Tuscany, Italy!

We have returned from our trip to the Giro and I am still doing laundry and unpacking, so I consider it a success I am getting these photos up and going!

Taking two children to a grand tour is not a simple trip due to the logistics. I spent a couple of weeks just planning where to go to actually see the race, where to stay so we could be close (but not too close) to Rory, how to get to the races, where to park, etc. I finally had everything sorted and printed and tucked the file folder with all info in my purse. 

I woke the kids up at 6am on Friday morning so we could easily make our 8:45 flight to Pisa. They were thrilled to see the little treats Anna, our baker, had made for them. She knew we were going to Italy and sent me home with a few extra goodies on Thursday when I bought bread. How awesome is she?! Anyway, they enjoyed their pastries on the way to the airport and we settled in for the quick flight to Pisa.

I always pack the same things for all flights—notebooks, markers, games, deck of cards, stickers, etc. Aurelia immediately went to work with her stickers and Eston and I played a few card games. I did bring the DVD player and iPad, but I like to save them for if and when things go downhill and I need serious backup. The flight to Pisa is just over an hour, so it is super easy and quick.

We landed in Pisa and Rory had told me the rental car place was within the terminal. Unfortunately this was not the case, so we collected our luggage and the car seats and walked out to find the shuttle bus. The shuttle bus (there was only one) sat about eight people and the line was really long, so I asked the driver how far the walk was to the rental cars. He kindly informed me that it was only 600 meters from the terminal, so we began to walk. There was a large sidewalk and we made it to the rental car place before the shuttle bus, so all was well.

I rented a car with a GPS as I am unfamiliar with the roads and highways in Tuscany. The rental car was brand new and nobody seemed to know how to actually make the GPS work, so we were at the Hertz area for quite some time. I finally figured it out (the system was in Italian, of course) and even figured out how to change the language to English, so we were finally able to depart the airport.

Eston was keen to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa, so we drove to the city center. Parking was a bit tricky, so we found a space about 1km from the tower and just walked to the tower. Aurelia insisted on no stroller for this trip, so I was a little nervous about the amount of walking, but she did a great job each day. When we arrived at the tower the kids were amazed at how it leans, but they also could not understand why so many people were posing oddly for photographs. I explained they were “holding up” the tower in the picture, but this seemed funny to the kids.

 We explored the Cathedral and tower and then began to walk back to the car. Along the way we found a tiny little trattoria and decided to stop for lunch. The fresh pasta (thank you, Italy) was so amazing and the kids had a feast.

We piled back in the car and both kids were asleep before we left the center of Pisa! I settled in for the two hour drive to Arezzo, the small Tuscan village where we would be staying for two nights.

There was a terrible storm all the way to Arezzo, so it made for slow driving. Rory was very concerned about us being on the road with Italian drivers, but I grew up driving in Southern California and I think those drivers and highways are much worse.

After two hours we finally arrived at the B&B I had booked for us just outside of Arezzo. The caretaker opened the gate and we felt like we had been instantly transported. Beautiful villa (it was a monastery long ago) and even more beautiful gardens. The kids were awake and keen to explore, so we checked-in and got settled in our suite. It had beautiful views of the Tuscan hills and was very comfortable for all of us. We decided to go into the town of Arezzo and explore a bit before dinner. 

 Though I have been to Tuscany on two occasions, I had not been to Arezzo. What a gem! I definitely want to return to this town. We wandered through the streets and the kids loved playing in the piazzas. There were some shops I really wanted to explore, but I didn’t want to drag the kids through them after they had been so great on the plane and car ride. So, we found a cafe and sat down for a nice snack and some agua con gas. We had yummy polenta, prosciutto crudo, grilled veggies, flatbreads, olives…it was delicious. We decided it would serve as our dinner, so we returned to the hotel after enjoying our feast.

 By Saturday morning the kids were well rested and ready to go. Our host cooked us a beautiful breakfast and then called the local police to find out about road closures. This is the not-so-fun part of spectating. I have to figure out when they are closing which roads because I don’t want to get stuck somewhere and not be able to see the race (this has happened before). The roads near Arezzo were going to shut fairly early, so I had the kids pack their backpacks with games and notebooks and we went to the city to wait for the race. 

We entertained ourselves most of the day in Arezzo. A long walk, play in the park, cafe stops, flying paper airplanes in the piazza, some gelato….the race did not arrive until 4pm and we arrived at 10am, so it was a long day. The kids were great and played really well as we waited for the race. Thankfully the weather cooperated and at about 3pm we walked towards the actual race course to find a good spot to watch.

