Adventure: Riviera Maya, Mexico

Mexico's Riviera Maya, the stretch of Caribbean coastline that spans from Playa del Carmen down to Tulum, has been featured on many "go-to-travel destination" lists in the past few years thanks to its abundant beaches, jungles, world class diving, and Mayan ruins. This part of the Yucatan Peninsula is easy to get to, and has just about everything you'd want in a vacation. And since our trips almost always revolve around hiking, biking, or camping, we were especially excited when our friends Joe and Cindy asked us to join in their destination wedding celebration here in late September. Here's a recap of our four-day adventure! 

Where We Stayed 

The wedding was held at the all-inclusive, adults-only, Heaven at Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya. This massive 1200+ room resort has everything -- private beaches, giant swimming pools, a swim-up bar, a dozen fine-dining restaurants, two spas... the list goes on and on. We somehow lucked into a Deluxe Platinum Sky Terrace room, a 1000 sq ft palace of a room with a King Bed, in-room liquor dispenser and -- you guessed it --  a private 2nd floor sky terrace, complete with lounge chairs and hydro spa tub. Rumor had it that the hotel ran out of the JV rooms and upgraded quite a few wedding guests to the fancy rooms. (Note: The pictures below are from Expedia and do not depict our actual room or terrace. In my excitement after check-in, I forgot to snap a single pic of our room.)

The resort was an A+ choice by Joe and Cindy for their wedding. All-inclusive resorts, which are plentiful in Riviera Maya, can sometimes get a bad rap for being impersonal and inauthentic, or for prioritizing quantity over quality à la cruise ships. And while I'm sure our experience in Riviera Maya would have been much different had we stayed at a 10-room boutique hotel in Playa del Carmen or Tulum, the Hard Rock was absolutely perfect for the occasion. The property is stunning and elegant, and we were blown-away by everything from the service to the food quality to the sheer amount of things to do. I've stayed at two other all-inclusive resorts in this part of Mexico (Dreams Tulum in 2005, and Royal Catalonia in 2011) and I'd definitely recommend this lodging option for anyone (honeymooners, adventure-seeker, families, etc.) looking for luxury and convenience at a great value. 

What We Did 

Our flight landed in Cancun on Thursday around 11am, and the 1hr trip down to Riviera Maya was quick and easy. We checked into our room right away, grabbed lunch at one of the oceanside restaurants, and spent most of the afternoon reading and drinking beer on the beach. We also watched (but did not participate in) a foam party at the pool. After a fun day in the sun, we power-napped, then joined the poolside wedding welcome party on Thursday night.

We decided to spend Friday on the resort to take advantage of (just a fraction of) the activities offered by the hotel. We woke up early and ordered a delicious room service breakfast feast. Then, we headed down to the beach for a guided paddle board tour. Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya’s beach is divided into a few different naturally-protected lagoons and coves, which all have calm, flat, crystal clear water. The paddle board tour took us around the different coves, and it was fun to get some exercise and see some more of the hotel from a unique vantage point. We spent the rest of the afternoon lounging in one of the beach cabanas, which we booked using the hotel's "resort credit" program. The cabana came with a personal assistant for the day, a bottle of white wine, and lunch from a special menu. In hindsight, while it was nice to have a dedicated shady spot for the day, it ended up feeling a little unnecessary and ostentatious. 

We had to pry ourselves away from the snacks at Joe and Cindy's post-rehearsal party Friday night to save room for dinner at Ciao, one of the fine-dining establishments on the property. The food was delicious -- better than it had any right to be. After our fancy Italian meal, I got my first taste of Club Heaven. It’s (apparently) famous for the indoor pool and two Jacuzzis that are set in the middle right in front of the DJ booth. Although we are not big clubbers, the club drew a big crowd every night, and it was fun to dance with (what seemed like) the vast majority of wedding guests.  

On Saturday, we ventured out on an excursion with Aventuras Mayas, an eco-tour company that partners with the hotel and offers a plethora of land and water sport activities like snorkeling in cenotes, the underwater caverns that are one of the signature geological features of the Yucatan Peninsula. After SCUBA diving in cenotes with my family when we were here 10+ years ago, I pushed this activity hard and I'm so glad I did. It is a truly incredible experience, and I had forgotten just how magical it is down there. If you're in this part of the world and don't get out to swim/snorkel/dive in a cenote, you're really missing out. The tour we opted for also included zip-lining and rappelling, which were both super fun. It was pouring rain during the rappelling bit, which added an extra dose of adventure! We bit the bullet and bought a CD of our pictures afterward, mainly so I could have access to these hilarious gems.

