Bike Riding in Friuli

[hathor]

Jeff and I are planning a bike trip to Friuli at the end of the month and if anyone has words of wisdom regarding places to go and wines to drink, speak up now, or forever hold your peace.

The plan as of today, is to take the train up to Udine, then head to Cividale di Friuli, spend some time in the wine towns around Cormons. I want to take Jeff to La Subidia, I've been there and it was such a treat I want to share it with him. Then we are heading south to Grado for a little view of the ocean.

Oh, yeah, we'll take bike trip advice as well. The info regarding taking bikes on TrenItalia is a little vague, and totally Italian!

[hathor]

-BUMP-

70 views and no replies. I'm beginning to think no one has ever gone to Friuli! When I've tried to find guide books here in Umbria for Friuli, they look at me as if I want the guidebook for Mars!

If I find anything good....I'll let you know!

[fortedei]

-BUMP-

70 views and no replies. I'm beginning to think no one has ever gone to Friuli!    When I've tried to find guide books here in Umbria for Friuli, they look at me as if I want the guidebook for Mars!

If I find anything good....I'll let you know!

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Antica Trattoria Boschetti in Tricesimo, not far from Udine, is a gem. Rinaldo Krecvoj is at the top of his game. Fantastic food with no gimmicks (i.e. read no foams etc), wonderful wine list (and great glasses) because he cares and a very comfortable trattoria setting. Bike riding around there is perfect, and is different from Cormons area.

[salutistagolosa]

do you read Italian? if not, you may just skim this for restaurant names. These two posts refer to restaurants around Carso:

http://www.gennarino.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=13509

and

http://www.gennarino.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=13536

at any rate the names of the places visited are

1) ristorante Gruden, San Pelagio (http://www.myresidence.it/ita/ita_1.htm)

2) Krizman a Monrupino/Repen (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Albergo+Ristorante+Krizman+Repen&sll=45.719814,13.799901&sspn=0.013663,0.038624&ie=UTF8&z=15)

3) Trattoria/Gostilna Suban di Ternova Piccola (http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&client=firefox-a&q=suban+trieste&ie=UTF8&ll=45.768002,13.714972&spn=0.027302,0.077248&z=14&iwloc=D)

I have not been here, but I can vouch for the two guys who reccomend them. In addtion, apparently Max in Opicina is terrific, too.

In Sauris/Zahre they produce excellent IgP prosciutto, and of course San Daniele. Apparently Cormòns is well known for wine.

[hathor]

Grazie tante!! Si, lego e parlo Italiano. Non molto bene, ma abastanza bene.

Great info. We are in the final stages. Picked up our bikes after a good controllare, new bourse, and we are nearly ready to roll.

Anyway want to watch 2 adorable cats for 10 days?

[prasantrin]

Grazie tante!! Si, lego e parlo Italiano. Non molto bene, ma abastanza bene.

Great info. We are in the final stages. Picked up our bikes after a good controllare, new bourse, and we are nearly ready to roll.

Anyway want to watch 2 adorable cats for 10 days?

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Well, if you're paying for my plane ticket, I'll be glad to get some kitty lovin'!

I hope you post some pictures of your adventure--on eG or on your blog! Italy is one of the only European countries on my list of places to visit. It's all about the food, doncha know!

[pedalaforte]

How was the trip? I haven't been here for a while, so I missed the initial post. I've cycled a bunch in Trentino, Alto Adige, and used the trains at a couple of points. I assume you've had your questions answered. No?

Headin back again next June (2009). Can't stay away.

[hathor]

Ciao! We just got back late on Monday evening...and have had internet issues ever since.

I'm organizing my photos and info, but overall....it was OUTSTANDING! Mangia bene, beve bene, in bici bene.

Here's the sound byte version:

Udine: It's much easier to get a cocktail or a good glass of wine in Udine than it is to find a good restaurant. Absolutely fantastic bar culture and a gorgeous city.

Cividale dei Friuli: beautiful town and a good base for exploring the wine region. Wonderful enoteca in the piazza.

Cormons, La Subida: a little slice of heaven. A divine restaurant, in the sense that it satisfied all of your senses. Great food, atmosphere and genuine hospitality.

Riding around the Cormons-Prepotto-Dolegna area was just lovely. It was the height of vendammia and we followed tractors filled with grapes, smelled grapes everywgere and were swarmed by fruit flies (not exactly romantic, but what do you expect with a lot ripe grapes around).

