Exploring Finale Ligure

#followcamfriday with Francesco Gozio in his home-town of Finale Ligure, Italy. I bet we can find some gelato here...

After spending a week in the alpine near Mont Blanc, Francesco and I headed to Finale Ligure to check out his home trails before the EWS arrived. Some would label this "secret practice" But, I wasn't here to race, I was leaving before the event. I came here to eat gelato. And since I was not racing, I ate gelato 3 times a day... Win Win.  #secretgelatopractice

The city, the food, the culture. How had I never visited before? This place absolutely melted my mind. Yes, the trails are world class, but the food.... Holy shit. I have been fortunate to have ridden my bicycle all over the world. What sticks in my mind anymore is the culture of the places I visit. Yes, the trails are fun, but this city won a special place in my heart. I will be back, no question. These are the experiences I remember at the end of the day. 

The old-world charm here is unmatched. Ancient architecture that overlooks the crustal-blue water below. Pure romance. Here is how my typical day went. Get up, have a light breakfast with several cappuccinos,  and then ride for 3-4 hours. Stop at some hole in the wall for lunch, that just happens to have the best food in the world... More espresso, maybe a glass of wine or two. Then it was back out for a few more hours of riding. Then dinner, again, at some unassuming family place that also happens to have some of the best food in the world. Maybe I would drink a bottle of wine. Oh and gelato. Insert one serving of gelato between every meal or activity. Unreal. 

Oh yeah, bike riding... I got distracted there. There is a reason that the EWS has been coming here since the series began. Finale has all types of terrain to keep anyone entertained for a week. Most of the EWS tracks from years' past still remain if you want a taste. Roller Coaster is basically a giant pump-track. Flat-track turn practice for days. The absence of a berm is a beautiful thing. Roller Coaster is one of the better "blue runs" anywhere. 

Francesco runs Ride Over Yonder guided tours. He is a fellow Yeti ambassador, trail shredder and one of the nicest people you could ever meet. If you want a proper experience in Finale, trail, food, culture, look no further, he is your guy. You can thank me later... You will gain weight from all the gelato and pasta, but you will ride for 6 hours a day, so I call it a wash. 

RIDE OVER YONDER Guided Tours

Beware of the local wildlife. This guy lives for ball, like I live for gelato. If you see this dude, you are about to jump in a shuttle. Your day will be amazing. Maybe throw the ball for this guy a couple of times. 
He will love you for it. 
Keep it locked right here to see how much weight I can gain in Italy.