Italy
Movie Mondays: Piedmont’s Happy Trails
You’d never expect a big city to be so beautiful. One of Turin’s many hidden treasures (besides its bicerin) is its thick, green countryside. The Po – the longest river in Italy – starts in the Cottian Alps, and works its way eastward. It cuts through a number of major towns along the way including Turin, leaving it lush and green on the outside. As soon as you leave the more developed stone and brick architecture of the beautiful historic center, you find wood groves. In fact, most of the ground surrounding Turin is gorgeous forest born from the rich waters of the Po. And within these forests, kilometers of mountain bike paths web their way among the trees. The trails are open to all, and are guided professionally by a company called Happy Trails.
Happy Trails was created by Beppe and Milena: two friends of mine from Torino. Both speak multiple languages, both have participated in the Trans-Rockies challenge (on a tandem, no less), and both have years of experience leading groups on long excursions both on and off-road. Beppe is a certified mountain bike teacher and heads the Happy Trails School, focused on engaging children in the delights of two-wheeled travel. If it weren’t for Happy Trails and their knowledge of the singletrack surrounding the city, I would never have imagined the countryside to be as beautiful as it was. These are the trails that make the urban dweller happy: an afternoon with Beppe and Milena is the perfect solution to a sweltering city weekend.
What I find most impressive about their initiative – apart from their impeccable dedication to customer satisfaction and endearing good humor – is their commitment. They are motivated to convert a car-loving public to an alternative means of transportation – starting with the city’s youth. Turin is – after all – the heart of the Italian automobile industry. The marriage of Italian design and engineering has produced some of the world’s most beautiful machines.However, Beppe and Milena have created a school that appreciates T
orino for its natural beauty, using human-powered vehicles, fueled by gelato. As they continue to offer off-road excursions like the one I traveled, I guarantee they’ll have the public leaving their Fiats for Felts.
Thanks to Beppe and Milena for their assistance in making this video, but especially to Beppe who had to put up with my not-so-off-road legs. The heavy breathing is genuine, as were the hills that produced it. Maybe next time I should shave my legs and I’ll go faster.
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Sicily: A Cool Place in the Heat of Summer
As July warms up, it’s hard to believe how cool temperatures were in Sicily in late May. The beaches, the refreshing breeze and the light seafood platters are all reminders of how lovely the weather was. Not that July is a bad month, but now Sicily is unbearably hot and this video is a quick memory of one pretty cool cyclist I was lucky enough to have in a pretty cool place. Eric is a great cyclist and it goes to show you that no matter what your cycling level, there’s something for everyone over at Pomegranate Journeys. In Eric’s case, it’s his cycling abilities as well as his open-minded approach in accepting the unknown adventure that makes travel so much fun. For Eric, “It will always be a good time.”
Eric is someone I’ve known for a few years now and he has always been a laid-back traveler: relaxed when his luggage does not arrive, at ease taking pictures and flying down the hills, he is even cool under pressure when more serious emergencies occur. He is always looking for engaging conversation and has a great sense of humor. Best of all, he keeps his sights – and taste buds – open to new discoveries. But not only is he cool on the bike, his outfits are cool too. Eric is one of the few cyclists I’ve seen who has a fashion sense that well reflects his personality.
Eric had never ridden the Kuota Kharma before taking a guided tour with Pomegranate Journeys. As you’ll see in the video, he’s very happy with the comfortable ride that these carbon-fiber bikes provide. It’s not as stiff as he expected and that’s a plus. It’s obvious that the bikes are light so you only have to concentrate on getting yourself up the hill – the bike, more or less, takes care of itself. He enjoyed the Shimano Ultegra components and he was able to push the bike to its limits: flying downhill and climbing uphill en dansant: dancing on the pedals.
Oh yeah: and his outfits match the bike colors.
Thanks Eric for being a good sport. I know I can get annoying with the camera, but I do appreciate your candid answers to my questions. It was great having you on the trip and I look forward to seeing you again (although let’s do Southern Italy again; Portland is a bit too rainy for me).