The Wedding

David knows Joe through a big group of his TJHSST friends. (They all went to UVA.) They've also gotten together for the infamous March Madness Vegas trip for the last 10+ years. The whole weekend felt like a fun vacation with a huge group of lifelong friends, and the main event on Saturday evening was no exception. It had been raining on and off all day, so the wedding ceremony was moved from the beach to a covered terrace that overlooked the ocean. It was really lovely. After cocktail hour, we moved to a giant ballroom for the reception. 

David's TJ friends, their honorary TJ friend (Joe - he gave a toast at their 10 year High School reunion), and beautiful Cindy. 

Chichen Itza & Tulum

We pulled ourselves together on Sunday morning and braved the 2+ hour car ride to Chichen Itza with our friends Dhivy and Olga. The trip was totally worth it. The complexity and sophistication of this 1000-year-old Mayan city is incredible to learn about, and seeing it in person is even more remarkable. We hired a guide for a private one-hour tour, then Olga and I did some exploring on our own while David and Dhivy rested in the shade. I could devote an entire post to Chichen Itza, so for now I'll just say -- if you have the opportunity to go, you should go, even if you're terribly hungover or running on three hours of sleep. 

We stopped in Tulum on the way back from Chichen Itza. This is a cute beach town that reminded me a lot of Siem Reap in Cambodia, tranported to the Carribean. Think dive shops, dive bar tiki bars, and beach bums. It also looks nothing like what I remember when I was here in 2005. I remember small shops on the side of the highway; Forbes recently referred to Tulum as a "sizzling hot yoga town". It really has exploded in the last 10 years. Anyway, we really only had time to wander along the main street and make a quick stop for pizza, but this is a quickly-growing trendy millennial spot, and I can see why. After Tulum, it was back to the resort for Dhivy and Olga, and up to Cancun for David and me so we could catch our early flight back on Monday morning. 

We really couldn't have had a better time in Mexico, and our only regret was that we didn't stay longer. Let me know if you're interested in traveling to Riviera Maya -- we've got a lot more tips and recommendations we can share.  'Til next time! 

Adventure: Yosemite National Park

After a great July 4th week in Berkeley and San Francisco, we left the Bay Area on a Friday afternoon for a weekend in Yosemite with our buds Ann and Matt. We made a pit stop in the historic gold rush town Mariposa, CA to buy provisions for the weekend and explore some of the small shops, then made our way into the park. Considering we booked this trip just a few weeks out, we counted ourselves pretty lucky to be able to find an available condo for the four of us in Yosemite West, a community that's just within the park and only 30 minutes from the Valley. Hotels and campsites in the Valley, we learned, book up months and months in advance.

Speaking of Yosemite Valley, we caught a stunning glimpse of Tunnel View just before sunset on our drive up to our condo.

This is how I feel about sitting in hours of Friday afternoon traffic out of the Bay Area. 

Since we only had one full day to experience the park, our strategy was to pack in as much as possible on a full-day hike. We woke up very early Saturday morning (around 5am), made bagels and PB&J sandwiches, and filled up our water bottles. This is probably a good time to mention that if you're planning an full-day hike (or any hike) in Yosemite in the summer (or anytime), you should hydrate as well as possible the day before, and carry more water than you think you’ll need. 

We decided to take on one of the most strenuous routes in the park -- second only to summiting Half Dome -- a 14-mile combination of Four Mile Trail from the Valley floor up to Glacier Point, Panorama Trail from Glacier Point back down to the Valley, and the back half of Mist Trail past the popular Nevada Fall and Vernal Fall. 

We made it to the Four Mile Trailhead just before 7am. There was abundant parking on the side of the street, although we later learned that this was maybe not the best parking strategy. Four Mile Trail is actually a misnomer -- it's five miles up to Glacier Point, with about 3200ft in elevation gain. We knew this would be one of the toughest stretches of our hike, and temperatures threatened to climb to the 90s by mid-day. Thankfully, we were on the shady side of the mountain, on fresh legs, and the cooler morning air for most of the hike. It took us about three hours keeping a pretty moderate pace. Through some combination of our early morning start and this being a less popular trail, we only saw about a dozen other hikers the whole way up. 

Four Mile Trail starts as a flat path into the woods, but curves steeply (top left) as you start ascending up into the mountains via tight switchbacks. 

Although our entire day of hiking offered spectacular views, the amazing vistas on Four Mile Trail were some of the very best. I'd heard that pictures of Yosemite are a poor substitute for seeing it in real life, and that became more and more apparent with every twist and turn up to Glacier Point. Ann was also nice enough to hang back with me when my pace slowed considerably after the DSLR came out. 

