Motorcycle Over Mt Subasio Italy, My Fears Melted Away

By Leave a Comment

Jessica and Daryl McAvoy with BMW Motorcycle Over Mt Subvasio Italy

Taking the BMW GS over Mt Subasio in Umbria, Italy

I was still gripped by fear on many of our rides when we decided to take the motorcycle over Mt Subasio in Italy. Fear of falling off and fear of heights. Yes, I suffered from both when we first started the journey.

The Apennine mountains are like the spine of Italy. Mt Subasio is a park and links the two cities of Spello to the south, with Assisi to the north.

We had lunch in Spello and then decided to cross over to Assisi and catch a few Giotto frescoes in the late afternoon sunlight. The start of the ride consisted of a smooth uphill on paved asphalt. Cobalt blue skies with puffy cotton ball clouds surrounded. Hundreds of cows munched on the grass. It became easy to understand why cheese and gelato are so delicious in Italy when you’ve watched them graze.

The road then turned to loose chalk. I was panicked at first and frozen. Our BMW GS was sturdy, and Red had full command. Within a few minutes, I had confidence in my ability to be a passenger again… without saying oh fuck a million times.

I needed to get over my fears.

By the time we reached the peak, I was utterly calm. I no longer feared unpaved roads or heights. I thought for a split second I could learn to be the rider–then when I hopped on and my feet dangled in the air, I realized how ridiculous that idea was.

BMW GS Motorcycle Over Mt Subasio Italy

Me thinking maybe I can be the rider one day, then realizing my feet come nowhere near the ground.

Papakōlea Green Sand Beach Hawaii

By Leave a Comment

Less of a hike and more of a walk will bring you to Papakōlea, or the Green Sand Beach. Some of the best sites on the Big Island of Hawaii require effort to get to them–that is part of what makes them unique.

Green Sand Beach Hawaii

Olivine Shimmers in the Sun at Green Sand Beach Hawaii

Green Sand Beach Shimmers in the Relentless Sun

Though the walk is not strenuous, the sun is relentless on the trail. Just when you start to wonder if you’ll ever get there, you see the green cove shimmer in the same harsh sun you most likely cursed at a few minutes earlier.  Tiny olivine gemstones created by the volcano intermixed with sand to create this green beauty. Though inviting, the water is unpredictable here. Remember, it’s bad juju to take the sand or any lava so leave it where you found it. And no worry if you’re too tired to hike back, you can hitch a ride for a few bucks in one back of a local’s pick-up truck. They drive up and down the path picking up and dropping off the sun-drenched and exhausted. My tip, bring an umbrella. When you get to the cove and are ready to relax you will be glad you have some shade.

Marinara Pizza Says It All

By Leave a Comment

Dough and sauce are, after all, the fundamentals of pizza. The perfect remedy for a long day thinking in Italian is a simple and flavorful marinara pizza. Or as the Italians say it in reverse, pizza marinara.  Expect a tangy-sweet tomato sauce packed with garlic, some oregano, and of course, a basil leaf or two–the first part I devour.

Marinara Pizza in Todi Italy

Marinara Pizza at Pizzeria Italo

It should be no surprise that I have never had a lousy marinara pizza in Italy.

Todi, Italy is a medieval hill-top town in the heart of Umbria. There are all sorts of pizza places–from fancy pizza restaurants with a view of the valley, to quick by the kilo slice wrapped in wax paper joints, and everything in between. Pizza Italo is on Corso Cavour, a quaint little square. There you can join the crowd of locals for a bustling lunch of pizza by the kilo, or select roasted chicken or rabbit, vegetables, rosemary potatoes, and the like from behind the glass counter. At dinner time grab a slice to go, or have a seat and order from the menu.

What does pizza by the kilo mean? You select which pre-made pizza catches your fancy and tell the person behind the counter. They will put their knife in a spot, and you say “meno” for less pizza, “piu” for more pizza, or “va bene” for that’s just the right amount. They weigh your slice and charge you by the kilo.

Select to Read More