May 2013
Rome to Florence
Next tour to Italy here: www.fawcettexpeditions.com/italy-training
After working together with our Italian partners, Progetto Aventura, to design and operate our successful expedition in Western Canada they approached us with the idea of designing an expedition in their homeland, in particular, Tuscany. We loved that idea, as did our fellow cycling adventurers at Oak Bay Bikes (www.oakbaybikes.com). Together we headed to Rome to get work on it. After further collaboration and many kilometres and hours on the bikes our Italian route is ready. We are very excited about this truly unique way to experience Tuscany, one of the most beautiful areas in the world.
The expedition begins next to the Colosseum in the heart of Rome and concludes in the Piazza della Signoria in Florence. A highlight of the tour includes the Village of Volterra, a gem situated in the heart of Tuscany, a short distance from San Gimignano and considered a living sanctuary of Etruscan, Roman, Medieval and Renaissance architecture and art. On our day off in Pieve a Salti, we will relax in an idyllic Tuscan farmhouse that also offers massage, a sauna, and an indoor swimming pool with hydro-massage.
This ride will incorporate ancient trails including Via Francigena – the pilgrimage route from Canterbury to Rome, forest roads, mountain biking trails, low-traffic secondary and unpaved gravel roads including the Strada Bianca or White Road, which criss-crosses Tuscany and passes through the most breathtaking scenery in the region. The accommodations are a mixture of local farm-stays and small hotels. Tuscany is home to the Slow Food movement and all of the food and wine provided is produced and prepared locally. The most challenging aspect of this ride is the cumulative climbing. There is an average 1,500 meters of climbing per day with 3 days over 2,000 meters and no days below 1,000 meters.
Price: $3350 CAD per person
Price includes: 11 nights accommodation (5 hotel, 6 farmstays), 10 dinners, 7 lunches, 10 breakfasts, professional guides, all luggage transport, van support.
OBB Reconnaissance: Rome-Florence from Brian Park on Vimeo.
