Hi Guys, I'm home!

[mimitabby]

I just got back from Italy last night. I never saw a drop of rain, and it was cool and even cold and warm too. I walked a lot, took buses trains and planes. I did not ride a bike but for 3 days i stayed in a town that was filled with elderly ladies on bikes. I took a lot of photos of them and talked to a couple of them. I will post a photo or two... (I even saw a woman with Parkinson's riding a bike!!)

I bought a gift for my SS at the local bike shop, where I was also given a 2007 Bianchi catalog.

I ate great food every day and slept on crappy beds. I walked up and down hills and had a blast in my grandfather's hilltown.

I came back to a flood and lots of rain (house is fine) It is dark and wet and am I ever going to ride a bike again???

hope all is well here.

[mimitabby]

http://www.sersale.org/bike/donna1.jpg



http://www.sersale.org/bike/donna2.jpg


http://www.sersale.org/bike/donna3.jpg


http://www.sersale.org/bike/donna4.jpg

[Pax]

What a wonderful trip!! Where were you in Italy? (I lived about 60km outside of Venice from 1969-1973)

[mimitabby]

Queen, the fotos are from Podenzano (in Piacenza) but the most of my time I spent in the deep south, the toe of the boot (so to speak) Calabria.

[DebW]

Queen, the fotos are from Podenzano (in Piacenza) but the most of my time I spent in the deep south, the toe of the boot (so to speak) Calabria.

Isn't Calabria the place in the Strega Nona books (children's books about a kind old woman with sourcerer powers)?

Glad to have you back, Mimi.

[bikerchick68]

those pics are awesome! now see, that's how I wanna be!!! :D sounds like you had a wonderful time... Italy is on my "to do" list...:)

[fatbottomedgurl]

I love those European bikes! I saw a lot when I was in Italy ten years ago. I would so totally love a bike like that for my round town errands. Basket and all! But I would leave the black wool skirt at home...

[Bikingmomof3]

Welcome Back Mimi!!! I am so glad your enjoyed your trip. Great photos. :D

[mimitabby]

I think Strega Nonna is from Calabria but I am not sure.

Did you see how nice all those lady's legs were? None of them were going very fast.. But they all looked very comfortable and confident. And not a one wore a helmet...

[DebW]

I think Strega Nonna is from Calabria but I am not sure.


A quick trip to amazon.com finds:

Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola
"In a town in Calabria, a long time ago, there lived an old lady everyone called Strega Nona, which meant "Grandma Witch..."

I loved reading those books to my kids. But I never knew where Calabria was, until now. Thanks, Mimi.

[salsabike]

Those are wonderful pictures! Welcome home (yeah, it's repellent here right now, but we're still glad you're back).

[pooks]

Welcome back!

More pics, please?

I love that one. What an interesting bike. Small tires, right?

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

That is SO GREAT!!! Great photos!

[Bad JuJu]

And all riding in skirts and not a cleated shoe in the bunch! Thanks for sharing, Mimi. Sounds like it was a great trip!

[mimitabby]

Welcome back!

More pics, please?

I love that one. What an interesting bike. Small tires, right?

That was a very tiny lady. And she had parkinson's. Blew me away.
A number of women had small tires on their bikes. (some men too) but the women outnumbered the men (0n bikes) 4 to 1~!! I'll put some more pix up later, i promise. I took A LOT of pictures.

[Fredwina]

Welcome back!

More pics, please?

I love that one. What an interesting bike. Small tires, right?

Pooks, when I saw it, it reminded me of my Bike Friday (about the same size wheesl, and same color frame.)

[Trekhawk]

Glad to hear you had a good holiday. Love the pics. See that is why I want the Amsterdam bike by Electra for Xmas so I cruise around like those ladies.:)

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=11495

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Support hose are the new tights!

[lauraelmore1033]

Ah, welcome back. I am seething with jealousy--but that might have as much to do with the fact that my husband is off in Venice right now, leaving me to languish at home. Granted, he's working his butt off, but...it's Venice! I stayed in the hill country a few years back and it was the best three weeks of my life. I would LOVE to go back. I find myself wondering how Italians can stand to leave and come and live in America. What a fabulous time you must have had! Even without the bike--those hills are a great workout.

[margo49]

Wonderful pix - post more please!

Nice to see the non-technical bikes. Very European. My favourite is the top one - love that curvy frame. And the basket too.

[mimitabby]

i spent two hours this morning making the pasta from my grandfather's home town. What fun! they came out pretty good. Guess we're having pasta for dinner. Instead, my dh went on a bike ride.

but here are some more photos from my trip

http://www.sersale.org/bike/donna5.jpg

http://www.sersale.org/bike/donna6.jpg
http://www.sersale.org/bike/donna7.jpg
http://www.sersale.org/bike/donna8.jpg

http://www.sersale.org/bike/muro.jpg

[Quillfred]

Ciao Mimi

I join the chorus of "great pics". It must have felt great to get away for a spell. So I'm curious, did you see much cycling in cities or primarily in smaller villages?

Quill --sorting through Mimi's luggage for the new wool Bianchi jersey :cool:

[mimitabby]

i spent most of my time in a small Calabrian town where I saw exactly 2 boys on mountain bikes. they labored up a very very steep hill and then about 40 minutes later I saw them coming back down, obviously enjoying the hill thoroughly.
My town is not very conducive to biking, it is practically straight up and down. Even in a brand new rental car, some of the inclines really made me nervous.

While i was near (and in) Milan I saw men dressed up in full roadbike battle gear (probably on fancy bikes) and lots of everyday folks riding commuter bikes.

In Podenzano (where I took all the photos) the predominant bicyclists were women. I went into the bike store there which interestingly enough was full of upper end Bianchis. There were a few lower end bikes there; but it is not clear to me where all these folks were buying their bikes.

Even in the nasty Milan traffic, I saw men and women riding their onespeed bikes. You have to understand that in Italy the attitude towards bicyclists is very different than it is at least in the United States. Bicyclists are grandma and grandpa, not some evil alien creature trying to take over the roads.

[chickwhorips]

gald to see your back home. i love all the pics! looks like you had a great time!

[Xrayted]

Buonasera, mimi! Beautiful pics. I especially love the last one. Wonderful and inspiring architecture. Makes me want to go get a nice little pub table and chairs, sit down with a glass of wine and watch the world go by.

Hey, cameriere!! Vino della caso, por favore!..... Aaaaahh!

[Brandi]

Love the photo's they were so cool. What a neat way to share the people of where you were but by taking photo's of them on their bikes! Thank you so much for sharing!

[BikeMomma]

Mimi --

What a great way to capture the Italian way-of-life!! Great pictures, and wow, those ladies look great on those bikes, don't they?

BTW, you inspired me....:D
http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?p=143783#post143783

Thanks for posting about your trip. Way neato. :)
~BikeMomma