Cycling through Calabria to Sicily, Part 2

Day 8, Wed 28.10.2020, Sapri. The rain/rest day in Sapri was good for me, but now I am looking forward to the movement and cycling again. I wake up at 6am, pack up, and have breakfast at 7am. On the coastal road SS18, I leave the large bay of Sapri in a wide curve with a slight incline. I look back at the steep sections I have already overcome. Suddenly, the air becomes thick with smoke. Road workers are burning green waste on the roadside, on the old road. That would no longer be possible where I come from. But here, it is still everyday life. Behind the next curve, I see the large statue of Christ on the mountain for the first time. It stands above Maratea on Mount San Biagio, 623m high. I ponder back and forth whether I should make a detour on foot. It would be 450 meters uphill and downhill from the road, and it would take about 2:30 hours without luggage. Ultimately, I want to conserve my energy a bit and prefer to take a break by the sea later. Then the road goes downhill towards the sea and I can jump in at Praia a Mare. The next kilometers on the SS18 I ride with heavy traffic on high bridges, which save some altitude compared to the old road, until Scalea. Unfortunately, the old Torre Talao at the entrance of the village is closed. Before Diamante, I can cycle on a quiet side road again. The sea is still very rough here, and the waves splash particularly high on the rocks on which the city is built. I stop for today at Belvedere Marittimo. In the twilight, I set up my tent on a lawn by the small harbor. The waves roar in front of me and the trains pass by behind me, but the view of the sunset is very colorful.

Day 9, Thu 29.10. Belvedere Marittimo.
The early train wakes me up at 5am. The dawn is just beginning and I don't want to stay here too long, in case someone complains. But it is still cool, so I stay in my sleeping bag for a moment and check my emails. What do I read there: Your flight on 13.11. from Catania to Dortmund has been canceled. I check when the next one is, but WizzAir does not show any more flights for this year. So I have to fly back earlier and book the last available flight on 6.11. That means I have one whole week less time. Spontaneously, I decide to only cycle to Paola today and take the train to the ferry. Then I will book a car at Catania airport (for an incredible 55€) for the last week, so that I can see more of Sicily. After the excitement, I cycle happily into the morning and have breakfast at Acquappesa, combining it with a last swim in the sea on the Italian mainland. In Paola, I first buy a train ticket (12+3€) for Villa San Giovanni. The train that allows me to take the bike doesn't depart for another 2 hours, which unfortunately I will miss in the evening. Hopefully, I can quickly find a ferry so that I can still cycle in daylight in Messina. Now I can cycle comfortably to the old town of Paola. It is higher than I thought (groan), but definitely worth seeing.
The train roars through flat areas with plantations and then through tunnels and over bridges. The way from the train station to the ferry is also short, and I can almost start right away. I am allowed to be in the front row with two motorcyclists. The 40-minute ferry crossing to Messina only costs me 3€. At 4pm, I swim along the coast through the suburbs to the south of the city, until I reach Mili Marina where I set up my tent on a small harbor, this time in the sand, already in the dark. The harbor is not really a harbor. The boats, up to 10 meters in length, are all on trailers on the beach. In front of them, there is a long structure and a small caterpillar or tracked excavator that can push the boat from the beach into the water. It seems strange to me that each boat has its own caterpillar and the owners don't borrow them from each other. Several older gentlemen are still tinkering with their boats, and their dogs harass me greatly until they are called back. From the tent, I have a view over the Strait to Calabria and the rising full moon. That's where the sun will rise tomorrow.

