

Soon we arrived at our hotel in Peschiera. This was a great hotel that was on the promenade across from the shores and Lago de Garda. This location had a beautiful view of the lake and the foothills of the Alps. One of the peaks visible from the front of the hotel was snowcapped. We stowed of bikes, checked in, showed and joined in on the happy hour. We joined with several other couples and walked down the promenade to a restaurant where we enjoyed a great dinner.

September 20^th: MAP 3 : PICS :On the next morning we got up for breakfast and got ready for our loop ride. This ride took us up the East cost of Lago de Garda to a hilly loop north of the town of Garda. As we rode north and as was approached Garda the traffic along the road we were on was backed up. This took some time and patients but we were through the back up and took a path along the lake that was crowded with vacationing walkers.

Arriving in Garda we stopped at a restaurant with seating along the lake. It was there that we decided not to take on the hills but to return on side roads.  We returned taking a path away from the lake and back into Peschiera. We got back, showered and went to the happy hour that took place on the front patio that looked out onto the lake. That evening we joined with several other couples and went to a restaurant closer to the hotel that got good reviews from other couples that went there the night before.

September 21^st: MAP 4 :The next morning we got up for breakfast and packed our bags and helped pack them in the luggage van. This day’s ride would take us west to Castello Scaligero. This is a fort on a peninsula on the southern edge of Lago de Garda. We started riding with Boyd and Elaine and arrived at the fort with them. We locked our bikes and entered the fort that was lined with cafes and shops. We found a Gelato and Coffee shop where I had a Gelato and Kathie had a latte with a small scoop of gelato instead of milk. We had a good time enjoying our snacks then returned to the bikes to continue our trip.

As we continued west we departed from Lago de Garda and toward the hills that surrounded the lake. Soon Kathie and I were climbing a moderate hill and looking for a left turn promised by the cue sheet. I found a left turn that took us onto a bike trail that looked like a reasonable path to take. As we rode on the trail my GPS was indicating that we were on track. Unfortunately as we approached a T at the end of the trail the track we were following disappeared. So we stopped and took a look at our position and tried to figure out the fastest way to get back on track. I mapped out the course and I took us down in a small valley and then back up over a hill that connected with our intended track. 

With a short rest Kathie and I got to the top of the ridge started by making sure we were back on track. Boyd and Elaine did not follow us onto the bike trail and we thought that we would see them when we got to Brescia. Kathie and I were having problems finding the track and took a few wrong turns. We finally found the track but started down the track in the wrong direction when we ran into Boyd and Elaine resting on the side of the road. With our combined navigational knowledge we got on track and in the correct direction.

About ten miles out of Brescia we noticed a restaurant in a village named Mazzano. We decided to stop for lunch. There was something about the area the restaurant was in, that made me feel like I needed to take my Camera off the bike and bring it into the restaurant with me. We had a nice lunch and got back on the bike to finish our trip into Brescia.  When we arrived I took all the accessories off the bike and entered the lobby of the Best Western to check in. We got checked in and I grabbed all the accessories to get them to our room. We showered and started to ready for happy hour. I wanted to take pictures of the happy hour participants and looked for my camera, which didn’t make it to the room.

Because I didn’t remember taking the camera into the restaurant in Mazzano I assumed the camera had been taken while we were checking in. I searched and asked around about my missing camera. Kathie who sort of remembered me taking the camera into the restaurant, found our receipt from lunch and called the restaurant and the restaurant had found the camera and was holding it for us. We took part in the happy hour and had a group dinner at Osteria Al Bianchi and returned to the hotel for a good night’s sleep.

September 22^nd: Pennywise supplied us with Brescia passes that got us local bus trips and entrance to any of the museums in the town. When Kathie and I started our day we decided not to ride but to try to do our laundry and retrieve my camera from Mazzano. Our first thought was to see if we could figure out how to get to Mazzano via public transportation. Kathie found the city information center address and after breakfast we walked to that part of town. When we got to the city information center they told us that to get to Mazzano we would need to transfer busses. This seemed a bit complicated for us so we decided that a taxi would be a better way to go.

On our way back from the city information center we walked to an establishment that I found on the web when I was looking for a Laundromat. We found the establishment but it was a dry cleaner. This was a repeated problem in Italy. When in Puglia we followed signs to what we thought was a serf service Laundromat and found it to be a dry cleaner.

Kathie and I started back to the hotel but took a side trip on the way back to see Museum of Santa Giulia. This museum displayed artifacts of the city of Brescia history that spanned 3 Millennia. The museum was well presented and kept us busy for several hours. The artifacts were interesting and seemingly never ending.

