The ride from Stresa was exhausting today. I think my age is catching up with me - in the old days I'd have done this distance (500kms) and change.
I took the motorway most of the way to save time and it was dull and hot.
Eventually I stopped and took off my jacket, stashed it under my luggage sack on the back and headed off a good deal cooler. Now, of course, I have two tone arms...
Eventually I pulled of the autostrada and headed up into the hills to Urbino...and I recalled why I love biking so much...
After 450 plus kms of back ache, sun burn, sore shoulders, numb bum and a face full of insects, I hit a beautiful windy road up into the hills. Single carriageway, tree lined all the way - providing much needed shade - and a handful of cars to pick off with the bike revving through the gears.
Wind in my face, astoundingly beautiful scenery all around me and the feeling of total freedom and excitement that only a motorcycle can provide.
Not only can you feel all the elements on a bike - cold, heat, rain, bumps in the road etc - you can also smell your surroundings - the freshness of pines, the occasional cooking aroma wafting out of a village house, the smell of freshly cut grass, the scent of lemons etc. It is a uniquely intense experience - and incredibly stimulating and satisfying.
Then there is the machine - a hot mass of pistons beating their hardest, the engine thumping a few inches beneath your seat, the grip of the bars as you aim for the next corner, the compression as you brake hard, and then the twist of the wrist to unleash enormous amounts of immediate power straight to one wheel underneath you...and you surge forward with urgency and a hint of danger. The thrill is addictive (I was hooked 25 years ago) and progressive.
I honestly don't think there are many other activities which make me feel quite so alive as riding my bike - whether on the track, on the road, in the woods, the mountains or the desert. I will never be able to give up the combination of total freedom and implicit danger. It's a magical cocktail.
And it is also by far the best way to see the world in locomotion. No windscreens, no metal cage to obstruct the view. When on a bike you are present in the moment and you are fully aware. Totally focused.
Those last 28kms to Urbino made my whole riding day. A grin plastered across my face as wide as the valleys I rode through, climbing to this gorgeous red brick city of the Dukes - once the cultural centre of all Italy and the seat of the biggest contributors to the Renaissance - the Duke of Montefeltro and his successors, the Della Rovere family.
They not only patronised the arts and humanities from the 15th century onwards - they gave them a home. Poets, architects, painters, musicians, philosophers and so on were all welcomed to Urbino and the court developed an international renown. No more celebrated than in The Book of the Courtier by Urbino resident writer and himself a courtier to the Duke - Baldassare Castiglione. His book describes - through conversations - what makes a perfect gentleman and courtier. A manifesto for renaissance man.
I first read that book while studying Italian at University some 20 years ago and it inspired my curiosity in Urbino, its history and the great court and all that it contributed to history and art. Castiglione lived 500 years ago at a time when Urbino was at its zenith and his book is considered a great classic. If you have the time & inclination - it is a great read and available in translation from Penguin.
The city he writes from and the court he writes about stand almost brick perfect today - a sudden burst of buildings appearing as one rounds a hilltop bend. I remember the first time I came here - many years ago on another motorcycle trip - and literally having my breath taken away by its beauty.
I have been here many times since and always make a point of stopping here if I am remotely nearby - and several times have made the pilgrimage especially.
It is indescribably beautiful and possesses both a poetry and a majesty that befits its status in Italian history.
It is highly likely that my next marriage proposal - assuming I am the one proposing! - will take place in this little city. It is a place of great romance, charm and import. Befitting of a marriage proposal and it will be important that the next wife approves of Urbino - although I suppose I can always continue to come on my own!
This trip however I am still between wives so am enjoying Urbino's peace & quiet (it is home to only 15,000 people and approximately another 15,000 attending the university which continues the city's tradition of being a centre for men of letters and learning. And I dare say women too.) - and enjoying being back in a place that is both familiar and magical.
I am staying in the Albergo San Domenico - a converted convent opposite the Ducal Palace - which is really lovely. Simple but very peaceful and comfortable. I am writing this from one of the cloisters in the hotel surrounding a quiet courtyard, sipping Prosecco and unwinding after my ride.
I have done a quick reconnaissance of the town to ensure that my favourite little trattoria is still there - it is and I hope to dine there this evening on traditional food of the area - and to soak up the architecture, the chiaroscuro of the little alleys twisting and turning around the city and to watch the Italians make their "passegiata" or early evening stroll.
As is my habit, the guidebooks and lists of sites stay quietly forgotten in the hotel and I wander aimlessly preferring just to watch life go by and take it all in. I'm not immune to learning - far from it - but prefer to graze and intuit rather than strain and study...that which comes from natural curiosity and fortuitous experience is likely to remain and be more important than that that is forced.
My mild disappointment with Stresa last night - mainly the hotel which has seen better times and the food which was at best average - has been mitigated by my utter delight at being here. I find myself happy and at peace in Urbino - inspired to think of beautiful things and avoid the drudgery of everyday existence.
This is one of "my places" in the world - and I highly commend it. Indeed I highly recommend you make Urbino one of your places too.
Tomorrow I set off early for Ancona and the boat to Greece. Another leg of my odyssey and a chance to relax from the bike riding and prepare myself for the delights of being in Greece for a week or so and changing pace & rhythm to something altogether more Mediterranean and sorely missed....
I took the motorway most of the way to save time and it was dull and hot.
