GIRO'ing - Colle delle Finestre

Cristian and Emanuele view from
their kitchen balcony

Its friday, just past 7pm and James Blunt is blaring "it's 72 degrees, zero chance of rain" as I turn off the coastal highway and head north to Torino. I'm headed to Bussoleno a small village of about 6000 inhabitants just west of Torino at the foot of the French-Italian Alps. Skiing in Briancon/Montgenevre back in February the girls and I met Cristian Miolo who lives with his wife Stefania and son Emanuele in Bussoleno and over an après ski beer he invited me to be their guest during the famous Colle delle Finestre stage of the Giro d'Italia. Its the second last leg and with 242 km likely the most grueling of this year's Giro stage before Sunday's final stage through Milan.  Unfortunately we will be gone before the Tour de France rolls through France so I decide to jump at the chance and take advantage of Cristian's generous invite. 

Tomorrow morning I will set out before noon joining thousands of other riders climb to the top of Colle delle Finestre which peaks at 2176 meters and wait for Alberto Contador and gang who should make it to the top between 4 and 5 pm.

Halfway there

From the town of Susa located in the Susa Valley, it's a 19km winding climb, with an average gradient of 9.1% and the last 8km the road is not asphalted. Barring anything unforseen, Contador is assured to win the Giro this year and after his selfless gesture in allowing former teammate Paolo Trialongo of Team Astana win today's stage he is a deserving champion. 

Made it

I thank my generous hosts and set out around 11:45am hoping to reach the top around 2:30ish. The sky is a deep, clear blue and the snow capped mountains beckon. It's a flat 8km from Bussoleno to the foot of the mountain and already streams of cyclists are making the pilgrimage. There are flags hanging everywhere from storefront windows and houses and there is a definite buzz in the air.

I immediately meet up with Tonino and Saverino 70 and 68, respectively, who left Torino (56km from the base of the mountain!!) this morning and having made it to the top in previous years this time they will sit at the bottom of the mountain to watch the racers come through.   

Crowds lining the route right at the top

A third of the way up the mountain I am struck not necessarily by the number of people which I fully expected but by the number of children many which can't be more than 10-11 that were pedaling their way higher and higher with friends and family. As well, the number of people just walking up the mountain aided by poles or sticks was very cool. 

The crowds thicken as I continue my ascent and about 300-400 meters from the summit the narrow hairpin road becomes lined with a wall of people and bikes as fans stake their positions. About 200 meters from the top I can hear loud cheers and roars coming from the crowds cheering on cyclists. I keep my head down and my legs in motion and soon I am energized by the crowd which cheers me and other cyclists along the last 40 or 50 meters across the top. 

Enjoying lunch and the view

The sun is warm, music is blaring and there is a sea of bikes and people everywhere. I treat myself to a cold beer take out a prosciutto panino from my knapsack and for 15-20 minutes I take it all in enjoying the moment. Like all great sporting or cultural events it's hard not to get caught up in the spectacle. 

My one and only pic of Contador...
and its blury....  :( 

Whether you are a fan or not is besides the point - its always fun to participate in such an event first hand.  After some obligatory photos I make my way down a 150 meters or so where the crowds are thinner, find a spot to enjoy the sun and the view and wait out the hour or so until the racers make their way through.  I savour another panino and the glass of wine Cristian insisted I take to the top to celebrate.

My view of the road below

Here comes the peleton

As I sit here I can't help but wonder if after the racers pass through I will have enough time to make it down the mountain catch a flight from Torino to London, make my way over to Wembley to buy a ticket and watch the Champions League final between Barcelona and Man United?  What a way to cap off the day - one can always dream! 


Sal

Who is this shirtless moron??

Tribute to Danilo Di Luca runner-up in 1988

Star gazing in Cannes

After 2 weeks away in Italy, we were happy to be back in Nice and back to our regular routines.  We will enjoy our final month and a half here staying close to Nice especially as the beach weather is upon us.  We have visited Cannes a few times since we've been here and didn't find it particularly interesting or unique, even the Palais des Films, home of the Cannes Film Festival didn't seem so spectacular.  However, with the large number of haute couture shops lining the croisette and the spectacular yachts in the bay, it is definitely one of the more upscale towns on the coast.

With the Festival in full swing, we couldn't resist dropping in and experiencing some of the excitement and maybe even rub shoulders with a few Hollywood stars.   In honour of the Festival, Cannes is transformed into a glamorous and glitzy venue appearing more done up.  Flower beds in full bloom on the croisette, huge Hollywood billboards plastered on fancy hotel facades and the Palais looking very exclusive with the famous red carpet. Cannes was alive with movie fans and star gazers trying to catch a glimpse of their favourite Hollywood personalities.

