Introduction:

Was the first bicycle tour in Italy? I have no idea but Italy is probably the most popular destination for bicycle touring next to a trip to the local ice cream shop. And in Italy, the most popular destination is Tuscany. It's not surprising, Tuscan wines, renaissance treasures, warm summer nights, and rolling hills, what visitor has ever been able to resist the charms of Tuscany whatever the mode of transportation.

Everyone chooses a tour for different reasons, depending on their interests and experience. I had two reasons for wanting to visit Italy, history and the check-box effect. I mostly like to travel in order to see historically interesting locations and wonder at the human drama played out at those locations. For a child of western civilization (although my European friends my find that claim presumptuous for an American) one can't find a richer stage than that provided by central and northern Italy. My route would take me from Rome, the seat of the most important civilization of the ancient Mediterranean through the lands of the earlier Etruscan civilization, to the birth place of Renaissance Europe, Florence. Along the way, my route promised pleasant scenery and good food. I found all of the above and more in my trip.

The check-box effect has it's charms too. North Italy is such a famous area of bicycle touring that probably almost all cycling tourists will eventually go there. While the check-box effect might motivate one to go the first time to a famous place, in my case it was so wonderful that I'm busy planning another more extensive trip.

However one decides on a destination, the important thing is to get out there and do it. Happy road to all of you. I hope this cycle tour journal will help you plan your trip.

Getting To Rome

Getting to Rome, May 24, was long on flying and short on bicycling. I had worried the whole trip about how I would get out of the airport and where I would stay. I hadn't been able to find a good map of Roma before I left, one that included the airport, so like Madrid last year I didn't know how I would leave the airport or where I would stay.

On the approach, through the airplane window, I glimpsed the Mediterranean quite close in the west and Roma sprawled out to the east. I realized I had made a pleasant mistake, I had thought the airport was in the northern suburbs of Roma, but it turns out that the Leonardo Da Vinci airport lies west of Roma, close to the shore, but in a relatively rural area. I rested a little easier for the landing.

The DaVinci airport has a spacious luggage collection area with plenty of places to re-assemble the bike. Unfortunately, I chose a spot not far from the entrance guard station. Eventually, the officer wandered over, I thought to look at my funny bike, and informed me that I couldn't leave the box in the area, I had to remove it with me. When ready to leave, I had to drag the box and my bike out of the door and drop it (the bike) in the hall. I dropped the box just outside the door, my litter obsessed officer watching me. Evidently, his jurisdiction stopped at the entrance door.

Leaving the airport was a snap. Just go outside the terminal, get in the taxi lane, and act like a taxi. Follow the signs to Fiamicino/Ostia, take the turn to Fiamicino, and then to Focene. Focene is about 5 Km from the airport. From Focene you can pedal the 16 Km more to Fragene, a coastal resort community with a few hotels and plenty of restaurants. However, in late May most restaurants appeared closed, perhaps the season had not yet started.