After touring Santa Giulia Kathie and I got back to the hotel where we called for a cab that took us back to Mazzano where we retrieved my camera. When we got back to the hotel we ventured out into the area and found a pizzeria for lunch.  

That evening at happy hour everyone was happy to see that I got my camera back. Bill and Karen Schwartz invited Kathie and I to join them for dinner that night. We went back toward the center of the city and found a quaint place and had a nice evening with the Schwartz and Bob and Linda Morgan.

September 23^rd : Winery : MAP 6: In the morning we had breakfast and packed our bags for our transfer day to Bergamo. On the way to Bergamo we stopped at a winery / vineyard where we took and tour and had a tasting. We also rode by the southern shore of Lago d’Iseo. Our destination for the day was the NH Bergamo. In Bergamo about 6 couples had planned a special dinner for the evening. There was a good group of couples that were celebrating their wedding anniversary on our close tot the tour. Unfortunately Pennywise has planned a group dinner for us on this night but we re-planned our anniversary dinner for a later night.The group dinner was just a short walk away from our hotel and we enjoyed everyone’s company during a great dinner.

September 24^th: Monasterolo : Map 7 :On the next day we got up for breakfast and started toward our loop day up the East side of Lago di Endine. This trip was a combination of road and bike paths. At the far point of the ride was a restaurant that we thought might serve us for lunch. As we arrived the front of the restaurant was packed with people that were dressed very nicely. Through my American lens I immediately thought that these people were part of the wedding reception. With a bit more thought I realized that this was a Sunday and I don’t believe Sunday weddings are all that common in Italy. One of the couples we were riding with went in to see if we could get lunch but came out when they told us that the restaurant was already full so we decided to start back into Monasterolo del Castello the little village that we just rode through.

In the town we gathered together and went into the boucheria where we got ham and cheese as elements for our lunch. Across the street was a café that we ordered croissants to complete our sandwiches. We all had lunch and visited a park that had a view of the lake. After seeing the park we started our ride back into Bergamo.

After getting back to Bergamo we got our showers and Kathie sent me out to find contributions for that nights happy hour. I started out to find a grocery store and ran into Everett and Suzanne who were returning from touring Bergamo. They pointed me in the direction of a Care Fore. I walked up to the area but was unable see the entrance to the store. I widened my search by going to the next street and found a pedestrian shopping area and, by chance, I circled back to the place I originally was searching and happened upon the Care Fore store entrance. There I bought the items on my list and checked out. The Care Fore exit dumped me into a clothing store. There I just wanted to find the exit so I could start my walk back to the hotel. Unfortunately I found an exit that was alarmed. I returned to the clothing store and a clerk pointed me toward the correct exit. I got back to the hotel and Kathie and I went to happy hour then found other couples to join for dinner.

September 25^th: Lecco : MAP 8 : On the next day we got up for breakfast, packed our bags and readied for our day’s ride. Today’s destination is Lecco. Lecco is a small town on the southeast branch for Lago de Como. The name they give this part of the lake is Lago de Lecco.

We had two choices for our route to Lecco one was on main roads and the other was a trail along the river. Kathie and I decided to take the river trail. When we got to the river, the turn to take the trail took a long steep hill down to the river. Half way down the hill we stopped in a parking lot to let the brakes cool down and we rested our hands from pulling the brakes.

When we got to the river level we got a taste of the trail and it’s surface. The first thing we saw was several puddles that reminded me a bit of the C&O canal on the Potomac River. The combination of puddles and rocky surfaces made me concerned about the quality of the trail going forward. We pressed forward and ran into a gate across the trail. After investigating I discovered that the gate was help closed with stick. I removed the stick and the gate lifted, and let us onto the trail.

Soon we entered a little town called Brivio. There we ran into Dan and Jean who were eating on a bench. Kathie and I walked the streets near the trail and found a placed that served crepes. We grabbed a few crepes and then moved forward on our trek. The trail seemed to get better the closer we got to Lecco.

We checked into our hotel for the night. As we got settled Kathie asked me to find her something for lunch since the crepes that we had weren’t substantial enough. Walked to a section of town to see what I could find. It seemed that most restaurants that I could find were either closed for remodeling or closed for the day. Finally I came upon a bar that offered food and I ordered a ham and cheese panini. I took the sandwich back and Kathie and I shared it. Later we met up in the lobby for happy hour and then we had group dinner in the hotel.

