Taormina

Tuesday 16th February.
A Day at Taormina

So much for the weather being better in Sicily. It was really raining today so we abandoned the bikes in favour of umbrellas loaned by the hotel and set off on the bus to Taormina. The town is probably 300 meters above the sea so we were relieved the rain had forced us into taking the decision to use public transport. The cloud was so low we didn’t really see Taormina at it’s best but we did manage the Cathedral (small by most standards) the remains of the Roman baths (indistinguishable from the rest of the old Roman foundations), an important clock tower and the Greek amphitheatre from where on a clear day one allegedly can see 100kms, oh and Etna of which there was no sign!




The cathedral doors, the rest of it is Norman with a mixture of other influences and quite a lot of it has been replaced following earthquakes, eruptions and wars!











The view from our balcony - amazing what you can get out of season!!






The famous 'clock tower' to left.











View from the theatre toward Etna!








The Greek stage!

It is a very ancient town with a charming atmosphere and full of shops selling brightly coloured porcelain all of which looks absolutely delightful, mouth-wateringly tempting but actually what on earth is one meant to do with it and anyway no way we could carry any of it on a bike!?
The Taormina carnival began at 3.30pm and we watched a lot of children and young people dressing for the occasion (pity it was so wet) but by then our feet were sodden so we changed our minds about walking home and decided to call it a day and take the bus back to G-Naxos.
Back at Giardini Naxos it was raining as though someone had left a fire hose running. The restaurant at the back of the hotel had decided it was a waste of time opening so we had a five minute walk to the only other place open in town who fortunately served the best fish ever. I can see why Jamie Oliver was so enthusiastic about Sicilian food - it is excellent and has just that little bit extra flair and Arabian influence, along with the Italian ingredients.
We had sardines boned and stuffed with mozzarella, and fried in herbs, - which as usual we had not ordered, the chef just wanted to show us what he could do - followed by some fabulous tuna seared with ground almonds. No veg is ever served with the meat unless you ask. We rather like this as you feel you have had a 3 course supper but in fact it is only what we might eat at home but all presented one after the other, and it does seem to taste better this way. The bread is a golden colour and excellent and the local wine is most acceptable too. We haven’t discovered what the local liquor is yet!
Tomorrow the forecasters promise a fine day – we really hope so as at the moment we are considering cutting our losses, getting a boat to Brindisi from there to Athens and from there to Alexandria and from there somewhere on the Red Sea to get a bit of sun before we develop ‘trench feet’. Vivi's sister is off to Sri Lanka tomorrow and the Dorset cyclists have just come back from Lanzarote and we are feeling we may be suffering unjustly!!!!!

Coccorino to Giardini Naxos

Huge fully loaded container ship passing between the toe of Italy and Sicily dwarfing the ferry ahead of us!

From half way down the 400 meters we pushed our bikes up yesterday!

The landslide a day later, quite dramatic at the time.

Capo Vaticano

Monday 15th February
Coccorino to Giardini Naxos. Sicily
Back down the mountain in next to no time and on to yet another train towards Villa San Giovanni which is where the boat to Sicily crosses. We both felt bad about giving up on cycling down this coast but the forecast is much better on Sicily and we hope that the roads won’t be so crowded.
It was rather exciting boarding the ferry once we had been back and forth to get the correct tickets for us and our bikes. Some really smarmy police gave me a real once over as to why and where we were going in Sicily and told the ticket man I didn’t need bike tickets. But then the next fellow told me we did and on it went. Finally we had parted with the enormous sum of 1.50 euros each for us and 5 euros for the bikes for a 30 min boat trip. Pretty good price really.
The ferry also carries the ‘local’ train, usually 2 carriages long. It simply drives onto the boat on it’s rails straight into the hold. I would have taken a photo but as bikes are classed as cars on ferries I was in a long line of vehicles and have learned that Italians don’t stop for anyone especially cyclists wanting to take pictures.
We were able to buy my new favourite food to eat en route; ‘Naranjinos’ are the size and colour of an orange, but they are served hot and inside the deep fried crusty outside, there is a risotto trying to get out filled with mozzarella, tomatoes and everything else the chef couldn’t get rid of the night before. Really delicious and probably at least 2000 calories!
The sun was shining - Hurrah so we sat on deck with all the smokers and once on Sicily caught the train as it was getting dark to make our way down to Giardini Naxos which is just south of Taormina. A gang of young people piled on to the train beside us, all dressed in fancy dress so we thought they must be doing a performance somewhere, as they sang a lot. Just before we got off, they started chatting to us and it transpired they were going to the St Valentine’s carnival in Catania. They were a really nice bunch and one girl paid Alec the rather backhanded compliment of ‘when I’m old I would like to be just like you’! We think she meant the going off on a trip, unless it was our appearance! They spoke a mixture of Spanish and Italian and we never did gather where they originated from. They tried to persuade us to go to the carnival with them but common sense prevailed and we had a dull dinner on our own. How boring we are!
The temperature here is about 5 degs higher than on the mainland and we are staying in a pretty little hotel overlooking the beach.

