NEW Ciclismo Classico Tour: Lovely Lofoten: Lovely Lofoten Peaceful Pedaling on a Norwegian Island Paradise

Our guide host is Sandro Della Mea, a native Norwegian who has years of experience leading bicycling, kayaking and hiking trips on Lofoten, an outdoor and culture seekers dreamscape

Just above the Artic circle, off the NorthernWest Coast of Norway lies a magnificent island like no other. The Lofoten islands has all the ingredients for a absolutely perfect, once-in-lifetime cycling vacation: Quiet, rolling roads along Fiords and the crystal clear sea, intriguing villages and museums, stunning 360 degree views, seabird serenades, accommodations in Rorbu, renovated fisherman’s cabins, and deliciously healthy seafood feasts. As a special bonus,we’ll enjoy long days, evening walks and even midnight rides or kayaking under the glorious light that changes, glows and shines all day and night.

Day 1 From Svolvær, cycle over to ”Lofoten’s Venice”, Henningsvær stopping in the Lofoten Museum at Kabelvag. This enchanting fishing station is renowned for its unique atmosphere and architecture built around the fisheries industry.
Day 2 We take a loop ride to Gimsoy and Brenna where we hike along the stunning coastline.
Day 3 Loop ride to Borg’s Viking Museum, a reconstructed Viking Chieftdom, complete with Viking Ship and hands-on displays of Viking Daily life, later a short hike around the Eggum point
Day 4 Ride along the wild and dramatic coastal road that flourishes with animals and birds to Stamsund, a fishing village home to art galleries and winding wooden docks.
Day 5 Ride to Ballstaad stopping at the Old Schoolhouse museum in Fygle and later taking a ferry to Nusfjord, a fishing village on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
Day 6 & 7: Spectacular ride to Tind with plentiful stops at white sandy beaches, a Telegraph Museum in Sorvagen and Fisheries Museum and Hamnøy, where you'll hear and then see and the densely populated cliffside nesting colony of Kittiwakes. A hike along a mountain lake to view the midnight sun. Fueled by freshly baked cinnamon rolls, we wander around the fascinating fishing village turned museum. Later a fishing trips and coastal cruise along deserted island shores to to Maelstrom, renowned as the world’s strongest current. Together we will prepare and feast on our catch to celebrate our Lofoten adventures.

Trip Essence
Idyllic cycling along magnificent coastline with countless stops in active fishing hamlets

Fishing trip and island cruise to the Northwest tip of the Island to see the Maelstrom, renowned as the world’s strongest current and the 3,000 year-old Cave Paintings of

The Viking Museum at Borg to paddle aViking ship and explore a reconstruction of largest Chieftan’s house in the world

More day for your dollar! In addition to glorious rides, optional around the clock adventures and excursions under the midnight sun.


Trip Length
8 days/ 7 nights
Total Mileage: 200
Average Daily mileage: 30
Terrain: Rolling along the coast
Arrive/Depart: By boat or plane to Svolvær/by boat to Bodo
Accommodations: Charming renovated Rorbu, fisherman’s huts
Dates for 2010: Every week in July and one week in August. Saturday to Saturday

I LOVE LOFOTEN: A Perfect Destination for Families and an Outdoor Lover’s Paradise!

I am a lover of places. Ever since I started to ride my bike long distances I felt myself drawn to certain views, towns or the overall spirit of a place. It happened in the Monadnock Region where I grew up, The Finger Lakes where I went to school, Ireland where my father’s roots are and Italy where I traveled and started my 21 year old company Ciclismo Classico that focuses around exploring and deepening a love of place. In Italy I have even refined this love to two particularly beautiful places: Tuscany, where I lived for three years and The Island of Sardinia, where I have cycled around and savored its beautiful warm sea. Tuscany is not only beautiful but it’s charming and familiar. I know it better than I know my own backyard; all of the tiny villages always brings me back to a time when I felt completely free and excited to explore every road on my Touring Club Italiano map. Sardinia, on the other hand, is a soulful place where I feel my spirit soar with adventure. There are so many roads that I want to experience, I want to fly away on.

