Volterra

A week in Toscana with Maxima to ride.  I parked at San Martino near Cecina.  After a flattish warm up on SR68 the road became more rolling, then downright hilly and finally steep.  At the top Volterra's fortress walls surround a pretty town full of historic buildings, shops, churches and towers.  It really seems you've ridden into a 700 year time warp.

The descent was nippy but too fun to notice.  Great switchbacks and curvy hills.  Highly recommend this ride (see it day after tomorrow on Tirreno-Adriatico stage 2)!

Large mimosa near San Martino

Ruin on hill near Volterra

Fortifications of Volterra

Palazzo

View to the south

Roman ruins; note amphitheater seating on left 

Closer view of ruins

The climb

Dardago

Short ride this morning but a good workout.  Trying to figure out my VAM.  Dardago to end of pavement is a good steady gradient.

770 vertical meters per hour seems kinda low
but probably average for an old geezer. 

 

Zuc Schiaramont

Today a ride to Forgaria in search of Castello Raimondo (confusingly there is a place by the same name in Le Marche regione, so instead I'll use the Friulano name Zuc Schiaramont).  I tried stopping at Forgaria's municipio, where many of the artifacts excavated at the site are displayed.  Unfortunately it was closed, so I headed up the hill toward San Rocco.  Eventually I reached a marker for the castello at Via Coletti, pointing toward CAI 814 trail.  I decide to ride as much of this paved section as possible on Fedaia, and succeeded until the last 20 meters or so when it got up around 18%:  I don't have the legs for that yet this year.  I walked around and found the trail to the castle, also another trail called Las Gratolatas.  Didn't hike today but I'll come back soon and hike up to the elusive castello. 

Sign on Via Coletti in Italian, Friulano and English

Site map at trailhead

The 18% bit

Photos of artifacts

Details of the site history (dates back to 4th century BC)

Trail to castello

Trail to Las Gratolatas

Primule proclaiming Springtime!

Another shot of Las Gratolatas

The climb

Refrontolo

This is one of the prettiest rides I've ever ridden: the Prosecco hills of Refrontolo.  Paul Kim showed me the route 5 years ago and I keep meaning to go back but don't get around to it.  So today I cruised down to Vittorio Veneto and headed up to San Lorenzo, a stack of switchbacks through the woods filled with singing birds.  After the climb you sail down to Tarzo, take a right on the busy mainstreet briefly, then left at the sign marked Resera.  This heads upward, with beautiful views on your right of Lago Revine, followed shortly by great views of prosecco vineyards.

At Rolle the waterfall was dry.  Not sure if it's dammed  now because of the fatal landslide a few years ago or just lacks rain.  Then up to Refrontolo with great views of the zone.  The looping tornanti below San Pietro di Feletto were wonderful as always.  My ride home was surprisingly difficult because I'm a bit out of condition and I used up too much energy on all those rolling hills.  Didn't bonk but another few kilometers and I'd have been a zombie.  "Piano, piano" like my friend Silvano always says.    

Chiesa di San Lorenzo nestled in an olive grove,
with Monte Pizzoc in background 

Chiesa at Costa di La' above
an amphitheater of presecco vineyards 

Costa di La' vines with
Monte Cesen high above in the distance

My real motive for this ride: to find Villa Spada,
the setting of Andrea Molesini's historical fiction novel
"Non tutti i bastardi sono di Vienna."
This street in Refrontolo is named after
the real-life protagonist Nicolo Spada

This marker promises a trail to Tempietto Spada,
but I rode to the end and it ended in someone's
garden.  Clearly I'll have to return,  

Villa Varda

Villa Varda is a lovely villa down south in Brugnera.  The grounds have been made into a public park with lots of joggers, couples taking walks, etc.  One great feature is the meandering Fiume Livenza, which forms a natural border on the park's west side.

Despite meticulous planning I got lost in Brugnera, as always, wandering around for 7 or 8km.  I nailed the route on the ride home though so it wasn't so bad.  

Villa Varda chiesetta 

These shade trees form a galleria verde
in summer, keeping joggers cool

Beautiful Fiume Livenza 

Rauscedo loop

Nice ride down through Tesis, Rauscedo, Domanins and Cordenons.  Beautiful weather in Giais but foggy down on the pianura.   Good flat workout.

Arba loop

Another 2 weeks of indolence, and now I must start over again regaining fitness.  I gingerly mounted Maxima and soft-pedaled to Tesis.  From there the road begins rising very slightly to Arba, Orgnese and Cavasso Nuovo.  Then easy rolling road to Maniago and home.   Maybe I'll catch back up in a few weeks.

Monte Cavallo Gruppo from Campagna

Monte Raut peeping over Monte Jouf 

Julian Alps toward Slovenia

Orgnese campanile with Monte Raut

Laghetto di Vivaro

Nice flat spin across the Magredi gravel fields to vineyards above Rauscedo then back through Vivaro.  Cold but it made for a good workout.

Frozen Laghetto di Vivaro

People have pitched fairly big stones out on the ice to
test the thickness; as you can see they didn't break through

Even the sunny side is frozen stiff

Castello Roganzuolo

I intended to go to Refrontolo via San Fior but got lost (as usual) and ended up in the southern end of the morainic hills of Colle Umberto.  This turned out to be a great place to ride and explore.  It's technically not in Colle Umberto but in the comune of San Fior.  A hilltop castle caught my eye and I rode over to it to.   Lovely place, I'll definitely be back.
 

Church and campanile from below

Campanile in olive grove

Refrontolo far in the distance; next time

Coat of arms on gate post

The castle's church

Down the hill in San Fior, copper onion-domed chapel 

Castello di Toppo

I was making a little loop through Meduno, Travesio and Arba when I passed under Castello di Toppo and suddenly turned toward the climb.  It's on the south flank of Monte Ciaerlac: all these years I've never tried it, not sure why.  The route I took was a hiking trail and I quickly hopped off Fedaia to push.  Before long it was too rocky to push so I picked the bike up and carried it.  I considered stashing it in the brush temporarily to save energy but decided to haul it to the top in case there was a rideable road down.  Good call.  

At the castle I took some pictures, very impressed by the condition of the ruins.  It's in great shape.  Next time I'll try climbing up on the paved road which I descended today.  I'll try it on Maxima because the road has some +20% stretches.   

Read more about Toppo here: http://borghibellifvg.it 

Arco entering the castle

Inside the rampart walls

Wall Detail

Wide view of the extensive outer walls 

I think this may have been the tower 

Well-preserved high south wall

Westward-facing structure 

View from the southeast

The chiesetta, Monte Raut in background

Oderzo

Another cold, clear windless day, perfect for long flat riding.  Once initially warmed up you have firm control of your temperature and exertion level.  I only got cold near the end when I flatted along the irrigation canal from Porcia to Roveredo.  Even then the sun was bright enough to avoid shivering.

Oderzo is a lovely town in Treviso province with a beautiful piazza.  Enjoyed a very pleasant day.

Campanile, topped by San Gabriele

Campanile from opposite side with octagonal church

San Giovanni Battista

Clock tower

Porticos with medieval painting along the eaves

Statues along the bridge 

She's walking along Fiume Manticano

Monte Cavallo Gruppo to her north