On this day the big allure was Johnny Deppe whose movie, Pirates of the Carribbean 4 was opening that night.  At the urging of the kids we waited for about 40 minutes,(some had been waiting for up to 5 hours) with the other hopeful fans, then we lost interest as the rain  came down  and we decided to move on as there was no assurance of when he would arrive.  It was great taking it all in and walking down the croisette, seeing crowds of fans lined outside the most luxurious hotels as the fancy cars brought invited guests to the Palais for the screening.  Although a little disappointed we didn't see anyone "famous", just being there was wonderful. We consoled ourselves with the fanciest desserts in our favourite Cannes patisserie, a little indulgence at the end of the day.

Sal and I will return to Cannes later this week to watch one of the movies at the Festival.  Since it is only possible to buy tickets for movies not in the actual competition and all others require an invitation, we had to settle for one of the lesser known picks.  The Festival this year opened with Woody Allen's Minuit a Paris which the four of us took in this weekend in Nice, thrilled to finally watch a movie in English.  We all loved the movie. Set in Paris, with extensive footage of the city it was great to relive being in Paris again. Being in Europe and having visited Paris with it's rich history, I have often wondered and romanticized about what it would have been like to have lived in another era, which is the premise of the movie.  Thanks to all the museums we have visited, we could all relate to the artists and the works of Picasso, Monet, Dali and Matisse referenced in the movie. The kids particularly loved it and are asking to see it again.  It's good to know that some of the culture they have been exposed to has actually been sinking in. 

Palais des Film

Waiting for some stars

Paris....Again!

Spring in Paris. Birds chirping gaily, artists working studiously at easels, kids squeal in delight as their sailboats make their way effortlessly across the fountain. Seated in front of one of the grand circular fountains in Jardin des Tuileries the warm sun shines brightly and I can't think of a more idyllic setting. Located between the Louvre and Place de la Concorde the garden is another spectacular example of Europe's public spaces that allow pedestrians to enjoy the city without the intrusive car.   

Jardin des Tuileries

The garden's symmetrical layout and immaculately manicured trees are accented with fountains and sculptures providing a harmonious setting. Chestnut trees perfectly align either side of the park's central walkway guiding ones eyes down the Champs Elysees with a wonderful view of l'Arc de Triomphe in the distance. 

Invalides

It’s just past 10am and having dropped my parents off at the Louvre I sit hoping to lose myself reading about the French Revolution. Having never been to Paris and being so close, I figured it would be a shame for my parents to miss a visit to one of the most beautiful cities in the world.  So here I am accompanying my parents to Paris for a quick 2 and a half day visit. Poor me but someone's gotta do it!   :) 

The effects of the Louvre

After 12 days walking the streets of Rome, Naples and Positano I feel spent and have no interest in visiting Mona Lisa again. Apart from a quick visit to Napoleon's tomb at Les Invalides I have no particular agenda other than to play tour guide to mom and dad. Arriving late in the day yesterday we headed straight to the Eiffel Tower and like anyone seeing it for the first time they were in awe seeing it in lights.

'Make sure you walk to the top like we did' the kids encouraged nonno and nonna before we left. Sensibly they took the elevator saving their energy for the exhausting days ahead. We agreed before getting here that the Louvre and Musee d'Orsay would be the only museums they would visit and we would get to some of the other highlights via the hop on, hop off sightseeing buses, which in hindsight was the best way to cover ground. 

With this trip to Paris coming immediately on the heels of our trip to Rome and Naples, the contrast could not have been more stark. No, I am not referring to French culinary capabilities which for me remain unaltered after 4 more uninspiring restaurant meals in Paris. I am referring to how clean and well-maintained Paris and most other French cities are relative to many Italian cities. Bravo France! Even removing Naples from the equation, it is regrettable how poorly maintained Italian cities are.

Rome, Italy's capital, and Florence with their collection of historical monuments and roman ruins are shamefully maintained with graffiti defacing many buildings and monuments something we rarely saw in Paris. I don't profess to understand why Italy with all its natural beauty and historical treasures can't do a better job at maintaining their cities and historical monuments but as one Italian suggested a few months back, Italy might be better off outsourcing the administration and maintenance of the country to the Germans or the French!!  

Sal

Positano

The view from Montemare Hotel

Staring out into the Mediterranean I am mesmerized sitting here on the terrace of Montemare Hotel in Positano.  Its late afternoon and the warm Mediterranean sun beams down on me.  I almost burst out singing that old classic ‘O Sole Mio’.  Okay I won’t get carried away but with such a setting it’s understandable where the inspiration for that eternal classic came from.

Finally, a moment to myself to sit quietly, inhale and enjoy the views of the Gulf of Salerno.  I can’t imagine ever tiring of such a view.  I’m too tired and don’t have the patience to try and describe the dramatic splendour of Positano.   Rising sharply from the sea no words can do its beauty justice.  Fragrant lemons trees dot the streets and narrow alleyways.

