It was an incredibly beautiful weekend here in Umbria. The weather could not have been more perfect for bicycling: sunny, the temperature in the high 70’s and, most importantly, not terribly windy. Since we had a 3-day weekend, we were able to put in around 100km of cycling. On Friday, we rode on the regional bicycle trail from Foligno down to Spoleto and then headed back on State Route 451 back to the trail near Trevi.
SR451 is really nice to ride even though it can have a lot of traffic. For us, after 30 years of tandem cycling on plenty of busy roads, it’s not that bad. What’s so nice is that there’s a long stretch that’s tree-lined. Even in the heat of the summer, it can be quite comfortable because the trees cast a deep shade. As you can see from the pics, it was wonderful.
Yesterday, we did our usual loop from Foligno out to Santa Maria degli Angeli but we went in the opposite direction which gives a whole different perspective to the ride. Along the way we pass close to the ancient town of Bevagna. In the future I will try to highlight this lovely little place. These pictures were taken on a farm road which passes along vineyards, orchards, wheat fields and other crops. In the distance to the west are hillsides painted with classic Umbrian textures.
Today was very interesting. We rode our tandem along the hills that head south to Assisi. This is a fairly rigorous ride as it’s uphill, but the road is fairly free from traffic. We pass by vineyards, small hotels and olive orchards. But today was truly unique because we rode to Assisi, a town usually inundated by pilgrims and tourists from all over the world. Sometimes, Assisi can be truly overwhelmed with people, but today, it was almost deserted. This is, of course, is due to the Corona virus situation.
To see the main piazza so empty was a bit disturbing. On the other hand, it was nice to enjoy some quiet time in a town that is always abuzz with voices from all over the world. We also took advantage of the the non-existent traffic and took some nice pictures of the fountain by the piazza.
And then, there’s this pic:
After visiting Assisi, we plunged down the hillside and made our way back to Foligno. On the way we passed by the Santuario del Sacro Tugurio di Rivotorto. On the way there, there’s another tree-lined road that’s simply sublime!
It was an awesome weekend of riding – glorious weather, charming towns, and the beautiful landscapes of Umbria.