Italy -
Romantic Italy! Land of art, history, great food, warm people, wonderful
cities, charming old villages and spectacular scenery!
We start our nine day Tuscan adventure in the wonderfully preserved walled city of Lucca. We have included an extra day before the tour so you can visit Puccini’s birth house, the famous tree-topped brick tower of the Villa Guinigi or any of Lucca’s famous churches. We will bike on top of the remarkable city walls, a most unusual experience and visit close by the 17th century gardens of one of Lucca’s lovely mansions, the Villa Grabau. From here it is a flat ride to Pisa and the Leaning Tower in the Piazza Miraculosa, one of the 7 World Wonders with its luminous bright white color indeed a “miraculous” sight. Volterra, with its rich Etruscan and medieval history, will offer us spectacular views over the Tuscan hills and the possibility to visit an alabaster craft shop. Our newly built, traditional Tuscan style, luxury hotel is quietly located on the outskirts of the city again with wonderful views on the surrounding hills. Here in the late afternoon we have included a wine tasting lesson to become familiar with some of the incredible Tuscan wines from this area. After our guided morning tour of Volterra there is an optional bike ride to the close by hill town of Montecatini in the afternoon. The next morning we cycle on to the ancient walled city of San Gimignano, easily recognizable by its many square towers, erected as signs of prosperity during medieval times. We’ll stop in charming Monteriggioni, a small hilltop village made famous by Dante’s description in his Divine Comedy and end our tour in stunning Siena, the “Heart of Tuscany”. We’ve included a second non cycling day in Siena including a guided walking tour of this impressive “City of the Palio”. Included: 2008 Tour Dates: May 17-25 and
Sept. 13-21  Villas of Veneto “Easy Biking through the Land of Palladio” Our easy paced tour is a visually stunning journey through this region of Italy, so rich in culture, art and natural beauty. Here we'll admire the creations of Palladio, the Italian master architect who designed many of the elegant villas and their harmonious gardens for Venetian nobility of the 16th century. The tour starts in Padua, one of the most important art cities in Italy. Padua is the city of St. Anthony and the treasure-filled Basilica that was built immediately after his death, still attracts thousands of pilgrims from all over the world each year. Our handsome, 18th century four-star hotel is conveniently located in Padua's historic center. From Padua we'll follow the River Brenta to Stra where a guided tour reveals the history of the Villa Pisani, built by the Doge Pisani and bought in 1807 by Napoleon. From Stra to Mira we'll cycle past a "villa every kilometer" until we reach our own villa hotel for the night in Mirano. On our way to astonishing Asolo we'll pass by Castelfranco, a medieval walled town, before visiting the spectacular Villa Emo, one of the few Venetian villas still privately owned. Asolo has been loved and written about by artists from all over the world. Robert Browning called it the "Jewel of Italy". We'll visit Palladio's marvelous Villa Barbaro, famous for its exquisite frescos by Paolo Veronese and the village of Possagno, birthplace of Canova, the greatest sculptor of the neoclassical age. Between the valleys of the Brenta and the Piave Rivers we'll find Bassano del Grappa in a splendidly scenic spot. From Bassano we'll cycle over Palladio's covered "Ponte degli Alpini" to Vicenza, his birthplace. Here we’ll visit Palladio's classical Basilica, his first compelling work that made him famous and his last work, the “3-dimensional” Olympic Theatre. On our last day our guided tour will include a bike ride to the Villa Rotunda, another of Palladio’s most well known projects – a fitting end to this marvelous tour. Included: Daily lodging in 4 star hotels, 6 breakfasts and 5 dinners, guided walking tour in Villa Pisani and Vicenza, entrance to 3 villas, the Canova Museum, Teatro Olimpico and the Baptistery of the Cathedral.
2008 Tour Dates: May 22-28 and September 18-24 
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The
trip was great and a great value for the money. The rides
were very scenic. The countryside is very beautiful. I
really enjoyed the hill towns, especially San Gimignano
and Lucca. 