Giro d'Italia 2013

Aah, it's that special time again. When hundreds of lycra-clad men hurtle through beautiful countryside in the chase for pink. What am I talking about? The Giro d'Italia of course!!

Twenty-one stages, starting in Napoli, tracing the sole of Italy, migrating up the Adriatic coast, before traversing the cooler climes of the northern regions. Finishing in Brescia three weeks later, the Giro d'Italia is a grueling cycle race that pushes the very best. Unlike the last two years, there won't be a stage in Lazio or Umbria (see my previous posts for the routes and cultural highlights on the way). However, there's still plenty to look forward to!

Click to download a PDF of this map (from La Gazzetta dello Sport)

From a cycling perspective, the Giro is a great tour. With plenty of mountain stages, unpredictable weather, and less-than officious stewarding, the Giro is an exciting riot through Italy. The lead constantly changes and indeed, more often than in the Tour de France, the Giro is usually decided on the final stage. 

From a non-cycling perspective, the Giro d'Italia is a feast for the eyes. Granted, watching the cyclists whiz round Naples a few times was a little repetitive (I'm writing this after the third stage), but today it got going, with lovely views of Sorrento and the Amalfi coast. If the cycling gets boring, just use the stage to plan your next holiday...

The first Giro d'Italia was held in 1909 and was invented by La Gazzetta dello Sport to compete with the Tour de France (and increase sales of La Gazzetta). While the route changes each year, the format of the race stays the same, with the appearance of at least two time trials, a passage through the Alps and usually, a lovely scenic climb up a volcano. All of the stages are timed and the riders' times from each stage (or tappa) are combined. The rider with the lowest aggregate time is the leader of the race and gets to wear the Maglia rosa (the pink jersey they are all racing for). The one in pink at the end is the overall winner (predicted winners this year include Sir Bradley Wiggins, winner of last year's Tour de France, and the homegrown Vincenzo Nibali). While the general classification gathers the most attention, there are other contests held within the Giro: the points classification for the sprinters (look out for Mark Cavendish) the mountains classification for the climbers, young rider classification for the riders under the age of 25, and the team classification for the competing teams.

If you want to know anything about the stages, the routes, the riders, La Gazzetta dello Sport has it covered (in both Italian and English). Seriously. They even have tourist information about what to see and where to eat when you're in the area.

They even have an iPhone and Android app, which is great for keeping up with the race when you're out and about. But hold up. Before you think I'm writing an advert for La Gazzetta dello Sport (well, they did invent it to increase sales), I should point out that The Guardian has an excellent Giro section, replete with minute-by-minute commentaries of every stage and interviews with the main players.

So sit back, relax, grab a glass of wine (ideally from the region they're riding through) and enjoy the fight for pink!

La festa della Montagna - Sant'Oreste

Sometimes you just 'drop on', and everything falls into place. This was one of those times. My parents-in-law invited us to a festival. They said it wasn't a big deal. They said no one usually goes. They were wrong.

The Festa della Montagna, celebrating Monte Soratte, the serrated mountain about 35km north of Rome, was a dying festival. There are lots of festivals in Lazio. Lots of sagre. People get a bit saturated. Nonchalant, even. This year however, the local priest, a new guy full of new ideas and vigor, decided to take the festival under his wing. So, invited by my adopted family, we trekked the short 2km walk up the mountain, blessed by gorgeous spring sunshine, last Sunday. We didn't quite know what to expect. OK, feste usually have a bit of food, usually some music of some kind, but this festival was dying on its feet, indeed, it had been for about ten years. Our hopes were not high. 

We were wrong. The Festa della Montagna was wonderful. From start to finish. The walk up Monte Soratte on a paved road through the forested hillside, bursting with flowers wherever the sun broke through the cooling shade, was wonderful. We gasped for air as we caught glimpses of the stunning surrounding countryside. On one side, lago di Bracciano could be seen through the already thick summer-like haze, on the other, the hills of Sabina, before the Gran Sasso, towering above all before it, still cloaked in snow.

The view to lago di Bracciano

Once at the top, driven on by the siren call of the band, we were greeted by about 100 people, of all ages, all enjoying the spring sunshine, the band, and of course the views. After the band finished playing, everyone, as if commanded by a silent conductor, all passed through an archway to a courtyard where, to our surprise, they were giving out free food! This being Italy, the food was a lovely amatriciana pasta, sausages, a plethora of home-cooked desserts (I failed to try them all, as I had already gorged myself on the pasta) and a coffee. All for free (well, if you don't count a donation), all cooked and served by local townsfolk. All very lovely.

As I said before, the local priest, a young guy replacing the old Don Guido (an absolutely wonderful man who indeed ordained our wedding), has decided to liven things up a little. He's all about facebook, twitter and connecting with the young people. Does that mean he leaves the (rather sizeable number of) old folk behind? Not a chance. He's a charming young man who seems to really care about the local community. In between rushing around taking photos on his iPad (no doubt to post on his Facebook page), he was talking with everyone, organising the many helpers, and generally making sure everyone was having a good time.

The priest, doing his best Montalbano impression

Would I recommend the Festa della Montagna? Well, with the caveat that this was the only time I've gone, I would. If you're in the area. While it was lovely, and a real community moment, I did feel a little bit of an outsider. I guess I wasn't the intended audience. No one said anything, everyone was lovely, but when the locals start singing in the local Sant'Orestese language, you just know you don't quite fit in. Having said all that, yes, I would recommend it. I had a wonderful time. It was great to see everyone out enjoying themselves. Monte Soratte is always good value. We even managed to squeeze in a visit to one of the many medieval structures on the mountain, the hermitage of saint sylvester. This charming little church has recently re-opened after some restoration work and is worth the trip alone. Filled with stunning paintings, a crypt and bags of history, this stunning little hermitage, perched right at the top of Monte Soratte, is one of those lovely when-in-Italy moments, where you know you're stood in an incredibly historical place, yet the locals seem to take it for granted and even overlook it.

All in all then, a great day out, and a great start to the sagre/feste season. The next festival up on Monte Soratte and in Sant'Oreste is the festa della Madonna, at the end of May. See you there!