The Glacier Point summit, which we hit just after 10am, was an ideal mid-morning pit stop. It was already starting to get crowded (though not nearly as busy as some of the sights closer to the Valley, we’d later discover). There were still ample spots to sit in the shade and relax. There are also restrooms, water fountains, and a small store that sells just about anything you'd need for day-hikes, backpacking trips, or keeping small children entertained. Collectively, we bought beef jerky, 5-hour Energy shots, Red Bull, granola bars, a blister kit, sunscreen, and a hat. We rested here for about half an hour, people-watched, and hiked the quarter-mile Glacier Point trail to pose for pictures in front of beautiful Half Dome.

We traveled onward from Glacier Point away from the crowd on Panorama Trail. This was not a misnomer -- the views of the glacial-cut valley on the way down as spectacular. We hiked down through a canyon, into a forest, and past a beautiful overlook for Illilouette Falls. We eventually found ourselves at the creek over Illilouette Falls where we stopped for lunch. We sat on the rocks in the river and enjoyed Chef Matt's only-slightly-smushed PB&J sandwiches.

The next part of the hike up the Illilouette Gorge was tougher and more uphill than we expected, particularly in the mid-day sun. After we crossed the bridge over Illilouette Creek, we climbed 700 feet in about a mile and a half, and the uneven terrain took a toll on our tired legs and weak ankles. But, what goes up must go down, and we were soon descending back through the forest to Nevada Fall (about 4.5 miles from Glacier Point). The sights and sounds of the rushing river and the "top of the waterfall" vantage point made this an idyllic place to rest and snap some pictures. 

Nevada Fall is the last stop on the out-and-back Mist Trail, which begins down in the Valley and is one of the most popular in the Park. The relative solitude we'd enjoyed for most of the day was replaced by a pretty big crowd at Nevada Fall, and it only got busier as we continued onward. It wasn't just hoards of people we encountered, though. We were soon greeted by endless steps down the side of Nevada Fall, which were tough on our tired knees. We were incredibly glad not to be traveling in the opposite direction (which was the far more popular route), especially in full sun and 90+ degree heat. The view alongside Nevada Fall was somehow even more impressive than the view from the top. 

We learned how the Mist Trail got its name at the bottom of Nevada Fall, although we were too eager, worked too hard, and scrambled over way too many slippery rocks to feel the chilly spray at the base of the waterfall. We realized very shortly thereafter that the mist assault is virtually impossible to avoid further down the trail, but the detour and subsequent rest were welcome and well worth it.

Ann didn't come on this part of the adventure. She is not about this life. 

Then it was on to Vernal Fall, where we hit the "8 hour" mark. Our pace had slowed considerably due to fatigue, frequent pit stops, and the trails becoming increasingly busier. We walked down very slick steps beside Vernal Fall, which were dicey on our Jello legs. 

We made it to the Valley floor just after 5pm - a full 10 hours from when we set off. My GPS clocked us in a little over 16 miles for the day. Unfortunately, our journey was not over... it took us another 2+ hours to get back to Yosemite West between two long shuttle lines, then an even longer line of cars to leave the Valley. I'm not sure what we could have done differently to avoid the crowds or traffic without adding on many extra miles to the hike, but it was definitely more hassle than we bargained for, and we were pretty pooped on the drive back up out of the Valley. 

Tiredness and soreness from the day before ruled out any chance for a sunrise hike at Mirror Lake Sunday morning, which was on my must-see list. Instead, we made breakfast and went down to the Valley for a leisurely stroll on the Valley View trail with stops at Cathedral Beach, Sentinel Beach, and the Swinging Bridge. This gave us a chance to take in some of the classic views we missed on Saturday, like El Capitan (below) and Yosemite Falls. 

In spite of all we were able to cram in in a short time period, we left on Sunday afternoon feeling like we'd barely scraped the surface of this beautiful national park. We'd love to car camp (or maybe pack-in!) next time, stay for at least a week, and really get to enjoy everything Yosemite has to offer! 

Our Weekend in Cinque Terre

There's something about losing a passport abroad that forces you into survival mode. The loose plans we'd made to end up on Elba Island for our last few days were all but forgotten when we realized David's was missing on Wednesday night, and "dealing with the passport stuff" became our first priority, second only to figuring out the bizarre numbness, tingling and clumsiness in my hands. Little did we know, our series of unfortunate events would lead us down a totally unplanned, unexpected and unbelievably awesome path to the seaside cliff villages of Cinque Terre! 

