Tuscan Vespa bike tour

http://www.tuscany-biketours.com

‘Born to be wild’ that’s us riding pillion on a 50cc Vespa around the Tuscan Hills.  Climbing into the van to drive back to Florence after our Vespa bike tour that song was playing on the radio.  Jason, our young English guide turned it up so we could enjoy the irony.  It was very funny. 

The tour started with a 40-minute drive from Florence to Chianti in the Tuscan Hills to a castle owned by a count who also happens to be a wine and olive oil maker.  Ed & Stu you would love it here, all the red wine.  You would be proud of me enjoying it on your behalf.  We had a look around the castle and had a glass of Chianti (predominately made with the Sangiovese grape variety) and bread with olive oil for tastings.  I know you gasp we are meant to be riding bikes.  Well, we did in a fashion.

After the tastings we were fitted with helmets and drove back down the hill (not with our helmet on) in the van to have a riding assessment.  The assessment was to see if we were safe enough to ride on the roads.  The assessment was really an introduction for three of us who had never ridden a bike before.  We had to ride round a gravel car park a half a dozen times.  We all passed, 7 bikes in total.  Next Jason said okay now follow me out onto the main road starting at this (what appeared to be a large) round about– both Laurel and I were now unsure. 

Laurel was wary of the Italian traffic.  Italian drivers are impatient.  My problem was more of a confidence thing.  I didn’t want to spoil the other people’s day.  I was riding at a turtle’s pace and because Jason had me following him and everyone else single file behind each other, I didn’t want that pressure so I chickened out and rode pillion with Jason – he offered.  I was being very silly (it was the wine earlier) so I thought I better not talk too much to Jason while we are riding he might think I’m a cougar.   

Laurel decided to go pillion with Jim.  She said she felt sorry for him having to ride with a big lump on the back, she felt like a giant on a small bike.  I could only touch the ground on my tiptoes.  Jim kept veering into the grass on the side of the road to scare her – he loves being silly.

We drove for an hour or so stopping for a couple of photo stops overlooking the amazing countryside.  Next stop lunch.  We rode back to the car park to the restaurant hidden behind a garden.  It was a family run restaurant and appeared quite popular.

Lunch was fun.  It gave us all time to laugh about the mornings ride.  Lunch was salad & bread, pasta, panna cotta & coffee and more local red wine.  Jason was trying to encourage me to ride on my own in the afternoon but I declined – my excuse ‘I’ve had a glass of wine and I don’t want to drink and drive’.  Jim was very good he only drank water; he didn’t even order a coke. 

Our bike (Jason & I) was called Betty Boop.  After lunch we drove up a steep hill and poor Betty sounded like a dying mosquito.  I said to Jason Betty has no boop, he replied (in jest) can you lighten the load, I replied only by shedding my thighs. 

On the home stretch back to the car park Betty had a burst of power and I head butted Jason with the peak of my helmet.  I said sorry, the thrust of power threw me back in my seat.  He laughed; he said you should put that on Tripadvisor.

The view from the castle in Chianti

Wine & olive oil tasting

The castle courtyard

A photo stop

Jim & Laurel stealing grapes