Day 10, Fri 30.10. south of Messina
Today, I have coffee three times. With the first order in Santa Margherita Marina, I must have expressed myself wrongly and received an espresso. The second one at the pavilion near the train station in Scaletta Zanclea is large and with a lot of milk, just to my taste. As a tea drinker, I now love to sip the milk foam sprinkled with sugar and also enjoy the rest, often because of the café atmosphere. I drink the third one at the beach in Furci Sicula so that I can charge my phone in the meantime. I also have a quick swim near the golden glimmering Sirena. Then I go up to Mazzaro and for the first time see several tourists on the beach in front of Isola Bella. I cycle below Taormina on the coastal road and miss the visit to the famous Teatro Greco and the city because I didn't read the guidebook well. The small town of Giardini-Naxos has a surprisingly modern church with meditative continuous sound and beautiful to kitschy pictures and sculptures. I take a lunch break at the beach of Piazza San Pancrazio and let an Asian woman pamper me and massage my back. Then I continue over the next hill and down to the beach in Riposto. The town seems to have seen better times. Chestnuts are roasted at the harbor and I taste some. Now the road leads 1-2 km inland with many nurseries and plantations. There is a lot of garbage in every niche. The overnight spot that I have picked out on the map turns out to be inaccessible private property of a closed hotel. Luckily, in the dark, I find a tiny spot between the harbor and the ruins of Santa Tecla among lava fields. The view of the ruins and the sea during the moonrise is very romantic.

Day 11, Sat 31.10. Santa Tecla
In the morning, I have to interrupt packing up the tent because the sunrise is again so fantastic that I have to take several photos. It is still cool as I cycle through the still quiet Tecla with other early risers. But even before the first bend to the SS114, I start to feel warm in the morning sun, and I continue cycling in shorts and a t-shirt. At the port of Aci Trezza, I have coffee today with a view of the rocks of La Cornera. The traffic towards Catania is slowly increasing now. In search of a quiet side street, I end up in a dead end behind the locomotive shed at Porto Rossi. So I continue on the main road to the city center to the fish market with its lively hustle and bustle. From small sardines to tuna, everything can be bought whole or in pieces. I make two extra loops through the dense, sometimes standing traffic. Like the scooter riders, I squeeze past the cars and see the Roman amphitheater, the market on Piazza Carlo Alberto, which is impenetrable by bike, Porta Garibaldi, and Castello Ursino. Then I fight my way to the airport and look for the car rental office. Somehow, I am quite exhausted and happy when I have stowed the bike in the car and steer towards the sea with the small Peugeot. Baia di Agnone is my chosen destination on the map, and I am very satisfied with my choice. Here I can park, swim, and set up my tent a hundred meters further, hidden by bushes. In the light of the full moon, I cook on the beach and fall asleep contentedly.

Day 12, Sun 1.11.20 south of Catania
The first task today is to pack the bike into the car without removing the rear wheel. If I tilt the backrest of the passenger seat forward, it is enough to remove the front wheel, and that is quick. The second task is to buy an adapter with a USB port for the cigarette lighter, so that I can charge my phone and camera. But I should only succeed in the afternoon in Syracuse. After a coffee in Augusta and a quick stop at the flamingos, I park the car between the Teatro Greco and the island of Ortigia to explore everything by bike. It is amazing what the slaves of the Greeks carved out of the rock. But the Romans were not satisfied and built an amphitheater next to it. I make a short visit to the modern concrete Basilica of Madonna delle Lacrime with its great lighting effects. In search of the adapter, I ride around the city for a whole hour until I find it. Now I can easily turn to the old town on the island. The sun is already low and bathes the buildings in warm light. I sit on the city wall above the sea and in the cathedral square, watching the strolling tourists. There are clearly also people here who have more money. I pack the bike back into the car and drive to the SU and camp at Spiaggia di Fontane Bianche. This time I have to carry my backpack 500m from the parking lot by the road, so I mustn't forget anything, otherwise I have to walk twice. The sun still gives me time for a short walk on the rocks of the cliffs.

Day 13, Mon 2.11. Fontane Bianche
Today, I will visit the Baroque city of Noto. I unpack the bike again, but move around the film-like town more on foot after coffee. Films have already been shot here and are being shot again at the moment. Technicians move spotlights and sets, and I walk through decorations. The bronze figures by Igor Mitoraj on the steps in front of the cathedral are also gigantic. For lunch, I go all the way to the south. Here I am actually further south than Tunis in Tunisia. At Capo Correnti, I park the bike, drive to Portopalo di Capo Passero by car, and hike along the coast. But the hike is not as beautiful as I thought. The beach is very polluted and everything looks rather neglected. I take a refreshing bath at a nice shallow spot and for the next hour, I have a four-legged companion who actually guards the harbor but is taking a break. There are also rocky sections and marsh areas along the shore, but always a lot of trash. At the clean beach in front of Faro, I meet Roman, the Dortmund fan from Munich. We quickly start a conversation and I decide to spend the night here in the parking lot. So I cycle back to the car and drive back here. We spend a relaxing afternoon on the beach and a nice evening with Sambuco.