Lamezia to Coccorino

Sunday 14th February.
Lamezia to Coccorino
The helpful receptionist at the Bram Hotel booked our next hotel for us which was great (or so we thought).The plan was that we should cycle a bit today but the rain was so hard we just rode to the station and waited for the train. Had the weather been a little better we would have enjoyed the ride along the coast but as it happened the train past through tunnel after tunnel and when not underground was in cloud or thick fog. After an hour or so we arrived at Joppolo station; it is a small place with two platforms - one either side of the line. It was not immediately obvious how we were going to get our bikes and baggage across said line but eventually Vivi spotted some planks laying parallel to the lines about 50yds away which were presumably there to help porters and the infirm people cross the tracks. There wasn’t a soul about, it was still raining and we had no idea in which direction we should go to find our hotel.
From nowhere appeared a girl so Vivi in ever so fluent Italian asked her if she knew the Albergo Royal. In a nutshell – 'I haven’t a clue what you are saying I’m Romanian' was the answer. A car turned up to collect the Romanian so we thought we’d try the driver with the same question. The music in the car was so loud we couldn’t hear ourselves let alone any answer given – which there wasn’t. After a false start which took us 200yds down the hill we were told it’s that way (back up) and it’s 7k’s. The road followed the coast and went up and up and up. Very soon after setting off we both had to get off and push, half way I ventured back on again only to have to stop as a massive mud and rock slide came crashing down the hill only 50yds ahead. It was all over as soon as it began and the cars just drove around the debris.
I (Vivi) thought the upward route would never end and would have happily just lain down in the ditch in the rain and given up. Luckily as you went round each bend you thought it would be the last until you saw the next 100 feet looming. Anyway we made it and have learned that when you book somewhere it is a good idea to ask a few more questions about how you get there! Just because a road looks straight on a map doesn’t mean it is horizontal. No maps here have contours so there is a lot of guesswork.
The hotel, the owner informed us,and was 400mtrs above sea level and we had just puffed and panted up every one of them. There was a fabulous view of the Capo Vaticano and in the summer it would be a great place to stay.
There began the coldest night of our adventure so far. On running a bath the walls and floor promptly ran with condensation. No amount of coaxing would get the air conditioning to blow anything but pure cold air and to keep the cold in the marble floor out of your feet took slippers and a pair of shoes!
But they (as we were the only ones there) cooked us dinner and gave us a bottle of their own red wine (everyone seems to have a few vines to make wine for the house) spaghetti followed by a very good swordfish steak.