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Almond Milk: the New Protein Drink of Champions
Anytime we take on a new adventure, the mental stress can be overwhelming. In some cases, the idea of traveling to a foreign country for a week-long bicycle vacation can create more concern than the sense of relief it’s supposed to engage. If all of the unknowns were factored into the equation, and we were let loose to worry about them – the late planes, the lost luggage, the language barrier, the long hills, the physical effort – it’s surprising we’d ever get off the ground.
The beginning of Suzann’s holiday began in a similar fashion. She had never been on a bike vacation before traveling with Pomegranate Journeys to Sicily. In fact, she hadn’t been on a bike much prior to her time in Southern Italy, however she got off the ground and arrived ready for the adventure. She had all the right tools with her: an open-mind, a good spirit and a huge smile. In the following video you’ll hear her testimony about how the beginning of her adventure in Sicily was a bit of a challenge, but thanks to her perseverance, she had a wonderful time. In fact, the objective was no longer making it to the next hill, but looking for the next glass of latte di mandorla – or “almond milk.” As the trip unfolded, her cycling skills progressed and the fun rolled along with her wheels. At the beginning she considered herself the “least experienced” rider, but by the end of the trip she was clocking 100km days and 10% grades. For someone who had begun cycling just a few years ago, she quickly found herself at ease on the bike and rode like a seasoned cyclist.
And the trick is: don’t think about the bike as a challenge, but as a means to experience a “guilt-free” vacation.
But I’ll let the video explain that.
I’d like to thank Suzann for her patience with my filming and my constant questioning. I’d especially like to thank her for her open and sincere responses and her continuous laughter and good humor. Finally I’d like to thank her for her willingness to be broadcast to over 1,000 people (maybe more?) over the web.
Thanks Suzann, keep biking and we’ll see you again very soon. And the next round of latte di mandorla is on me. – Gabe
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Siracusa and the beginning of an Amazing Experience
The sun at 7:00 a.m. caresses the buildings along the pier in its morning splendor. These rays bring out the tannish-brown and gold in the Baroque architecture and Resurgence construction along the bay. The Aretusa fountain – a fresh water spring along the edge of the ocean – bubbles and sounds with the songs of swans and ducks among the thick papyrus reeds. The fisherman make their way off of the rocks to sell their catch at market, and the bigger boats have already docked and are unloading pounds of fresh swordfish and squid. The men laugh and smoke cigarettes as some of them fold up their nets while the fruit vendors unload the three-wheeled carts, stacked seven or eight crates high of beautiful citrus and vegetable produce.
The scene is so surreal, walking through the market place on a Saturday morning, that one could imagine this same scenario playing out 50 years
ago, or 100, or even 1,000. It is no wonder why the Greeks, Romans and hundreds of other conquering nations fell in love with Sicily. Strolling through Siracusa alone for 20 minutes in the morning is enough to inspire anyone to write, paint or sing. The Greeks had their mythology about Odysseus and the Cyclops at Aci Trezza; they constructed a great temple to Apollo on the highest hill in Ortigia (the ancient city in Siracusa); an ancient cave with remarkable acoustics was attributed to Dionysus’s powers. Still today, these same marvels within the ancient city are the source for artistic and literary inspiration.
Pomegranate Journeys takes you through the sights, smells, tastes and textures of the unknown (or more properly, forgotten) Siracusa. In a day where Hollywood has transformed the image of the Sicilian into 
something cynical and sinister, Pomegranate Journeys takes its guests beyond the celluloid imagery to a tangible escapade of Siracusa. It is the Sicilian people – in their beautiful and passionate interactions – that keep the real Sicily in the island. One trip through Siracusa will have anyone singing its praises and writing epic poetry. See for yourself.
