Day 14 in Sicily

We arrived early afternoon into the town of Monreale, the ending point for our 10 day bike ride through western Sicily. This morning the sun again shown bright and the temps warm as we peddled through the country, with a couple of steep climbs that always reward us with spectacular views. In general the afternoon was downhill but challenging as there were several dark tunnels to go through, a variety of bridges to cross, rough pavement patches, (even 1/2 a road missing), and directions that involved a multitude of turns through this busy city. But we are here and our B&B is spacious. After spending 2 hours disassembling the tandem and packing it into its two suitcases we showered and took a walk through this famous town. It is widely known as the "home" of the Monreale Cathedral, with its breathe taking mosaics! They truly are camera worthy! Our stomachs began to growl but too early at 5:30 p.m. for dinner in Italy. But with a bakery near our hotel we indulged in crusty bread and fruit to tide us over until 7:30 p.m. when an inviting pizzeria says it will begin serving. Why not enjoy true Sicilian pizza for our last night in Sicily! 

We are both sad to say, "The ride is done and we must now leave this wonderful island". This has been one of those "vacations of a life time"! For us that translates into interesting adventures, taking some risks, challenging our bodies, trying new foods, testing our wills and sometimes pushing them to the limit. It also builds our marriage as we ride down the road on the tandem talking, laughing, and sometimes even "arguing" or shall I say discussing which direction to go. We are blessed that God joined our lives together and we share a passion for travel and biking!

I hope you have enjoyed reading these blogs of our trip and I pray God is daily blessing you with passions in life!

Day 13 in Sicily

 There are some valuable items we are glad we brought along on this trip. Our Italian cell phone is one of them. We have had to use it when we couldn't get to the airport on time for our pick-up last week, called the company's contact when our luggage didn't show up after our first day's ride, called to discuss some bad directions and get some reassurance we could trust the future direction sheets, and finally we have been in touch with our daughter who will deliver our 8th grandchild any day! (We are all praying the baby waits to arrive until we return from Sicily on Wednesday!)

Another crucial item we brought is our odometer. Since the company's daily directions depend on kilometers traveled our odometer is necessary! To pair with the odometer is our handheld GPS with it's European road maps. When our provided directions don't match the roads, signs, or landmarks (which has been almost 50% of the time!) we pull out the GPS and make necessary adjustments. Honestly, without this devise we would have been totally lost in Sicily at least three times!!

Finally, an item we hope never to use but so glad we have it along is our pepper spray. Today we came as close as we ever had to using it. There are many dogs in Sicily, mostly for protection of property and for herding sheep in the country. Our information packet from the biking company suggested we always get off our bikes and walk past any dogs. In Sicily they are not accustomed to bikers, as they are on the main land of Italy, and a tandem is especially foreign to them. We have faithfully followed this policy and found the dogs to be very friendly and mostly just curious. But that is not the case with one particular dog today. We were traveling in the country and had just come down a gentle slope of the road when this vicious dog came racing down the lane. We immediately jumped off the bike and Hunter yelled at him to "go home", which is his customary response to a barking dog and it has always worked in the past but not this time. The dog bared his teeth, barked, growled and continued his approach. Our adrenaline was running high. Hunter had me behind him and the tandem between us and the dog. He had also disengaged the pepper spray from its holder and held it ready. (The problem with our little pepper spray is that the dog has to be VERY close before it reaches him and you have to be very accurate.) We began backing down the hill, past this dog's property, continually yelling at the dog. He followed us for quite a distance before he retreated home. We then quickly mounted the bike and peddled away, only to stop about a mile down the road to sit and rest after quite a scare. (I was bit once years ago by a dog while we were biking and I don't relish a repeat "performance"!) We are glad we had the pepper spray but Hunter would rather have had a gun! 

It was a very hilly ride today and that combined with the dog insident results in two extremely tired bikers who will go to bed early IF we can have our evening meal BEFORE the middle of the night!

Day 12 in Sicily

This was a tough day! Although the mileage was only around 30+ miles the elevation grade was almost equal to the climb on Wednesday! Today we also experienced some rough roads, as shown in the photos below!