Day 14, Tue 3.11. at the Southeast tip
I walk to the statue of Christ where the waves from both seas meet for the sunrise. From here, I have a good view to the east. Then everything back into the car, have coffee in Ispica, and head to Modica. I park at the high viewpoint opposite the old town and unload the bike. Several serpentines lead down into the city with its Baroque facades. I cycle past palazzos and piazzas and climb the steps to the Duomo di San Pietro. In the upper part of the city, there is another cathedral in honor of St. George, which I also visit. Then it's back to the car. North of Ragusa, I cycle and hike into the peaceful Misericordia Valley. The Grotta del Gigante is my destination. With the light from my phone, I explore the cave on all fours. It is quite adventurous. In the dim light, I see small rooms with stalactites. Afterwards, I have to wash myself in the stream before I can visit the city of Ragusa. It is located on several hills, and long bridges connect the neighborhoods. Tomorrow morning, I want to visit Villa Casale. Since it is 100 km away, I drive a few more kilometers until it gets dark. The overnight spot at Piane dell'Acqua in an olive grove is not so nice, but I only want to sleep here anyway.

Day 15, Wed 4.11.20 on the way to Piazza Armerina
In search of a bar for the morning coffee, I end up in Grammichele and am surprised when I see the layout of the city: hexagonal into the outskirts! Less beautiful is the smog in the valley on the way to Caltagirone. The thick smoke from a factory chimney in the valley hangs in the valley and pollutes everything. The parking lot at Villa Romana del Casale is still completely empty, so I already fear that the museum might be closed. But no, I am the only visitor until 11am and can calmly admire the beautiful mosaics: the hunting scenes, the ornaments, the bikini women, and so on. At noon, I move through Armerina. Today, I want to find a nice camping spot earlier and look for access to a mountain through cacti. I am lucky in San Cono. Clear views in all directions and a good meadow. So I can enjoy the SU and cook comfortably.

Day 16, Thu 5.11.20 on the mountain near Piazza Armerina
On the last day, I want to spend the day in nature in Sicily as I did during the night and the wonderful morning. After a short bike ride with a coffee break in Caltagirone, I drive to Ferla. I want to hike through the Anapo Canyon. At the parking lot in front of the nature reserve, two Austrians recommend a different route on hiking trail 4. I ride far at the height parallel to the valley to the east. The path passes many Bronze Age rock dwellings and tombs. There are said to be 5000 chamber tombs here. In addition, there is the great view of the canyon. Down by the river, I take a refreshing break next to the former railway line. There is also a beautiful swimming area, but today I still want to drive to the airport and sell the bike. Unfortunately, there is no bicycle shop on the way, so I speak perfect Italian to people at gas stations and car repair shops. On the third try, I actually find someone and get 50€ for the bike. While looking for a campsite, I drive back to the beach. Several planes take off above me and I set the alarm for 5am.

Day 17, Fri 6.11.20
I didn't hear the alarm, but the first planes wake me up. Packing up, refueling, returning the car, and getting in line at the counter. Now everything goes according to plan. The plane departs less than half full and on time. I have a window seat and a good view of Mount Etna, Venice, the Dolomites, the Inn Valley, the accumulating clouds north of the Alps, and the Sauerland during the approach over the Ruhr. Since Italy was declared a risk area for Corona during my vacation, I have to take a test. Unfortunately, last week the test station at Dortmund Airport was closed, and the Klinikum Nord also turned me away because I am not from Dortmund. So I drive home first and will continue to try to get a test tomorrow.

P.S: I was tested on the 7th and had to wait a whole week for the result. But the great trip was worth it!!!