Biking & Cooking in Florence Oltrarno

When thinking about my time in Florence, I really wanted to do a bike ride and a cooking class. I was so happy when I found this tour on Cookly because it combines both. I had a few questions that I wasn’t clear about when I booked, so hopefully my review will help others thinking about this activity. We met at the bike shop where Bill provided us with bikes and helmets. He gave us water bottles and made sure our bikes fit properly. I was really worried about riding bikes next to the cars but he calmly explained that the cars are used to many bikes and just to stay calm and ignore them. The first part of the bike ride was out of the city and on a moderate incline, which makes sense if you think of the many hills in Tuscany. My sister’s asthma coupled with the fact that it was literally 98 degrees resulted in frequent breaks; Bill was so nice and allowed her all the time she needed. Fortunately we were the only two for the bike portion so he was able to modify this portion and allow for the breaks, during which he chatted with us and even provided some history about where we stopped. He was very motivating. When we arrived at a beautiful stopping point, he explained all of the grape vines, olive trees, caper plants, blackberries etc and had great photo ops. We didn’t get to complete the route I guess he usually does because of the breaks but that was fine because what we saw was beautiful. We then basically rolled back down the hill, again into the city traffic, and arrived at MaMa Florence. I would definitely recommend Bill. Personally I loved it and would do it again but I wouldn’t recommend this if you cannot ride a bike up a moderate incline. When we got to MaMa Florence, Danny greeted us with excitement. First of all, the kitchen was beautiful! The air condition was a huge plus after our bike ride portion. He offered us cold water right away. There was one other person in the class. Danny reviewed the menu and taught the three of us how to make a delicious 5 course meal. It was seriously one of the best meals I had while in Florence. Danny demonstrated what to do and then gave us each an assignment, so we prepared the meal together. Then, we sat down, had some prosecco and Danny plated and served a beautiful meal. We even had wine too. I would absolutely recommend a cooking class at Mama Florence!! In summary, Bill and Danny made this a very special, memorable and fun activity, and I had a really great time. My only regret is that I planned to provide gratuity to further express my appreciation and first Bill had left on his bike before I got it out and then I completely forgot to hand something to Danny because I got distracted when I purchased a small bottle of balsamic. We found our way back to the shops but unfortunately they were both closed. Bill and Danny: if you read this, please know we had a wonderful time with you and we thank you for everything!! I hope my (long) review helps anyone who may have questions!