Bicycles, bicycles, bicycles.

I've been a participant on our friend Padraig's http://redkiteprayer.com blog since he put it up. One of the big discussions has been bicycle weight which is always something that gets me wound up, probably too much I'll admit. Our friend Chairman Bill of Torelli has some great essays that sum up my feelings and experience very well

http://bikeraceinfo.com/tech/weight.html and http://bikeraceinfo.com/tech/materials.html are the links if you want to read them. Both of us think steel bikes are the best for the riding we enjoy which brings us to the bike in the photo.

We added a small rental fleet to CycleItalia back in 2005 since TSA sometimes delayed the arrival of our clients personal machines brought over as part of their checked baggage or the airlines extorted hefty fees to fly with your bike. One of our regular clients when asked, "If we had a quality Italian bicycle available for rental in your size, would you rent it rather than bring your own?" responded with a hearty "YES!" as he waited for his prized Colnago to show up, making our decision easy. Each year the percentage of clients renting bikes has increased, nowadays it's near 50%. Last year this made us think about adding more bikes to our fleet. While Torelli's Gran Sasso model has been great we thought some clients might shy away from an all steel machine no matter how much we like ours. To take care of that issue we asked Torelli to build us some lighter machines for 2009 and equip them with compact drivetrains to save a bit more weight. The result was the bike in the photo, our "Premium" Torelli. 7000 series aluminum main frame with carbon-fiber rear stays and fork, equipped with Campagnolo Veloce 10-speed components. A lighter adjustable stem than used on our "Standard" bikes helps keep weight low. Does this bike ride as sweetly as an all steel one? I've yet to ride any non-ferrous frame that does, though our friend Padraig will claim some of the super high-end carbon bikes he's tested get very close, so the answer is no. I've done a couple of rides on "Baldini", the bike shown here and can report it's just fine, all the good handling traits of the typical Torelli bike in a lighter package with a firmer ride than the all-steel Gran Sasso model. In the end the choice is yours, smooth riding steel or lighter aluminum/carbon. If you're really particular you can still pack up your own bike and bring it with you, we're happy to help you assemble and fine tune it when you arrive.

Pizza in Chicago

We were in Chicago recently and before catching our flight home we needed some lunch. We pretty much have a rule against eating in ANY Italian eatery in the US unless a) we've been there before and know they're good like Ca' Dario or Piatti in Santa Barbara or b)they've been recommended by someone we know who's been to Italy and knows good food.
We broke both of these rules after a quick web survey of what was available and close to our hotel. The pizza photo on www.osteriaviastato.com was enough to get my attention and off we went to check it out. We perused the menu outside and noticed most of the Italian words were spelled correctly and they featured La Quercia prosciutto on one of the pizzas -- so far so good. We went in and told the waiter that although Chicago is famous for deep-dish pizza, we were looking for something more like they have in Italy. His response was "we do Roman-style pizza here" and it surprised me that they even knew the difference between Rome and Napoli styles! While Napoli style will always be our favorite, an authentic Roman-style pizza in the US would be just fine. First we asked about their caprese salad, having just enjoyed wonderful tomatoes from Vesuvius last week while in Viterbo. Our waiter tactfully explained that tomatoes that good were only available in late summer around Chicago and since it was December they baked the standard-issue pomodori a bit to give them some sort of flavor, but not to expect the taste we'd experienced last week. We liked his honesty and the seasonal idea, don't make something when the ingredients are not at their best just to have it on the menu - so we tried their version after lowering our expectations, along with a salad of celery, romaine, parmigiano-reggiano and a few croutons. Both were good as was the fresh bread that came with them. Next it was time to try the classic pizza margherita, they used San Marzano tomatoes since those are canned and easily available though pricey, along with fresh basil and some pretty decent mozzarella (as we'd sampled with the caprese) and we were pleasantly surprised -- crisp crust, wonderful tomato flavor and just the right amount of cheese.
Although they have a wondeful wine list with labels rarely seen in the US, Larry opted for a Peroni beer on tap. We couldn't stop with just one pizza so we tried another with radicchio and finocchio - no tomatoes or tomato sauce. This was even better than the first one, probably because the tomatoes on the margherita made the crust a bit soggy in the middle.
We finished with Illy espresso which was OK - they ran the water too long to fill the cups as too often happens in the US...why do folks think they're getting a better value when more water is run through the same amount of caffe? It just makes it bitter and watery! Overall we were pleasantly surprised and satisfied. If you find yourself in Chicago wanting a pizza, but not the deep dish variety, check out Pizzeria Via Stato, suprisingly enough on State Street 620 N 312 642 8450. Disclaimer: we received no compensation for this review.

Arrivederci to Viterbo (for now)

I couldn't resist posting this photo of this cheese with the name and likeness of the Roman, Cicero on the label. I'd guess the trademark expired awhile back and anyone can use this name! We left Viterbo for the Marche region to revise some routes there and inspect some new hotel possibilities. Our final night in Italy was spent in San Benedetto del Tronto, right on the Adriatic Sea as we made our way back to Rome. Sunday morning, the lungomare (coastal road) was a sea of cyclists going up and back in huge packs. The bike shop owner I met back in Viterbo had lameted that cycling wasn't so big in Lazio these days, not like Le Marche "where they're crazy for it". He wasn't kidding! We're back in the US for now but perhaps we'll be returning to Viterbo sooner, rather than later?

Etruscans, etc.

Here's a photo of Larry in an Etruscan tomb at Norchia. On a gorgeous day we hiked out to this site which takes some clambering over rocks and tricky trails to reach. Also at the site are ruins of a medieval church. When it comes to building stuff like this, a good site is a good site no matter what your religious beliefs are!

Etruscan Trails

We once offered a tour called Etruscan Trails in the area of "Tuscia". It never sold well, probably because the name made folks think it was a mountain bike tour but we've always liked this area. They have their own DOP extra-virgin olive oil and well as their own hazelnuts, said to rival the quality of Piedmont's tonda gentile. Heather poses here in front of the ruins at Ferento. These are mostly Roman structures, well preserved and located in a (now) peaceful area with gorgeous views of the surrounding countryside. We hope to spend more time in this area in 2010 and perhaps a new tour itinerary will result?

Gran Caffe Schenardi

Check out the ceiling of this place! This has been in Viterbo for hundreds of years as a hotel, caffe and rumor has it, even a McDonald's for a brief time before the public uproar got rid of it. Wonderful espresso and a chocolate ice cream so rich it tastes like they somehow did just enough to pure, dark chocolate to make it into gelato. This is the local hangout, business folks from all types come in for pranzo or afterwards for a caffe before returning to work. Each evening they put out an amazing spread of snacks to go with your Campari Soda or Negroni. I'm sure we'll be spending more time here!

A week in Viterbo

We're settling in for a week in Viterbo, a medieval walled city not too far from Rome. First thing Heather wants to do is make a place like home with some fresh fruits and vegetables courtesy of the local market as you can see in the photo. A bar is just steps away so yours truly can get a cappuccino portare via (to go) and bring it to Heather each morning before popping back over for my own. Just down the hill is the main street (usually closed to cars) full of shops, bars, ristoranti, newstands and pretty much everything else one would need to live here. One of our plans is to find a place to rent for a few months next year while Heather works on some academic projects. This tiny apartment will make a good base for our search.