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[5]Radda in Chianti to Siena

   [6]May 15, 2017 [7]by Claire

   As expected, our second day of riding was easier than the first -- but
   still hilly, and twice as difficult as any ride I'd done before this
   trip. It was well worth it to end the day in Siena, a town that's
   incredibly easy to fall in love with (once you forgive the ancient
   Etruscans for building their cities on freakin' mountains!).

   We started our day with an early breakfast on our terrace (bruschetta
   with tomatoes, olives and pieces of fried egg, prepared by our B&B
   proprietor Romanita), then set off for the open road. After about an
   hour of pedaling (55 minutes of steady uphill climbing, followed by 5
   minutes of an exhilarating 35mph downhill plunge) we rolled into Gaolie
   in Chianti, home of L'Eroica, a retro 200km bike ride held in Tuscany
   every October.

   We made an unplanned stop at the [8]bike rental shop in town for a
   quick tune-up, tire pressure check, and to have Felipe (the mechanic)
   look at a few nagging rattling noises on the bikes -- undoubtedly a
   result of putting them together ourselves. 45 minutes and just 5 Euro
   later, we were back on the road!

   We were treated to our second tough climb of the day out of Gaoile, and
   by the time we reached the turn for [9]Castello di Brolio at about
   12:45pm, we were in desperate need of fuel. We stopped at a small café
   for overpriced cheese sandwiches and unnamed beer. Totally worth it.
   Then, we pushed our bikes up a steep cliff (zero shame in that) and
   explored the grounds of the 12th century castle!

   Our route map had us getting back on the main road to snake through a
   few more hill towns before our final ascent to Siena. We called an
   audible and followed the white gravel L'Eroica route (which seemed to
   be shorter, but about which we knew absolutely nothing) instead. We
   were not disappointed! The road circled around behind the castle, then
   through the beautiful countryside on roads that were virtually
   car-less.

   Thanks to our shortcut, we arrived in Siena before 4pm and checked into
   the Hotel Bernini (which was absolutely perfect – basic, clean rooms,
   friendly staff, and a terrace with a killer view). We spent the rest of
   the afternoon exploring the city streets and enjoying drinks and snacks
   on Il Campo, the main city square that doubles as a race track one day
   a year with horses representing each of Siena's 17 contrade
   (districts).

   As the Palio di Siena draws closer, the districts are known to march
   into the square. (I equate this to a horse race pep rally, sans
   horses.) We happened to catch the Oca (goose) district marching on
   Sunday afternoon. It was crazy awesome!

    We had a few too many snacks during aperitivo (the Italian equivalent
   of Happy Hour), so weren't hungry for dinner until late – or, put
   another way, we're finally on the Italian dinner schedule. After
   scouring menus for the osterias around town, we googled 'best pizza in
   Siena', and ended up at il Pomodorino around 10pm. It was the best
   pizza either of us had ever had, and made for a fantastic end to a
   great day.

    We had two route options for Monday, Day 3: a Level 2/4 Difficulty and
   a Level 3/4 Difficulty. After Saturday's killer ride (a 2/4), we felt
   much more comfortable taking on the former – although it would take
   about half the time as our original planned route. We decided to
   sleep-in Monday morning (until 9am), go out for coffee in Siena, then
   sit in Il Campo and map out our bike route for the day. It was so nice
   to take our time and enjoy the town (our favorite so far) before all
   the tour groups showed up!

   Stay tuned for Monday's ride to San Gimignano!

   Bike Route: 29.4 miles // 2,711 ft of elevation
   gain. [10]https://www.strava.com/activities/986032513

   [11]May 15, 2017 /[12]Claire

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References

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   8. http://www.tuscanybicycle.com/en/
   9. http://www.baronericasoli.com/
  10. https://www.strava.com/activities/986032513
  11. file:///blog/radda-in-chianti-to-siena
  12. file:///?author=590f29c99f745610d38765af
  13. file:///blog/siena-to-san-gimignano
  14. file:///blog/firenze-to-radda-in-chianti-our-first-day-in-the-saddle
