Guest Stories: Carla Gambescia
Reflections on 30 Years of Cycling with Ciclismo Classico
My passion for cycling began very early with my tricycle … the act of self-propulsion and sense of freedom were instantly appealing. Later there was my pink Schwinn Stingray with its banana seat and chopper-style handlebars, and my first-generation Raleigh 10-speed. I just loved to ride, and I loved to ride long distances long before people thought about doing that.
So, naturally, I was drawn to bike touring. Do you remember OUTSIDE Magazine? It was there, in their classified ads, that I discovered Ciclismo Classico while searching for a bike tour to Sicily. Back in 1996 there were only a few bike tour companies, and few, if any, that ventured into Sicily. I like to say that first Ciclismo tour changed my life, which, to be fair, is an overstatement; but it most certainly changed the trajectory of it.
I grew up in South Philadelphia in a family that was deeply proud of its Italian roots. Prior to the La Bella Sicilia tour, I had traveled to Italy several times and loved it — but it was always as a tourist, as an outsider looking in. The experience of my first Ciclismo tour changed that. It felt like a homecoming. Our guides were so simpatico and, even though many things were not perfect, the tour came from a place of joy, and the guides’ passionate desire to share the Italian culture they were so proud of was contagious. I was hooked.
And without question, that first tour ignited my personal Italian renaissance. What I loved most about the experience was not just the beautiful cycling routes, but how my senses were awakened: to actually smell the roses, hear the cicadas, feel the wind against your skin, and sense the contour of the terrain beneath you. Or to simply stop and revel in how sunlight magically shimmers on the silvery leaves of ancient olive trees. Back then, Sicily as a destination wasn’t exactly ready for prime time, but our guides sought to provide cultural enrichment where and whenever possible, resulting in our little group feeling like we were part of the living culture.
About a decade after that first fateful trip, I opened an Italian restaurant and gelateria—with 18 flavors daily! Via Vanti! became a neighborhood favorite. I wanted my guests to feel like they had, for a brief time, stepped into Italia. I wanted to share my passion for Italian culture not just through the menu, but also through special events and dinners designed to bring Italian culture to life.
Via Vanti! received a “Very Good” rating from The New York Times. I would later write a book titled La Dolce Vita University: An Unconventional Guide to Italian Culture from A-to-Z. It’s a fun read and was awarded Best Travel Book of the Year in 2019 by the North American Travel Journalists Association.
Over the years, I have taken many Ciclismo trips: I am approaching 20 now and have even taken a few of my favorites twice. What I love most about Ciclismo is the care that goes into its itineraries, that the tours are not a “cookie-cutter” version of what other tour operators offer, and that Ciclismo goes places others do not. I love how Ciclismo tours blend cultural immersion with phenomenal riding.
My favorites have been Bike Across Southern Italy, which I’ve done twice, the same for Bike Across Italy, all the Sicily tours (including La Bella Sicilia West … please bring that back!), and Munich to Verona for its variety of terrain and cultures. For sheer riding, I loved Abruzzo & Molise.
My wish list includes Bike Across France, Verona to Salzburg, Andalusia, and an Epic Italy north-to-south route.