Thursday

David called the Consulate General office from our hotel in Pisa first thing in the morning and found out he could get a same-day emergency travel document... if we could get to the Consulate in Florence by 11:30am. We got our adrenaline fix for the day racing across Pisa to the train station (with my hands at about 20% usability), navigating the ticket-buying process, carrying the bikes up and down stairs to get to the correct platform, and doing it all again in reverse an hour later in Florence. Thankfully, our "Amazing Race"-esque morning paid off. We biked from the Florence train station to the US consulate as quickly as possible. David ducked in to the ornate, heavily-guarded building with a train station photo-booth headshot, $135, and about 10 minutes to spare. An hour later, he reemerged... new passport in hand! We couldn't believe how quick and seamless the process was, making us all too aware of -- and incredibly grateful for -- the privileges of being an American traveling abroad. 

So there we were, back in Florence (nowhere near our planned bike route) four days before our flight out. Biking to-and-from train stations that morning brought into sharp focus just how bad the (temporary) nerve damage in my hands had become after so many miles in the saddle, and spending time on the bike for our last weekend in Italy didn't seem appealing or safe. We decided to go straight from the Consulate to Florence by Bike to see if they could hold the bikes for us while we figured out our next move. 

Florence by Bike was the real deal -- rentals, bikes for sale, gear and an impressive workshop. The mechanic needed a couple days to pack the bikes up for us for the return flight (good thing we didn't wait until Saturday to pack the bikes!). They also agreed to hold our gear in the meantime. Without blinking an eye, we stuffed everything except the bare essentials in two of the three panniers for them to hold, and stepped out into the beautiful Florentine afternoon feeling totally unencumbered. I remember saying something to David like, "y'know... we can do anything." 

Fast forward an hour, and we're on the train headed for Riomaggiore, the first of the five centuries-old coastal fishing villages that make up Cinque Terre, a UNESCO World Heritage site on the Italian Riviera. I used the train WIFI to read a single blog post (this one) about the area and book a room, figuring we'd sort the rest out when we got there. Upon our arrival, we took the blog author's recommendation and stopped for a drink at A Pie’ de Ma’, a cliffside wine bar that is about a 30-second walk from the train station. After five days of biking + 24 hours of non-stop stress, we were both overcome with emotion at the beauty and tranquility of this little spot. (Spoiler Alert: We came back to this bar twice more during our short stay.)  

We followed the tunnel below the train station and emerged on the other side in Riomaggiore proper, where we met our AirBNB host on the village's single, car-free street. We went straight back in the tunnel, and came out in a beautiful little harbor. We walked right through the harbor, up the stairs on the far side, snaked through winding, narrow passageways and soon found ourselves on the balcony of one of the most picturesque pastel-colored case torri (tower buildings) overlooking the harbor. 

The view from our balcony out over the Riomaggiore harbor. 

We stayed on the top floor of the grey building, third from the left! 

With no plans and nowhere else to be,  we spent the rest of the evening walking around getting to know the town. We followed the path on the opposite side of the harbor along the side of a cliff to a gorgeous pebble beach, where we met another bird friend. We were told this is a popular spot for swimming and sunbathing, but it was pretty well deserted by the time we arrived in the late afternoon. 

With daylight waning, we back-tracked to the train station and twisted up "the scenic route" on our way to Riomaggiore's castle. We watched the sunset from an overlook near the castle, then headed to Ripa del Sole for seafood (me) and pasta (David). The restaurant was off-the-beaten path, had a good view and was worth the hike to get up there. But, we did see some familiar faces from happy hour at A Pie’ de Ma’, leading me to believe that we weren't the only ones following the recommended Day One itinerary in the blog post I found, which just happened to top the Google SERP (search engine results page) for 'What to do in Cinque Terre.' In other words... SEO is real.  After dinner, we walked down the main street and found a bar with outdoor seating. The bar patrons seemed to be a good mix of locals and travelers, and it wasn't at all crowded.

Friday 

We got a pretty early start Friday morning, since we planned to spend the day hiking the Sentiero Azzurro -- the 14th century goat herder trails carved in the cliffs between each of the five towns. Abundant hiking opportunities was one of the deciding factors in choosing Cinque Terre for our weekend excursion, even though a devastating freak rain storm/ landslide/flood in 2011 has indefinitely closed two of the four portions of the trail. The two open portions are between Monterosso al Mare (the fifth and final village) to Vernazza, then from Vernazza to Corniglia.

