Buon Natale e Felice Anno Nuovo

Estate In Toscana

BVV has returned from an amazing 'Summer in Tuscany' Trip. While it was a quick trip, it was most enjoyable thanks to our amazing guests - returning guests, Katharine & Scott and new guests, Jim & Renee. The week was relaxing yet filled with adventure. We had time to ride the Tuscan hillsides, visit quaint towns, as well as Siena and San Gimignano, winery tours, cooking class, swimming at the pool and sunset dinners.

Toscana is always an adventure, but we love sharing it with friends - both new and old. Have a peek at our photos in the photo gallery!

Interested in your own Tuscan holiday? Contact us and let us know!

For The (italian) Bike Geek in All of Us

We were really excited to attend L'Eroica last year - Mark for the ride, Kristine for the whole 'visual' vintage scene. While we knew it would be a fun, I don't think either of us understood going into it just how cool this event would be. 

Yes, riding the race (for Mark) and photographing/spectating (Kristine) at the event was amazing, but it was the days that led up to the event that had us both 'over the top' in love with L'Eroica. Seeing a little Italian town transform back into the past -- the piazza fill up with bike enthusiasts selling crates full of every bike part you can imagine, vintage cycling jerseys hanging from tent rails, bikes from bygone eras parked up against buildings, old-fashion facial hair to match the vintage jerseys and old bikes and a 'pop-up' cycling photo journalism museum in the town's recreation building sharing photos of the sports earliest heroes -- had us both ready to make this an annual trip.

Now that the event is over, and we are back in the states, we (yes BOTH of us) find ourselves seeking out all things L'Eroica. So, in that spirit, we wanted to share a blog with you. It's all about bikes/bike parts, it's all about vintage, and well...it's just cool.

http://www.eroicacicli.com/

 Want to check out photos of our L'Eroica trip? See our Photo Gallery. Interested in checking out this event for yourself? Click on our Upcoming Itineraries. Need one of our trip brochures? Contact Us!

Ciao!

Start at the Top Lake Tahoe - Tour of CA

The routes have been determined for the Tour of California and Bella Vita Vacations is busy planning our Tour of California Lake Tahoe Trip!

We happen to think Lake Tahoe is one of the most gorgeous places in all the world, let alone the #1 place to visit in California. The lake has something to offer everyone - cyclists, hikers, photogs, nature-lovers, history buffs, kids and more. It's a great place to kick off Spring and we are looking forward to sharing our slice of Lake Tahoe while participating in a 'Lake Tahoe First' - the start of a premiere cycling event.

Stage One - Rolls out of South Lake Tahoe and heads in a clockwise direction up the western shore of Lake Tahoe, where the riders will encounter the first of three KOMs (“King of [the] Mountain [climbs]”) on this stage at Emerald Bay (elev. 6,850’). The race will then continue north and descend into Tahoe City while working its way through the small towns on the north shore and past the casinos in Stateline, Nevada. The race will then continue to hug the shoreline on Lakeshore Blvd., ultimately connecting with Hwy. 28 to make the return trip to South Lake Tahoe. This will be the first time the Amgen Tour of California will venture outside of the Golden State. The 27 miles of race route in Nevada will provide compelling scenery, including Spooner Pass (elev. 7,000’), the second of the day’s KOMs, from which the beautiful blue waters of Lake Tahoe can be seen. Continuing south, the race will pass through South Lake Tahoe and head back north for another half lap around the lake. At King’s Beach on the north shore of the lake, the racers will make a left turn on Hwy. 267 and start the final 7.5 run to the finish, but waiting for them will be the 1,000’ climb to Brockway Summit that will take them to the highest point of the stage at 7,200’. After a quick descent and a left turn onto Northstar Dr., the racers will face the final 300’ of climbing up the 1.5-mile route to the finish in North Lake Tahoe at the spectacular Northstar at Tahoe Resort.  

Stage One provides BVV clients ample opportunity for viewing the race. And if you dare to ride the route, Mark will happily be your guide!

Stage Two - One of the longest stages of the race, Stage 2 has “sprinter” written all over the race route. Starting at the site of the 1960 Winter Olympics and one of the largest ski resorts in the U.S., the riders will head north to the town of Truckee and then west past the infamous and rugged Donner’s Pass. At 7,100’, this will be the only KOM of Stage 2. From here it will be a more than 7’000’ of descending to the State’s Capitol (elev. 25’) in Sacramento.

Like Stage One, from our location, there are also great viewing options, including participating in the starting activities. This route is actually one of Mark's favorite rides when we visit the lake.

We hope you'll consider joining us for this amazing race event 'in our own backyard'. For more information, contact us!

Estate in Toscana 2011

Announcing our 'Summer in Tuscany' 2011 trip! Join us July 10th through July 17th for a fantastic week in Tuscany! Our first trip not centered around a fixed cycling event promises to be a perfect Italian holiday. Our goal on this trip is to practice the fine Italian art of 'il bel far niente' - the beauty of doing nothing. Of course, it's not really 'doing nothing' as Americans would translate that to mean. It's the beauty of doing something whilst looking as though you're doing nothing...a relaxed stroll through a piazza, people watching while eating gelato, a long bike ride around the tuscan hillsides, exploring small villages, watching the sun set over Siena as you sip Chianti. It's truly the essence of Italian living and truly how a vacation should be.

Based at a wonderful Villa at the center of the Chianti region, this trip promises to be memorable. As is our tradition, we have lots of great activities planned, but customize to our clients' desires. Contact us for more information! Space is limited on this trip.