Bob on BAC Umbria - Rome to Assisi 2009

Wildflowers

This morning, I thought that I would be feeling the after affects of last night’s wine. It must have had good things in it because I was normal this morning. The hotel’s coffee machine helped although it substituted hot water for coffee until I summoned the lady at the front desk to fix it. Everyone appreciated that.

I started riding at 8:30, a little earlier than other days because I was a bit concerned about the advertized climbing with short mileage. This normally means long, steep grades. We started out going downhill for several kilometers and then we were on a flat road for several more kilometers. You can see from the photo on the left that the horizon is a long ways away. The red poppies were the first we have seen in such quantity.

Spello

We rode along sparsely trafficked rural lanes until we came upon Spello, a preserved village that has Roman ruins. There were lots of tourists there so I didn’t spend much time. I took a few photos coming in and a couple while I was inside the city walls.

I had been playing leapfrog with Mark and Alice and with Ted and Kathy on the way to Spello. They wanted to spend more time there, so I took off and began the climb.

Modern Clearing Technique

The climb was mostly gradual but unrelenting. It started out going past olive groves and vineyards. Then it rose into forested park land. There were two or three small, picturesque villages clinging to the hillside. There were a few flat sections and a few very steep segments. The weather was on the high 60’s to low 70’s so I could ride with bare legs. I still had to pull up my arm warmers from time-to-time especially in shaded sections. There were several panoramic vistas that were very nice.

Assisi from the Road

I approached Assisi from the top of the town, which is different from other times I had been here. Our route took us through the upper gate and then out and around the outside of the city near the bottom of the hill and our hotel. It was noon and I beat the van with our luggage. So I checked into my room at the Hotel Windsor Savoia and went down to a cafe for a sandwich, chips and a large beer. As I sat in the cafe’s terrace, I watched some of our group arrive.

Happily Waiting for Our Bags

When I finished my lunch I went back to the hotel to join our group waiting for our bags. They arrived soon thereafter, so I cleaned up and went directly to the Basilica of St Francis of Assisi. Using Rick Steves guide, I took my time looking at the things you are supposed to look at. Even though it was Saturday, it wasn’t too crowded.

Happy hour was at 6:00. The hotel was in charge. They served us several types of wine and lots of appetizers. Julie made dinner reservations for us in a couple of restaurants. I ate with several others at Trattoria Pallotta. I had Strangozzi alla Pallotta - a black olive and mushroom pesto sauce - followed by grilled sausage.

After dinner I wandered around to see if I recognized any of the places where we stayed and ate when we were here before. Some are still there and others have changed their names.