Our B & B tonight is located basically on top of a mountain- no kidding! 

While riding this morning, before I had to simply concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other or pushing down slowly on one pedal after the other out of shere exhaustion, God showed me His glory in the surrounding countryside.

In the umbrella tree I saw Him as a God of protection, covering us with His "umbrella" of love. 

In the olive tree I saw His eternal nature. Did you know that in southern Italy there still exist olive trees that date back to the time of Christ? Basically an olive tree never dies except if destroyed by a disease or man but keeps on producing indefinitely? 

In the vineyard this time of year I saw God's mercy in the pruning process in our lives. The vineyards look dead now but really they are waiting for the "vine dresser" to cut off all the old growth so in the spring the new growth will produce fresh grapes. Isn't that just what God does in our lives? When we get "ugly looking" on the inside He prunes us so we will once again produce fruit for His kingdom.

And in the beauty of the valleys I saw God's creative nature displayed in all it's glory.

So even though I'm tired from a hard bike ride I feel so blessed to have "seen" God all day long!

Day 11 in Sicily

Can you identify this plant? It is all over Sicily. Yes, you "kings"of the garden, it is an aloevira plant. They are used for decoration and grow wild along the roadway. Other "crops" we have seen are olive groves by the acres, vineyards,(not as abundant as on the mainland), prickly pear cactus plants planted in rows, fields of egg plant, yellow melons, and a vegetable which is a cross between cauliflower and broccoli. We have also seen little white potatoes, small, firm and incredibly sweet pears, plums, and large green grapes. The grapes take some adjustment since they are NOT seedless, in other words, they have not been "hybriidtized". Can we say natural food in Sicily? Maybe the states needs to learn a lesson or two from Sicily. Did you know GMO wheat and soy beans are not allowed in Sicily? No wonder my stomach problems are much less here!

Today was another sunshine filled day and a beautiful bike ride through the countryside and by the coast. We did had an opportunity to visit an old archeology spot with the remains of an impressive Greek temple. Not certain about the historical details because we didn't take the pricey narrated tour but did walk around the massive and impressive structure.

Our evening is at another beautiful agriturismo, with a quaint room and delicious food. There is only one chage we would make in these lovely establishments-an earlier evening meal! After bike riding all day we are ready for bed at 7:00 p.m. but dinner is not served until 8:00p.m.! Thank goodness for internet, otherwise we'd be asleep and miss the wonderful evening "fare"!

Day 10 in Sicily

"A walk in the park, a breeze, a piece of cake, a snap of your fingers" or whatever cliche you might use to describe something that is easy is how I'd classify today's ride of approximately 55 miles along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The directions were "spot on" and the morning hills so much lower than our climb yesterday that to describe them as hills is a misnomer.

 I was reminded today of the Biblical principle that trials are allowed by God to strengthen you and Paul encourages Christians to persevere, run the race, finish the "fight" to win the prize-eternal life. In  2 

Corinthians Paul writes that Jesus says, "My strength is made perfect through your weakness". I share all this to remind myself that yesterday's "trials"-persevering when the bike climb was tough-served to encourage me and give me confidence in my physical ability similar to what God does for us as we trust in His leading no matter what life experiences we travel through.

I took many photos today ranging from the Sicilian countryside and the salt flats, to the shimmering, diamond studded waters of the Med. Truly God's handwork displayed for our pleasure! 

Tonight we are staying in the town of Mazara del Vall, which is reported to be the biggest fishing port in all so Sicily. Can you guess what will be on my dinner plate this evening?

Day 9 in Sicily

As I flop on the bed Hunter leans over and says, " Remember, what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger"! I'm not dead, although my tired body may differ with that evaluation, so I guess I'm stronger. Today's ride was a challenge, both physically and mentally for me. It all began a half hour into the ride, which was to be a loop starting from the agriturismo in the morning and returning there in the early afternoon via the town of Erice, which is a medieval town sitting on top of a mountain. Our plans were to ride to Erice, put our bike on the cable car, and enjoy the ascent. Then we would ride down the mountain after walking the streets and exploring the town. At the bottom of the mountain we would follow our directions back "home" and rest before dinner. 