We started our journey with a train ride up the coast to Monterosso. Of all the Cinque Terre villages, this is the flattest, and the only with a proper sandy beach and resort-style hotels. We were amazed by how picturesque the village was, despite overcast skies and the threat of rain. We took our time meandering on the boardwalk, and fueled up for our hike with coffee and pastries. Fifteen minutes later we were enjoying second breakfast (a hearty slice of fresh focaccia topped with potatoes and rosemary) after passing a focaccia shop with unreal smells, and a long line, coming out of the door. We bought our passes for the trail (16 Euro each) and found the trailhead based on some very Italian directions -- "take the big street until you see an orange building, then walk around behind it and you'll see some stairs." 

The two mile trail from Monterosso to Vernazza is tough -- lots of climbs, narrow paths, steep drop-offs, and a very real danger of falling 15+ feet if you lose your balance. Suffice it to say, you need to be in pretty good shape, wearing proper footwear, and towing along plenty of water to actually enjoy the hike. It started raining just as we started climbing, which made the already uneven rocks and steps every more slippery. Our bike-weary bodies weren't happy with us at all, but it sure was worth winding through the olive orchards and vineyards that have sustained these villages for so many generations, and coming around the bend to dramatic ocean views. 

Although we started out the hike in the rain, the storm blew over and soon gave way to blue skies. We could see the Monterosso beachfront miles behind us, wild lemon trees and beautiful plants along the trail, and about an hour, and a half into the hike, Vernazza came into view! 

We spent about an hour in Vernazza, another one-street, no-car town. Vernazza seemed busier, more touristy and less homey than our Riomaggiore -- but beautiful all the same. We found our way up to the 500-year-old lookout tower quite by accident, ambled through the little streets, and stopped for lunch (more foccacia, because now I was hooked, and pesto pizza.)

The next portion of our hike took us from Vernazza to Corniglia. This portion of the trail was shorter (1.5 miles) and a bit less hilly, but with the clear skies came the blazing hot sun, and we had both worked up an impressive sweat by the time we got into town mid-afternoon. We made a cursory stroll through Corniglia's main street and stopped for a beer at an outdoor cafe. 

Both in need of some R&R, we caught the train back to Riomaggiore for a lazy afternoon. The rock jetty that extended right out from the staircase to our building into the harbor was the perfect spot for an afternoon nap, book reading and swim. WE spent a few hours there doing nothing. It was incredible. We went back to our seaside cliff bar to watch the sun set, and so I could try their flight of local wines. Then we had a full no camera / no phone evening, complete with drinks and the chef's aperitvo platter at Fuori Rotta, followed by a bottle of wine on our balcony. 

Saturday

We met a couple from Virginia on Thursday night who were making their third visit to Cinque Terre. Besides hiking, they recommended we rent a small motor boat from the marina in the harbor (which just so happened to occupy the first floor of our building!) and putter up and down the coastline. Although we'd earmarked that as our activity for Saturday, I had an inkling we wouldn't be able to take boats out when we woke up to the sound of giant waves crashing into the rocks just below us. I traded texts with the owner of the marina and, as suspected, the seas were too rough for boat rentals. We were pretty bummed, but after snapping some pics from our balcony, we decided to sleep in for the first time of the whole trip, and that was lovely.  

When we finally felt like getting up, we walked to the bar from Thursday night (also a coffeeshop!) and read our books and drank many cappuccinos. The longer we sat there, the more crowded the main street in town became, giving us a quick glimpse into how busy the villages get in the summer. We retreated back to our side of the harbor and climbed further up into the buildings than we had before, which lead us to a high rock wall that may or may not have been open for tourists to climb on. We sat out on the rocks for an hour or so and listened to the waves crash on the rugged coastline.

We talked about lessons learned on the trip, possible destinations for our next bike tour, which afternoon train we wanted to take back to Florence... but mostly, we couldn't stop talking about how incredibly lucky we are for getting to do this amazing adventure together. :) 

Volterra to Pisa

Given that yesterday's day of rest turned into a day from hell AND that today's planned ride, from just outside Volterra to Massa Marittima, was the longest and hardest on our itinerary, we decided to pull a hard zag and head north for Pisa. The train system in Italy is good enough that we figured we'd have no problem getting down to Elba Island that way, though SPOILER ALERT that's not how it ended up working out.

Despite this being a chill day in the saddle, it was still the longest ride of the trip, so we got an early start and made the short climb from the farm to Volterra, where we stopped for breakfast and I made a new friend.

