Ever wanted that dream job of being a Bike Tour Guide in Italy ?

8th June 2004

Welcome friends,

To another installment of the travels of Glen in Italy. Could it be possible that this installment will make my club website as an overseas reporter (Si, per due Cento Euro JP), we will wait to see if it is an improvement on my Novecollie Granfondo race report.

Since my last report from Italy there has been much cycling with many guests from England and America. Some that I have known from last year from England (Tony & Alyson also Ian) and a great group of people from Alaska. Sadly Idid not get to ride with Tony and Alyson as I was under doctor's orders not to ride at the time of my illness. I did get to ride with the group of people from Alaska and you have to be great people to ride a bike in Alaska or a little crazy (make that a lot crazy, maybe that is why I got on with them so well).

My job as a touring-guide was starting to look and feel a little more professional.  As I was starting to make less mistakes with wrong turns due to travelling over some of the same roads and with the help of my Austrian brother, roommate and number one guide and legend of the Belvedere hotel, Josh (Joachim). I was even feeling stronger and stronger on the bike after many days in the saddle. My longest stretch on the bike was ten days straight and doing anywhere from 400klms to 650klms per week in the hills of Emilia-Romagna, the region in which Riccione is located. There has been many tours to San Marino, of all the tours I think that this is my favourite due to the view that you get as you ride up towards the cliff face not to mention the coffee stop at the very top of San Marino and the view as you sit in the cafe on the edge of the cliff looking out over the many valleys towards the Adriatic ocean and the cities of Rimini and Riccione.
There is also another couple of nice hilltop towns like Montegridolfo at which once a week we ride to and there is lunch prepared and if you go hungry here there is no one to blame but yourself as the food is laid on even for Italian standards. This restaurant has one of the best views from the balcony of the valley below. A true romantic place to have dinner, maybe this is why Marina and Romeo where married in this spot. Another picturesque town is Gradara and the main street is a very small steep cobbled one that is very nice to try and ride up. The view that you get of this castle as you come descending down from Tavullia is one that will always live in my mind.
Almost a legend like Josch (number one guide and Austrian brother).
Aiming for the highest climb in the area called Cippo in the town of Carpegna is an epic ride as it is at the end of the Conca Valley. It then rises at an average of 15% for the 7klms of the climb if you go the hard way. In some parts it is said to be more than 18%. As it is a long way from Riccione and of a steep percentage it is said to be the toughest ride in the area. Just 3-4 weeks ago Cippo had snow on the top, so as you can see it is a high climb to aim for, 1415metres above see level to be exact. The group that I took was in relatively good weather conditions even though the road on the climb
was wet and covered with pine needles (it is not open to cars as it is only a forest road) making it a little slippery when you got out of the saddle to stand on the pedals for more power. The climb for me was not as hard as I had anticipated it would be, maybe because I had been getting in some good
training. It was still a tough climb to go up after sitting on the front of my group all the way up the valley. Getting to the top going the hard way is something to remember when I am sitting in my rocking chair on a balcony over looking a valley.
Once over the top it was a rough descent around the other side (easy side) down to Carpegna for a coffee stop and meet up with the two guys in the group that did not do the climb. On the descent in cloudy cold weather my fingers became numb and I could not feel the brake lever but after two espressos and a coke I felt like riding again. So the decision was made to continue home via Vilagrande (915metres) descending and then climbing up to the town, then moving onto San Leo (589metres). From there it is up and down all the way to San Marino through some fantastic valley roads and climbs. The route that we took brought us through Fiorentino, which is before the last part of the San Marino climb before the old town centre. Once through the town it was a descent to a valley floor and flat all the way back to the hotel with me on the front bringing home my group of empty riders for the last 30klms.  In total it was a big day with 130klms ridden and 2350metres climbed for the day. Even though this was an epic day if falls way short of the legends of the Belvedere hotel. The legends of the hotel led by Josch (my Austrian brother) did the same tour with the exception it was raining all the way from the top of the Cippo and that they climbed all the way to the top of San Marino. So 4 hours of riding in the rain, 150klms and 2600metres of climbing doing the 4 highest climbs in the area has gained legend status amongst the guides and guests.

