Classic Tuscany

We've been waiting for this moment for two months, me and my friend Salva: a nice motorcycle trip around Tuscany in total freedom, using as few motorways and dual carriageways as possible. The period is from 2 to 6 June 2004, unfortunately the weather forecast is not encouraging, but we set off all the same. We meet at the service station at Fiorenzuola d'Arda at 8.30, the sky is very dark. After a coffee we head towards Parma west, we take the Autocamionale della Cisa, we exit at Fornovo and start grinding out hairpin bends on the ss62 of the Cisa pass, the road is very beautiful and pleasant also because we hardly meet anyone, our pace is quite brisk, but relaxed, we are not two speed demons, we also like to look around.

At the pass a wonderful surprise awaits us: the sky has cleared and shows us a blue sky and a beautiful warm sun, now: yes, we are very motivated, we release the tension with a good laugh and the photo is a must. We come down from the pass and at Aulla we head for Cerreto then 5 km from Fivizzano we turn onto the 445 towards Piazza al Serchio, it's the road that runs along the Serchio valley, to our right are the Apuan Alps, we are travelling along one of the most beautiful roads in Tuscany. When you travel by motorbike, you travel alone even if you have a passenger or other friends are with you on their own steeds, who have chosen to share the same roads, the same emotions, driven by the same reasons, but each one under their helmet travels with their own thoughts often influenced by the landscapes we cross.

The Garfagnana and the Serchio valley, curve after curve, reveals itself to be a very pleasant road full of views of rare beauty. At Castelnuovo in Garfagnana we make a stop, it's lunchtime by now, we find, following our food and wine guide, a wine bar (Vecchio Mulino) that inspires us: tastings of savoury pies and local cured meats accompanied by a glass of good wine, it's the first encounter with the flavours of Tuscany, others just as pleasant will follow and meanwhile a beautiful warm sun shines in the sky. We resume our journey, after about 22 km we turn right onto the ss12 of the Abetone towards Lucca, we make a stop about 2 km from Borgo a Mozzano to admire and photograph the singular Ponte della Maddalena, better known as the Devil's Bridge which with its single span crosses the river Serchio.

Around this bridge there is a beautiful legend: its construction had been entrusted to St Julian but the work proved very difficult, so the Saint decided to ask the devil for help. He accepted, but on one condition: he would take the first soul to cross the bridge. So at night the devil emerged from the waters of the Serchio and with his pitchfork raised the great span of the bridge. The next day, once the bridge was completed, St Julian ordered the master builder to send a pig across the bridge first, when the devil saw it he became furious at the trick played on him and disappeared into the waters of the Serchio. Lucca is close now, in fact we arrive earlier than expected, we look for a hotel and find a very nice and affordable one (Albergo Stipino **) just outside the beautiful sixteenth-century walls that surround the city.

A visit to Lucca offers many interesting surprises, even with a simple walk inside the perfectly preserved walled circuit: from Piazza Anfiteatro, to the Guinigi Tower where, on top, two olive trees dominate the city, from the Cathedral of S.Martino, where the funeral monument of Ilaria del Carretto sculpted by Jacopo della Quercia is kept, to the beautiful church of S.Michele with its facade made with dozens of marble columns all of different workmanship and many other little jewels scattered around the city.

The next morning we get up bright and early and after an excellent breakfast, we set off again. To avoid the too busy ss435, we travel one of the very few motorway stretches of this trip of ours: the A11 up to the junction with the A1, we exit at Firenze sud towards Pontassieve and here we take the wrong road: instead of taking the ss70 we continue on the ss67 which goes towards the legendary Muraglione. At this point instead of retracing our steps, about 9 km from Pontassieve, we cut through Pomino, the road starts to climb with a series of hairpin bends, it's only 10 km, but decidedly intense: first a remarkable panorama at only 500 m, then the road plunges into a forest of very tall fir trees and finally crosses the vineyards of the famous Frescobaldi wineries, here the legendary Pomino is produced, a white wine with a refined taste.

The beauty of travelling without haste, with the right company and without any constraints, can transform even a small oversight like this into a pleasant discovery that allows us to discover, besides roads new to us, also colours, flavours, scents. We have taken the SS70 again and continue to enjoy ourselves with wide and visible curves and hairpin bends always with the sun accompanied by a few clouds, we climb up to the Passo della Consuma (1060 m). We come down from the pass, so to speak because we stay for about 10 km at a height of about 900-800 m accompanied by a stupendous panorama, we begin to travel the road that crosses the Casentino, another legendary Tuscan motorcycling route. We arrive at Poppi and stop because it's lunchtime.

We climb up to the ancient historic centre dominated by the beautiful castle, we find an excellent restaurant that delights us with very refined local cuisine, always with a good glass of wine, not too much because we have to drive and to enjoy ourselves on a motorbike you need to be clear-headed. After lunch the sky turns a bit dark and threatens rain, but we are not intimidated, a few drops of water have never scared any motorcyclist and besides, if you don't get a bit of rain on a trip, it doesn't even feel like you've been out and about. We resume our journey heading towards the Hermitage of Camaldoli. The road immediately starts to climb with beautiful wide and flowing hairpin bends and plunges into a centuries-old forest of fir trees. At this point we barely keep a whiff of throttle and enjoy the ride.