This past summer I have added the first non-Italy, non-NE place to “Places I love”. Thanks to the sponsorship of the Innovation Norway, my family and I traveled to Norway’s Lofoten Islands above the Artic circle and I fell in love all over again! This incredible place is simply one of the most gorgeous places I have ever been! It's green, sculpted soaring mountains everywhere, tiny fishing hamlets, abundant museums, winding roads, the serenading sea birds, constantly changing, 24 hour light and ever changing coastline has rooted itself in my heart. Personally I felt completely energized by the sun that never slept. It was an environment that fit my non-stop curiosity and love of the outdoors. I never felt rushed to get anywhere or do anything, since we literally had all day and night to experience the endless sites and sounds

Vågar is the first known town formation in northern Norway. It existed in the early Viking Age, maybe earlier, and was located on the southern coast on eastern Lofoten, near today's village Kabelvåg in Vågan municipality. However, the Lofotr museum with the reconstructed 83 m long longhouse (the largest known) is located near Borg on Vestvågøy, which have many archeological finds from the Iron Age and Viking Age[8]. The islands have for more than 1,000 years been the centre of great cod fisheries, especially in winter, when the cod migrates south from the Barents Sea and gathers in Lofoten to spawn. Bergen in southwestern Norway was for a long time the hub for further export south to large parts of Europe, particularly so when trade was controlled by the Hanseatic League. In the lowland areas, particularly Vestvågøy, agriculture plays a significant role, as it has done since the Bronze Age.

Lofotr was originally the name of the island of Vestvågøy only. Later it became the name of the chain of islands. The chain of islands with its pointed peaks looks like a lynx foot from the mainland

Staying for only seven days and leaving it by sea only to see it fade in the distance from the back of ferry was like saying good bye to a new best friend for a long, long time. My taste was too short and left me yearning for more. Of course I can return to Lofoten but most likely it won’t be until next year which feels like a terribly long time to wait.

As a family cycling and multi-sport destination, Lofoten is PERFECT. The island is physically small, the cycling is rolling and the distances between villages are short. The magical island is full of beaches, quiet coves, wildlife, birdlife, interesting museums and fascinating fishing hamlets. In addition to cycling, families can hike, kayak, snorkel and go deep sea fishing. The Gulf Stream keeps the temperatures just right--summer temperatures are perfect, not too cold or hot allowing for frolicking outside, 24 hours a day!

Luckily I can keep Lofoten alive in my life by talking about it, revisiting photos and researching it more via web sites, books and other Lafoten Fans. In addition I can begin to plan and promote Ciclismo Classico’s first tour there in 2010 which will allow me to go back and experience this place with less stress and urgency that comes with balancing family travel needs and effectively researching and experiencing a place.

During our seven day stay we drove, biked and hiked the North and Southern coastline and got to experience the basic layout and highlights of the island. Here are our highlights and places that I would highly recommend:

• Wandering around Henningsvaer and enjoying one of Norway’s most exotic fishing villages, also known as little Venice
• Cycling around Gimsoy where we stayed in a fisherman’s guest house and experienced a wild mist that raced through the mountains
• The Viking Museum of Borg. Shooting arrows, playing on the Viking Ship and in the completely hands-on museums
• Hiking along the coast of Eggum. Finding whalebones and seeing giant slugs! It looks and feels like Ireland!
• Listening to the Serenade of Seabirds, of which there are millions on the islands
• Running around and playing on what is considered Norway’s most gorgeous beach: Haukelandstrand
• Walking around to the galleries of Stamsund, Meeting artist Scott Thore and his parrot Laura
• Exploring the fishing villages of Ure, Ballstad, Mortsund
• Cycling to Sakrisoy and enjoying the best fish sandwich on the island and the doll museum
• Staying in a Rorbu, a renovated fishing cabin, in Tind for three nights
• Cycling to the picturesque town of A, eating fresh-baked cinnamon rolls in an ancient oven used by fishermen for centuries and wandering around the Fishing Village turned into a live museum where you can experience the life of fishermen
• A fishing trip and tour of the coastline including the Maelestrom, the world’s strongest current and eating our catch with fellow Italians that we met on the boat
• A midnight hike with my son to Stokkvika
• The historical importance of Codfish and Lofoten’s connection to Italy

check out my pictures from this trip!