Olive oil tasting.
Once a week there is olive oil tasting in the hotel from a local producer. Last week Bruno one of the hotel staff said that I should try some and he got me good. He said to try this one that was on some bread so I did but he didn?t tell me that it was olive oil with chilli. All I can so is that there were many tears rolling down my face as it was very hot. There were also tears of laughter from Bruno and the ladies that had made the Olive oil when they saw that my face was going red with the heat of the chilli.
All jokes aside it was nice to taste once you got over the heat. Next week I think I will attend the pasta making classes and see if I can make Marco the chef cry with the way that I make pasta. If ever get to come to Hotel Belvedere you will not be disappointed with Marco’s cooking skills (some of the best food I have had in Italy).
Well I had better sign of now as it is once again late and it is an early start in the morning as I am the only guide left in the hotel and I have to set-up two English men with their shoes and cleats (first time with clip-less pedals, why you do this in Italy??????????)

Ciao for now from a hot 30 degrees Riccione,
Glen.

June 27 2004
Ciao my friend's Australian family and my Italian family,

Once again I hope that you are all safe and well as I am in Europe.

Well to keep you up to date with what has happened since my last report (take a seat this could be a while). There were many more tours to lead aroundRiccione in the past weeks as since I had reported last time to many of the same places that I have already told you about so I will not bore you with
them again but I did take an American couple on my last day as Tourin-Guide to a place called San Leo. I had ridden past once before on my aim high tour. However to take a ride inside San Leo is an amazing ride.
San Leo is a town and a castle that is built on the top of a freestanding rock and the only way to get to it is across a bridge and a very narrow road. I think that the best way to describe how it looks from the approaching roads and surrounding views is to imagine a very old tree that has died and a very
large eagle has built a very big nest on top of this tree that is standing on its own in a field. Well I think that is how it looks to me, as the edges of the cliff are very straight up on most sides of the town. With the castle right on the edge of the cliff at the top, which is a very spectacular view as you ride towards San Leo. We had lunch inside the town, once again in a cobble stoned piazza of course, which was once again very good food and great coffee (as you get in Italy). We then road to the castle at the top of the town and Paul (the American) said that in one part of the road it was 15% on the cobbles (ouch). So I suggest that if you ever ride to San Leo it would be a good idea to ride to the top before you stop for lunch as it is hard work to do it after you have a full stomach and cold legs.
The rest of the ride then continued through some more valleys and climbs eventually coming into the valley on the backside of San Marino. Which is as spectacular a view as it is from the other side but a lot more greenery in the valley as you look at it from the approaching ridge just before you descend and start the final climb up towards San Marino. That was my last tour that I took at the Belvedere Hotel in Riccione, the next day I was leaving for Feltre in the dolomites.

It was a sad day that Friday morning as all the staff at the hotel had become more like my family than just people that I had worked with and it was very hard to leave them as it is when you become close to people that you enjoy spending time with (and learning new Italian words from). So to my sisters,
brothers, master chefs, metal monsters (Elio) and Angels I wish you are all well and I look forward to seeing you all again soon.

