This is our second time biking from Mazara to Sciacca. The last time we followed the coast, stopping at Selinunte along the way to take in another of Sicily’s exceptional Greek ruins. We might have started out with that in mind today also, had it not been for Rachael’s fortuitous discovery on her walk yesterday that the Arena Bridge is closed for renovations. It saved us some frustration and a pointless out and back; and after I remembered that Jacquie and Al were probably in town themselves I tipped them off too.
Our B&B is only a B in this season - they won’t start serving breakfasts until May, we’re advised in the introductory message they sent us yesterday. No problem - in Rachael’s scouting expedition yesterday she found a good early-open cafe where we head off to for breakfast at about eight. A few hours later we’re on the road heading northeast out of town, on a route I’ve mapped out through the agricultural interior.
The first half of the day’s ride is similar to the tail end of yesterday’s, as we traverse a broad, shallow basin east of Mazara. Miles of vineyards, olive groves and dazzling wildflowers are our backdrop as we bike east on near empty roads, for a change reasonably paved the whole way. Pleasant, easy riding but after yesterday it’s nothing to write home about until I come upon a small sheep/goat drive coming my way and for a change have the wits to remember to take a video.
Here’s that flower, the same as in the photo above and others yesterday. Oxalis/wood sorrel/Bermuda buttercup. Kudos to Bill and Kathleen for identifying it correctly yesterday!
For much of today’s ride we’re biking past olive groves. It’s interesting comparing them to those in Andalucia - they aren’t as visually striking here, without the red and cream soils to accentuate the trees.
Our route is well away from the sea, other than at the endpoints. We might have followed the coast instead except there’s a significant bridge closure east of Mazara.
The nature of the ride changes in its second half as the land becomes more contoured and dramatic formations rise ahead. A series of five or six short climbs end the stage, with none of them bringing much pain until we come to the final ridge just before Sciacca. I’ve gotten ahead of Rachael for this climb, as she stopped to phone our hotel with our expected arrival time. When the climb stiffens above 10% I suddenly remember I’m nursing a heart condition and should walk the last few hundred yards to be on the safe side. From the top I pause to wait for Rachael, curious to see if she’ll dismount at the same spot.
As we approach Sciacca the terrain to the north grows more dramatic.
Huge viaducts are a common sight in Sicily. This is the Belice Viaduct, spanning the broad valley east of Castelvetrano. Over 2,000 meters long, with its highest span at nearly 300’ it’s one of the highest of the Sicilian viaducts.
Climbing out the other side. A manageable slope of 9-10%, until about by the tower on the left ahead of Rachael where it stiffens to 15% the rest of the way. Maybe to make me feel better, she dismounted and started pushing at the same spot I had.
Video sound track: Drift Into a Dream, by Fin Moon
Sciacca is built into the side of a steep slope, perched a few hundred feet above the sea. We’ve had the excellent judgement to select a hotel even further up the slope, with the last several blocks a convoluted zigzag up a steep, rough path that looks like the only approach not involving stairs.
It’s not at all clear that we’ve mapped the route right, so I leave Rachael with the bikes while I climb up into this maze and wander around looking for the hotel. It’s really a shabby area, the lanes filled with trash, the structures in poor repair - not at all promising and no hotel in sight. I’m cursing myself for realizing I’m up here without a phone or GPS to orient me, when finally I stumble on it and work my way back down to Rachael so we can trudge back up again pushing our bikes.
The hotel, when we arrive, doesn’t impress us at first. We let ourselves in after calling the owner to get the lock box combo and look around trying to orient ourselves, finally concluding that our room must be up at the top of a precarious set of steep stone stairs.
Gradually though our opinion changes, especially once we see it from its proper approach, up the attractive staircase from the lower town. It’s really quite a nice place, just difficult to arrive at by bicycle.
The staircase to our room in the Locanda al Moro Hotel. Steep, narrow, totally exposed in an open atrium, it was a little unnerving climbing up at first. We were glad it wasn’t raining, when the stone stairs might have been slick.
The walkway/staircase down from our hotel - two blocks down to the first paved cross street. Fortunately there’s an alternate route - steep, rough, gritty, but at least without stairs - that we used to push our bikes up to the hotel.
For dinner we pick out a restaurant down below directly facing the basilica, make a reservation for four, and meet up with Jacquie and Al again for our third meal together. This will be it though, barring surprises. They’re moving on east tomorrow while we stay over another day to take a walk or ride into those dramatic hills north of town. At the rate they’re moving, we’ll never catch up with them again.
I love this beautiful piazza in the heart of Sciacca, overlooking the sea. It’s the first thing that comes to mind when I think back on our first visit.
The view northwest along the coast from Piazza Scandaliato. The doubled gulls in the sky are interesting in this long exposure shot taken with Rachael’s phone.
Another food photo, from another meal with Al and Jacquie at Trattoria La Matrice. Jacquie and Rachael both ordered the salmon, and after seeing it I wished I had too.
