PEDALA FORTE, MANGIA BENE

CYCLING IN ITALY

Riccione, a city about the size of Charlottetown located on the Adriatic Sea two hours south of Venice, bills itself as a cycling mecca, and deservedly so.

“Imagine incredible bike rides between beautiful vineyards, medieval castles and cobblestone streets. Imagine great food, culture at every turn and warm hospitality that you can find only in Italy. Imagine hotel managers who love to ride and guide you through the most beautiful itineraries between Romagna, Marche and Tuscany, from the hills to the sea. Imagine spectacular scenery and picturesque villages for the inevitable cappuccino stop to some of Italy’s most iconic climbs such as Pantani’s Cippo Hill and San Marino. This is Riccione. Where you can have the best cycling adventure you will ever experience.”

Each year, the Over the Hill Gang (OTHG), heads off-Island to participate in a ride. We’ve been to Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Québec, Maine, Ontario, Spain and France. Several members of the Island cycling fraternity have been to Riccione and raved about the experience. This year, we decided Italy was the place to go. Our CEO (Chief Experience Officer), Ira Birt, organized the trip and most of us signed up: Russ Melanson, John MacQuarrie, Richard Birt, Mark Grimmett, and myself from OTGH. Elva and Ira’s wife, Liz, came to ride while John’s wife, Valerie, and Richard’s wife, Joan, did the tourist thing.

Our trip actually began in Bologna. We landed there mid-day with Liz and Ira, took the shuttle into town and loitered in the street until our respective hotel rooms were ready. Not having slept more than a couple of winks on the flight over, we weren’t in the mood for action the first day; just a good bed and a decent meal. I got a nasty surprise when I opened my luggage to find my beloved S-Works helmet crushed by what could only have been a determined stomp from Mr. T!We met up with Ira and Liz and found a nice, cozy spot to dine al fresco on typically delicious Italian cuisine. Of course, we tried the bologna, called mortadella in Italy. It was tasty but not nearly as good as Maple Leaf, and the Italians only serve it cold. They don’t know what they’re missing! Next morning, we took a city bus to the base of the hill topped by the eighteenth-century Sanctuary of the Madonna of San Luca, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We walked from the bus stop along the 3.8-kilometer roofed arcade and were rewarded with a wonderful view of Bologna and the surrounding countryside.

Back in the center of the city, we walked to the magnificent San Petronio Basilica, the largest brick church in the world, and viewed the quirky Due Torri, two leaning towers built in the early twelfth century. That’s what happens when you go with the lowest tender!

We arrived at our hotel in Riccione, the Fedora, at noon on Day 3 and were met by the owners and their staff; excellent first impression. Claudio, an avid cyclist himself, soon had the four of us fed, watered and on our bikes, pedaling through the gorgeous Italian countryside. The traffic was heavier than we experience on the Island, for sure, but we had excellent guides to show us the way. A 53-kilometer ride for Ira and me; a little shorter for Liz and Elva. The rest of our group arrived in Riccione late that afternoon.Next morning, after a delicious buffet breakfast, eight of us headed out along the seaside promenade and turned inland. Along the way, the boys stopped for coffee. Elva and Liz took a shorter route with their guide. The computer registered 69 kilometers when the six of us got back to the hotel.We’d trained hard for the feature event of our trip, the Marco Pantani Gran Fondo, but nothing on our island could have prepared us for the climbs. Claudio dropped us off near the start line in Pantani’s home town of Cesenatico and we lined up for the 7:30 send-off. Mark was registered for the 147-kilometre event, we six for the 110 medio, and the girls for the 73-kilometre corto. One can’t help but get caught up in the nervous energy at the start of these events. About 800 riders rode westward out of town and toward the looming hills.

The first 50 kilometres were piss-plate flat. We rode with a couple of groups and paced ourselves. Not long after rolling through the small village of Piavola, the road took a sharp left turn and the wall loomed before us. There are hills just as steep on PEI but they don’t run for 8 kilometers at an average ascent of 8%. Seventy-one-year-old Russ showed the way, pedaling like the spring chicken that he is while I brought up the rear, the lanterne rouge in cycling parlance. We stopped briefly at the top for a snack and white-knuckled it all the way down the other side to the village of Mercato Saraceno.