Arriving in Feltre for the Campagnolo Granfondo,
Well what a sad tail this was. I found my hotel without any trouble as I had been there last year and I knew my way around Feltre. I booked in without any trouble and they even remembered me from last year (I guess that they don't get many crazy Australians in the hotel). I unpacked and went to the registration to get my number and race pack of items that they give you. This being the tenth anniversary of the race there was some extra goodies like a small bottle of presaco and some local cheese (not sure if I will be able to bring this home for you at home to try some). While I was there and was having a look around a couple of stalls that they have set up to display some of the sponsors products it started to rain and rain and rain. Then it started with the wind and it got stronger and stronger to the point that it was blowing some of the exhibitors displays down, up and away that was inside a skating rink (without ice) that had a roof and a couple of sides. So part of the rink had open sides allowing in the wind and rain. I was helping to hold down one of the displays and in the next display was Claudio Chiapucci (for non cyclist he is a famous ex professional cyclist).
After the worst of it had past I was able to get back to the hotel and get ready for some dinner which was going to be in the restaurant a couple of doors up from the hotel as dinner is not done in the hotel. It is always an adventure ordering in a restaurant where they don't speak English and when my Italian needs a lot more work but that is part of the fun of traveling in a foreign country. Well they also remembered me from last year as I was also in this restaurant for dinner last year and the food as in the past was great not fancy but filling as you need before a race like the Granfondo.
Next morning breakfast in the hotel was the same as last year but the weather was still raining so no training this morning, which is not real good preparation for tomorrow's big day in the mountains. So I just got all my things ready for the race tomorrow in preparation for an early start and hopefully better
weather.

RACE DAY.
Last year was a very hot day around 35degrees and my socks were wet from the sweat running down into my shoes, however this year they would be wet from the pouring rain that would be with us all day long.
The race got underway a little slower of a start due to the rain and slippery conditions but it was still a good feeling moving though the large field on completely closed roads. Even though the rain was coming down there was still many people on the side of the road cheering you on as you went out of town toward the first climb, some 15klms from the start. The cars that had been stopped at the intersections by the Italian police to allow the race to use all of the road were even standing patiently watching us all (some 3500 entrants) go by on our merry wet way. Let me tell you it was wet; I don't think that I could have got any wetter in the shower. At least it was about 20degrees at the start (this would soon change for the worst) as one of the Italians staying in the hotel told me on the way to the start with his cycling computer.
I had started well and I had the idea at the start to be very careful due to the conditions, as I did not wish to get caught up in a silly crash on some crazy bend. So I thought that I had a lot in reserve going up the first climb even though I was trying to make good time and then, pisssssssss went my back tyre. Not even half way up the 18klm climb. As I pulled over to the side of the road some of the Italian riders where saying "no Aussie no Aussie". In the pouring rain I started to change my back tube and getting very black hands from the now very filthy bike and wheels due to the rain and very dirty roads. In the now much less than 20degrees (closer to 10degrees) it was a little tuff to get my fingers to work on changing the tyre, but I eventually got the tyre back on including the five euro note inside the tyre (due to a hole in the tyre (to stop the tube from coming out) from debris on the road). I then got the tyre inflated and back in the bike and started to get into concentrating on continuing the rest of the climb when this voice said from behind "and who are you in the Australian colours?" It was no other than my friend from Australia Dr Tim Devlin. I knew that he was doing the race and we had been trying to contact each other without much success for the last couple of weeks but I never thought that I would
see him during the race. We rode together for part of the climb until he decided to stop and put another jacket on as it was now getting much colder and he did not want the cold to get into him too much. By this time I too was getting colder but thank goodness I decided to wear two pairs of cycling
pants along with two jerseys arm warmers and knee warmers and shoe covers and a rain jacket not for the rain as I was wet from the start but to keep the wind out of me for the descents. So this is what helped me to finish the race as I was told after the race that on the top of the first climb it was only 5degrees and by the bottom of the descent there was many people that could not continue due to hyperthermia and were taken back to Feltre in a bus after some blankets and much Grappa (strictly for medicinal purposes only) were handed out.
The rest of the race was not much of an event to report except to say that the rain did not let up much but my back tyre did hold up well, even at speed on the descent (Michael you would have been proud of me), no one passed me at a top speed of 68klmph. Not too shabby considering the amount of water
that at times was running across the road and my normal descending speed at home. It must be all those Italian downhills that I had been having fun on for the last two months.
After the race I was able to have some of the free pasta with my friend Dr Tim Devlin and talk about the days events and how hard it was to complete the day without freezing or losing skin. However overall it felt good to complete even though the body was very fatigued and paid the price the next day as it was spent in bed not feeling very well (sorry Bill will call you when I swing back through as I still need to go the Marostica, so dinner is on me).
The next day I head to Graz in Austria to catch up with Christoph and Martin so I will update you all after.
Stay well and safe till I can contact you all again.
Ciao for now,
Glen.

