BIT1602 - Tour of Tuscany or Italy at its best

The tour is over :-( Thanks for a wonderful week. Hope to see you again somewhere else on this planet. Ursula and Jonas 7. Riding Day: San Marino - Florenz We decided for the short tour today. Passo Muraglione - dividing Tuscany from Emilia Romagna.  It started with a short stretch on the highway. Exit Forli - there is the best coffee stop on tour. Passo di Muraglione last picture stop on top of the pass and he has chosen a great variety of beer - cheers No comment Good bye - the bikes get loaded now. 6. Riding Day: Rest Day San Marino Hop-on-hop-off tour Lots of things to do, lots of things to see - lets go Down at Rimini Beach - the Adriatic Sea, the German barbeque all the six packs on the beach We went on to Coriano - hometown of Marco Simoncelli - everybody knows the story. We have several Moto GP fans on the trip and it was a "must see" for them. the memorial the museum of Marco is very emotional my favourite picture  after a short coffee at Simoncelli`s place stopped at the Misano race track - named after Sic hop on to the Strada Panoramica Adriatica and hop off at "Falco" a fishrestaurant. Rossi has his yacht round the corner, maybe he will have lunch as well hop on to Pesaro and hop off at Rossi`s Ranch Yoram, Hope, Dean, Tiffany and Dan Hope and Dean Tavullia - Rossi`s hometown and his fan shop before after! Do you find any differences??? Bill and Dean signed it as official fans at Rossi`s fanshop on comment, but the coffee is awesome The privat tour 5. Riding Day: Assisi - San Marino Time has come to leave Assisi, this wonderful spiritual village. Back towards the winding roads, Gubbio is first on our agenda for today. Situated on a mountain slope its impressive palazzo is seen from far around. Relax with a cappuccino in one of the small cafés. On our way to Urbino, we reach our fourth region of Italy, Le Marche.  Crossing the Montefeltro mountain range, we come to San Marino, the oldest republic of Europe. Like a crown on a mountain, it marks the end to a perfect riding day.   We will stay here for two nights giving us plenty of time to take in the countless sights to be seen.  My office 10th anniversary! Marty and Bill Luken were on their 1st Edelweiss Tour 10 years ago. It was my first tour as a tourguide as well (lot`s of adrenaline). Since than they came back every year. Me as well :-)   On the foot of the hill Ingino, this town is topped by the church of Sant’ Ubaldo. Gubbio gives you the chance to have one of the most impressive views of the area around at the Palazzo dei Consoli, palace and former residence of the chiefs of the guilds. The Palazzo Ducale, palace of the Duke Frederico of Montefeltro is a sight of the early Renaissance. Also, the Dome and the Roman theater lying outside of the city walls are worth a stop. The “Piazza Quaranta Martiri” – the place named in honor to 40 locals, who were killed by the Nazis 1944 in reprisal to partisan activities. everybody has a calling :-)  :-) they doing business Uppps - ABS “The town on two hills”, this is the meaning of Urbino in Latin. The Renaissance town is unique in Italy and of an extraordinary beauty. Since 1998 on the World Heritage List. The visitor should take a look at the Palazzo Ducale - the Duke’s palace – which showed the rich and demonstrated power. It is the birth town of Donato Bramante, Raphael, the most famous Renaissance Painter and last not least Valentino Rossi was born here. massive walls you can see the Titano mountain with San Marino on top already 4. Riding Day: Assisi - Monte Sibillini We decided to take the longer route today. We don`t know yet whether we can get through because the whole area was hit by a heavy earthquake 3 weeks ago. Birthplace of St. Benedict (480 AD), founder of the Benedictine order. Visit the Basilica de San Benedetto. Norcia is known in the world and in Italy as the capital of pork and wild boar products, which you will be able to taste upon our stop barriers and shut off devices everywhere - Norcia suffered as well from the earthquake. Nobody died, thanks god. The boys were fascinated from the neat little town. wild boar, lentils and a variety of beans are the specialities of the region. most of the houses look like that one, big cracks in the walls. Lots of streets are blocked. We talked to some locals - most of them said the street is also blocked up to  Casteluccio. But never give up, so we tried.... No risk, no fun. We drove through some blockades on the street and we made it. Yes we made it - Dean on top of the pass "Tibet of Italy" one of my favourite spots in this area. Monte Vettore, the highest peak of the Monte Sibillini National park a bit in clouds, but the atmosphere was special. Just get the vibes.... See the trees behind???  