A mere 2 kilometers into the ride our directions failed us. We back tracked and started over thinking we had simply missed something. No. The directions were wrong. Our choice-give up and return to home base or forge on pulling out our hand held GPS and "breaking" our own trail, which is exactly what we did, but unfortunately we ended up on some pretty busy highways! If you have ridden with me before you know I get a bit flustered when I can't follow the intended directions, but we did locate the cable car in Erice so we were back on track. "What? The cable car is not running today due to high winds? You have got to be kidding!" These were my words to the attendant by the cable car station.

After all the work to get here we weren't even going to see the medieval town? "Just ride up on your bike", he said. "It is only 10 kilometers." Somehow 10k or around 8 miles doesn't sound bad on flat ground but up a mountain on switch-back roads? Hunter was in favor of trying it so why not. We can always turn around, right? The first couple of kilometers were tolerable but I knew I was wearing thin when I thought we had to at least be at kilometer 7 or 8 and I read a sign post that said we were at kilometer 4! We rode for 2 1/2 hours in "granny gear." Sometimes we even had to get off and walk because the grade was SO steep! When finally we reached the summit we had several Italian men cheer us on. I guess they knew I needed a little "reward"-ha! After all that effort we spent only about 1/2 hour or less taking a few photos and stopping to buy a regional pastry and then started down, since the wind had picked up and we didn't want to be out at dark. I had a tense time on the ride down since I am a bit afraid of heights. The wind was so strong that as we rounded the bends it swayed our bike and at times we felt as though we could barely move forward! I was gripping the handle bars with white knuckles! 

Another problem was the return directions-wrong again! Our faithful GPS came in handy once more. It was worth it's "weight in gold" today! Thankfully we were back before dark and in enough time to shower, rest, and relax before dinner. Now my only concern is the direction sheet for tomorrow's ride.

 Will it prove equally undependable? Time will tell...

As I think over the day and our adventure on the "big rock" which holds up the town of Erice, I am reminded that Jesus is our "rock". He is solid, always dependable and No winds of evil can sway Him.

I am so glad He is my "rock of ages" and I can always depend on Him!

Day 8 in Sicily

Pleasant surprise-today's bike ride to Fontanasalsa not as difficult as expected. The morning presented a few rolling hills and one steep climb but by the afternoon we rode on a long ridge and enjoyed the beautiful valleys. We took time to have a leisurely lunch in a little hamlet where Hunter ate the "mother"of all cannolis!

I know there are those of you who wonder why would 60+ year olds with bad knees and other structural problems spend their vacation sitting five or more hours on a bike saddle sweating their way across a less than modern country? Two reasons pop to mind. The first reason is evident in the photo above-FOOD! When you expend the calories we do each day you can eat whatever you want and how much you want.

 The second reason is ADVENTURE! You never know what is around the next bend in the road. When we travel on these self-guided rides we are given a set of directions for each day with the night's lodging as the final destination. I compare it to a big "treasure" hunt each day, the "treasure" being where we are going to sleep each night. I have always loved treasure hunts, and often devised them for our children while they were growing up. In fact our daughter and her husband have started a yearly Christmas treasure hunt for our grandchildren. Like any true treasure hunt the clues, or in our case the directions, can be confusing, challenging, even a mystery which require determination and patient persistence to understand and follow. But unlike a normal treasure hunt we do not have the option of quitting because our luggage awaits our arrival at the "end" of the day-at the "treasure box"!

Well, our treasure tonight is Fontanasalsa Farm, an agriturismo. For the non-Italian in the group an agriturismo is a farm in the country which opens it's doors to guests for food and lodging and most of what they serve is grown on their farm.

Just returned from the 2 hour evening meal, waddling into our room and flopping on the bed, absolutely "stuffed to the gills" with the best Sicilian food to date!! Definitely looking forward to a repeat performance tomorrow night, since we are here for two days! Great place for a "layover"!!