The scents that enter under the helmet are intoxicating, the sky stays dark but it doesn't rain, at least not to the point of having to resort to rain suits. Arriving at the hermitage we immediately realise we are in a place of peace, serenity and prayer, a place in short where the balance between body and spirit reigns, where even the powerful kneel before the strength of these monks who have chosen the strictest rule: prayer, work and study. We visit the monastery as far as is allowed since the area of the monks' cells is off-limits to the public.

We return to our motorbikes and climb towards Badia Prataglia passing through the Passo Fangacci which is a nice stretch of dirt road very easy for any motorbike, we continue skirting the Alpe di Serra, we go around Monte Penna and climb to about 1200 m, until we reach the sanctuary of La Verna, another place rich in mysticism and sacredness, here St Francis in 1224 received the stigmata. The Sanctuary stands on the mountain of the same name, covered by a monumental forest of beech and fir trees, it is visible from the whole Casentino and has an unmistakable shape with its peak cut sheer on three sides. It was erected in 1263, while the Major church, the current one, was begun in 1348 and only finished in the 1500s. We visit, besides the sanctuary, also the caves in the surroundings.

We return to the Casentino state road descending towards Bibbiena, another beautiful panoramic route, and head decisively towards Arezzo, for today I'd say we can't complain, we have covered about 230 km of roads each more beautiful than the last: beautiful curves, woods, breathtaking landscapes, art, spirituality and always with optimism and clement weather, all we have to do is end on a high note. In Arezzo we find a hotel and after a shower we are ready for dinner, Da Guido: pappardelle with duck sauce, stuffed rabbit and a good bottle of Chianti, we like Tuscany for this too.

We take a pleasant stroll through the streets of the historic centre, which in the evening takes on a particular charm: the characteristic Piazza Grande, with on one side the Palazzo delle Logge del Vasari and on the other the Pieve di S.Maria, the thirteenth-century Duomo that dominates the whole city from the highest part of the Aretine hill and the ancient park of the "Passeggio del Prato" with the mighty Medici fortress. Tiredness and the kilometres are starting to be felt; it's time to go to bed.

Friday morning, wake-up at 8, cream doughnut and cappuccino and back in the saddle, heading for Lake Trasimeno. Along the ss71 we stop at Castiglion Fiorentino and at Cortona, the latter a true gem set in the middle of the Valdichiana: a beautiful medieval village almost entirely surrounded by ancient Etruscan walls, it dominates the Valdichiana from its 500 m of height, the piazza della Repubblica with the Palazzo Comunale is very beautiful and the Museo Diocesano definitely deserves a visit. Today's programme was to go as far as Castiglione del Lago, then cut across the Val d'Orcia and go back up towards Siena, but Perugia is close, the temptation is strong and besides, Salva has never been there..... And so off to Perugia.

We descend to the junction with Castiglione del Lago and turn left, skirting Lake Trasimeno as far as Passignano; Perugia is just a few kilometres away, but we don't want to get there straight away, 4 kilometres from Passignano we turn left towards Castel Rigone and in a few minutes we are at 650 m, the landscape becomes interesting and the road is full of beautiful curves with very clean asphalt and very few potholes. The choice, though random, turned out to be lucky, even if we are starting to convince ourselves that there are really very few bad roads around here. We climb towards Colle Campana, accompanied by the shade of fir and beech trees. right in the middle of the woods we find a small restaurant, or rather: a refreshment stop, that's what it's called, ristoro "La Pineta", we sit at a small table, there are few people in the place.

Peace, relaxation, a sandwich, a good glass of wine and the sun is shining today too, this trip is proving, with each passing day, more and more interesting and fun, often beyond our expectations. We continue and enter Perugia from the north-west, the small hotel we find is a stone's throw from the historic centre but, we are forced to park the motorbikes on the pavement with a difference in level of over 15 per cent, for me this creates some difficulty due to the considerable weight of my vehicle even though with the help of my travelling companion, there are no problems. Quick shower and we are ready to go out, Perugia surprises us immediately.

Through the streets of the historic centre we find: people in costume, musicians and street singers, alone or in small groups, stilt walkers and bucolic settings set up in the central piazza della Fontana Maggiore and in the little squares around the splendid Cathedral. We have landed without knowing it right in the middle of a cultural event entitled "Spirituality and Poetry" an interesting festival of theatre, music and poetry. Perugia is a very beautiful city, rich in monuments and historical and cultural testimonies, it is home to the university for foreigners and this can be seen walking through the streets of the centre animated by people of all races and colours who make up a beautiful fruit salad of cultures, languages, customs and religions. Very interesting is the visit to what remains of the imposing Rocca Paolina, symbol of papal power until the unification of Italy (1860).

