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Tuscany Easy Biking
Easy Biking South of Siena
Who's to say which is right? Riding off into the Tuscan sunset after an amazing daylong ride, or sipping espresso into the sunset in a Cortona café. That's Tuscany. Mile after mile of vistas, villages, scenery and flavors. How you experience it should be your choice. Well, this is your espresso choice. Less mileage, more time to explore. And if you ask host, friend and chef Viviana Beccarelli, Tuscany is best enjoyed slowly. And you'll have plenty of time to ask her - she's having you over for supper.
Request an itinerary here or reserve this trip now.
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- Spin on Tuscany’s most gentle byways in the Val di Chiana (the van is always close by for a lift)
- Iconic hill towns of Pienza and Montepulciano
- Savor the relaxed Tuscan way of life thanks to well-planned shorter routes on easier terrain
- A culinary lesson with longtime Backroads friend Viviana
- Sample prized Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
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Days 1 - 2
Well-planned shorter routes on easier terrain (and a lift always handy). An 18th-century villa sets the scene for a picnic lunch of typical Tuscan fare. Soak up postcard-perfect views of Val di Chiana. In the historic hill town of Cortona, immortalized by Frances Mayes' Under the Tuscan Sun, behold majestic architecture during a guided walk.
• One night at Villa Marsili. This elegant 14th-century palazzo rests within Cortona's Etruscan walls and offers outstanding views of the Val di Chiana.
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Day 3
Learn the secrets of Tuscan cooking and sample prized Vino Nobile at an exclusive culinary lesson with our longtime friends Viviana and Marianna. Bike past quaint farmhouses en route to the atmospheric fortified village of Castiglione del Lago, set on a promontory on Lake Trasimeno in Umbria.
• Two nigts at Relais Alla Corte del Sole. A tastefully appointed 16th-century estate built on the grounds of a 14th-century monastic village. (pool)
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Day 4
The iconic hill town of Montepulciano, with glorious Renaissance buildings. A fourth-generation vintner invites us to his family's cantina for a tasting of the local lifeblood, a wine esteemed through the centuries by the likes of Voltaire and Thomas Jefferson. Spin leisurely through a classic southern Tuscan landscape of rolling fields, cypress-lined roads and quiet hamlets.
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Days 5 - 6
Celebrate the relaxed Tuscan way of life. Pedal past vineyards to adored Pienza, one of the region's architectural gems. Sample locally made pecorino cheese, admire exquisite ceramics, wander down medieval streets and gaze over the Val d'Orcia Feel like shifting gears? Opt to hike through forests of oak, broom and cypress above Montefollonico.
• Two nights at Relais La Chiusa. A charming country inn described by Hideaway Report as a "family-run stone manor that looks across to the medieval hill town of Montepulciano."
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Dates: Aug 3-8, 2011, Sep 4-9, 2011, Sep 11-16, 2011, Sep 18-23, 2011, Oct 2-7, 2011, Oct 9-14, 2011, Oct 23-28, 2011, Apr 8-13, Apr 29-May 4, May 6-11, May 13-18, May 27-Jun 1, Jun 10-15, Jun 24-29, Jul 1-6, Jul 8-13, Jul 22-27, Aug 5-10, Aug 19-24, Sep 2-7, Sep 9-14, Sep 16-21, Sep 23-28, Sep 30-Oct 5, Oct 7-12, Oct 14-19, Oct 21-26
Length: 6 days, 5 nights
Level: 1 to 3
Cost: $3,998 to $4,398
Single Supplement: $800 to $1,200
(Please note: Prices are subject to change. Please view current pricing here.)
Meals: All meals included except 2 lunches, 1 dinner
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