they are planted in the shape of the Italian boot. Casteluccio - heavily devastated. The fire fighters are working remove the tents, were the inhabitants had slept in during the days of the earthquake. There were about 700 after shocks. After Visso the road was blocked totally by the police. We did a detour, which was even better than the original route. To all  my collegues: there will be a track on the CMS soon - called Restday Assisi - earthquake. Maybe the street is opend up by next year, but I doubt it.   Santa Maria degli Angeli - Bill was happy - the church was closed :-)   You find Assisi pretty much as it was 800 years ago. Assisi downtown, next to the Hotel Giotto Saint Francis Cathedral Da Erminio - "Slow food" which means "farm to table". A bit of a walk but worth it. 3. Riding Day: Siena - Assisi Morning briefing at the terrace of the Garden Hotel. theme of the day: a lot of excitements - ok we will see What a spot for a picnic - Bagno Vignoni Bagno Vignoni downtown. The whole market place is a thermal pool fed by 56 wells Bagno Vignoni is a thermal spa from Roman times. Warm water is running out of the rock .... good for getting these pants washed running further down in big pools parts of the group are busy with the Moto-GP in Misano, thanks god to internet you can watch it everywhere.... don`t disturb, Rossi is leading others are relaxing Salute - to the new born "kiwi lady" Karla - the nicest baby on this planet 2. Riding Day: Restday Siena - Il Crete a beautiful morning. We, no the group decided to start early. Clutch was out at 8.30 am and it was a perfect decision San Galgano - built 1218 by the Cistercian monks. It is the first Gothic church in Tuscany. In 1786, lightning struck the bell tower which collapsed onto the roof of the Abbey. Classic concert taking place in the church in summer Dean and Bill :-)   Curves, curves, perfect roads and awesome landscape. Nothing more to say Tiffany and Dan Near Buonconvento - the monastery Monte Olvieto Maggiore ll Crete Tiffany is enjoying the landscape Back at the hotel Jonas waited for us with a picnic These new tourguides are not only well trained, they also no what good food is - specially the Italian ones Thank you Jonas - well done What would a tour  be without some problems, there is always something See that is Italy - 1 is working, 4 are looking So ladies and gentlemen - after riding and a picnic it is time for sightseeing. A restday is not a day to rest. Piazza "Il Campo" - one of the most beautiful plazas in Italy The Palio takes place here twice a year - the world famous horse race The Cathedral in Siena Inside like a fairytale from 1001 night 56 panels of marble inlays telling biblic stories. They worked on it about 200 years. the famous pulpit of Nicola Pisano Siena by night  the backside of the Cathedral Piazza Salimbeni Villa Pitiana - our start hotel Claudia from the reception came to me, telling that there is our trailer standing on the way up to Villa Pitiana. No clue what happend. So she drove me down to have a look. Well there was the trailer, but where is the tourguide??? Ahhh - here he is - a 5 star accomodation in the olive trees. Tourguide life is hard sometimes. Everything is well prepared. These new tourguides are well educated. Well done Jonas :-)   Welcome to the Tour of Tuscany!! Welcome briefing, motorcycle handover and dinner - Bistecca Fiorentina - not too bad. Ahhh and we have birthday today. What a perfect cake - thank you Villa Pitiana!!! Congratulation Yoram - all the best for the new year. 1. Riding day: Florenz - Pisa it started with the map fight. Whatever you have seen on postcards - forget it - it is really leaning it was worth the heavy traffic on the FI-PI-LI Mark, Janet, Bill and Marthy, Mona and Philip and Yoram the Baptistry they started to built it in 1173, shaky ground, clay and sand. 3 storeys were completed, the earth below started to give. What to do???? 1272 they worked on it again, their solution was to compensate the leaning with a banana curve. The process came to a halt and until the 18th century the lean remained stable. The tower began to lean 1 mm a year, in 1993 it was 4,47 m out of plumb, more than 5 degrees from vertical!!! The rest you know already - I told you the whole thrilling story at the morning briefing. Yoram unfortunately lost his wallet. He had a quick look at the Leaning Tower and went back to the gas station were we had coffee. God luck Yoram San Gimignano in the afternoon - Manhattan of Tuscany and at the parking lot we met Yoram again - here it is - he found it - credit cards, money, everything in. The honest Italians :-) Question to my Italian collegues: where is it??? The staff from the Garden Hotel in Siena prepared a table outside on the terrace for us - what a beautiful evening Georgina made our evening..... .... and Bill made a new friend