The route winds through a maze of passages inside the walls near the bastion of Porta Marzia. The visit is supported by interesting audiovisuals concerning the construction of the Fortress up to its demolition. A certain hunger in our stomach reminds us that it's dinner time. With the directions provided by our food and wine guide, we sit at a table of the Trattoria del Borgo: gnocchi with wild boar and Chianina tagliata. After dinner we take another walk through the centre which has become considerably livelier. Perugia is decidedly a city full of life.

In the morning, after disentangling the motorbikes from the narrow parking space, we go back up towards Lake Trasimeno as far as Castiglione del Lago, turn left and take the ss454 towards Val d'Orcia. The first stop is Montepulciano, to reach it you have to leave the state road and climb up to about 600 m, the panorama really deserves it: at our feet there is another beautiful glimpse of the Valdichiana. Montepulciano is known for the grandeur of its Renaissance palaces, for the elegant beauty of its churches and for the Vino Nobile, one of the most internationally appreciated Tuscan wines. We leave the Valdichiana and enter the Val d'Orcia, we arrive at Pienza famous for its pecorino and so a sandwich with ham and Pienza pecorino and a glass of Nobile di Montepulciano and we've had lunch today too.

Pienza has a beautiful historic centre, like all the Tuscan towns we have visited so far, but with its urban peculiarities that led it to be defined, since the Middle Ages, as the ideal city. Curious are the names of some streets in the centre such as: via dell'amore, via del bacio etc. We continue and after about twenty kilometres, we come across Montalcino. To reach it, here too as for the other towns, we have to leave the state road and climb above the hill to a height of over 500 m. At the entrance to the town we immediately come across the beautiful fourteenth-century castle where, just as we arrive, a falconry show is being set up in a decidedly suggestive setting, it feels like going back in time, to the Middle Ages, where knights challenged each other in jousts and the town was animated by acrobats performing in the little squares of the village and pedlars selling their wares.

Montalcino is certainly known for its Brunello, one of the most famous wines in the world but, it is still worth taking a bit of time and visiting the historic centre, with its monuments, and the maze of alleys full of little shops of crafts and local products including, of course, wine. From Montalcino we descend and head towards Buonconvento and from there towards Asciano, entering the famous Crete Senesi. A few kilometres from Buonconvento, we come across the historic Abbey of Monte Oliveto Maggiore. Completely immersed in the green of the woods, the Abbey follows the Benedictine rule of "ora et labora" and is home to an important centre for the restoration of ancient books. Also very beautiful is the cycle of frescoes, in the cloisters by Luca Signorelli and Sodoma, depicting the life of St Benedict.

From here to Siena, passing through Asciano we travel the legendary Crete, a true landscape jewel and an exhilarating delight for the motorcyclist. The road is all ups and downs like a roller coaster with clean and well-kept asphalt, curves, counter-curves and hairpin bends and judging by the number of motorbikes we meet it is certainly one of the favourite routes of Sienese motorcyclists. We are in Siena, we find a guest house that has very cosy and reasonably priced rooms in a building in the centre, a stone's throw from the Campo and from the famous Nannini pastry shop: paradise for the sweet-toothed. We arrive when the city is buzzing for a sporting event that we were completely unaware of: the city's basketball team has won the national championship.

Of Siena we can say many things: visit its beautiful monuments, its beautiful squares, but if you have little time like us, the most pleasant thing to do is a walk through the centre (towards evening it's even better) without a particular destination, letting yourself be carried away by the curiosity of discovering suggestive corners. We leave the Campo which is in full swing for the celebrations of the basketball team and head towards the Duomo in search of a tavern: the Taverna del Capitano where we can finally taste the famous ribollita followed by a delicious rabbit alla vernaccia, this will unfortunately be the last appointment of our tour with the flavours of Tuscan cuisine.

We wake up on the last day of our Tuscan tour and after a splendid breakfast at the Nannini pastry shop, we head to our motorbikes and set off towards Monteriggioni, a small medieval village enclosed in an intact walled circuit, which was depicted as the crown on the head of the image of the Italian Republic. We leave Monteriggioni for San Gimignano, a very famous village and for this reason literally invaded by tourists of all nationalities. We take a short walk through the streets of the town after which we have lunch and resume the road for the return journey. Our tour is over, we head home after covering about 1100 km, only now do we take the motorway as far as Prato.

Here we exit to travel yet another stretch of panoramic road: the 325 and after a few curves and with a storm chasing us menacingly we rejoin the motorway at Roncobilaccio at the very moment when Valentino Rossi crosses the winning finish line at Mugello, We are still stopped at the Fiorenzuola service station, we end where we began 4 days earlier, it was truly a great tour: without haste, without pre-established destinations, without scheduled stops and without ever having booked either hotels or restaurants, in short in total freedom, deciding on the spot what we felt like doing and where we wanted to go Hi Salva, it's been years now that we've been travelling together, never an argument, never a doubt, always without problems and always laughing and joking. A kiss and a hug, until next time which will certainly not be very far away.