 You can see my mantra: keep kids busy. All day long. 

 Eston began posing like the people at the Leaning Tower of Pisa. He thought it was hilarious!

 Waiting and waiting.

The race did a lap through Arezzo before the finishing circuit, so the kids were able to see Rory go by twice, which was really nice. We then gathered our things and began to walk to the team buses so we could (finally!) see Rory. The kids were so excited to see him and give him a hug. We had a quick few moments before he had to be on the bus and going. It is tough on the kids because they want to visit, but we said goodbye and began to walk back to our car so we could meet Rory at his hotel.

 After the race we did not arrive at the hotel until 7pm, so the kids were tired and hungry. Rory sat with us in the hotel restaurant while we had dinner (he eats later with the team) and then we said goodbye.

On Sunday morning we checked out of the B&B and began the drive to Radda-in-Chianti, the site of the time trial. I have been to Radda before and knew what a tiny village it is, so I was concerned about parking. We left early, but they had already closed the road to Radda and were making people park and take a shuttle. Of course, the shuttle buses are tiny here. The sign said Radda was 2km away, so we decided to walk because the shuttle bus line was so long. It took awhile (lots of hills) but we made it to Radda! Of course, we then had to figure out where Rory would be and that took a bit of time. We finally caught up with him and the kids were able to see him for a solid 15 minutes before he had to prepare for his race. I took the kids up to the VIP section for a snack and then we walked along the course to find a good spot to watch. The kids were great and played for about an hour while we waited for Rory to go by. We cheered as he left Radda and then we began the long walk back to the car. It started to rain, so I put Aurelia on my shoulders and began to jog. Yikes. Thankfully we made it back to the car before the rain and hail really started to come down!

Waiting in Radda...

People. Everywhere. Not my favorite thing, especially when trying to get the kids from point A to point B, but we managed.

 I do love how all the local towns decorate in pink to celebrate the Giro coming to their town!

The finish of the time trial was in a different town and I had no hopes of getting there (closed roads), so we headed for the next hotel near Florence. This time the drive was only a bit over an hour and we checked into our hotel and found ourselves with little to do. Rory was still at the finish of the race and had to wait for every teammate to complete the TT, so we couldn’t go to his hotel. It was only 3:30 in the afternoon and we were only 15km from the center of Florence, so I decided to take the kids into the city. Gulp. I hesitated for a moment, but then I decided to get over it and just do it and I am so glad we did!

Thankfully it was Sunday, so traffic was light and the GPS was a godsend. We found awesome parking right in town and just as we parked the rain stopped and the sun was shining brightly. A good sign! We spent a fabulous afternoon wandering around one of our favorite cities. Eston remembered it well and knew exactly what he wanted to see. Aurelia was just a baby when we were last here, so he was excited to show her the sights. We ended with a few carousel rides before finding some dinner. What a perfect afternoon/evening! We stopped by Rory’s hotel after our adventure in Florence and the kids were able to say goodnight before we drove down the road to our hotel. 

 These are Eston's photos from Sunday afternoon:

Monday was a rest day for Rory, which means we needed to keep busy so he could actually rest. The kids begged to go back to Florence, so that is exactly what we did. Traffic was awful on a Monday morning, but we found a decent parking spot and all was well. We went to the Duomo, took a carriage ride through the city, shopped near the Palazzo Pitti, and just played. We had the best time while Rory slept in and went for a light training ride. 

We left Florence and went to see Rory at his hotel. He was wanting to rest, so the kids decided to find something to do...

On Tuesday morning we woke up and ate breakfast at the hotel before loading the car to head back to the airport in Pisa. It is only an hour drive from Florence, so it was an easier drive this time. The kids kept seeing this sign and Eston snapped a photo of it:

 We returned the rental car and then decided to walk to the terminal to check-in since it was such a beautiful morning. For some reason the kids traded suitcases and then walked hand in hand to the terminal.

 Once we checked our bags we decided to enjoy the sun outside. We bought some baguettes and water and had a little picnic. The kids colored and worked in their workbooks while we waited for our flight.

That is all. I made it through a five day trip to Italy with my awesome children. I talked to the kids a lot about working as a team and they rose to the occasion and it made for a great trip. I am proud of myself and of them and we are planning our next trip!