On our second visit to Rome we were ready for the city. Right after the pilgrimage we were a bit too overwhelmed by the crush of tourists to fully appreciate it. We have spent the last two days walking through piazzas and streets that are full of treasures. Today we spent most of the day in the Vatican Museum. I could easily spend a month ...
After Palermo, Naples seems less gritty than its reputation had us believe. While the traffic is loud and chaotic the city is beautiful in a vibrant way. And this is the home of Pizza.A pharmacist directed us to her favourite local pizzeria, which coincidentally was where President Clinton also enjoyed his first slice of Napoli's best. The prices were far from presidential, with the most ...
Sicily's interior has so many treasures both natural and historic that it should be a perfect destination for a cycling tour. The roads are magnificent and largely free of traffic. The terrain is mountainous, but the distances between towns are good. Gord and I are however struggling to find routes that have accommodation in the places where we need it. There are areas in Sicily ...
One of the real pleasures of travelling in Italy is the food, especially after a day of cycling. Within Italy Sicily is reknowned for it's unique cuisine, which mixes elements from the various groups that have occupied this land.In Cefalu we tried a Margherita pasta served with a sauce of tomatoes, pine nuts, raisins, garlic and roasted bread crumbs. It was sweet and nutty and ...
The best part of cycling in Sicily other than the scenery is the fuel. And not just any fuel, we are talking Cannoli! These little sweeties are my new reason for living. Mamma Mia. When we asked about gelatto our host in Corleone suggested Cannoli. I had heard the word mentioned in a number of Robert de Nero films but I wasn't even sure if ...
We cycled up from Palermo into Sicily's beautiful interior. It was lovely to finally get beyond the traffic and burbs of the big city. The interior of the island is surprisingly green, with areas of deep forests and impressive mountains and ridges. It is also heavily farmed and the orchards of ripe persimmons were beautiful.We are staying in Corleone, a town made infamous by the ...
After one night in the charming seaside city of Cefalu we cycled along the coast to Palermo. We have spent the last two days exploring this diverse city. Palermo is simultaneously gritty and magnificent, and the transitions between can be shockingly quick. Some parts of the city look like Paris, but a few blocks away you could be in a medina in North Africa. It ...
Gord: Another item ticked off the bucket list: climb an active volcano and watch it erupt at night. Last night we went up Stromboli as part of a small guided group (guides are required to go to the summit). It’s about a 3,000 foot climb which we did at a leisurely pace. We arrived at the three active craters at sunset and the fireworks began. ...
Warning: The contents of this blog could inspire feelings of jealousy and even anger. Proceed with caution.Ruth: I love islands. Even though I grew up far away from the ocean, as an adult I have become an island woman, living on a large island and spending lots of time in the summer on a smaller one. Gord and I were excited to board the ferry ...
We have broken our uninterrupted bicycle route with a train and ferry so that we can explore Sicily for our last three weeks in Europe.We crossed over to Sicily today and then biked up and over the north end to Milazzo, the departure port for ferries to the Aeolian islands. I was not looking forward to this ride and spent the morning grumbling that once ...