We then hopped back on the bikes and started the slow climb; cheering each other on with every turn of the wheel. As we reached the castle, we were nearly stopped in our tracks by the view. We were well above the slow rolling hills of Tuscany<\/a><\/strong> now, overlooking veritable mountains made even taller by the dense forest that covered them. It might just be the best view in the region, and it was all ours.<\/span><\/p>\n My partner Ryan and I are what you might call audacious travellers. We look for off-the-beaten-track experiences and dive into them with a little more reckless abandon than my parents care for. We\u2019ve driven a tuktuk across Sri Lanka. We\u2019ve trekked solo through Malaysian jungles.<\/span><\/p>\n We hadn’t, however, ever joined a group trip.<\/span><\/p>\n Me, loving my first ever group trip<\/p><\/div>\n While I relished the chance to let someone else do all the planning for a week, I wasn\u2019t sure what to expect. How would my bike riding hold up? \u00a0Where would we cycle? Beautiful places, naturally. Also, would our group get along?<\/span><\/p>\n This would be the best surprise of all. Because after some 230 kilometers cycled, it\u2019s the people I met along the way that have stuck with me more than anything else.<\/span><\/p>\n READ MORE: WHAT I WISH I KNEW BEFORE MY FIRST CYCLING TRIP WITH INTREPID<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n The amazing group!<\/p><\/div>\n We rolled into Barga after the second day of cycling feeling pretty pleased with ourselves. The mood in the air was decided bubbly and, apparently, contagious. The hotel staff had poured a rather generous glass of celebratory sparkling wine for Jackie, a fellow rider, and before I knew it, a second glass was fetched.<\/span><\/p>\n CYCLE WITH A BUNCH OF LIKE-MINDED TRAVELLERS ON ONE OF INTREPID’S CYCLING TRIPS<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n We\u2019d met only 48 hours prior, but here we were, sharing and celebrating together.<\/span><\/p>\n Cycling, celebrating and falling for Tuscany<\/p><\/div>\n It was a small moment, but one I cherish because it embodies the comradery that seemed to flow so naturally from our little group. These moments bubbled up again and again over the course of eight days. Not just from our group either, but from our guides and the incredibly warm locals we met along the way.<\/span><\/p>\n SUBSCRIBE TO INTREPID’S NEWSLETTER FOR TRAVEL STORIES, TIPS, GIVEAWAYS & MORE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Take Giovanni for example, a local restaurateur in Barga. \u201cThere\u2019s no menu,\u201d our guide Walter explained before we all headed to the restaurant, \u201cbut you\u2019ll be taken care of.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n A special selfie with Giovanni<\/p><\/div>\n We arrived to a great big welcome from Giovanni, a bright smile peered through his thick white beard, before he ran back inside to the kitchen. If Italians show their love through food, it\u2019s no surprise the night ended as it did. And when the penultimate dish arrived\u00a0\u2013 a platter of fine local cheeses enriched with tiny flowers\u00a0\u2013 it was all I could do to propose Giovanni join me back in Canada. Relocate, in the name of love and food. That bright smile peered out again and, if my extra serving of sweet homemade cakes was any indication, I think his answer is yes.<\/span><\/p>\n READ MORE: 10 THINGS YOU MUST KNOW ABOUT INTREPID’S CYCLING TRIPS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n The next day, as we arrived at a nearly century-old caf\u00e9, I couldn\u2019t help but notice how fondly Walter spoke of the owners. Just as he had when we met Giovanni, and would again on other occasions. It dawned on me that this was just Walter\u2019s way \u2013 effortlessly charming and proud of the people of his country. Not only did it make us appreciate these local producers even more, it helped us have interactions with people we may have otherwise never met.<\/span><\/p>\n Wonderful Walter<\/p><\/div>\n The same could be said of Silvia, another of our three charismatic guides, whose cheerful personality was simply magnetic. If by chance you were having a slow start, legs perhaps a little sore, you needed only spend a few minutes with Silvia to be re-energized with a deep appreciation for the good fortune we had to be cycling such a beautiful place. It\u2019s no wonder the vase on her bike was filled daily with flowers picked by fellow riders.