May 12th punta to Scicli

Sad farewell to the best campsite and our toilet and them lovely bread man and the efficient host. Hot,hot day today and humid with a haze to the light. New tyre purchased in Santo Croce then on to scicli. What a stunning town. A UNESCO site for very good reasons. Whilst eating our lunch we heard a passing Italian telling some English speaking women that filming was taking place at the town hall that doubles as montalbanos police station!!!!! Then came the most surreal 2hrs. We managed to see the main characters and got pictures with them!!!! Chatted to a lovely couple, the female one saying that last time she had done anything like this was when the Beatles were filming hard days night! We then felt the only way to end this fab day was to stay in sicli, at cada de montalbano. A lovely apartment. Then we brushed up and had a meal out for the first time since the Dordogne. An excellent day!!!

May 12th sicli to simeria

Another hazy day. Short cycle down to the coast. Tired today after the antics of the previous day. Campsite OK but not a patch on our previous campsite. Early night called for to recover.

May 11th

Cycled to Ragusa today. Coffee stop at Santa Croce Carmina which is a lovely little town with a very busy little main square frequented by lots of more mature men sitting under the shade of the trees. We then continued to Ragusa, a steady uphill if about 25km. Ragusa appears to be split into 3 sections, a less than attractive urban sprawl, an old town on the grid system lots of Sicilian towns have and lastly the true old Ragusa. Unfortunately once we had trapsed through the first two and then eventually found the third, with the iconic view granted, we couldn't face going down to go back up into it!!! Boiling hot. So we had something to eat too a couple of photos and turned round!!!! Then luckily it was a free wheel down to Marina la Ragusa. Just up the road from punta la secca. A sleek resort obviously popular with wind and kite surfers. Back to camp for last time. Got some handy info from some of our fellow campers, then shattered, off to bed.

May 10th Punta Secca

Trip to Montalbano village and house. Lots of others obviously do the same pilgrimage. Chilled on beach while Dave did two paintings. Very nice relaxing day. Though village obviously attracts lots of Mont fans, not touristy at all. Back to campsite and sorted lots of things including putting lovely clean clothes away. Little things......

May 7th Agrigento to Falconara

Rainy and dull day today and fairly uninspiring cycling. Area obviously very fertile with lots of agricultural farming under big polytunnels, which do detract from the scenery, but obviously needs must. Stopped in licarta, which was handy as big market allowing purchase of charger and bit of a food shop. Arrived eventually at the only campsite possible. Again one that only offers half of the things advertised and a bit rundown. Luckily rain stopped and it also offered somewhere to sit in the evening.

May 8th Falconera to Punta Bracatto

Blue skies lifted spirits. 70km cycle today, so needed. Into a head wind to Gela, which once we found centre was lovely. Very grumpy service for the cheapest coffee yet and with rather a fabulous view of the Duomo. Then back on the road to Scoglitti. Nice little harbour. Only negative of this area, as much of Sicily, so much rubbish on the sides of the roads. Then final cycle to Punta, or Montalbano land!!!! Luckily first campsite we came across was deserted in reception as we then moved on to the BEST campsite EVER!!!!!! Spotless, well organised, lovely pitches and your very own lockable toilet, with the nicest beach right there. Immediately we knew more than one night here. Library, breadman, veggie man, everything one could desire. Celebrated with a couple of beers at the bar on the beach.

May 4th Manfi to somewhere near Ribera

Cycled first to Scoccia. Coffee on the old port. Characterful place where men outnumber women 100 to 1. Then headed up to find a supermarket,to no avail. Luckily Ribera only small detour ahead. Only option larger road but these seem to be sparsely populated by really heavy traffic so not bad. The slight detour to Ribera was up a hill. Quite a nice place and more open than others in siesta, and luckily a Lidl (new favourite shop) open all hours to do a mammoth shop whilst we can. Cycle down the hill again to campsite. Disappointingly no pool, down to the weather said the patron, Dave reckons more to do with lack of tiles and amount of work needing doing everywhere! But a good pitch and fab showers, so all good.

 May 5th and 6th Ribera to Agrigento

Back onto main road with a stop at montallegro for coffee. A ice little place and complimentary panne au chocolat too, which was scrummy. Then a cycle into Porto Empedocle, which is lovely. Quite grand pedestrianised area. On the way in passed some unusual white cliffs,which literally looked like white petrified lava. Escaped the chat up by the resident tooth deprived drinking chap to the campsite at Santa Leone. So nice we immediately decided to stay two nights. Quick sojourn to the beach, where we could see more white cliffs in the distance. Chilled evening, scrabble score evening out. 

May 5th and 6th Ribera to Agrigento

Back onto main road with a stop at montallegro for coffee. A ice little place and complimentary panne au chocolat too, which was scrummy. Then a cycle into Porto Empedocle, which is lovely. Quite grand pedestrianised area. On the way in passed some unusual white cliffs,which literally looked like white petrified lava. Escaped the chat up by the resident tooth deprived drinking chap to the campsite at Santa Leone. So nice we immediately decided to stay two nights. Quick sojourn to the beach, where we could see more white cliffs in the distance. Chilled evening, scrabble score evening out. 


Next day set off with best intentions of being cultural, to the Valle Dei Templi. It was so easy to see these Greek ruins from the road we decided to forgo the 20 euro admission. Then on up to Agrigento. Hot, big hill. Coffee at the top. Nice but not printable for Dave so back down to beach where he did painting there. Early night as off again next day.

May 3rd Caralafini to Manfi

Much better day today. Windy with some clouds but blue skies visible too. We set off with 52 km to do,I wasn't sure we could only about 26 the previous day. But the wind was in our favour and lovely undulating countryside. The one time we could have been slowed upnwas when we were following signs, which had been almost obscured, to Ballilini and ended up on a mud road. Not just any old mud, the stickiest, clayiest mud in the world. Brought our wheels to a standstill and stuck to our shoes. Luckily the man who hates turning back realised quickly the futility of continuing and back to the more main road we went. The slight problem here in Sicily is the road signs, numbering of the minor roads? It can be hard to know where one is. Stopped for lunch and shop break in a town that unfortunately was shut. Another notable element of Sicilian life, the siesta is observed and long? Luckily one cafe open so a slightly odd panini with our meagre larder was enough. Eventually down to the south coast. Cycle through Manfi, which was also closed and down to Porto Palu which luckily had a little shop attached to the cafe to enable us to get something for tea and breakfast. We had wine already as our personal shopper the previous day had persuaded us to buy a 2litre bottle! Only clients on the campsite. Again though very friendly and welcoming.!

May 2nd Castellammare to Caralafini

Woke up to thunderous skies again today and unfortunately the rain stayed and it was cold and pretty miserable. Fair weather cyclists we are, obviously. By the time we found a cafe in Caralafini we had had enough. Luckily both of us realise these things at the same time. Onto booking.com and found a place to stay. Meanwhile chatted to an ex language professor, in French, much easier. Pleased that as I am now 4% fluent in Italian (half full glass Duolingo) it isn't interfering with the French. Felt good not to be grunting and pointing at things. Checked into hotel. Family run affair. stuck very much in the 60s with lots of church paraphernalia around. But with a kitchen to use, self contained flat really, so perfect. Popped out to an other cafe, where another older chap befriended us then as we shopped with a personal shopper walking us round, we realised we are somewhat novelty in the town. All added to this quirky charm of Sicily.