geeteetravels

We had a relaxing morning on the beach today, quite a change from our usual get up and go routine. We tried out our new very portable beach mat, a gift from our tandem buddies, and even had an umbrella supplied by our host. It was a beautiful day and a Saturday so there were many people doing the same as us. 

After lunch and a short rest we hopped on the local bus into Agrigento and did some exploring. Agrigento is placed on the slope of a hill so were climbing again but only on foot. We looked at two cathedrals and climbed a tower. We saw three different wedding parties in a small area, a common thing to see on a Saturday here. 

We’re roughly following the SIBIT route on the south coast.

One of the churches we visited in Agrigento.

Interesting facade on this building.

It was very satisfying to ride downhill from Caltabellotta today but it always seems amazing that these hilltop towns disappear so quickly when it took so long to climb up. Throughout the day we kept getting glimpses of the peak again and wondering how we ever managed it.

Today’s ride was definitely easier but not easy. We still had a bunch of shortish but steep climbs and we rode over 80 kms. We went through Ribera and then to the coast to Eraclea Minoa to see the Capo Bianco, literally a white cliff above the ocean. There’s also some ruins there but we chose not to see them as the day was already long. 

Closer to Agrigento we rode past the more famous and larger white cliff the Scala dei Turchi, or Turkish stairs which are literally giant stairs going down to the sea. It’s a very interesting thing to see but unfortunately also very busy with tourists. The rest of the ride was uneventful. We are staying on the coast in San Leone just south of Agrigento and the Valley of Temples. It’s a nice beachy town where we’ll relax for a few days.  The hosts seem wonderful and very helpful. She even gave me some laundry soap to do my washing. 

Looking back to Caltabellotta on the way down.

Capo Bianco near Eraclea Minoa.

Tara and Scala dei Turchi.

Ancient Caltabellotta stuck up against the mountains and a big solar array below.

This was an epic climbing day, more than the one to Erice which was just a warm up.  Today we rode from almost sea level to the town of Caltabellotta which is about 800m but the total elevation gain was about 1140m, with all our luggage! We had no bags climbing to Erice.  But as George always says, there’s no view without the climb. And a great view it is. 

The town is on the side of a mountain. It’s streets are impossibly narrow and steep. I can’t quite see how it all works for driving. There is barely enough room for one car and yet the streets are not all one-ways. Well, actually they are all one ways but the direction changes with each car! There are only a few sidewalks also and people have to squeeze against the wall to let the cars pass and for cars to go around most corners takes a few adjustments. And of course no one drives an automatic. It makes driving at home seem very boring. 

The B&B is very nice, the host Giuseppe was quite impressed that we rode up here and with the bike. His family also runs the restaurant “MATES”  that is close by.  It stands for Museo Antiche Tradizionale Enogastronomica Sicilia. It is one of those restaurants where there is no menu; they just bring you food until you can eat no more. Fantastico!

Oh yeah, we’re tired.

We climb for the view from our B&B.

I agree the view would be better from there but no…

Another view of the view.

The selfie view.

Hard to describe or capture the driving in this tipped over town.

After the primi but before secondi in MATES

We made a quick exit from Marsala this morning so we could arrive in Selinunte with enough time to walk through the Archeological Park. It was a relatively flat ride so we made good time and were able to check in to our B&B early so that we didn’t have the bike to worry about. 

The ruins here cover quite a large area and there’s just one temple still standing the rest were knocked down by an earthquake in the 10th century. Many of the artifacts found here are on display in a Palermo museum so I guess we are going the wrong direction. But regardless there is much to see and admire here. It is a very picturesque location right on the coast. 

This is also a beachy town with a nice waterfront area. We had our supper looking out to the sea. 

Along the way from Marsala to Selinunte.

Reconstructed temple at Selinunte.

Stoic

Massive chaotic jumbles.

Selinunte selfie.

Ceramic Cinquecento

Compared to yesterday’s ride to Erice today was a walk in the park, all flat and only 40 kms, from Trapani to Marsala via the salt pans. The salt pans are possible where there are shallow areas on the coast, where it is hot and dry and the wind blows to power the windmills. Basically the sea water evaporates and the salt is harvested. The windmills operate water pumps and grind the salt. This industry had been going on for a very long time here as a way to preserve food prior to refrigeration. At one point they were exporting to all of Europe through Trapani, and salt was known as white gold. Not so much now but still some happening. We visited a museum along the way and learned how the premium sea salt we buy at home is produced by this ancient process. 

Then we were off to Marsala where we sampled some dry and sweet Marsala wine before dinner and saw a bit of the town. 

Salt pans on the way to Marsala.

The pans are different colours depending on salt concentration.

Una pausa caffè and a visit to the salt museum.

Windmills were for grinding the salt and powering screw pumps.

Looking back to Erice, the bici, and the salt pans.

This day was reserved for a special climb out of Trapani. It is clearly a well loved route of cyclists if you look at the Strava heat map (an indispensable tool for planning), and of fans of Sicilian pastry, which is basically everyone else. Erice is a hilltop town overlooking Trapani. I would maybe call it a small mountain instead. We climbed 712 meters over about 13 kms, so an average of 6% grade. We didn’t have our bags thankfully or we would still be climbing. The town is a bit of a tourist trap but we felt accomplished with the ride and we earned the pastries from the famous shop of Maria. The road was fairly quiet and full of lovely switchbacks but the Italian drivers can be crazy so you need to aware going around the blind corners. Of course the climb is also rewarded by fabulous views of Trapani and up and down the coast. The Norman castle overlooking everything was almost incidental given the ride and the views. 

