Author: Roger Bergson

  • Five Cities, Five Distinct Personalities: Verona

    Verona is a lovely city…modern and prosperous…though with its most famous landmarks dating back 2,000 years to Roman times.  Verona was never a power player in Renaissance Italy.  It sided with the Holy Roman Empire in its centuries-long rivalry with the the Papacy.  Thus the heavy Hapsburg (Austrian) influence.  

    Verona’s tourism is dominated by Romeo and Juliet.  Guiletta’s balcony is a tourist trap to rival the leaning tower of Pisa or Niagara Falls.  Still, the city is lovely and romantic.  An evening stroll is mandatory.



    Guilette’s Balcony

    Across the small piazza from the Capuletti house is the crown jewel of schlock…an erotica shop called Club di Guiletta.






    We developed a routine to take place during the passagiata, or afternoon walk.  Every day we stopped at the same bar for a spritz aperol.  It is on a fantastic corner for people watching and they give you a snack to nibble on with your drinks.  Afterwards, we didn’t need dinner, but who could resist?  If you go to Verona, the typical cooking of the area includes the use of vino amorena, a local wine.  We tried two dishes made with it.  The first was a risotto that was soaked int he wine prior to cooking.  The finished product was incredibly good and a dark purple color.  The second was pasta with a rabbit sauce made with the specialty wine.  Perhaps there is a common thread here, make that wonderful dishes with a common wine.  We would both go back to Verona simply to eat!


    We can’t explain how enchanting this city really is, so we’ll just show you.  Even the photos don’t do justice to the endearing quality of Verona.

    The Roman Arena is 2000 years old, and is home…
    …to both the Verona Opera and rock concerts.
    The Roman Theater…
    …is the same age…

    …and still stages plays.
    Older still is the Porta Leone and Roman baths…in the heart of modern downtown.

    The Castel Vecchio dominated the medieval city.

    The old ghetto is now an upscale shopping district.  The synagogue still holds weekly services.

    Verona…the pretty little city on the Adige…

    …by day…


    …or by night.
    .

    Safe

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  • Pescadero Here We Come


    After a couple of weeks of 25 – 30 mile fairly flat training rides, we decided to go for the brass ring today.  The ride from Half Moon Bay to Pescedaro…longer and far hillier than anything we had tried to date on this trip.
    The ride started in Half Moon Bay…right on the ocean.









    We rode down the Pacific Coast Highway for 10 miles and then turned inland…only to see this:
    Carol looked at the scene and said, “Looks like Italy doesn’t it?”  It rode like Italy as well.  Six climbs more than a mile in length with a grade of 9% or greater.  The toughest was the last…a 12% grade on very tired legs.
    A cyclist we met on the way told us this route was the prettiest bike ride in all California.  Who was to argue with him?
    Carol was a trooper…both on the way to Pescedaro













    …and the way home.
    Pescedaro was a lovely small town.  We were so tired when we got there, we forget to take any pictures.  Hopefully, we won’t make that mistake again any time soon.
    In all, we rode only 40 miles (39.75 actually) but climbed 4,654 feet.  We arrived home tired and sore but feeling like we had finally accomplished something.  Then—as we unloaded our car—we realized I had left one of my cycling shoes on the sidewalk where we parked at Half Moon Bay…so I had to drive back to retrieve it.