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Modica: when in need of “Bonajuto”
The Antica Dolceria Bonajuto in Modica, Sicily is reputedly the oldest chocolate shop on the island. Pomegranate Journeys recently scheduled a visit of the Bonajuto chocolate laboratory during a pedal-through last week and the results were rich and delicious. There really isn’t anything better to help you up the hills on Pomegranate’s Sicily Bike Adventure than some raw chocolate and a cupful of Xocolic – their chocolate liqueur. It’s no surprise then that “Bonajuto” means “good help.”
But it’s also the name of the founder of the chocolate laboratory. In 1880, Franceso Bonajuto followed in his father’s footsteps and opened up a cake shop, which over the years has won critical acclaim with professionals in the sweet field. Of course, all of Bonajuto’s treats come from deeply rooted traditions native to Modica.
A few months ago I posted on Ragusa, and Modica is simply 15 kilometers to the south and equally as beautiful. The first
documentation of Modica comes from Roman documents dating to the year 212 B.C. They describe a village called “Motyka” which was defiant to Roman rule (as most Sicilians still are today). It was in 844 A.D. that Modica began to flourish agriculturally after the Arab conquest of the island. Then in the fourteenth century, Sicily passed under Spanish rule for a few hundred years. Like the rest of the island, Modica has been consecutively conquered by different nations. However, it’s within this “layering” of foreign nations over thousands of years that Modica retains its own rich traditions and culture.
Thus the aranciata and cedrata are sweets of Arab origin with orange peel and citron, purified with water to remove alcohol and then baked with honey. The orange and citron have the consistency of nougat and should be eaten in slivers. Meanwhile the ‘Mpanatigghi (the cookies you’ll see in this video) are biscuits typical to the city of Modica and were introduced by the Spaniards in the sixteenth century. The local name of these biscuits is probably derived from the Spanish empanadas-empadillas, where the unusual combination of meat and chocolate is frequently used in Spanish cuisine. In past centuries game meat were used for the preparation of ‘Mpanatigghi; these days beef sirloin is employed since it is less sinuous and easily acquired.
Regardless, Bonajuto needs no help in the chocolate department. This visit was one of a number of great discoveries along a magnificent bike adventure through Southern Sicily.
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Andiamo in Kuota: A new discovery in the Dolomites
Cycling in the Dolomites is an experience comparable to beholding the handiwork of the divine. Harsh rock and cliff faces in this part of northeastern Italy are harmoniously married to lush emerald fields and evergreen forests. Anyone who has participated in the Maratona dles Dolomites (The Dolomite Marathon) knows how stunning the panorama can be, especially when biking through these glorious passes, roads closed, with other cyclists. Nine thousand other cyclists, according to the statistics from the official Maratona dles Dolomites website. In 2008, there was again the same number. Needless to say, this is one of the most popular of the great Italian Granfondo 
(an “endurance” or “long distance” cycling event, loosely translated). In fact, the organizers of the Maratona dles Dolomites need to cap the number of participants every year. The more people who sign up, the more difficult it is to organize, and the more dangerous the event becomes. If they were to get 10,000 or more on these narrow roads, the start would be more than chaos: it would be hell.
Setting the opening scene, many of the participants have never competed in a “race” of this caliber (90% of cyclists are there to safely finish the course), and the starting line is the most daunting part. Beginning at La Villa in Alta Badia, there are three general routes one can ride: the short 55 km, the medium 106 km and the long 138 km options. Some look at the 138km and think it’s easy, yet forget to consider the elevation gain is around 4190 m (yes, meters – for feet, multiply by three). In addition, the three courses are all interlinked in some way – especially the short, a loop all 
cyclists must do no matter what option they choose. Around 7:00 am, everyone starts. Everyone. The elbow-to-elbow riding from La Villa (flat) is invigorating, but when ascending Campolungo, that’s where technique comes into play. Speed is dictated by the allure of the surrounding cyclists, pinched between the Sunday stroller ahead and the weekend whizzer behind – while climbing uphill. It’s a rather precarious situation and every year I have participated, there has been an accident coming down from Passo Sella, in the exact same spot. No misunderstanding, it’s a great race and one I’ve done four times. Unfortunately it’s the number of people that make – and break – all the fun.
