“The Pizza Pilgrimage” documents Brad Shenton and Holly Winstone’s mission to uncover the best pizza in Italy—riding over 1,000 kilometers and eating a lot of pizza along the way. Watch the video they put together and find a fun selection of film photos they captured here…

Words and photos by Brad Shenton

A bikepacking trip from Milan to Naples, over six days, on the hunt for the best pizza Italy has to offer. Why? Because pizza is life, but the bike is also a tool to get from A to B, and we can’t forget that. In a world where racing seems to take the headlines, we wanted to adventure away from the race and enjoy the adventure.

It turned out to be a bigger challenge than we initially thought…

  • the pizza Pilgrimage
  • the pizza Pilgrimage
  • the pizza Pilgrimage

How did it go?

Over 1000 kilometers ridden and A LOT of pizza devoured. Some good, some great, and a couple of pizzas we won’t mention…but all a lot of fun. Each day seemed to find its rhythm: waking up and heading out the door by 8:00 am (or trying to, at least), riding all day, ending up at a town around 6:00 pm, eating pizza, and going to bed. Repeat.

This trip was about exploration, and we certainly got that, passing through small hilltop towns like Radicofani to the hectic hustle but historic city of Rome. We had it all, and we really did experience some unexpected delights: finding out that every petrol station also happens to have a fully licensed bar (a little concerning), that water fountains are life savers in 40-degree heat (as are the copious amounts of Lemon Sodas we drank) and that the riding around Siena is some of our favorite riding we have ever done in our lives.

  • the pizza Pilgrimage
  • the pizza Pilgrimage
  • the pizza Pilgrimage
  • the pizza Pilgrimage
  • the pizza Pilgrimage

Italy is a special place with a unique way of working, but you get used to it, and you can really tell that food plays a special part in the life of Italians. We were lucky enough to eat some fantastic pizzas, taste and explore the variations each region offers, and truly immerse ourselves in the culture.

Have we had enough pizza? Probably, but we will continue to end rides with a good slice.

  • the pizza Pilgrimage
  • the pizza Pilgrimage
  • the pizza Pilgrimage

Further Reading

Make sure to dig into these related articles for more info...

FILED IN (CATEGORIES & TAGS)

Dispatch

Please keep the conversation civil, constructive, and inclusive, or your comment will be removed.