Diamente to Lamezia

Friday 12 and Saturday 13th February
Diamente to Lamezia
Alec is still feeling very grotty but we are both frozen with cold. Signor is very helpful but breakfast was the most meagre so far - just dried bread and a bit of coffee and biscotti, so we have decided to move on anyway.
I was very brave last night and had dinner on my own which was delicious. Pasta followed by veal. There were only 2 of us, but to avoid embarrassment the tables were laid out like school desks, except instead of a teacher at the front there was a Telly to watch. Thus, no awkward silences and we both ate contentedly. We even talked about the Muslim situation as there are currently riots in Milan. The other man is married to a girl from Malaysia, I didn’t quite gather whether she was Muslim or not. Anyway I was tucked up in bed by 9.45 having done lots of washing and laid it all over the air con unit on various hangers.
We caught a train from Diamente to Paula where we had to change to go on to Lamezia. The first train was empty, the fun really started when we tried to board the next one. It just had to be a Friday, the train was packed in fact there were people standing and there was absolutely nowhere to park a bicycle even though it was a bike carrying train. So I put them on anyway, blocking not only the way into one carriage but also the door down to the platform. Where I went wrong was the ticket inspector was in the carriage I’d blocked so he really went off on one (as they say). In typical Italian fashion half the carriage said we should be allowed to stay on and half hid behind their papers or just ignored us. The ticket inspector won and we had to get off. We then had a long cold wait before the next one which luckily was empty so no drama. Still pouring when we arrived at Lamezia but the Bram hotel is seriously luxurious and warm, so we are feeling in clover even if there are a lot of smooth looking men hanging about in extremely expensive leather jackets and dark glasses.
Saturday 13th February.
Lamezia
Day 2 in this luxurious hotel, if anything it’s too hot but we aren’t complaining. We thought we really ought to get the bikes out so went in search of the usual challenge – an English novel for Vivi, and failed. So we headed into the hills to look at the Roman baths (having found that the sulphur baths are now a 21st century spa and currently closed). But after 4 miles the baths were still 10 ahead of us, the Roman road was like a racetrack including lorries so we cut our losses and turned into a bar. Asking for 2 white wines we were surprised to be told they didn’t have any but we could have Prosecco which is we imagine the local version of ‘asti spumante’. In fact it’s quite nice so we stayed and had a sandwich and as we were the only people there had to chat to the owner and her brother/son but we sat outside in the sunshine and the world seemed pretty good really!

Valentine's eve so we had a glass of the local fizz, not much else to celebrate!

Olive picking, this tractor has a vice like grip which grabs the trees and shakes them! The olives fall into the orange nets and that's it, job done.

Praia a Mare to Diamente

Thursday 11th February.

Praia a Mare to Diamente

There didn't appear to be any hotels in range today so we were a little anxious about setting off but our hotel owner knew a man who knew a man and we were soon fixed up with a room in Diamente. Only about 15 miles down the coast but with the weather and the terrain in opposition 15 was enough. Added to that I'm not feeling too good so a short spell in the saddle

could be wise. To begin with the route followed the coast which we reckon in the summer would

be extremely hospitable but wasn't looking too good today.

Another for our collection of chairs in weird places!

After a few miles the route turned inland but not before we'd passed the Isola di Dino which is still protected by a Norman/Saracen tower although I think we would call it a Crusader tower and also a cluster of Trullis or as my sister in law called them after a guided visit on holiday in

Puglia - Trulli borings.

Inland we lost all trace of the nice quiet roads and were forced to share the busy highway with the juggernauts and the salesmen. It's a bit disconcerting when you see a squashed dog still with it's collar on but cats and dogs are everywhere so sadly this is inevitable. When the rain really started we pulled into a garage, where from the fuss they made of us you'd think we'd cycled from Australia but I suppose from Dorset to here is quite a long way, most of them think merely going to Sicily is an achievement which we regard as just down the road!

Anyway we made it to the recommended hotel and I collapsed into bed with horrid tummy cramps - could be something to do with the platefuls of gherkins, hard cheese and salami I've been eating. Vivi is absolutely fine and continues to eat everything in sight, I am trying to sleep but every time she comes back from another sorti to the dinning room or the shops she likes to wake me to make sure I'm still OK - thank heaven for such small and comforting mercies!

It is very boring with Alec being out of sorts and the weather not playing either. I didn't dare take my bike into the local town of Daimente in case I got a puncture or something broke on it. I still have little idea of what to do in that event and just have to watch Alec admiringly as he does manly things. However I was brave enough to have supper on my own! The only other diner luckily spoke a little english and between us and the hotel owner we covered many topics in both languages, from world politics,(easier to understand than the local ones) and tv shows.

I have finished my book so am very bored.