Gorizia: we got a strange vibe here, there is a sense of sadness, as if what happened during the last war is still an open wound. However, we did find a charming, delicious restaurant, La Locandareria that made the trip worthwhile.

Monfalcone: truly the armpit of Italy.

Trieste: Go. Go. Go. Go now. What a city! And the costiera strada between Monfalcone and Trieste is a real treat to ride.

Grado: not our cup of tea but lovely all the same.

As soon as I get it together I'll post some photos and addresses of the good places. We were very sorry to leave....but, of course, happy to be home.

[hathor]

Well it took me a long time to organize my Friuli notes...besides having a lot of notes, regular life just kept interfering....know what I mean?!

If you want a blow by blog, with names, addresses and photos, check out my blog. This is just to whet your appetite. If anyone wants some specific info, PM me. We also found some great hotels, and some you can avoid.

Here are some photo highlights. With me egullet print out in hand, we really did try to get to Tricesmo, but the smell of grilling meat lured us into Trattoria Friuli instead and we shared a fine steak and a literal mountain of fresh sauteed funghi. The foragers were literally staggering out of the hills carrying huge baskets of mushrooms.

Our favorite vineyard is Cencig and he doesn't export. Just a real small place where we bought killer cab franc for 90 cents a liter.

We came back from Friuli with a much bigger appreciation of fine glassware. No matter how humble the place, your wine came in exquisite crystal. Saturday night in Udine there are literally thousands of people on the streets, all holding fine stemware. We came back, bought some nice crystal and have proceeded to break most of them already. Oh well, I still want my wine in a nice glass.

Friuli is more or less off the tourist radar and I truly don't understand why. It's gorgeous, it has mountains, coastline, an incredible food and wine culture and the magical city of Trieste.

Fantastic cocktail bar in Udine...best DJ ever...damn good Manhattans

Wonderful enoteca in Cividale del Friuli. Guy knows his stuff and loves to share his knowledge.

Right in the main piazza.

Cividale del Friuli, heart of wine country. I told you it was pretty.

Boreto restaurant in the seaside town of Grado. Boreto is local dialect for brodetto which means a kind of fish stew that is made all over the Adriatic coast. Each town boasts a slightly different and of course, superior version.

Depending on where you are the food can tend toward Austrian/Slovenia influences, with great cheeses, San Daniele prosciutto which should be eaten at every meal, fresh grated horseradish shows up in unexpected places or else you have very simple fresh fish presentations.

Edited November 22, 2008 by hathor (log)

[fortedei]

Glad you appreciated the glasses wherever you went.

I've always been surprised, particularly in the past dozen years as good glasses (from Riedel as an example) have come down to a low price, at how many restaurants still use crappy stemwear even if they offer decent wines. A little extra in the price of a bottle (not even noticeable) woud take care of capital costs and breakage.

Would restaurants which purport to serve good food serve the food on paper plates? That's the equivalent of poor glasses.

[pedalaforte]

Thanks for the update. More bikes in the photos! Although food and wine are parallel pinnacles of a cycling-Italy trip.

Just reserved hotels for June '09 trip. So it's happening. Trento, Bolzano, Bormio. Meet you at the Hotel America June 21, 9 a.m. for ride #1! It's a good one.

Cheers

And, does anyone know restaurants in Bolzano that have some magic? Our favorite from a trip past changed owners and went downhill (Baussenhausel?). This past June we took some stabs out of the air and were rewarded with nothing memorable.

[Chufi]

hathor, thanks for putting Friuli on the map for me, here and on your blog. It looks beautiful and is now very much on my list as a possible travel destination for 2009!

Edited November 26, 2008 by Chufi (log)

[hathor]

hathor, thanks for putting Friuli on the map for me, here and on your blog. It looks beautiful and is now very much on my list as a possible travel destination for 2009!

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I'll meet you in Trieste...anytime! That sounds so romantic...I think we should dress like 1940 film stars...all in black and white. We can sip Prosecco in the Piazza Liberta and wait for Humphrey Bogart to walk by...or we can have our spouses dress like Humphrey Bogart....

[I_call_the_duck]

hathor,

I just noticed this thread. Thanks for blogging about Friuli.

Mr. Duck and I are big fans of refosco and tocai, and that region is definitely one that's on our list when we finally get to the northern part Italy.

Working my way through your lovely pictures and dreaming of Italia.