September 26^th: Cable Car : MAP 9 :The next day of riding was a relatively short day and Steve and Karen planned a morning excursion for us. We started by moving our bikes into a small room because the conference room that we were using was scheduled for a meeting. After that we got into a charter bus that took us to the base station of a cable car in Partenza Funiria per Erma. The trip to the base station was one constant set of switchbacks. I was feeling sorry for the bus motor because this was a very steep climb and seemingly a never-ending set of switchbacks.

We arrived at the base and got our first look at the cable car. I could tell that this was going to be a substantial ride because the cables carrying the gondolas looked like spider webs. We all got into the next available gondola and started our ride. Luckily for me I was toward the down side of the gondola. I have a big case of vertigo that I feared setting off if I had been looking up at our destination.

We arrived at the top of the cable car ride on Piani d’Erma and exited the station to a set of paths that allowed hiking a bit higher up the peak that we were on. Even some of the paths and observation points set off my fear of heights. I was able see and take photos of some great views from where we came. Just to add to my fears there was a memorial to someone who I believe perished in activities at this level.

We explored then got ready for our return trip. We arrived at the base station a bit early for our coach ride back to the hotel, so we all sat at a café and had some morning drinks then caught the coach. Upon return we got ourselves and our bikes ready for the day’s ride.

Today’s ride took us up beside Lago Como to Bellagio. Getting out of Lecco our course took us through a set of tunnels carved out of the hillsides along the lake. The first was about one and a half miles long. I had a good shoulder on it and the traffic included busses and large trucks. The noise from that larger vehicles gave seasoned cyclists a reason for concern because the noise was so loud the relative location of the vehicles were hard to discern.

After getting through the tunnels we worked our way to Bellagio. The roads we were on were a bit more trafficked than what we had seen so far on the trip. The roads and the drivers reminded me of riding in Tuscany. Just before entering Bellagio there was a moderate set of hills we had to climb and then we were on the promenade between the lake and the hotel Du Lac our home for the next two days.

Steve was waiting for us and he led us to garage a few blocks away where we would store our bikes. Then Kathie and I checked into the hotel and joined a few other couples on the veranda for a drink before getting our showers and gong to happy hour.

After our showers we explored the hotel. On the fifth floor we discovered an outdoor deck that looked out over Lago de Como. I seemed to us a perfect location for happy hour so we hung out there for a while hoping that others in the group had also discovered the location. We only had one other couple join us while were waiting and soon we retreated to the lobby where the happy hour was taking place.

At happy hour, we were able to catch up with the couples we were planning to dine with. There were several other couples whose anniversary was during or close to the tour. We had planned to have a dinner the night before but weren’t aware of the group dinner in Lecco until after we planned it. Tonight Dan and Jean found us a Michelin rated restaurant that was within walking distance of the hotel.

We gathered together and walked to the restaurant Darsene di Loppia. We had a great evening and great food to celebrate. After dinner we walked back to the hotel and got a good night’s sleep to prepare for a special day of riding the next day.

September 27^th: Ghisallo : MAP 10 : On the next day we got up for breakfast and started to prepare for ours day’s ride. Today’s ride was one that I had looked forward to weeks before the tour. As it turned out this caused some disappointment for Kathie. Kathie normally likes to take a day off from riding in the middle of the second week of our tours. Unfortunately the remainder of week’s ride only left this middle day’s ride as the one we could miss.

We had 3 choices of rides for the day. One was staying near the lake and riding to Varenna, the next tourist town north of Bellagio. The other two choices are rides to “Santuario Madonna Del Ghisallo”. These are substantial climbs that are included in the Girro Lombardy. One of the courses takes a shorter but more direct climb to Ghisallo making this a tougher route. It then continues down the south side of the hill that is a little less steep. The second route goes up and down the south approach and makes the adventure a bit easier.

Kathie and I joined with Boyd and Elaine and we took the easier route. It took us about 2 hours to climb to Ghisallo and on the way we took a few rest stops and also saw at least a dozen single bicycles pass us on the way up.

Several years ago I read “The Road to Valor” which was the biography of Gino Bartali who was the only person to win the Tour de France before and after World War II. He not only was a venerated Italian Cyclist he also saved many lives from concentration camps by smuggling falsified documents to Jews who were trapped in Italy during the German occupation.

In Ghisallo there are there are several tributes to Italian Cyclists. The Santuario Madonna Del Ghisallo is a chapel that is dedicated to Cyclists. As you enter the chapel, the walls are covered with bicycles and jerseys from famous riders and events. The alter is gated off and contains more bikes of interest. I told Kathie that if we had this at my church I would attend much more often.

Outside the chapel there are busts of some of Italy’s favorite cycling son’s. This included Fausto Coppi, and Gino Bartali. Next to the chapel is a statue of Coppi and Bartali on there bikes. Next to the statue is the Museo Del Ciclismo. The museum was created to house many of the relics that had accumulated, in the chapel, over time.