Sapri to Praia a Mare

Wednesday 10th February
Sapri to Praia a Mare
They have forecasted 3 more days of cold sleet and storms so we are being lazy again as there is a strong head wind and it is pretty miserable getting soaked for 4-5 hours and then having nowhere to dry off. There are no radiators or baths in this part, we are too far south so they are geared for keeping cool, and the air con really doesn’t do as good a job at warming/drying everything.
We met a German girl at the station who had just been to Sicily and was heading north. We thought she was pretty brave to be doing it on her own but she was well prepared with pepper spray in her pocket. We got on to the train with a lot of difficulty as this one had a bike space but it was about 6 feet up from the platform through a narrow door. At least 6 station officials watched us with interest but not one came to help! So to get our own back we blocked all the doors so no one could get on or off from our carriage! 30 miles later we got off at Praia a Mare where we knew there was a hotel open. It was pelting with rain and everything was locked so we took shelter along the road in a bar. It must sound as though we spend all our time in them, and that would be correct, but of course this is only because they are the only places open between 1-3 pm! A very pretty girl plied us with little bits to eat and rather good wine until our hotel opened again. This kept us all happy as we were the only people around and she was very bored.

Yet another station on our way south down Italy. The roads are just too busy and punctuated with tunnels to make it any fun to cycle along.

I then spent a long time with Guiseppi, the hair dresser, which was very exciting as last time I had my hair cut was in Bordeaux more than 3 months ago. We got on famously after a nervous start as he approached me clutching what looked like a ligature to cut my throat. I was made to hold it tightly around the length I wanted my hair to be so he could get a straight line. So basically we could blame me if it came out crooked. Participation was the name of the game as he would then tap me on the shoulder when I had to hold the hair dryer whilst he fussed about with the brushes. They are amazed by my white hair as it is pretty unique in this part of the world. He told me it was from thinking too much when I was young. Not sure my family would agree! I bounced out ages later with a very good Italian cut.

Happy after her hour with Guissepi - wasn't he the chap who made Pinocchio?

Our charming hotel owner opened up the kitchen just for us and one other table. Delicious as usual, washed down some of his father’s own wine.
We are either out on the bikes or tucked up in bed at the moment as it is the only warm place to be, but they say that the weather will improve soon. It serves us right for being so smug in Spain before Christmas while the U.K had it’s first cold spell. We are running out of books so have to read the map or dictionary or watch T.V which is pretty good rubbish. There is a choice of Italy’s version of Big brother, Strictly come dancing, whatever the singing one is called but being Italy more focus on opera which is fun, and endless shopping channels or game shows. I am sure it should be good for our Italian but doesn’t seem to be making much difference. The local paper reads like a Mario Puzo novel (bodies in suitcases, burned out cars, 9 arrested for extortion to mention but a few), but then perhaps ours do at home too.

Acciaroli to Sapri

Tuesday 9th February
Acciaroli to Sapri
The views of Acciaroli were stunning from our ‘eyrie’ 140 metres above sea level. We were dropped back outside the fish shop to fetch the bikes and off we went again. It is a very attractive old harbour village and apparently in the summer months is fit to burst with Neapolitans taking their holidays. The buildings were mostly conversions of old medieval houses and a lot of second homes. We had a good run along the coast, through villages, one called Poppia which stated that they were the centre for the best Mediterranean diet, so we stopped to buy a picnic there. Out of season there was only some excellent salami and ciabatta. They stocked lots of delicious looking bottles and jars of oil and peppers, artichokes etc. No room for those of course. We by-passed Castello a Mare for Ascea where we had decided to catch the train. The next stretch of road was perpendicular with a lot of long tunnels which are horrid on bikes. We were pleased we did this as we had arrived in Sapri within 40 minutes, having seen nothing of the coast line, as the train went through one long tunnel to get there.
On arriving anywhere you don’t exactly get a very friendly feeling. There were lots of people watching all the time while we asked a railway attendant where to find a hotel. I am not sure what the Italian equivalent of the Gallic shrug is but they have perfected the art here. We were just pedalling off when the same man suddenly caught up and told us where to go. (in a good way!) Perhaps it is my Italian/English accent or maybe it just takes a while to think of a response. Anyway 10 minutes later we had checked into the hotel. We wandered around the town and sea front and found a rather trendy bar with wifi so sat in there surrounded by men. I counted 14 who were all of working age, just hanging around. Every bar and betting shop is full of them too so think unemployment must be high here, although there are lots of new houses/hotels being built on the sea front and unlike Spain, every second house or business is not for sale. We are now on the Gulf of Policastro which is littered with old torres, castles and Greek and Roman ruins. However, most are on the top of hills so we are just admiring them from afar.
Sapri had a handsome statue of the first Italian fascist from the late 1800s which had been put up in 1933. They seem very proud of him. (sorry, we can’t remember his name)