Today started our long awaited Sicily bike trip! We've been carting a third suitcase around Turkey and Greece and today we were finally able to make use of its contents. Rich and I got dressed in our bike clothes and went down to breakfast where we immediately met another couple who were on the tour with us (they said our clothes were a dead giveaway...ya think!).
We ended up sharing a cab to the airport (with suitcases on laps and wedged everywhere) and met up with Backroads soon after. From the airport they shuttled us to an "agriturismo" an hour and a half away where we had an awesome lunch (antipasti and two kinds of fresh pastas). The good news was that the agriturismo was at the top of a large hill, so our ride started off downhill (a nice, pleasant downhill...not too steep). The weather had started off VERY warm in Catania, but we had a nice cloud cover for our ride so it made it very pleasant. We rode 25 km or @ 15+ miles...a perfect warm up ride.
This seems to be a very nice group of people. There are 20 of us, a little smaller group than last year's Loire Valley trip. We have a number of couples (as typical), but also a father and his two grown sons, and a group of 3 men from Sao Paolo, Brazil. Sue, Linda is awesome and her friend Maddy is a hoot! She suggested we get together for some rides when we get back to Portland, but it sounds like her typical ride is up through Washington Park and along Skyline and Germantown...@ 4500 feet of climbing!! Today is our long 67 mile (4500 foot elevation) ride, so I'm going to see how I do on this one before committing to Linda's ride!
Dinner tonight was a 4 hour affair...from aperitifs at 6:30 continuing to dessert at 10:30. But the company was enjoyable and the ambience unforgettable.
Is there a way to see your route on the backroads website?
ReplyDeleteWhoa, that sounds like a crazy elevation gain! Is it rolling or large, mile long hills? At least it isn't windy like that last ride we did in the Gorge! Be careful in the heat guys. I'm wondering more and more why I didn't stow myself away in one of your suitcases. How does Sicily commpare to other Italy vacations? How different is the food in that part? Carbonara yet? Love you.
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