Roma, Napoli, Pozzuoli, Pompei and Positano, it’s been a hectic, tiring pace since leaving Nice 12 days ago.  In hindsight we could probably have done without Positano.  As wonderful as it’s been, we have had our fill of churches, roman ruins, museums and all the other places that bring tourists to these cities.  We are all looking forward to getting back to Nice and our routines.  I’m looking forward to getting back on the bike and burning off all the carbs I’ve consumed.


Sal

Easter Break

St. Peter's Square

We just got back to Nice having spent Easter break in Italy. Our vacation started in Rome and finished in Positano.   I had the most fun touring the Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel and St.Peter’s Basilica. I didn’t realize that Vatican is the world’s smallest state with its own coins, laws, security (army, fire department, police etc.) and their own king...the Pope.

Palazzo Venezia in Rome

The Sistine Chapel was my favourite building. The Popes get elected in the Chapel. Our tour guide Andrea told us that every time a new Pope must be elected there are crowds of people in Piazza St.Pietro waiting to see white smoke come out of the Sistine Chapel chimney. If the cardinals haven’t come to an agreement on the next Pope black smoke will come out of the chimney.

Enough Museums...

I really like the way the walls and ceiling were painted. In 1508 Pope Julius II commissioned Michelangelo to paint the ceiling of the chapel. It took Michelangelo a bit over four years to paint the ceiling. The ceiling and the wall behind the alter were painted with pictures of saints and martyrs--every patch of the ceiling telling a different story from the Old Testament, like the creation of Adam and Eve.

More gelato!!

I loved looking at the ceiling because the people were three dimensional and they were popping out at you. Andrea said that because Michaelangelo was originally a sculptor, he was able to make the people look like they were statues.  After the Sistine Chapel was finished other artists learned through Michelangelo how to paint three dimensional.

Making it by the Swiss Guards

After a week of walking in and out of museums and taking pictures in front of historical monuments in Rome, I was happy to be going to Naples.  I wasn’t to sure what to expect of Naples. My dad and grandfather (who was born just outside of Naples) had told me many times that it’s chaotic, loud, dirty and now full of garbage... which it was, but that still didn’t change how much I enjoyed the city. I loved every moment of it.  I liked how it was always alive and the people were always so excited. I especially loved the Neapolitan humour, dialect, and pizza. We also spent a day in Pompeii, and since I had studied about Pompeii in history, it was neat to be there.

How do I look Maddy?

Aside from Napoli, I enjoyed visiting my grandfather’s hometown—Pozzuoli. It wasn’t nearly as big or exciting as Napoli, but I didn’t mind. We spent two days there. The first night there was a big family get together with all my dad’s cousins and my grandfather’s brother and sister that still live in Pozzuoli. I had never met this side of my family, but I was glad to know that I had more cousins.

Easter lunch in Pozzuoli

The following day was Easter which was also spent in Pozzuoli. We had a great fish lunch by the sea. For me, Pozzuoli was definitely one of the highlights of the trip.  I was really disappointed that we didn’t get to go to take a tour of Napoli underground. I guess that gives me a reason to go back.

Simona

The Pantheon

The Colosseum

It’s Palm Sunday and we are in Rome going to visit the Colosseum. The Colosseum is the biggest amphitheatre built over 2000 years ago by the Romans!!   One thing that caught my attention was how the Colosseum was built.   The slabs of marble were not glued or cemented together they were just piled one on top of the other. Now I understand how they would build the columns but imagine how they would build the arches.  I learned from our tour guide that they had to cut the slabs of marble at certain angles and put them together like a puzzle so that each piece of marble would stay in place.

Roman Forum

Inside the theatre the Romans sat according to their social class to watch games, plays, animal hunts and executions.  For example, the emperor and other important people sat at the bottom closest to the stage and women had to STAND at the very top if they wanted to watch the games – poor them! The games would usually include gladiators vs. gladiators, or gladiators vs. animals. Our tour guide told us that the animals came from as far away as Africa and Asia. 

Colosseum

The different animals included: giraffes, elephants, hippos, crocodiles, bears, lions, etc... We got to see where the elephant entrance was.  Cellars were located under the arena packed with food, costumes, animals, weapons and 28 elevators that would lead up to the arena. The Colosseum held 50,000-80,000 people and the shows went on 300 days/year for 400 years.

My favourite part of visiting Rome was our visit to the Colosseum and learning about it. 

Just in case I didn’t get enough of Roman ruins in Rome, we then went to Pompeii to see a lot more……how interesting! 

Maddy 

In front of Trevi Fountain

Ahhh - In front of the Spanish Steps

Pompei with Vesuvius in the background

What a way to die!

When's this over?

Inside of the Pantheon