We both wished we had gotten to spend more time in Volterra, but we did catch of a glimpse the Roman Theater just outside the city walls on our way out of town. It was built sometime around the end of the 1st Century BC. 

Leaving Volterra, we enjoyed a long, scenic descent. It was bittersweet -- we were both too aware that this was the last of these we'd get to experience, at least on this trip. Still, it was some of the best riding out of all five days, and felt like a reward well-earned after yesterday's endless climb.

From there, it was about 40 miles (or 65 chilometri) to Pisa, mostly flat and more industrial than we'd experienced so far. We hit the outskirts of Pisa at about four in the afternoon, and it was fun to navigate our way to our hotel by bike.

As we got closer, things got noticably more touristy, until we turned a corner and BAM! this thing:

If you've never seen it in real life, it's wayyy closer and squatter than you would have thought, like the Disney version of what you were actually expecting.

We found the hotel and got the bikes into storage, and as part of the check-in process, the concierge asked to see our passports. I opened my handlebar bag only to find ... everything I expected to find ... except my passport. F--king idiot. We dumped out all the bags, but it was nowhere to be found. The concierge was understanding and let us check in without it, and we headed to the room to determine our next steps, which you can read all about in our next entry. 'Til then, ciao.

Bike route: 48.0 miles // 1,221 ft of elevation gain. https://www.strava.com/activities/993297872

San Gimignano to Volterra

Unfortunately, Tuesday (my birthday!) did not exactly go as planned. We missed our first turn and found ourselves at the bottom of the wrong mountain with no way to go but up. I would not recommend our route to even the most avid cyclist, but it did offer some amazing views, and eventually we made it to our lovely farmstay (pictured above) just below the town of Volterra. 

We woke up Tuesday morning in Casa Aladina, our guesthouse near the city center in San Gimignano. With a scheduled shorter (2/2.5 hour) ride ahead of us for the day, we took our time with breakfast (cappuccinos and chocolate crossaints at Cafe Giardino) and getting our stuff together, and rolled out of town at about 10:30am. 

That's more-or-less when things went awry. We planned to take the 'scenic route' to Volterra, and we knew the directions said to ignore two left turns to Volterra but take one. We mixed up the order of operations, mistakenly ignoring the first one. By the time we realized our error, we had come down a pretty steep hill that I had no interest in climbing back up. The next ~5 hours were an exercise in constant climbing, wayfinding with Google Maps... and patience. In hindsight, retracing our steps to get back on track as soon as we knew we were off course would have been the better call. Lesson learned! With the exception of a few funky-smelling industrial areas, the landscape was beautiful. And, the weather was gorgeous. Not too many pictures were snapped during the ride or at our one pit stop for the day (cokes, ice cream, potato chips and Nutella-filled candy bars at a convenience store).

This downhill glide was fun while it lasted.  

See San Gimignano? See Volterra? See all the green? See the road that juts out from San Gimignano at 10 o'clock that doesn't go through the green? That's the way we meant to go... 

Here we are at the bottom of our glide, blissfully unaware.  

We climbed the mountain in the background.  

After about six hours of riding with only one real stop (if you don't count the time we pushed our bikes up a 10% grade for 20 minutes then I fell over and sat on the side of the road sobbing), we finally made it to Agriturismo Podere San Lorenzo, our one "fancy" place of the trip, and the only place we booked ahead of time. Although we didn't get to enjoy it as much as we hoped, the villa and grounds were stunning, and we did get to relax on our patio and participate in a cooking class where we learned to make fresh pasta — then had it for dinner that night! 

Despite the setbacks, this was an unbelievably great birthday. And even with a few frustrated snaps at each other along the way, I'm so glad David and I are doing this together. We make a pretty good team. :)

Bike Route: 32.3 miles // 2,788 ft of elevation gain.  https://www.strava.com/activities/989541042

Siena to San Gimignano

Our third day of riding, from Siena to San Gimignano, was supposed to be our first "PG-13" day (in the parlance of our guidebook), but after our first two days of "PG" riding, neither of us felt inclined to take on a more difficult ride. Fortunately, we found an alternate route that was much more manageable, with only one major climb.

Getting out of Siena was tricky -- cars, hills, traffic circles -- but soon enough we were back out in open country.

​A few hours riding brought us to Monteriggioni, a castle/town dating back a thousand years. Climbing the city walls yielded great views of the surrounding area, and it was neat to learn a little bit about the history of the place -- there's such a rich backstory to everything in this part of the world, which we just don't get in the states.

After a quick bite, we set out for San Gimignano. The ride included one of the standout decents of the trip. Imagine 20 minutes of tight switchback turns, like a roller coaster you control.