Enter Kuota. I have already written a blog post on Kuota’s commitment to cycling in their local community through the Granfondo Fabio Casartelli here. Kuota saw what was happening at the Maratona dles Dolomites and decided 
to join with others to do something about it. They are, in part, sponsoring another race in the Dolomites. The Gröden Bike Marathon takes place in the Val Gardena, crossing other famous peaks such as Fedaia and Pordoi. Their event has a two-fold advantage: one, the racers get to see a completely different side of these majestic mountains, and two, since this is the race’s first year, not many cyclists know about it, thus numbers will be low. Of course, like all Granfondo, there is an entry fee. However, if you show up with your Kuota bicycle, you don’t pay anything – the registration is free. It is a UDACE certified, pro/amateur race, complete with all the other extras expected at these memorable events: gifts and awards, pasta lunches and good people who are there just to have a fun time. If you’re interested in the event itself go to the Gröden Marathon site (you may need Google Translate since the site is in Italian and German). If you’re interested in the Kuota bike line check out their website here. Again, Kuota sees cycling – and the mountains – in a different light, from a different valley. Consequently, thanks to the Gröden Bike Marathon, cyclists can now appreciate this divine art from more than just one perspective.
New “Kuotes” from Kuota
For some of you, bicycles may be no more than a child’s pastime. Others may find them annoying velocipedes hogging the side of the road (which was made for cars, right?). Most cities in North America have been developed around the automobile: the long highways, the absence of bike paths in most urban centers and the animosity towards cyclists in general, are just a few clues. In Europe, however, the bicycle has been a means of transportation for some commoners well before the horse and carriage. It has played a significant role in both World Wars, in unifying countries, and in expanding economies. It is still used today by European postal workers, bakers, carpenters, priests, fisherman and thousands of adolescents. A bicycle’s attributes are endless.
The fellows at Kuota also have endless attributes. They are bicycle manufactures, pioneers in Italian design, and supporters of local charities all at the same time.
Kuota has humble beginnings as a bicycle fork company, specializing in steel and aluminum forks. They equipped most bicycle frames in the ’80s and ’90s with high-quality metal forks. As carbon fiber became a more popular material, they were the first company to specialize in carbon bicycle forks and again supplied them to all of the major bicycle brands. As Kuota began to watch bicycle frames switch from metal to carbon fiber in the ’90s, they began producing full carbon fiber frames. In 2001, Kuota bicycles (from the Italian “quota” – meaning “attaining new heights”) was born. Today, they supply the bikes for the professional racing team AG2R and in 2008 and 2009 they sponsored Agritubel. They’ve raced under Christophe Moreau and Cyril Dessel in the great bicycle races, rolled to victory with Norman Stadler’s Ironman conquests, and they are getting increased recognition and praise from the biking community in a number of product reviews such as this one from Bike Radar. It is for Kuota’s excellent craftsmanship, design and accomplishments that Pomegranate Journeys has decided to equip each of its European departures with Kuota’s Carbon-framed bicycles.
Much of Kuota’s recognition comes from the innovative design of these bicycles. They were the first to design the aerodynamic oversized carbon fiber tubing. As a result, most vibrations and wobbling is eliminated at high speeds. As Bike Radar points out in the above review of the KOM, the fork is constructed out of oversized tubes, and thus the front is exceptionally sturdy and solid in the turns. The boys in the Kuota engineering studio create each year’s model with an Italian designer’s eye. Rather than read the geometry sketches, they prefer to have the first prototype on hand to “see” what the final product looks like. Although they are interested in functionality, it is the beauty of the final product that they are most focused on. If they are not pleased with the final design, they start all over. Needless to say, Kuota bikes are chic, Italian design married to stylish efficiency.