<\/span><\/p>\n LEARN MORE ABOUT INTREPID’S PASSIONATE LOCAL LEADERS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Then there\u2019s Andrea, a true multihyphenate: guide-driver-chef-historian. Hospitality must be in his bones, because he so easily shifted from driving the support vehicle, to preparing elaborate picnics with everyone\u2019s dietary requests in mind, and sharing his infinite local knowledge at every stop. It seemed that no matter what anyone needed, Andrea was more than happy to help, with a smile.<\/span><\/p>\n All-smiles Silvia<\/p><\/div>\n READ MORE: 10 CYCLING DESTINATIONS THAT SHOULD BE ON YOUR TRAVEL RADAR<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Our week in Tuscany<\/strong> <\/a>flew by and before long, we found ourselves in Pisa, our final destination. We had made it. As the bikes were loaded back on the trailer for the last time, Allan, another rider, passed around his helmet for everyone to sign. When it reached Ryan, he pulled back the marker. It wasn\u2019t for him to sign, it was for him to keep. A gift. <\/span><\/p>\n I welled up watching a man we had come to admire for his quiet determination and steadfast loyalty make such a thoughtful gesture.\u00a0<\/span>My heart was about ready to burst at the seams.<\/span><\/p>\n There, hiding was a group photo we\u2019d taken earlier in the day, printed and signed for each of us. A perfect memento for a most memorable adventure.<\/span><\/p>\n Ready for a beautiful adventure like no other? Cycle Tuscany with Intrepid Travel<\/a> Or read our top reasons to cycle in Tuscany\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n —<\/p>\n (All images courtesy of writer Anne Cayer, and her partner, Ryan. The photos were all taken on their Cycle Tuscany adventure with Intrepid.)<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" My partner Ryan and I are what you might call audacious travellers. We\u2019ve driven a tuktuk across Sri Lanka. We\u2019ve trekked solo through Malaysian jungles. We hadn’t, however, ever joined a group trip…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16134,"featured_media":30660,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[286],"tags":[488,46,456,19,1412],"class_list":["post-30649","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories","tag-cycling","tag-europe","tag-intrepid-trip","tag-italy","tag-tuscany","ipf_region-italy"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n![\"Tuscany](\"\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Train-bridge-and-churches-seen-fom-the-Verrucole-Castle-Intrepid-Cycle-Tuscany.jpg\")
This would be one of the many little adventures we\u2019d have on Intrepid’s 8-day<\/span> Cycle Tuscany<\/a><\/strong> trip. The first, being the trip itself.<\/span><\/p>\nThis was brand new territory for us<\/b><\/h3>\n
![\"Tuscany](\"\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Anne-enjoyed-a-sunny-day-in-Tuscany.jpg\")
![\"Tuscany](\"\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Intrepid-Cycle-Tuscany-group.jpg\")
Little moments have a big impact<\/b><\/h3>\n
![\"Tuscany](\"\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/The-group-walks-the-bikes-through-a-pedestrian-area-Intrepid-Cycle-Tuscany.jpg\")
![\"Tuscany](\"\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Anne-and-Giovanni-take-a-selfie-Intrepid-Cycle-Tuscany-e1541887491572.jpg\")
Local guides make all the difference<\/b><\/h3>\n
![\"Tuscany](\"\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Intrepid-guide-Walter-cheers-on-riders-Intrepid-Cycle-Tuscany.jpg\")
![\"Tuscany](\"\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Intrepid-guide-Silvia-smiles-on-her-bike-Intrepid-Cycle-Tuscany.jpg\")
A memento to keep for a lifetime<\/b><\/h3>\n
![\"Tuscany](\"\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/The-Intrepid-Cycle-Tuscany-group-signed-a-helmet-as-a-gift.jpg\")
At dinner, I thought about all those little moments, the many things I\u2019d jotted down in my notebook to remember years from now. Then, Silvia, Walter and Andrea took a moment to thank us for the week. \u201cLook under your plates,\u201d they said.<\/span><\/p>\n