7th July 2004

Austria (Graz).

My drive from Feltre to Graz was a nice one as I took what looked the direct route to the Autostrada and turned out to be over a mountain pass with winding roads. It took me a little longer than I had planned due to the slow speed going through all the bends up to the top of the pass and then down the other side. The scenery that I saw through the clearings was fantastic and I was glad that I had once again made a slight error in my route planning.
Once getting to the Autostrada it was a straight and fast run to the Austrian border. Upon getting to the border I had to make a stop and purchase a sticker for my windscreen to say that I had paid for travel on the Austrian highways (10 days is about 17euros if I remember correctly). It is a different system
to that in Italy and France where you pay as you use each leg of the Autostrada that you need. From the border to Graz was a good run and following Christoph's directions to the centre (spelt Zentrum in Austrian) was as always in Riccione right on the money except the telling me of the different spelling. However with my superior knowledge of the English and German languages it was no problem at all (ha ha ha).
Once arriving at the centre the directions was to call Christoph and then he would lead me to his apartment. So I stopped, called and told him where I was and it turned out to be around the corner from the courier office that he works at as number 1 bike courier for Veloblitz number 1 bike courier
company in Graz. Following Christoph in my car and he on his bike felt very safe as he was pointing out all the holes in the road to miss, holding his hand up when stopping, turning and pointing out all the sights (and on the footpath) of Graz like all good guides from Riccione do.
After getting to the apartment we then setoff for a small tour of the city and head to the park for a beer in the middle of the park (a bit like centennial park for the Sydney people but with a lot younger crowd of university people at a bar in the park), and watch the world moving along at the pace that
it does in Graz.
The next day Christoph took me on a fantastic tour through the countryside of the area around Graz with some great climbs and the roads were a bit like riding on a bowling alley as the were not many holes that had to be avoided. The descents were some safest that I have done but the crowning highlight of the tour was the final descent. It seemed to go on forever until it came through this very narrow gorge with a very fast flowing river along the side after all the rain that they have had in Graz (I wish I could send some to very dry Sydney). The road through this gorge was very narrow for the cars
to pass each other but for us it was not a problem only the fact that it had very steep rock walls to the gorge, which made it a lot darker than it had been before entering it. What a buzz this was to have come all the way from Australia to Riccione meet Christoph and then go to Graz and do such a great ride with a great friend.
The next few days Christoph was working and I did the tourist thing and walked around Graz but at dinner time one night we went out to the best place to have schnitzel in Graz. Let me tell you 2 very big pieces with pomme frites (chips) and a salad on a separate plate as this is the way that salad is served here in Austria and a beer and I was full to over flowing. However there is always room for just one more piece of apple strudel of which I partook with much pleasure (love apple strudel mmm).
The next day there was a run in the centre of Graz which was a Thursday evening and the team at VELOBLITZ (# 1 bike couriers in Graz) in cooperation with the police were assigned streets to marshal for stopping cars onto the circuit.
So I am now an honorary VELOBLITZ and the only Australian ever to wear a VELOBLITZ jersey as I was on traffic duty in my official VELOBLITZ jersey with Christoph. Once the last runners had past our point it was our job to escort the last runners into the finish. Great advertising for the company with some 20-25 riders all in VELOBLITZ jerseys following the last riders across the line with the announcer praising the runners and thanking VELOBLITZ for there fine work in marshalling and escorting the last runners home.
Sorry forgot to tell you that the last runners were doing the whole course, which was some 5klms, backwards, yes you read it correctly BACKWARDS. The last klm it started to rain and we were all wishing that they would turnaround and just run to the finish (5klm backwards you have to be crazy). Once the
runners had finished and we had parked our bikes to go and have our dinner of bread, sausages and beer supplied by the organiser the rain started to hammer down and I mean hammer down. Thank goodness that there was some very large marque's erected for the race and some other events later that weekend.  After about 1 1/2 hours later it was still raining but a little easier than before so Christoph and myself decided to ride home to his place as he had his 5year old daughter (also in a VELOBLITZ jersey ten sizes to big for her) with us and it was getting late. So it was fun and a little crazy to ride home in the rain and all night it did not let up and was still raining most of the next day.