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Snow, Sun and Waterfalls along the Rallavergen, Norway's most Famous Bicycle Route

Biking through Snow and Sun in the Fiords of Norway

Thanks to the kind sponsorship, guidance and assistance of Hege Barnes and Fjord Norway, we arrived in Bergen, Norway on July 7th and after roaming around the village settled into our lovely hotel on the port. The following day we took a 2.5 hour train along the Fiords and up into the mountain to Finse, Northern Europe’s highest situated railway station, 1222 meter above sea level. At Finse we stayed in Hotel Finse, a lovely hotel overlooking the “Blåisen Glacier." After testing our bikes and riding in a light then heavy rain we returned to the hotel for showers and a hearty dinner of roasted chicken, potatoes and other Norwegian specialties. By 10:00 we were tired but it’s hard to rest when there is a full light shining through our rooms until late. Regardless, we settled in with books and music for some well needed rest.

Today we awoke to a delightful morning with some overcast ready for our bicycling journey down to Vatnahalsen. We had a hearty breakfast and packed our backpacks with food, extra fleece and rainwear. We were told there were over 45 snow crossings but since lots of cyclists and hikers had been packing down the trail, we figured we would be fine.

With our luggage going to our destination without us, we enthusiastically began our ride from Finse to Vatnahalsen on the old Navvy Road - the Navvy Road or “Rallarvegen,” Norway’s most famous bicycling route. First built to bring in materials to the Bergensbanen Railway which opened in 1909, the route took us from Mid-Norway’s mountain plateau with glaciers and open fields, till mighty valleys and waterfalls.

Had we known there was so much snow and the terrain was so challenging we might have reconsidered the trip especially since the the only option for Luca was to ride a front suspension Mt Bike that was one size too big for him. Riding back and forth to school every day as well as a few Mt Bike excursions in the Fells had paid off for Luca. He is a natural on a bike. Watching him maneuver the bike over gravel, uphills and over snow (and getting his gears right almost every time) it was hard to believe that last summer he was still on training wheels.

Apparently the snow usually melts on the Rallarvegen by mid-July but not this year! The dirt and gravel trail winded gently along a deserted landscape of snow, waterfalls and distant mountains. After crossing about 15 snowbanks, sometimes over 200 meters long and uphill, the ride begain feeling more like an expedition than a bike ride. Although Lorenzo and Valentina’s patience and muscles were certainly tested they kept our spirits up for Luca who was almost lost it on several occasions. All along the way we munched on nuts, hearty sandwiches and on a king size bar of Swiss chocolate

As I expected the bike expedition paid off. Eventually the white, gray and blue landscape turned completely green and lush with flower, ferns and tall grass. The frozen waters melted into enormous waterfalls with clear blue freezing water gushing full force over cracks in the mountain. We eventually ended up at the Sognefjord, a spectacular route filled with contrasts. While there were treacherous moments with steep drops, the riding got better and better as we descended. I have never seen so many waterfalls! As we neared the end of our ride, the path followed the shores of an enormous lake, Reinungavatnet whose waters were so clear and cold. By 6:30 (over 6 hours on the trail) the trail arrived at the delightful Vatnahalsen Hotel. With only two mishaps--my lost glasses and Lorenzo’s knee digger--we were all very happy campers. Upon arriving I ordered a local beer for myself and a large Fanta for Luca then sat on the sun drenched porch and shared our adventures with fellow cyclists from Oslo and Northen Norway. A buffet dinner of fresh salmon and other local delicacies was served in a light drenched dining room. We toasted another great day in Norway!

Lego Land and Bye, Bye Copenhagen

We fulfilled Luca's ultimate childhood fantasy by taking him to Legoland about 3 hours West of Copenhagen. Like all my kids, he has grown up with these wonderful blocks as well as all the commercial permutations including Bioncles and the elborate Star Wars space stations. Like many families we have boxes of lego pieces that we regularly put together to create anything our imagination lets us

We boarded a train West at 10:30 and arrived in Lego Land at 1:30. Luca rushed in, dashing from exhibit to exhibit. I was hoping that it would be more than a corny amusement park and we were all pleasantly suprised! The entrance is a series of villages and scenes from around the world entirely made out of legos. There was they tiny town of Bergen, Norway where we are now, Amsterdam, Copenhagen and even Hollywood. The Capitol. Statue of Liberty and the Acropolis were all carefully constructed out of thousands of legos. Quite a feat.

The remainder of the park has G rated rides that we all enjoyed. Mauro and I are quite chicken when it comes to rides so we skipped the roller coaster but Valentina and Lorenzo loved it! We spent the whole day there and as usual closed the place. We took the last train back to Copenhagen. I advise that you stay over at the Legoland hotel as the round trip voyage was way too much!