Eventually I stopped and took off my jacket, stashed it under my luggage sack on the back and headed off a good deal cooler. Now, of course, I have two tone arms...
Eventually I pulled of the autostrada and headed up into the hills to Urbino...and I recalled why I love biking so much...
After 450 plus kms of back ache, sun burn, sore shoulders, numb bum and a face full of insects, I hit a beautiful windy road up into the hills. Single carriageway, tree lined all the way - providing much needed shade - and a handful of cars to pick off with the bike revving through the gears.
Wind in my face, astoundingly beautiful scenery all around me and the feeling of total freedom and excitement that only a motorcycle can provide.
Not only can you feel all the elements on a bike - cold, heat, rain, bumps in the road etc - you can also smell your surroundings - the freshness of pines, the occasional cooking aroma wafting out of a village house, the smell of freshly cut grass, the scent of lemons etc. It is a uniquely intense experience - and incredibly stimulating and satisfying.
Then there is the machine - a hot mass of pistons beating their hardest, the engine thumping a few inches beneath your seat, the grip of the bars as you aim for the next corner, the compression as you brake hard, and then the twist of the wrist to unleash enormous amounts of immediate power straight to one wheel underneath you...and you surge forward with urgency and a hint of danger. The thrill is addictive (I was hooked 25 years ago) and progressive.
I honestly don't think there are many other activities which make me feel quite so alive as riding my bike - whether on the track, on the road, in the woods, the mountains or the desert. I will never be able to give up the combination of total freedom and implicit danger. It's a magical cocktail.
And it is also by far the best way to see the world in locomotion. No windscreens, no metal cage to obstruct the view. When on a bike you are present in the moment and you are fully aware. Totally focused.
Those last 28kms to Urbino made my whole riding day. A grin plastered across my face as wide as the valleys I rode through, climbing to this gorgeous red brick city of the Dukes - once the cultural centre of all Italy and the seat of the biggest contributors to the Renaissance - the Duke of Montefeltro and his successors, the Della Rovere family.
They not only patronised the arts and humanities from the 15th century onwards - they gave them a home. Poets, architects, painters, musicians, philosophers and so on were all welcomed to Urbino and the court developed an international renown. No more celebrated than in The Book of the Courtier by Urbino resident writer and himself a courtier to the Duke - Baldassare Castiglione. His book describes - through conversations - what makes a perfect gentleman and courtier. A manifesto for renaissance man.
I first read that book while studying Italian at University some 20 years ago and it inspired my curiosity in Urbino, its history and the great court and all that it contributed to history and art. Castiglione lived 500 years ago at a time when Urbino was at its zenith and his book is considered a great classic. If you have the time & inclination - it is a great read and available in translation from Penguin.
The city he writes from and the court he writes about stand almost brick perfect today - a sudden burst of buildings appearing as one rounds a hilltop bend. I remember the first time I came here - many years ago on another motorcycle trip - and literally having my breath taken away by its beauty.
I have been here many times since and always make a point of stopping here if I am remotely nearby - and several times have made the pilgrimage especially.
It is indescribably beautiful and possesses both a poetry and a majesty that befits its status in Italian history.
It is highly likely that my next marriage proposal - assuming I am the one proposing! - will take place in this little city. It is a place of great romance, charm and import. Befitting of a marriage proposal and it will be important that the next wife approves of Urbino - although I suppose I can always continue to come on my own!
This trip however I am still between wives so am enjoying Urbino's peace & quiet (it is home to only 15,000 people and approximately another 15,000 attending the university which continues the city's tradition of being a centre for men of letters and learning. And I dare say women too.) - and enjoying being back in a place that is both familiar and magical.
I am staying in the Albergo San Domenico - a converted convent opposite the Ducal Palace - which is really lovely. Simple but very peaceful and comfortable. I am writing this from one of the cloisters in the hotel surrounding a quiet courtyard, sipping Prosecco and unwinding after my ride.
I have done a quick reconnaissance of the town to ensure that my favourite little trattoria is still there - it is and I hope to dine there this evening on traditional food of the area - and to soak up the architecture, the chiaroscuro of the little alleys twisting and turning around the city and to watch the Italians make their "passegiata" or early evening stroll.
As is my habit, the guidebooks and lists of sites stay quietly forgotten in the hotel and I wander aimlessly preferring just to watch life go by and take it all in. I'm not immune to learning - far from it - but prefer to graze and intuit rather than strain and study...that which comes from natural curiosity and fortuitous experience is likely to remain and be more important than that that is forced.
My mild disappointment with Stresa last night - mainly the hotel which has seen better times and the food which was at best average - has been mitigated by my utter delight at being here. I find myself happy and at peace in Urbino - inspired to think of beautiful things and avoid the drudgery of everyday existence.
This is one of "my places" in the world - and I highly commend it. Indeed I highly recommend you make Urbino one of your places too.
Tomorrow I set off early for Ancona and the boat to Greece. Another leg of my odyssey and a chance to relax from the bike riding and prepare myself for the delights of being in Greece for a week or so and changing pace & rhythm to something altogether more Mediterranean and sorely missed....
1 comment:
Ah yes, the Bel Paese. Nothing quite like it really; a truly magical place.
Enjoy the rest of the trip Abu Hosni, we're reliving your adventures through your blog!
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