But Kuota doesn’t stop at simply making a better bike, they also aim to make a better cyclist. They sponsor the Fabio Casartelli Medio Fondo (an amateur bike race) in honor of the late cyclist (and Lance’s domestique under Motorolla). Casartelli crashed in the 1995 Tour de France on the descent from the Col d’Aspet. It was because of that accident that the UCI began to make helmets obligatory in the pro races. All proceeds from this Medio Fondo go to fund bicycle safety programs in local schools through the Fabio Casartelli Foundation: how to ride in a line, how to keep to the side of the road, and especially how to properly wear a helmet. Kuota makes an impressive product, but they are also actively involved in bettering cycling for their local communities. By teaching the young proper cycling techniques, these young riders will have more concern for other vehicles on the road and incorporate safety into every ride. Then these kids will eventually grow into adults. Adults who will eventually get behind the wheel of a car and have a lot more respect for the kids – or anyone – cycling along the side of the road.
A Bicerin in Torino: Not your Everyday Latte
To most people, Italy has enough coffee. In fact there’s the caffè lungo and corto, the caffè corretto and stretto, caffè machiato, americano, caffè latte and caffè d’orzo and – of course – the quintessential cappuccino, just to name a few. To the many folks who come from the land of “shots,” “grandes” and “Frappuccinos,” I can understand how this can all be very mystifying. Yet the next time you are in an Italian coffee house (or simply, caffè), remember that you may just be touching the bean when it comes to Italian coffee.
Just as most regions in Italy have their own cuisine, many also have their own local version of coffee. In Torino, for example, the Bicerin (pronounced /bee-sure-ean/) is a beverage you can only find in the coffee houses of Fiat’s native city. It’s a combination of coffee, foamed whole milk and chocolate – another local specialty. More interesting still is the history behind the drink, and the historical figures who used to drink it (and those important figures who still do today). Apparently the beverage came about in the early 1800s – although some reports date it to the 1700s – from another coffee house in Torino the Café della Bicerin: a few blocks away from where I made the film below. If you consider the drink was already popular by the time Torino became the first capital of Italy in 1861, chances are personalities like Cavour were drinking bicerin in 19th century Torino.
Often times it’s not just the coffee you drink that’s important, but where you drink it. In the case of Baratti and Milano, they have been making chocolates and coffee for well over 150 years. The architecture is reminiscent of the Italian Risorgimento, and the coffee house’s interior is stunningly beautiful. It’s no wonder the upper-class Italian bourgeois would meet here in the 1800s and discuss Italy’s political future. It’s true that at times a coffee is just a coffee. Yet at times it’s also a step back in time to taste the savors of another century. When drinking a bicerin at a historic Italian bar, it suddenly becomes an experience beyond just coffee: it’s cultural engagement.
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One of Milan’s Culinary Secrets
The other night I had dinner with my friend Pandy (yes, his real name). We were eating local fare while discussing the delights of Italian regional cooking. Having sampled many of the world’s cuisines, we wondered why Italian food was so good. I believe that one of the reasons why so many people enjoy Italian cooking is for its simplicity: with basic ingredients (and a lot of attention), Italian cuisine is not only delicious but also easy to replicate in the kitchen. While other ethnic delicacies are equally tasty, the dishes sometime seem more elaborate. They either take a longer preparation time or contain extremely exotic ingredients. In some other cultures, I find the natural flavors of the food are drowned in sauces and gravies – all equally delicious, but unfortunately too strong and overpowering to allow the palate to savor the real essence of the main attraction.