The following day we rented bike again and cruised around on the city's wonderful bike lanes and saw the Changing of the Guards at the Amalienborg Palace, the Kronberg Castle, Cristiana Village (least favorite). and the Hans Cristian Anderson Museum (right next to Ripley's Believe it or Not. We dropped off our bikes and made our way back to our hotel. Along the way we enjoyed some jazz tunes in the street, had crepes and a hearty meal at an open cafe.

Today we arrived in Norway. More adventures to come!

Adventures in Denmark and Norway: Copenhagen

For the next 20 days we will be traveling in Denmark and Norway to explore with our family and scout out new tours for Ciclismo Classico. Already after 48 hours here I can see that the potential is huge for some wonderful rides throughout Denmark. The flat terrain, bike paths and charming culture is already getting my wheels spinning on ideas for 2010 itineraries! In the meantime, we will have fun with our family blending kids stuff with some family friendly fun.

We spent most of our second day in Copenhagen biking a delightful 27 KM tour on the infamous Bike with Mike tour that departs daily at the Main train station in Copenhagen. Still somewhat jet-lagged and dragging due to a late night at Tivoli, we arrived just in time to rent bikes and shovel down some fresh bread and juice. Mike, dressed in a bright green shirt and riding a handsome bright green steel bike appeared on the scene and cheerfully awaited for everyone to be settled and comfortable on their bikes before he began pedaling away like The Pied Piper of Denmark! Mike does three 20-30 KM city and country tours a day from March to December 31st and each one is a bit different than the next--that's an average of 100Km of tour guiding a day.

The four-hour tour was just the right pace for our three kids who usually led the pack. Using Copenhagen's incredible myriad of bike paths, lanes and special elevated bike ways, the tour winded its way through through the boulevards and tiny side streets of this amazing city, a true model of alternative transportation. I was struck by how quiet the city was and how safe and secure we all felt amidst the cars and other bikers. Thankfully my kids were impressed too. 6- year old Luca was right on Mike's tail and usually led the pack of 14 adults from all over the world. Mike shared that one of the growing industries for Copenhagen was exporting their wisdom and experience about bicycle transportation abroad. Bring it on Mike!

We started with the Carslberg brewery where we discovered that beer is no longer brewed there but big plans are in store to make the brewery a cultural center-residence. We pedaled through historic and residential Copenhagen and got to see the beat of the daily life on a Saturday afternoon. Mothers and fathers pushing their children around on Cristiana Bikes were everywhere. Mike pointed out countless historical facts and nuggets of wisdom all along the way including the fact that in 2008 Copenhagen was voted the best place to live in Europe. Even though a cup of coffee is six dollars and the personal taxes are 40%, the people love their way of life and it shows on their relaxed faces and highly social existence that spills out into the streets, cafes and along the harborway.

Other highlights on the tour included a visit to the gravesite of Denmark's beloved Hans Cristian Anderson, a lovely ride along the harbor to view the gorgeous boats, windmills and of course the Little Mermaid. We continued to the Amelienborg Royal Palace where we learned about the highly respected and love Queen Margrethe II, an accomplished scholar, linguist and painter, and has held many art shows over the years. Her illustrations—under the pseudonym Ingahild Grathmer—were used for the Danish edition of The Lord of the Rings. Towards the end of our ride we stopped to visit the sculpture of Soren Kierkegaard, another beloved Denmark son.

We concluded our tour back at the train station where Mike was quickly off to lead another afternoon tour, followed by a 7:00 tour. It was easily the best city tour I have ever done on my own or with a hired guide. His knowledge, kindness, expertise and love for his native city was a wonderful welcome to this fine cycling city.

I not only have a new cycling friend but a potential collaborator and inspiration for exciting cycling projects. One of his dreams: To give Obama and his family a bike tour around Copenhagen at this fall's climate summit that will have leaders from all over the world meeting in Copenhagen, a true model of sustainability. Another dream is to bring "Bike with Mike" to South Africa and train the locals there how to do his craft so they can have a self sustaining tourism business that only requires a few bicycles and lots of love and knowledge for where you live!

After the tour we retreated to the train station for lunch and then spent the rest of the day doing what Mike had taught us so well...enjoying the city by bike. Thanks Mike. Tomorrow Legoland!