Tuesday 20 June 2017
Wednesday 14 June 2017
Day 11. Ortigia to Catania.
Sicily Day 11. Ortigia to Catania 79 km.
We had an early start out of Syracusa stopping at a small cafe/ bar for a cup of coffee and cornetta for breakfast. The bar was frequented by men having their first cigarette and coffee for the morning. The way was bumpy on a road paved with large paving stones cut from the larva that has been quarried in the surrounding areas that were covered in larva from the various eruptions of Mt Etna.
We followed the signs past Belvedere towards Augusta, while trying to find our way to Priolo Gargallo. Garmin took us on a wild goose chase once again, leading us into the residential area. We passed a young guy on his bike twice and the second time we passed him he asked us where we were heading. He offered to ride with us to show us the way as he was off to the beach. He showed us the way to a quieter road that ran parallel to the busy E45 which was fantastic until we got to the next big intersection when there were about four options.
Luckily a bunch of cyclist came past gave us the directions. All was good for about 10km when Garmin sent us off on a small dirt road. After spending about 15 minutes cycling up and down and trying all possible options, we spotted a road cyclist from a bridge on the opposite side of the road. We followed him onto the the SS114 which was the same way as to the Autostrada but peeled off onto the less busy SS114 200m before reaching it. The area around Augusta was peppered with Oil refineries, we even spotted a sign that showed directions to SASOL Sicily. Not a pretty sight.
Once on the SS114 we had a straight run without any significant hills into Catania. On the outskirts of Catania we must have passed about 20 different beaches. This section was a bit of a nightmare with cars trying to park. It was Sunday and the beaches were packed to capacity.
There was heavy traffic going into the centre of Catania, but this time Garmin came up trumps and got us into Piazza del Duomo, the Main Square.
We had finished a wonderful 11 days of cycling around this beautiful island and we had experienced it warts and all. 750 km of adventure under the Sicilian sun on our bicycles!!
We celebrated with a beer and a Pasta Norma, which is one of the regional specialities from the area. A thin slice of beautifully grilled Melanzan wrapped around a bunch of spaghetti in a pomodoro sauce and baked in the oven. Simply delicious.
Our accommodation was an air B&B in the student quarter. I must say I had my reservations when we cycled up a very narrow road though some rather run down buildings. It turned out to be comfortable and with beautiful white linen.
Our host recommended the wonderful restuarant Trattoria da Antonnio in Via Castello Ursino where we had a delicious meal. I had a Orecchiette with clams and shrimps in a cream of pumpkin sauce and Ian had Papredelle Farmer which had a spicy Sicilian sausage and tomato sauce.
As we closed the door to our apartment we were left with a feeling of elation tinged with a sense of sadness. Sad that we would not be saddling our trusty iron steads for a day in the saddle again. All we had left to do was cycle to the station in Catania for our trip to Palermo and then from Palermo to Terrasini both short distances and happy that we were able to experience this beautiful island and view it from the seats of our bikes in slow motion. The best way to see a country.
Warbler on the menu. I had Pappardella of farmer. Never seen a farmer's Pappardella before.
Tuesday 6 June 2017
Day 10. Noto to Ortigia (Syracuse).
Day 10. Noto to Ortigia (Syracuse). 44 km.
A hearty but later than usual breakfast at Ambra B&B, including apricots and white mulberries, and a good start from Garmi finding us a route out of this confusing but attractive town. It was a short route to Avola, which is a bit of an unattractive sprawl. Here we found a food market - always worth a stop to sample the olives, peaches and other fruit in season.
We had a flat ride on to Syracuse through lemon and olive orchards. There weren't many vineyards to be seen even though this is supposedly the area where Nero d'Avola red wines come from. One would think that Sicilians survive on olives and lemons alone. We have hardly seen a cow so not sure where all their great ricotta cheese comes from. The orchards seem to receive a whole lot more care than their towns, as they are immaculate.
The approach to Syracuse was attractive as we stuck to the coast and then went over the old bridge to the island suburb of Otigia which is actually the old town area with magnificent buildings. Syracuse was once the most important city in Europe with three times its present population. It was central to major trade routes and has Greek, early Christian, Renaissance and Baroque influence. Archimedes, one of the last Hellenic philosophers was hacked to death by the Romans after they had besieged the city for two years.
The Piazza del Duomo is is the central attraction. The huge cathedral was once the site of a temple to Athena which was converted to a Christian church and then cathedral. Much of it was rebuilt after the 1693 earthquake which devastated so much of this area of Sicily. The bayside of the island is lined with pavement cafes and restaurants.
We quickly found the market which was bustling and noisy, with a strong smell of fish. We found a parking spot for the Mme Dawes behind a table at a small restaurant between the pistachio nuts, capers and sun-dried tomatoes. We then braved some of the local cuisine; Jen had a double layer of grilled sardines filled with tomato and cheese, while I was presented with octopus tentacles with a Jerusalem artichoke sauce (called ginger on the menu). A glass of rosé kept it all safe.
We booked into our pokey small apartment with its small courtyard just off the Via Roma. At least there was a good place for the bikes and to hang our washing. Most rooms in which we have stayed have had a small fridge which is great for cooling water. We have had to buy bottled water for the whole of this trip - the first time we have had to do so on our cycle tours. The price varies considerably, from 40€cents for 2 liters to €1,50 for 1,5 liters depending where we buy it. We have yet to work out the opening hours of the cheaper supermarkets and they are often difficult to find or far out of our way.
We had an arrangement to meet up with friends from Israel, Terry and Ami, who were coincidentally in Sicily to see the il Volo concert. We joined up with them in Piazza Archemede and then spent a few hours exploring the old town and having a pizza with them. Terry grew up in Graaf-Reinet and worked with Jen at the State Health Laboratories about 40 years ago. It was great to spend time catching up with them, and hearing about their lives on a kibbutz in Israel. They had kindly driven down from Mount Etna for the evening before catching their flight home from Catania.
The town was gearing up to watch the Champions League final, Real Madrid against Juventus. We probably wouldn't have had much sleep if Juventus had won. We watched the game in our apartment with a glass of crappy Nero d'Avola, while working out a route to Catania for the next day.
Evening in Piazza del Duomo
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