La Settimana Molto Occupata!!

Seriously...with all the tour leaders being at the Farm, the recent tours that left and a bunch of rentals that needed to be prepped, not to mention loading 25 hybrids going to Croatia (more on that in a bit), cooking and cleaning, of course a little drinking, getting loose at the Clan Destino, having a massive allergy attack that had me laid out flat, I have just not had time for much typing...plus I always have so much to say that I cant just post a little note...y'all know THAT!

Loads has happened in the last week I'm not sure where to start...lets try to go in chronological order with photos (and as few embellishments as possible...) Click on photos to get a closer looksy...

FRIDAY - A bunch of the tour guides show up for the weekend of training. We meet and greet and EAT! Seriously, the Italians know how to serve a big meal, and the funny thing is that its not wasteful crap, its good fresh healthy food and despite feeling like a nap every day after lunch you dont feel like the kid of divorce who goes to like 4 thanksgiving dinners in a day and wants to explode. A couple tour guides didn't make it because of canceled flights from volcanic ash and glass in the airspace above Europe. I was skeptical but nicknamed the disaster Hurricane Bjork since it, like the swan wearing musical goddess, hails from Iceland. Where was I... oh yeah, tour guides... and food!

Im half way down the table...

SATURDAY - James and I facilitated the mechanics training for all the returning tour guides while Igor managed to give some basic understanding to the new guides. We had to move indoors, and the language barriers were fun to try to explain things but all in all if you take a tour with this little outfit, you will be in good hands. They even know what a limit screw is for!

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Saturday Nite provided a little respite from the Farm in the form of a local tradition called Sagra Di Primavera (don't forget to trill your rrrr's).

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Its basically a local festival welcoming spring with locally made vino (free) and local traditional foods. I cant remember what anything was called but it was damn good. And like all festivals it provided for some great people watching. There was supposed to be a band but since it was raining again they moved a couple dudes in to play crappy 80's covers on a keyboard and drum machine, try to see if you can hear it over the voices...yes that's right, a little Lionel Ritchie goes a long way in my book!



Turns out Italians aren't that much different than Americans, all the way down to the high waist-ed thong and the low waist-ed jeans as seen here over my shoulder...

...kids will be kids...

That night we decided to head out to the Clan Destino, a local (Faenza) bar with some pool tables (in the royal burberry no less) and live music, no cover and great drinks. I again went with (a couple of) Negroni's and a beer before we split. All in all it was fun, a little Foosball in the back room with new friends. Cool 3 wheel bike outside made for some good drunk photos. Try to make out the print on Igor's shirt under his sweater, a man after my own heart when it comes to clothes. You can bet I will spend the rest of the summer convincing him it will look much better with the sleeves cut off!

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Sunday - Sunday morning came sooner than I expected and away we went with more training, this time it was sunny so we could venture outside. I got dizzy spells on top of the van but it was worth it for this shot... And there is a new addition to the tool box...for all you cigaretters.

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Another big meal and a low key night before the first-aid and cpr class on Monday.

MONDAY - CPR and first aid for the rest, I laid low and finished up some bike builds. In the afternoon, we parted ways with some of the guides, most notable of which has to be Marie, her super-cool Dad and his dog Kip, who because of the canceled flights DROVE all the way from southern France in his cool ass VW Bus. A committed drive for a new hire indeed!

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We divied up last year's tee shirts... I'll let you guess which one of these handsome gentlemen is Michele... Afterwards, a few remaining guides were sticking around so a bunch of us headed out on one of the coolest group rides I have ever been on.

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Through the hills, back down to town for a beverage at the local watering hole...

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Eliza sometimes doubts this guy...

no hands + beer= tourguide

Christina Stephania

James... Philipe, note the obvious German beer!

TUESDAY - More bike builds and allergies, I was miserable, but the first big tour of the season got out of here without a hitch, and we have not heard from them yet. No News is Good News around these parts.

Stefi's van loaded

WEDNESDAY - Bike builds for us, and a big load out for a fleet of bikes going to Croatia. Andro is a cool guy whose parents have been in the tourism business for years. He runs sort of an affiliate in Croatia and you should watch this blog for my summer adventures with him. I have to leave for a bit in August on my tourism visa and I will be headed there to party, explore, and ride bikes with Andro.

Andro's New Bikes.

THURSDAY - Thursday was big!! James and I got some 411 on mountain bike trails and set out to find em and get some dirt time in. The trails are RAD, but not really meant for bikes. Not sure if the pictures will show it in true form but at one point we had handlebars in front and above our heads, the seat-post next to my head, and pushing the bike up what amounted to steeper-than-stairs trails.

billy goat!

You know when you run into a mountain goat that you are on a steep trail.

We pushed on and found some amazing sections of trail, great vistas along a ridge line, a church with a crazy cave offering behind it, and amazing scenery. We got back to the farm, had showers, and Philipe (Spanish Tour Guide extraordinaire, and speaker of like 4 languages!) rallied up a BBQ fit for a couple dirt bag mountain bikers who earlier that day had their asses handed to them. After stopping at the store for delicious frozen treats of course...

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Heres a video of the highest point...

giggle

Its been a good week. I wont say there were not times that were tough, with schedules, and running out of steam, the close quarters, sharing rooms with snorers (that was everyone BUT me!), and some allergies mixed in, but the people, the places, the food, have all been amazing and all have amazing stories to tell.

MESSAGE FOR AUBREY AND CARSON... for god sake TAKE A LANGUAGE CLASS IN SCHOOL!!! seriously the only thing that separates people of the world is language! Don't dick around with taking 3 years of Spanish in high school in SAN DIEGO! you can go outside and learn Spanish down there! Or get a job helping out in a kitchen, I have learned more Spanish vocabulary at work than I ever did in school (ok I'm exaggerating...but you get my point) If you have another language so much more of the world is open to you. My Spanish helps a little here, but the only English interactions we have had so far is from the North African hustlers in the parking lot of the mall. They offer you parking spaces, watch your car, and try to sell you busted crap, but those guy get to hustle the way they do specifically because they have language, and most of them speak at least 3 and all pretty well. As much as I talk and as much as like to listen to the conversations around me, here in Italy I often have no idea what is being said, or know how to join in. Its not tough because the language is fun just to listen to. Its Kinda like this...
But it would be much more fun if I know how to navigate the culture, the sayings, the hand gestures, and the jokes. I don't even think anyone would get it if I yelled PENIS in a crowded restaurant, and I certainly would not be able to explain myself as they are throwing me out. Take French, or Latin, or Italian, take something other than Spanish, unless you want to go to Spain, which I am in May and will let you know if the Spanish I have learned does a lick of good over there. Miss you guys, be good, see you soon. Untill then...click here.

S.