The ride up caused some “glowing” on some while others just sweat like a pig.

The Norman castle and the view.

Looking back up to Erice from halfway down.

There are several pieces missing from this photo.

We left our exceptional B&B in Castellammare this morning and climbed up to the Segesta ruins. The Temple and the theatre are in remarkable condition considering that they were built around 430 BC. The temple was apparently never completed as there’s no evidence of a roof and there are still “tabs” on the stone blocks for carrying them to the building site. 

After a good look around we carried on climbing to Trapani, Sicily is a very hilly island😓.  Unfortunately we had a chain problem and had to do a link replacement at the side of the road, luckily there was a place to pull off. Good thing we have a mechanic on board, got it fixed in 20 minutes and andiamo. 

We had no trouble finding our new lodging, Secret B&B, tucked into a narrow street, and rising 4 floors with a roof top terrace. After a shower and laundry we were out in the middle of the passeggiata. Although it was still 25° the breeze off the Mediterranean meant we were eating inside again this evening, but no problem. 

Anyone seen a Greek temple around here?

Segesta Sicily, not Athens Greece!

The Greeks put the theatre here so they could survey the A29.

Maestro of the rubber gloves replacing a few bent links.

Heavy traffic as we made our way to Trapani.

Night falls on the Passeggiata in Trapani.

We are staying 2 nights in Castellammare so rode to the Zingaro park for a short hike. We don’t have great footwear for hiking so only walked in to the first beach for lunch and to take in the belvedere. It was a bit of a climb so we got our exercise anyway which was needed after the breakfast we were offered which was was amazing.  Unfortunately Tara had to turn most of it down but George was able to partake fully starting with a pistachio cream croissant followed by a freshly made omelette, bacon and a nutella crêpe, also fresh, and Italian coffees made to order. They thoroughly spoil their guests here. 

Anyway back to the park. The area is quite dry and barren looking, like the Kamloops Area. There are apparently many orchid species growing there as well as birds to see. We didn’t manage to see any of this, only the beach which was quite crowded and there was a fair bit of garbage in the water. Our guide book described it as unspoiled, I wouldn’t have said that but perhaps I didn’t go far enough in to appreciate it fully. It was a nice ride with good view of the ocean and island nonetheless. 

Looking back on Castellammare del Golfo.

No view without the climb, and we went up a switchback wall to get this one.

Down to one of several beaches in the Zingaro reserve.

A definite downside to Sicily is the garbage on land and in the sea.

Today was the first day day riding fully loaded and we certainly felt it. I think it’s the kilo of muesli we have to bring along for Tara’s daily breakfast (that’s not per day 😊).

We started to climb immediately toward Monreale, a suburb of Palermo, where another UNESCO site is located. The Cathedral there is a another example of the Arab Norman fusion, quite magnificent with gold tiling and mosaics filling every inch. I went in and had a look then sent George to do the same and take photos except he was refused entry due to his shorts. There were many others in shorts but not cycling shorts. For some reason the guard took exception to those (and not to the cutoffs on the teenage schoolgirls) but there’s no reasoning to be done with religious authority so no photos. Somehow I managed to get past them in. 

After Monreale we carried on over a pass, more climbing, then a fun ride down to il mare. Unfortunately we had to stop and fix a flat, but I don’t think we’ve had one in two years and the weather was magnificent for the occasion. Non c’è male! 

We cruised along the beach road mostly with a nice tailwind the last 15km to our b&b in Castellammare del Golfo. I have to say we got a fantastic reception upon arrival with cold beer and friendly enthusiastic hosts. A very nice supper down by the port and we’re in great shape for tomorrow. 

Cathedral in Monreale from the OUTSIDE only.

Look at those muscles… er.. the view coming out of the hills towards our destination.

Soon I’ll start a bad selfie collection.

Castellammare del Golfo is way out in the corner of the bay.

B&B parking spot with totally appropriate backdrop. Grazie!

Beautiful pink hills at sunset.

Today we got some assistance from Trenitalia.  We took a train from Catania to Palermo and now will ride back, otherwise it was too far for a 3 week holiday. The train was very empty so not a problem getting the bici grande aboard. 

We were both impressed by Palermo as soon as we arrived. Compared to Catania,  Palermo presents well. It is exotic with a north African flavor. There are several UNESCO world heritage sights that reflect the convergence of the arabic and norman styles.  There has obviously been much more effort spent here maintaining the monuments and the infrastructure. It is much more tourist friendly with a large vehicle restricted central area so you can wander without fear of being run down by crazy Italian drivers. We didn’t have much time but thoroughly enjoyed what we saw. If we had done more research we would have liked to have more time here but unfortunately our itinerary is set. Maybe another time?

We tried a bit of the street food Palermo is famous for: aranciata(deep fried rice balls) and panelle (deep fried ground chickpeas). Not my usual fair but delicioso. 

Cheating a little. Don’t tell.

The cattedrale was a great example of mixed architectural styles found in Palermo.

On the roof of the cattedrale looking towards tomorrow’s climb.

City gate

Detail on one of the city gates shows arabic influences.

Captured two cannoli and a limoncello in the nick of time. Too late for the espresso.