15 Days In Italy-and 1 night Amsterdam Part IV

Umbria Part II
Probably the best day of our Umbrian interlude was spent on a bike tour with Greenways Italy. The ride was about 20k, and mainly flat, although with one substantial hill. The ride was primarily on back roads and biking paths, and the rides were Cannondale electric assist. The electric assist made conquering the 300 foot hill that occurred half way through the ride a breeze, even for a gal in her early 60s and not in that great a shape (me). The beauty of the countryside is hard to overstate, the fields were so lush and green, there were many canals we rode along and past. Our guide took us on a route that led us to the St Francis park near Bevagna, where there is a bronze statue of the saint preaching to the birds. It’s really off the beaten path, if you can say there is such a thing in Umbria! The statue and setting are evocative and was really worth the stop. St Francis is much revered in Umbria, particularly since he was a native son. There are many small farms in the area, including one that we stopped at for lunch near the end of the ride, La Fonte Azienda Agricola. The owners produce their own wine, including the Montefalco Sagantino, as well as their own olive oil. We of course had to purchase some wine and olive oil to take home. Also on the ride were 2 sisters and their friend, all originally from Argentina and visiting our guide Laura. They were very nice, and we enjoyed chatting with them over lunch. Staff and owners were very kind and attentive. I don’t know if you need an appointment for wine tasting? The wines and olive oil were delicious (and very reasonably priced), and of course we bought both to take home. The farm also operates as an agriturismo, offering vacation apartments, which look very nice from the pictures online. I cannot recommend Greenways Italy highly enough. Laura took very good care of us, and she has a quiet confidence and is charming. She and her husband own the biking company. Greenways also does custom multi-day bike and hiking tours as an alternative to the tour that we enjoyed.

We all agreed that we are anxious for a return trip to Umbria, only we will stay longer next time! We ran out of time and as such were unable to visit Spello, Spoleto, Gubbio, Perugia, or Todi, all of which were on our list.