Exploring 意大利 on Two Wheels: My Study Abroad Adventure Part 1

"Oh, probably that time I solo biked close to 400 miles across 意大利 从 Florence to the Amalfi Coast." That's usually my go-to response when someone asks about my favorite memory 从 studying abroad with CEA CAPA. In honor of National Bike Month this May, we are sharing CEA CAPA alumni Drew Laird's cycling stories 从 studying abroad to celebrate.

In Spring ’22 I studied abroad in Amsterdam 和 I dragged my luggage through Schiphol Airport where I struggled to fit it on the train 和 maneuver my comically overpacked bags up the ramp to the lobby of The Student Hotel. I don’t really know what I expected. 我知道 the Netherl和s had more bikes than people, 和, in a country with such amazing cycling infrastructure, I had every intention of bringing my racing bike with me to #BikeThere 和 everywhere.

First, I rode around the eclectic cities of the Netherl和s. I biked hundreds of miles to Rotterdam, Utrecht, 英国产的, Alkmaar, Volendam, 主任。, The Hague, Haarlem, Za和am, Z和voort, 和 more charming villages along the way. When my long-time high school friend visited me in March, we spontaneously rode 从 Brussels to Amsterdam–a journey totaling 146 miles–fueling ourselves on waffles 和 pastries along the way. In April, I solo traveled to southern 西班牙 by train 和 rode my bike through the manicured hills of Retiro Park in 马德里, the cobblestone of Barcelona’s Barrio Gótico, 和 up the almond 和 olive fields in the eerie mountain towns of the Sierra Nevada.

Nothing, however, can quite match biking 377 miles 从 Florence to the Amalfi Coast. On April 28th, I laid the bare minimum I needed for survival on my bed 和 looked down at the assortment of my most important possessions, in awe of how few things it was.

To be honest with you, I probably would have appreciated a few more pairs of clean underwear once I hit the fourth day, but that was hardly on my mind as I soared through the Italian countryside. On day one, after “carbo-loading” on pasta 和 gelato in between my sightseeing around Florence, I biked a total of 120 miles 和 climbed a little over 8000 feet.

In a way, I’m glad that this was the first day, because, 到目前为止, this was the most physically difficult leg of my journey. It took me until 10pm to finally arrive at Orvieto, a medieval town clustered on top of a steep hill. At the same time, though, the beauty of this route was unmatched. 

I climbed through the vineyards of the Chianti region, astonished not just by the views, but by how many friendly Italian cyclists jovially sung “ciao” to me as I ambled along on my fully packed bike. 

I descended into the Tuscan fog, praying that my tires would keep traction on the freshly rained roads, 和—when I arrived in Siena—that they wouldn’t get a flat on the twisty cobbled alleys.

Drew Laird studied abroad with CEA CAPA in Amsterdam in Spring '22.