After rolling quite comfortably through the valley, we were directed to turn sharp right and start the second major climb, a 4-kilometer kicker that was far steeper in places than the first. Once again, our éminence grise led the way. We stopped at the summit, thinking the climb was over, but it wasn’t; another 5 kilometers or so of up and down awaited before we finally descended back onto flat land. The last 20 kilometers were quite easy, although our legs were getting a bit soft, and we were glad to cross the finish line. Mark came in a short time later, having registered an impressive result on his ride: seventeenth in his category. Elva and Liz did the 73-kilometer ride and, although they didn’t particularly enjoy the long climb, they got along just fine.

We soon learned that we’re not in the same league as Italian cyclists, most of whom have been riding since they could barely walk. The cycling culture’s very strong here, and we’re envious. Liz and Elva did win a prize, for the two women who traveled farthest for the Gran Fondo. The event was very well organized and, although it was an open course, traffic control was excellent. We were impressed.

On Day 4, Claudio proposed a 60-kilometer jaunt to San Marino. Tired and sore, we left the hotel at 9:00 sharp and headed west across the coastal plain. We crossed the invisible international border at the small town of Faetano. You can see the capital city, also called San Marino, from quite a distance and it is a very popular tourist destination. Elva and I had visited while on a cruise in 2013. The climb to the top is about 10 kilometres; I made it to 8 or so and decided that was far enough. If you look closely at the photo below, you might just make out the three fortresses along the crest of the ridge, Monte Titano. I snapped this shot on the way up.

Small countries fascinate me. San Marino is not the smallest in Europe. At 61 sq. km., it’s bigger in fact than Monaco and Vatican City. Founded in AD 301 by a monk called Marinus, it’s the world’s oldest republic. Economically, it relies on financial services and tourism, and boasts one of the world’s strongest economies. The country remained neutral during World Wars I and II, having employed the same strategy to avoid capture by Napoleon’s armies in 1797. Not a bad approach, if you ask me. I wonder whether the republic to the south of us will last as long!

On day 5, the two Birt couples, and Elva and I decided to play tourist. We took the train from Riccione to Ravenna to see the world-famous mosaics and were not disappointed. The city boasts eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites and we were able to visit four of them: the Baptistry of Neon, the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, the Basilica of Sant’Applinare Nuovo, and the Basilica of San Vitale. All were built in the late fifth and early sixth centuries and feature incredibly detailed mosaics with, as one might expect, religious themes. We also visited Saint Francis Basilica, site of Dante’s tomb. Mosaic art predates the forms of art we’re most familiar with — frescoes, oils and watercolours — and Ravenna has the best.

Day 6 came too soon. The boys ordered an 80-kilometer ride with little climbing, and that’s exactly what our guide, Paolo, delivered. We headed inland and climbed to the border of San Marino, then turned to the northwest, stopping at Santarchangelo di Romagna for coffee. We followed the Rubicon River for quite a distance, rolling along at speeds in the mid-30’s, enjoying flat ground and light traffic; well, except for one idiot who didn’t want to share the road! We reached the Adriatic at Gatteo a Mare and headed southeast, following the coast as we went. We stopped for a short time in Rimini to take in some of the historic sites and were glad to get back to the Fedora where a sumptuous lunch awaited.

Elva, Liz and Joan took the bus to San Marino and had a very enjoyable day.

 The Hotel Fedora may only be a three-star but the service was five-star all the way. Claudio manages a well-trained team that understands what cyclists are looking for in an active vacation. It’s also a very popular spot with young families. The food, all three daily meals buffet-style, was better than Elva and I have had on Holland America cruises, and the bikes were excellent. Time spent with OTHG is very special to me and bringing the girls along turned out to be a good idea. I rode over 375 kilometers and can't wait to do this again!