But, as we're quickly learning, what goes down must go back up, much more slowly. The climb up to San Gimignano was one of the toughest of the trip. We were lucky that clouds and even a few raindrops rolled in as we started our ascent, but this one was rough.  

In our own time, we made it to the top. San Gimignano is a cool town, similar in feel to Siena but much smaller. After we got checked into our BnB, we took some time to explore the town. We had drinks in the main square, then watched the sunset from the city walls.

Bike Route: 27 miles // 2,054 ft of elevation gain. https://www.strava.com/activities/987662637

Radda in Chianti to Siena

As expected, our second day of riding was easier than the first -- but still hilly, and twice as difficult as any ride I'd done before this trip. It was well worth it to end the day in Siena, a town that's incredibly easy to fall in love with (once you forgive the ancient Etruscans for building their cities on freakin' mountains!). 

We started our day with an early breakfast on our terrace (bruschetta with tomatoes, olives and pieces of fried egg, prepared by our B&B proprietor Romanita), then set off for the open road. After about an hour of pedaling (55 minutes of steady uphill climbing, followed by 5 minutes of an exhilarating 35mph downhill plunge) we rolled into Gaolie in Chianti, home of L'Eroica, a retro 200km bike ride held in Tuscany every October. 

We made an unplanned stop at the bike rental shop in town for a quick tune-up, tire pressure check, and to have Felipe (the mechanic) look at a few nagging rattling noises on the bikes -- undoubtedly a result of putting them together ourselves. 45 minutes and just 5 Euro later, we were back on the road! 

We were treated to our second tough climb of the day out of Gaoile, and by the time we reached the turn for Castello di Brolio at about 12:45pm, we were in desperate need of fuel. We stopped at a small café for overpriced cheese sandwiches and unnamed beer. Totally worth it. Then, we pushed our bikes up a steep cliff (zero shame in that) and explored the grounds of the 12th century castle! 

Our route map had us getting back on the main road to snake through a few more hill towns before our final ascent to Siena. We called an audible and followed the white gravel L'Eroica route (which seemed to be shorter, but about which we knew absolutely nothing) instead. We were not disappointed! The road circled around behind the castle, then through the beautiful countryside on roads that were virtually car-less. 

Thanks to our shortcut, we arrived in Siena before 4pm and checked into the Hotel Bernini (which was absolutely perfect – basic, clean rooms, friendly staff, and a terrace with a killer view). We spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the city streets and enjoying drinks and snacks on Il Campo, the main city square that doubles as a race track one day a year with horses representing each of Siena's 17 contrade (districts). 

As the Palio di Siena draws closer, the districts are known to march into the square. (I equate this to a horse race pep rally, sans horses.) We happened to catch the Oca (goose) district marching on Sunday afternoon. It was crazy awesome! 

 We had a few too many snacks during aperitivo (the Italian equivalent of Happy Hour), so weren't hungry for dinner until late – or, put another way, we're finally on the Italian dinner schedule. After scouring menus for the osterias around town, we googled 'best pizza in Siena', and ended up at il Pomodorino around 10pm. It was the best pizza either of us had ever had, and made for a fantastic end to a great day. 

 We had two route options for Monday, Day 3: a Level 2/4 Difficulty and a Level 3/4 Difficulty. After Saturday's killer ride (a 2/4), we felt much more comfortable taking on the former – although it would take about half the time as our original planned route. We decided to sleep-in Monday morning (until 9am), go out for coffee in Siena, then sit in Il Campo and map out our bike route for the day. It was so nice to take our time and enjoy the town (our favorite so far) before all the tour groups showed up! 

Stay tuned for Monday's ride to San Gimignano! 

Bike Route: 29.4 miles // 2,711 ft of elevation gain. https://www.strava.com/activities/986032513

Firenze to Radda in Chianti: Our first day in the saddle.

Day One of our planned six days of biking through Tuscany. It's difficult to describe how I feel about today. It ranks up there as one of the most difficult physical challenges I've ever faced. It was also one of the most fun and memorable days of my life. Where to even begin? 

We said 'good-bye' to our adorable AirBnB just outside of Florence's original city walls first thing this morning.  

​After hearing so many good things from friends, locals and the Internet, we didn't want to leave town without stopping by La Managérè for breakfast. We were not disappointed! It's a café/bar/flowershop/late night music venue that's close enough to the city center to be convenient, but far enough away to feel quaint. ​David said it was the coolest place he'd ever seen; I tend to agree. 

