Day 7 in Sicily

Day two of biking began at our hotel in the fisherman village of Castellammare del Golfo. Although it was a short 25 mile day it was tough, with a roller coaster of ups and downs over one hill after another.  Love the descents but you pay on the ascent! The ride began with a steep climb out of the town and continued along the coast with stunning views. Our final destination was Zingaro natural park. It is a picturesque park which required more exercise since we had to hike "down" to the pebble beach where I could wade in the cool waters of the sparkling Mediterranean. Our backpacks carried our noontime meal of Italian bread, cheese, fruit, and of course our melted chocolate. Time passed quickly as we enjoyed watching the Italians and others swim and snorkel. All too soon we had to climb out of the park and onto our bikes. On our return ride we were directed through the hamlet of Scopella, where we filled our water bottles from the town's water trough in the town square, hoping the water was drinkable! 

The evening is upon us and with no afternoon nap it is early to bed, especially after reading our itinerary for tomorrow's ride-a long, hilly day! Until tomorrow.....

Day 6 in Sicily

The ride begins! As we pedal through Mondella in the early morning we witness sites of a Sicilian city just beginning it's day: fruit stands opening boxes and revealing their wares, old men with wine "bellies"  arguing politics at the local bar serving the daily hot espresso, cars slinging yesterday's garbage bags onto overflowing garbage bins, fishing boats " setting sail" hoping to return with today's catch for the local restaurants. 

From the city we head south following our detailed instructions and enjoy the scenery of the Mediterranean while riding along the coast. The day is sunny and warm, averaging upper 80's. Thankfully we are well supplied with water and food because most of the day is spent away from towns, out in the countryside. We travel up and down hills and over some rough terrain but find joy in it all. Communing with God and his creation on a bike is a real delight! My camera snaps photos of sheep being herded right next to us as we ride, an old castle perched high on a hill, and a fishing village at dusk, which is our final destination. After 50 miles we are tired, take a nap, then head into town to feast on the local "catch of the day".

Day 5 in Sicily

A test run was necessary to work out "bugs" in the bike and to attempt an understanding of the directions provided by Iron Donkey, (the biking company directing us through western Sicily). This morning we rode a short distance and all systems are a go for tomorrow's "maiden voyage". We had lunch by the harbor in Mondello and Hunter fed the hungry pigeons, (missing the grandchildren who would love this activity!).

On our return trip to the hotel we stopped at a local fruit stand and learned about prickly pears, the edible fruit on the cactus, now being the ripe season. We learned they are called the "mother of Sicily". Full of seeds yet incredibly sweet we bought a few to eat this evening. Before cutting into one it must be soaked one hour to soften the thorns. Not my favorite because of the multitude of seeds-definitely not a fruit Americans would buy, but another interesting experience!

Day 4 in Sicily

From coast to coast, across an island by car in a day can be challenging at best, frustrating at least-in general for us a day " for the books"! After a continental breakfast, a brief walk up to a church, and a stop to purchase "world renown" chocolates we programmed our beloved GPS system with the Palermo airport car rental, to drop off the car before we start our biker trip.  Driving out of the Modica valley of hillside houses was majestic. Actually I was a bit sad to leave wishing we had more time to explore and especially eat once again at The Osteria, where the night before we bathed our tongues in Sicilan delights! But on to new adventures I thought, little realizing how the day would truly test us!

A day which was to take 5 hours was to stretch into 9 long hours! 

The morning and early afternoon went fairly well, GPS leading us a bit astray twice-once on a narrow road high up in the hills that had guard rails but half the road was missing, thankfully not our half! The second GPS "blunder" led our car onto a road which simply got narrower and narrower until we had to turn around and find a new route or go over the edge-not a hard choice! But these problems paled in comparison to what happened as we got close to the airport. In fact we were actually only about 45 minutes from the car rental, just entering the outskirts of Palermo when it started to rain-not just a light rain but a downpour accompanied by hail, so much we had to get off the road and try and wait it out, which we did. Our GPS seemed a bit confused again so we ventured on our own looking for the autostrada. After driving a short distance we became entangled in a traffic jam compounded by an accident which grounded us to a halt for 1 1/2 hours! Hunter, a bit ADHD, can't tolerate just sitting so when opportunity became available he drove over the median, much to my shock, and we joined oncoming traffic! ( I suddenly had visions of jail time in Sicily!) Now we were going in the opposite direction from our destination! GPS loudly protested but finally "recalculated" and we were in the heart of Palermo driving down little side roads, having to back out of alleys, and drive through rain soaked streets,where the water almost reached the doors! (Later we learned from a local that there are no storm drains in Palermo so when it rains hard the streets literally become rivers!) It took about four hours to get through Palermo to reach the airport rental where we met our contact from the biking company who took us to our hotel. So after such a day what are we doing now? Guess!

Day 3 in Sicily

God's power is so event when you consider the forces of a volcano! Today Hunter and I toured the old lava fields and volcanic caves of Mt.Etna, a volcano whose last eruption was in April of this year. It was a fascinating "lesson" and good exercise as we hiked over old lava flows. The jeep ride up to the volcano was in itself an adventure!

In the afternoon we drove south through the hills of southern Sicily on miles and miles of " hairpin" turn roads. The countryside was beautiful, mostly farming and rural agriculteral villages. By 6 p.m. we had arrived at our destination-Modica, a fascinating old town with magnificent churches, mouth watering Sicilian cuisine, and world renown chocolate! Our bed & breakfast is in an 18th century stone building!

Our room is amazing-should be an interesting visit!  

Day 2 in Sicily

On the road in our car rental after a wonderful European breakfast of croissants, ham, cheese, hard boiled eggs, yogurt, and of course the espressos to wake up my husband! We drive along the northern coast of Sicily with rugged, lively green hills on our right and the sparkling "med" on our left. I would have to describe this part of the island as a myriad of tunnels connected by glimpses of the sea. It took approximately four hours to reach our final destination of Taormina, a quaint coastal town nestled into the rugged eastern hillside of Sicily. Once again we are thankful for our GPS because our hotel is on the TOP of the "mountain" and located only after a harrowing drive through twisting, narrow roads. (Thankfully, I am blessed with a husband who "cut his teeth" driving in New York and in Italy in 1968!)

The evening was spent walking down MANY stairs to the towns center, wandering the streets of this beautiful little town, and eating a delicious meal at a local pizzeria, where we met a delightful couple from the Netherlands, sharing traveling adventures. Now how do we find our way back to our hotel in the dark??

 

Sicily in October 2013

Day 1

Arrived in Palermo via AiItalia airlines, thankfully both bike bags came off the baggage claim belt on time and in good shape! Successfully navigated the outskirts of Palermo onto our final destination of Mondello, with the help of our hand-held navigation system. What would we do without that tool?!

Hotel Palace Mondello is far from a  "palace" but remember this is Sicily. It's old but clean with wonderfully friendly and helpful staff! Our evening meal was served in a small sidewalk cafe overlooking the Mediterranean Sea "kissing" the rugged coastline of the island. Hunter and I shared a seafood pasta dish with shrimp, mussels, and clams accompanied by crusty fresh Italian bread and grilled egg plant. A lovely white wine completed the dinner. Currently, while I am composing this blog, Hunter is assembling our tandem in our bedroom. Wish I could video this process, think you would be amazed at his skills, but then again he is doing this in his underwear so maybe a video would not be a good idea! Can we say a warm evening in Sicily?