Answering The Siren’s Call to Return to the Bel Paese

​So it’s been awhile since my last blog entry.  I meant to write a conclusion to the fall 2022 trip but lost my inspiration upon exiting Italy.   So after a winter back home in the UP we find ourselves back here to see what adventures may ensue.  

This trip will be different in many ways, the primary being we will be exploring new parts of Italy as well as Slovenia and Croatia.   We will be in our usual Umbrian territory which now feels like a second home of sorts for about a week and a half before starting the bike touring part of the trip.  Then we will start riding north towards Trieste which borders Slovenia.  There we will meet my brother, Al and Sister-in-law, Diane.  Together we will bike tour through Slovenia and Croatian Dalmatian Coast before returning to Italy for a final week or so.   

So as to the present, we arrived two days ago and yesterday from our lodging in Spoleto (this is our view)


we headed to the bus station to catch the 10 am bus to Castel San Felice where our bikes are being stored at the agriturismo Zafferano e Dintorni.   On a side note, if you are looking for an off the beaten track adventure in one of the most beautiful parts of Umbria, I highly recommend you visit this wonderful place.  They offer accommodations and bicycle rentals and they are the warmest kindest people.  We spent a night with them last fall and ended up feeling like part of their family!  Www.Zafferanoedintorni.it. 

 We arrived at the station early and a bus pulled up. We asked the driver if he went to Castel San Felice and his answer is alle dieci (at 10).  So we assume he is the driver and this is the bus we need to get on. The driver leaves the bus to go into the station and several buses come and go. 10 comes and goes, too. We see a bus pull out and as it passes we see the bike rack on the back and we realize that we should have been on that bus because the bus to Castel San Felice is on the same line as to Norcia which provides bike service to those who are riding the rail trail.  Our wrongly assumed bus driver runs out of the station pointing to the now far away departing bus.  He pulls out his phone and tries to call the driver to no avail.  Oh well.  Another lesson learned. 

So we traipse on down to the train station hoping we will be able to get a taxi and there is one there who is happy to take us over the mountain.  

No further mishaps and we are dropped off at Zafferano e Dintorni.  (Here is the view from the agriturismo)



Luca is there to greet us and his parents, Claudio and Rita are there as well. Kisses and warm hugs all around.  Claudio had even washed our bikes for us.  We get our bikes ready to go, tires pumped, bags on etc. 


  Luca offers us just pressed apple juice and we have a lot of time to talk about some interesting topics including our health care systems and their take on the war in Ukraine.  It is easy to not spend a lot of time thinking about this war but it is literally in their backyard and is greatly impacting their lives through higher costs for everything.   A few hours tick by and Luca asks if he can make us some sandwiches.   Of course we say yes.  So it is time to go and Luca presses foil wrapped paninis into our hands and the family (minus Marta who is busy with work elsewhere)come out to say goodbye.  Rita jokes that she would like to get into one of our bags and come along!   Their kindness warms our hearts.  


We get on the bikes and it feels good!  Off we go, over the mountain stopping to enjoy the delicious sandwiches at a viewpoint where we can see the agriturismo and abbey far in the valley below. 




Today we rode our bikes up the mountain behind Spoleto through Monteluco and onto Patrick.  Basically about nine miles uphill and then a screaming non miles back down.  It was quite beautiful as always and we were surrounded at a viewpoint by grazing horses.   It was a good ride to start my get back into biking shape! 






As usual most rides end with food and drink!



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