The museum was a wonder in itself. It appears that it had grown from a museum for venerated cyclist to a display on cycling technology over the years. If your mouth waters over classic bicycles this would be haven. It was for me.

We toured the museum and I purchased a Jersey to show off to my fellow riders back home.  After getting all my pictures and taking in the wunder of where we were we stopped at a restaurant on the property and had a quick lunch.  After lunch we started down to the valley the way we had come up. Steve recommended that we take the southern approach down to make it easier to control the bike. On our trip down Kathie was on the drum break almost all the way down. What took 2 hours to climb took about 45 minutes to descend. Even descending we were being passed by single cyclists.

We got back to the hotel safely and we stored the bike back in garage, showered and went to happy hour that was on the rooftop deck this evening. We had a great crowd and most of us were talking about our adventures for the day. Terry and I had both read “The Road to Valor” and were having a good conversation about the book. Kathie and I found a restaurant on our own for the night. We went to a local place called Babayaga. It was steak and pizza place that was a little more casual than what we had been eating at. We had a good dinner and ran into several other couples who wondered in as we ate.

September 28^th: To Como : Villa Carlotta : MAP 11 : The next day would mark our last ride for the tour. Although there was another ride offered the next day, it was a loop ride and Kathie was waiting for her day off. On this day we would ride from Bellagio to Como. The ride would take us on a tour of botanical gardens on the grounds of a mansion, past George Clooney’s Como home and into the city of Como.

We started our ride by meeting at the vehicular ferry dock in Bellagio. We loaded onto the ferry that took us directly across the lake. Our ferry stop was in Cadenappia where we all gathered to make sure all couples got across the lake. While waiting I noticed a statue of a Bocce ball player in a small park near the doc.

Soon many couples were pulling out to take the road south. We followed riders down a short distance to Villa Carlotta. There we parked our bikes and gathered at the entry location for the museum. We were given entry tickets to the museum, entered through the gates and started exploring the gardens. A group of us joined together and started one of the designated tour paths marked with signs around the park. After about 45 minutes we ran into another couple and a woman who was our tour guide. As it turned out our entrance to the museum included a tour guide but the group I was with didn’t wait for the guide before starting our tour.

Kathie and I followed the tour guide where we got a better understanding of the history of the villa and the types of vegetation in the gardens. After completing the tour Kathie and I escaped to the Villa where we viewed the artwork that was contained within. After some last minute exploring Kathie and I got on our bike and continued our trip.

As we got closer to Como we passed the area that was pointed out to be George Clooney’s family home on Lago de Como. We took notice at this area but thought that the Clooney’s were too busy chasing twins and counting money to be out playing in their yard(s). We didn’t stop to do more caulking and continued onto Como. As we approached our hotel the final direction got us a bit confused and we worked our way down a gated alley. We soon realized that we had taken a wrong turn and Kathie got off the bike to see if she could find the hotel. In a few minutes she came down the alley with a man who lived in an apartment on the alley. He directed us around the corner to the hotel and we parked the bike in the basement.

We checked into the hotel, showered and then took a walk around the hotel neighborhood. On the walk we found a grocery store where we picked up a few thing for happy hour that was held in the lobby of the hotel. After happy hour we joined another couple for dinner.

September 29^th:  Funicula : Duomo : Dinner : On the next morning we got up for breakfast and found that only about half of the couples on the tour decided to participate in the last day of riding., Those who decided not to ride used the extra time to pack thier bikes and do a bit of last minute site seeing. Kathie and I were part of the later group. We went to the ride meeting where Karen and Steve directed those who were packing their bike to a grassy area across from the hotel that we could use as a work area.

Kathie and I rolled our bike bags and bike to the grassy area and Kathie went to a local store to buy some spray cleaner so that we could clean the bike as we packed it. We were on the grassy area with Bill and Karen and Dan and Jean and we all helped each other get through the process of disassembling the bikes and packing them into the bike bags. In a few hours our bikes were packed and I went to our room to clean up before we continued on our day.

Kathie and I left the hotel and walked across Como. For those who have visited or lived in Pittsburgh, what we had set out to do this day was ride the incline. In Pittsburgh there are two inclines that both give great views of the city from on high. In Como (or Europe in general) they call these vehicles funiculars. The one in Como was much longer and took us to the small town of Brunate that had grown to be a tourist area from the presence of the funicular. Kathie and I walked over bottom entry point of the funicular, bought our round trip tickets and took ride to Brunate.

