It has become a tradition for me to celebrate my birthday by climbing the scenic Stelvio Pass, in the Italian Alps. It is something that I look forward to, plan,…
So, there we are, on an extreme downhill forest trail, struggling to hold our bikes from crashing down the mountain, when after taking several steps, I feel explosive, mind-numbing, searing…
As you can see by the title of this blog, this story is about my biking adventure through the German, Austrian, Swiss and French Alps. Before I get started,…
DOWNWINDER Casa Nora has always had interesting house-guests. One evening, over a glass of wine and a cigar, Hunter tells Big Al that he wants to do a downwinder –…
One of my favourite places in the world to go mountain biking are the trails in the Dolomite mountains, on the north shore of Lago di Garda. Since we were…
A pictorial essay of life in El Yaque, Margarita Island! … critters… …natives… …
After viewing the above video, I was reminded of a recent bike ride up the mountain in my back yard. It was a nice Sunday morning and my…
PASSO DELLO STELVIO The Stelvio Pass: 24.3 km long, 48 serpentine turns, an average grade of 8% The most difficult of the three Passes in the Italian Alps – coveted…
One night in Siena…twice… Siena is a very beautiful, fortified, hilltop town in the middle of Tuscany. Like other Tuscan hill towns, Siena was first settled in the time of…
PROSECCO This light, effervescent, eminently drinkable nectar of the Gods is my husband’s favourite summertime choice of happy hour refreshment. After a little research, I realized that the ‘Prosecco’ growing…