After our very un-Italian breakfast feast, we hit the road. Making it out of the Florence metro area was a bit stressful, but it wasn't long before the suburbs gave way to quiet country lanes -- and rolling hills. We huffed and puffed our way into wine country, and just before Greve in Chianti we stopped at Fattoria Viticcio for a wine tasting / snackfest that turned into our lunch. After 2+ hours of climbing, it definitely hit the spot. 

We left Greve in Chianti in good spirits, fueled with wine, bread, cheese and Tuscan salami (just me on that last one)... only to face the toughest climb of the day, almost immediately. We sloughed on for miles, back-and-forth up seemingly neverending steep switchbacks. 

Right about the time I had resolved myself to quitting, the hills finally opened up to Panzano (and adorable hilltown) followed by miles of easy downhill cruising.  

If you've ever run a distance race, you can identify with that feeling of self-accomplishment and self-pride that comes with finishing -- no matter how tough it may have been. But it's the completion that's a victory for its own sake. I never understood (until today) the adrenaline high that could accompany defeating a formidable mountain foe, taking in the unbelievable views at the top, then enjoying the downhill glide because it's so well-deserved -- because you didn't quit, even though you wanted to.   

After another sustained climb, we made it to our resting place for this evening, Radda in Chianti. Our ride today was 35 miles, and over 3500 feet of climbing. For comparison, our most strenuous training ride was 35 miles and about 1500 feet of climbing. 😵 We weren't totally unprepared or out of our element, but it was... very hard. 

The exhaustion somehow didn't hold a flame to the desire to soak up this beautiful place where we've landed for the evening. Our Bed & Breakfast (pictured above) sits atop a beautiful ridge line that looks like something out of a movie. The Italian grandmother who plied us with wine and pastries upon arrival was one of the most endearing people I've ever met. (As it turns out, speaking Spanish pretty well makes communication with a non-English-speaking Italian pretty manageable.) After we showered and settled-in, we walked up to Radda in Chianti proper. 

Did I mention the weather is unbelievably nice? 

In such a small town, we were able to quickly narrow-in on 2-3 places that seemed best-suited for us for dinner. We settled on la Bottega di Giovanni... for the location, outdoor seating, reasonable prices and Veg options. We ate like kings. 

And that's it! Tomorrow morning we ride for Siena -- which thankfully, should be pretty chill. Our second-to-last day is supposed to be pretty gnarly, and after the difficultly we faced today, taking a bus is not out of the question. We're going to keep taking it one day at a time! 

Florence

We made it! Bikes arrived in perfect shape, and we were able to put them back together in the Florence airport without too much trouble. Big thanks to our friends at Seven Stars for packing them up so thoroughly.

Since then, we've been wandering the city on foot and bike, enjoying the art and architecture, as well as the food and coffee. Highlights include Brac for vegetarian food and Ditta Artigianale for coffee.

Michaelangelo's David

The Duomo

We'd both love to spend more time here, but the road beckons — we leave tomorrow on our bike tour. 'Til next time!

Adventure: Occoneechee Mountain, NC

Occoneechee Mountain is a State Natural Area on the Eno River about twenty minutes away from downtown Durham, just south of Hillsborough. Despite having lived in the Triangle for almost ten years (Claire) and over fifteen years (David), somehow neither of us had ever checked this place out. We were delighted to find three miles of well-kept wooded trails, a beautiful mountain ridge that looked like something you'd find in Western NC, and relatively few other visitors!

There are restrooms, picnic tables and a large lawn with plenty of shade when you first arrive. We took the main trail (Occoneechee Mtn Loop Trail) counter-clockwise away from the parking area to put a little distance between ourselves and a family that arrived about the same time we did. This ended up being a great choice! The back half of the trail is more secluded and hillier than the front half, giving Ms. Stevie amble opportunity for some off-leash walking that promptly wore her out before we reached the Overlook Trail, which led to the highest point in Orange County! 

The main trail was well-marked and well-maintained, but roots, rocks and steep terrain may make it a littler tough for someone who has a hard time getting around to traverse. The shorter Chestnut Oak Trail offers a more direct route to the overlook from the parking area, and (by the looks of it) was mostly gravel. The NC State Parks site has more info about the park and trails. Like most other NC State Parks, there is no entrance fee. 

If you spent the morning exploring and you're looking for a good lunch option, Bona Fide Sandwich Co in Hillsborough is fantastic. If a post-hike beer is more your speed, check out the Mystery Brewing Pub. You can't really go wrong in downtown Hillsborough, and a Occoneechee morning + Hillsborough afternoon would make for a very fine Saturday!