One of the things that was difference between the Pittsburgh and the Como funiculars was that Como only had one track visible from the car we rode. What seemed strange to me was the fact that two cars are more efficient than one.  In Brunate we explored the neighborhoods, shops and beautiful views of Como and the southern end of Lago de Como. We took the return trip and on the descent I discovered the answer to quandary on the way down. As we descended we got seats on the bottom of our car. While descending I noticed a short section of track that split out into two tracks then rejoined as one track. There were indeed two cars that counter balanced the trip for cars going in each direction.

When we landed in Como, Kathie was feeling hungry so we looked for a restaurant.  Deep in the tourist area of Como we found a restaurant that looked like a Mexican restaurant. The menu for the restaurant was very Italian and I had pizza. We finished lunch then I guided us to the Duomo in Como.

The Duomo is dedicated to our Blessed Lady of the Assumption and was built in the 15^th century. It was designed in a combination of architectural styles. As we approached I was holding my leftover pizza box and trying to photograph the exterior of the church. Kathie ended up carrying my pizza box while I was taking my pictures. When we entered the church Kathie didn’t want to carry the pizza through the church so she sat in the back of the church while a toured.

We finished touring then walked our way back to the hotel where some of the couples had returned from the day’s ride and they were working on pack there bikes.  Kathie and I went back to our room where we got dressed nicer for the group dinner for the evening.

Later, we went to happy hour and accumulated for dinner. The restaurant where our group dinner was held was back in the area where the bottom landing of the funicular is. We had one last fun dinner before leaving the next morning.

September 30^th: Milan II : The next morning Kathie and I got up for breakfast then finished packing our bags for our ride to Milano. I helped load bike bags onto the tour van and soon after that the coach bus picked us up and took us to Milano-Malpensa Airport where many of us had reservations at the Holiday Inn Express near the Airport. There were about 8 couples on the coach that got off at the Holiday Inn Express and, we arrived a bit early to check in, so we had the desk store our bags in the back room near the lobby. This took some time and while we were getting our bags stowed I got instructions on how to get into the old town section of Milano so that we could do some impromptu touring before leaving for home.

After getting settled about 5 couples gathered to ventured to the airport where there is a train station that shuttles people to Milano. We bought our round trip tickets then caught the train. We arrived in Milano in an area that Kathie and I were familiar with from our touring two weeks earlier. With the help of our tourist map we worked our way to the Duomo.

As we approached the Duomo we lost a few couples in our group who had other plans. And we found restaurants and found one to have lunch at. After lunch we continue onto the Duomo. The plaza in from of the Duomo was packed and I knew right away that my hopes of touring the Duomo were dashed. We did get to see the Duomo from the outside and quickly found our way to the Galleria.

The Galleria is several blocks of shops that are covered in glass. It has decorative tiles on the walk that have pictures of different Italian symbols. There is one of Romulus and Remus and another of the Torino or baby bull. There is a local tradition of spinning on the bull to bring good luck.  We got to the Torino and I took a spin on it.

We continued onto the back of the Galleria where there is a plaza that has a statue of Leonardo da Vinci and off the plaza is La Scala , one of the better known Opera Houses in the world. Unfortunately I had not purchased tickets for the tour of La Scala so we decided that we had seen enough of Milano and started to return to the train station to get back to the airport.

Back at the Holiday Inn Express we rested then went down to the lobby bar where couples had gathered for a pre-dinner drink. Kathie and I sat down and joined the other couples. There we found that one couple had investigated local restaurants and had decided on one within walking distance. The place they found was Samarcanda, which had good food and an outside deck with tables.

October 1^st: The next morning, Kathie and I got up early so that we could catch our continental breakfast then catch the shuttle bus to the airport terminals. We ate then moved our luggage to the parking lot where it didn’t take long for the shuttle bus to arrive. There were other people in line to get on the bus and as we were lining up to load luggage on the bus several people cut in line and when we got to the bus it was full. Luckily the hotel called another bus for us that came in a few minutes.

Kathie and I got shuttled to terminal 2 in Malpensa Airport and we started to roll our luggage to the Lufthansa gate to check in. On the way to the gate we passed queue of passengers that looked like a special processing line. In it were Bill and Karen who later gave us directions on how to get through the process, which was the line to pay the extra fare for our extra luggage bike bags. We paid our extra luggage fee and were soon on our way to our gate. Soon we were flying to Frankfurt.

Kathie and I transferred planes in Frankfurt and landed in Dulles in mid-afternoon. We went through customs, and retrieved our luggage. We caught a taxi to get us home and we were ready to get back into our routine.