Tour of Tuscany - BIT1403 - The "Down Under Gang"

The tour is over - what a great week, awesome food, new experiences,good  riding, lot of fun. The first group ever with not even a single tip over!!! Well done!! Hope you all had a good flight back to "Down Under" - we are looking forward seeing you again. Keep the rubber side down Ursula and Guido 7. riding day: San Marino - Florence Forli - best bakery ever Papparazzi Saturday afternoon at Muraglione Pass - what a good place to be the zebras showed up :-) the first Nine T I`ve seen on Italian roads the yellow fits well amongst all these blue ones Boot beer in Villa Pitiana 6. riding day: Restday Assisi - hop on hop off A lot of things to do today - have a look First stop at Rimini - the "German Barbeque" - but Mrs. Schneider, Mrs. Müller and Mrs. Schmid are already at home, but.... some nice Russian girls have arrived instead :-) next stop: Coriano - the hometown of Marco Simoncelli Misano Race track name after Sic view from Gabicce Monte down to the Adriatic sea - a beautiful stretch on the "Strada panoramica Adriatica" starts not too bad... The Ranch - Valentino Rossi`s private little race track in Tavullia Tavullia -  Rossi`s fan shop The fanclub got a new member 5. riding day: Assisi - San Marino After we made it round Perugia on the highway we made a special coffee stop for our "anniversary" couple high above the Lago Trasimeno Lunch in Cortna.... Gelatooooo, Gelatooo Some impressions from Cortona the filmset for "under the Tuscan sun" After a great lunch at "Il Grillo" - Urbino - the  Renaissance town. Lloyd and Anne-Maree Graham and Bronwyn Louis and Janie - in the background the Palazzo Ducale in Urbino Ursula`s drive way Ok, I bought something stupid - 2 cypress trees - beautiful!!!! Now they are in the van (will be anyway a problem to get them home in my car) but as the driveway will look like that on the picture it`ll take a little bit... :-) 4. riding day: Restday Assis - we went to Orvieto Breakfast time in the oldest cellar of Assisi - Giotto hotel the hidden treasures San Francis in Assisi I am not hungry The "Down under" gang 3 riding day:  Siena Assisi as usual the day started with a little bit of work - copying the map the audience is listening to Guido`s briefing the Australian gang some impressions along the way first coffee stop in Montalcino, worldwide famous for the  "Brunello di Montalcino" wine the abbay of Sant'Antimo not far from Montalcino Inside the old Abbey of San Antimo Ursula has prepared a tasty picnic .... at the picnic spot high above the Orcia Valley enjoy your lunch :-) arrived at Assisi 2. Riding Day - Restday in Siena - "Il Crete" Typical Tuscan landscape and beside that a lot of curves San Galgano these both are in construction business - they were amazed Monte Olvieto Maggiore - the old Benedictan Abbey the group was enjoying our beautiful hotel "Scacciapensiere" in Siena..... with the mediterranean garden 1. Riding Day - Florence - Siena the rolling hills of the Chianti are waiting for us The van is ready to load the luggage Morning briefing at Villa Pitiana copying the maps before briefing Villa Pitiana Off we go.... first stop: Greve in Chianti - Macelleria Fallorni Sunday market in Greve with the local products Il Gallo Nero - the black rooster - icon of the Chianti area At lunch at "Il Pestello" these Ducati riders showed up Graham would like to have one... Royal Dinner at our hotel in Siena -" Scacciapensieri" We are ready, everything prepared... Antonella is getting the dinner tables done Villa Pitiana Back in the Villa an Irish wedding was going on. These guys gave us a rumorous night.... The Tour of Tuscany starts tomorrow and we getting the bikes ready for our Australian group View from our start hotel "Villa Pitiana" outside Florence Anne-Maree and Lloyd did the Guided City Tour in Florence. Some impressions from this outstanding city - despite we were spending most of the time shopping leather goods, we had some cultural highlights as well Cappelle Medici - the Dusk and the Dawn, the Night and the Morning - all originals from Michelangelo Inside the great market hall The Duomo David in front of Palazzo Vecchio - what a man.... Some strange guys in front of the Uffizi Ponte Vecchio in the back ground