One of the possible keys to Italian cooking’s success may be its history of being a “commoner’s” meal during the early decades of the last century. Granted, not every Italian dish comes from the table of poverty, but in many regions, the dishes that were considered “lower-class” almost a hundred years ago are now the ones being revisited and brought to the tables of some of the most demanding kitchens. Take for example the Cassöla Milanese. It consists of kraut, carrots, beans and every part possible of a pig (sausage, ribs, sides, flank and especially le puntine – the smaller ribs) boiled in a pot for hours. If ever I were to make a counter argument to the vegetarian blog I posted about a week ago, this would be it. Cassöla comes from a time when food was scarce and precious: the less glorious bits of meat and semi-rotten vegetables were thrown into a pot and boiled forever to preserve them for as long as possible. Of course today’s Cassöla is made with fresh vegetables and meat and is every bit as delicious as you can imagine. There are no preservatives or chemicals, just good wholesome fats and proteins. On a winter’s evening this soup ignites the soul and the taste buds. Add a few glasses of delicious medium-bodied Valtellina and you have the perfect meal.
Another wonderful characteristic of this dish (as is typical of many local Italian dishes) is its uniquely regional name. The Cassöla is a dish you can only find around Milan and in Lombardy and thus its dialectal name specifies its geographic originality. It makes me think of the Cassoulet from southwest France, specifically near the area of Carcassone. The Cassoulet is also a boiling of beans, vegetables and meat (usually duck and sausage) in terracotta pots. I wouldn’t be surprised if their etymology has some connection. And it wouldn’t surprise me if the Anglo-Saxon “Cassarole” initially served the same purpose of boiling and mixing into a large pot or pan. Wherever the name comes from, a Cassöla by any other name wouldn’t be quite the same. There is no other way to pronounce it as there is no other place to eat it. A wonderful name from a wonderful region – unlike my friend, who should really consider changing his.
Ragusa is What’s Lovely about Sicily
People give you strange looks when you tell them, “I’m going to Sicily.” A few years ago, whenever I’d talk about Sicily, people thought it synonymous with the Bronx, downtown LA or Oakland. They had images of a certain Mario Puzo novel, of gun-toting hooligans and wise-guys, of deals made in dark cafes over cigarette smoke and five o’clock shadow. What’s interesting is that these scenes don’t happen in Sicily – they happen all over Italy. In fact, they happen all over the world. To think that Hollywood could have such an effect over people’s judgment either tells us something great about the film industry or something completely terrible about the cinema-going public.
Enter Ragusa to shatter this gangster image. Ragusa belongs to the UNESCO World Heritage sites (as do seven other cities in the Val di Noto alone), primarily for its 18 Baroque monuments. It is also an amazing cultural and culinary center in southeast Sicily. Ragusa was leveled by the great earthquake of 1693, which destroyed most of its infrastructure and buildings. The Spanish Crown reconstructed the village with elaborate golden stonework and magnificent cathedrals to the point where, today, the city is home to some of the most beautiful examples of Baroque architecture in the world.The Catedrale S. Giorgio, the Palazzo della Cancelleria and the Chiesa del Purgatorio are just some of the examples that can be seen while walking the infinite alleyways and footpaths of Ragusa Ibla. And this is were the city’s beauty lies to the average visitor: it is all within walking distance. Pomegranate Journeys has placed Ragusa on its Sicilian bike itinerary as it is one stop that cannot be forgotten. But even if you don’t like bikes, Ragusa has stairs that rival the Cinque Terre. It hosts an unending labyrinth of narrow passageways and promenades that take you to some of the hidden gems of Spanish Baroque architecture hidden away from the main piazzas. Plus the people are incredibly friendly and polite, exceptionally gracious and accommodating (no horse’s head under the sheets or fish wrapped in newspaper). You could stay in the more modern Ragusa Superiore in a lovely hotel, but there are tons of places to stay in Ibla as well. I’d recommend staying at one of the numerous private B&Bs that are hidden within the ancient city. Le Sirene B&B is a classy, private, establishment right in the middle of Ibla, and 
the owner is a delight. She’s a local who will set up breakfast, tell you everything there is to know about the town and even give you insight into the personal history behind the B&B itself (it has a fabulous story). From Le Sirene, you’re not even five minutes away from all the beautiful sites, and the stay is not at all expensive. It is the perfect way to escape from the stresses of daily life and enjoy one of the most enchanting cities on earth.