GRAZ TO SALZBURG.

The day after working for VELOBLITZ I meat up with Josch and made a plan to head to Salzburg with him as my navigator as a few days earlier he had ridden from Salzburg to Graz (some 280klms a little crazy if you ask me, but normal for Austrian?s I think. Mmm I know so many Austrian?s what does that say about me???????) and he needed a lift back to Salzburg. The next day we spent getting the bike cleaned and ready for a ride the next day. Another epic ride as Josch had really wanted to do a ride around 11 lakes in the area and with 2 riders it should be possible. The plan was to get up early and leave by 9:00am. As things sometimes happen on holidays we did not get away till after 10:00am.  The first 4 lakes rolled by fairly easy as they were close together but the next couple took a little longer to reach. The weather was not too hot and a little overcast pretty good for riding really. We made one stop at one lake that is said to be in the shape of a moon (sorry I couldn’t see it) and had a couple of sandwiches that we made in the morning along with some fruit and bars. The roads and the klms kept rolling along with the fantastic scenery and it all felt so good to be out on the bike.  We were counting down the lakes and we were doing well sharing the turns at the front until one of the hills going around one of the lakes (sorry forget the lake number, about ? through the ride) and I started to die on the climb. I could not keep with Josch and I just had to slow to the pace that I could go at to get to the top. I thought that I would not make it through the rest of the ride but at the top it started to rain heavily and we had to stop to cover my camera and Josch’s backpack. After a short stop to cover up and to eat a bar and a drink we started to go down the other side of the hill and by this time the rain had just about stopped all together.  Some klms later I started to feel better and began to work at the front again. The further into the ride we got the better I started to feel and the stronger I was riding. We had made it to 9 lakes and Josch started to feel a very bad pain in his knee and was having trouble with the power output going over the rises. I said should we head straight for home, which was some 20klms away but he said that he would rather walk on his knee’s than go back without completing his goal. Reminds me of someone that I know at home, Ricky ?go hard till you explode? Jordan.
We continued on the plan and made it to the last lake and from there it was still some 30-40klms to go and as it happened there was another lake on the way home and a very large and very deep gorge that you could not see the bottom of from the road that we were traveling along, amazing. We made
it back to Salzburg and Josch’s mums place at which we were staying but the last 30 klms with me on the front and a suffering from bad knee pain was Josch was tuff for the both of us. The ride was 186klms completed in 6:52:15 at an average at 27.10klmph but the record breaker was the 11 lakes in one day. Josch doesn’t think that it has been done before so we will be calling the Guinness Book Of Records and submitting our record breaker of a day.  The next couple of days we did some sightseeing in Salzburg and it was an amazing place to walk through. The history is just amazing and the fortress
at the top of the town is something to behold sorry but words just would not do it justice (thank goodness you say, he has said enough already) you just have to see for yourself.

Well I think that you have had enough again and this is about the end of
my Austrian chapter. The plan for the next chapter is to head to Switzerland
and catch up with Rainer, Daniel, Petra and Hans (Giovanni).

So I send you all my best wishes and I hope that you are all well and healthy.

Ciao for now,
Glen.