Chiara, our savior at last night's meal, is eating alone in the dining room when we go down at 7:30. She informs us that it was quite busy just a few minutes ago though, when all the mountain bikers departed for a large race or rally that is apparently taking place nearby. We enjoy a long conversation with her over an excellent breakfast - which she again helps us with by translating for us the extra options available (like a huge plate of scrambled eggs) that we wouldn't have know of otherwise.
Chiara is quite enjoyable to visit with, and has interesting stories to share. She has spent the last few months renting a room in Palermo and has been painfully learning the unwritten social rules of the neighborhood, at times enforced by unorthodox means - such as the rock she recently found had been thrown through the rear window of her car. She told us also of her father, who was a professional bicycle racer as a young man and competed in the Tour de France. If we are in the market for a tour guide in Sicily, I'm sure we'll look her up.
Chiara, our translator, savior and friend. If you're in the market for a tour guide when you come to Sicily, let us know and we'll help you get in touch with her. Ciao, Chiara! Grazie mille!
When we arrive in the village, the central plaza is awash with cyclists and their support crews. It is a very colorful scene, watching them swirl around and listening to the loudly ringing church bells echoing across the square. Just after ten they congregate at one end behind the starting line, the countdown begins and then releases them, and within five minutes they're off and the square is still again.
Only half a mile from the hotel, and we're already forced to stop for a longer look. I don't know that I've ever seen a newborn donkey before. When we first biked up, all that we could see was the mother and two long ears sticking up from the grass.
The plaza in Palazzo Adriano was awash with bikers cruising around, lining up for team photos and taking selfies, waiting for the start of a big mountain bike race. Here, they're massed at the starting line, waiting for the countdown.
We have fine weather for our last full day of cycling. The winds are gone, skies are clear, it is warm. On the climbs it almost feels too warm - I think we're wrapping up at a good time. It is likely to be too hot for our tastes before many more days pass. The ride is beautiful too, through surprisingly rugged country. This part of the island is very irregular, with broad cultivated areas bound by abrupt ridges or small peaks. Her and there, massive stones stand isolated in otherwise plane pastures.
We arrive at around one in Corleone, the town famous for its history with the mafia, and stop for lunch on the square. It is still a bit early, but we stop here because it is Sunday and we aren't likely to find anything else open until we reach Monreale. The town is very atmospheric and looks like it would be a great spot to wander through in the evening - we add it to the candidate list for overnights on our hoped for second pass through the island someday.
In Bisaquino. The town is ribbon-shaped, built around a long, straight avenuethat troops steeply down valley. It's Sunday, and the sidewalks are filled with loiterers. On the shady side, card players sit at tables like this one and while away the afternoon.
Coreolone, a small town high in the hills south of Palermo - famous of course for its violent mafia connections. It is quite a striking place though, and looks like it would be a fine stop for an overnight. Next time.
Central Bar, Coreolone - another hot spot on the Godfather Tour. The walls inside are all lined with Godfather memorabilia. We stopped and had lunch here, and took our beverages out on the plaza in the shade from the hot sun.
From Coreolone we drop about a thousand feet and then bounce along the bottom of the valley for a bit. The ride continues to be beautiful. The mosaic of small, irregularly shaped fields cultivated right up to the edge of the rocks makes a wonderful backdrop. Somewhere along in here we make a wrong turn and find ourselves once again pushing our mounts up some impossibly steep rocky road. We've never done so much of this, and our attitudes about it have changed - we are starting to view our days as hybrid bike/hike tours, and are just enjoying the chance to slow down and look around more slowly for a bit. It's all good.
Palermo is walled on the south side by a 2,500' ridge - I'm sure this was great as a natural defense centuries ago, but for now it just means we have one more climb ahead of us. It about exactly matches what we still have the legs for - it is a good thing we are at the end of the tour, or we need another day or a few off in any case. It is a good climb, fortunately - not too steep, on an empty old road that's been left behind by the modern highway that towers high above it. Its high overpass is a visual arrow for us to measure our progress on the climb to the top.
Once over, it is a steep, long drop into the outskirts of Palermo, until we reach Monreale and enjoy one last steep climb into town. We are staying in a room on the alley immediately behind the town's world-famous cathedral - the reason we are overnighting here instead of just coasting another six miles to our hotel in Palermo. We arrive late - it's getting close to seven - so there is only time to clean up and start looking at restaurants. We find a very nice one in an alley and enjoy a delicious celebration meal outside in the warm evening air.
Rachael's video clip of the day's ride, which I especially like because I'd forgotten about the horse we raced at the top of the final climb:.
This large flock was well under the control of ten or so sheepdogs barking at them from all sides. I like this scene also because of the sheep herder you can see at the back if you zoom in - he looks so nonchalant lying there in the grass while his minions do all the work.
Palermo is totally walled off from the interior to the south by this large range, with a single gap through it. Hopefully we still have the legs for one last climb.
The plaza in front of the duomo was packed, before the dinner hour. I was charmed by the communal picture this presents, not recognizing it for what it is - like in Siracusa two weeks ago, people are gathering for another processional.
We've still got the short drop to Palermo tomorrow, but we celebratied the end of the tour tonight with a fine fish dinner. I think this was only the second or third night we've dined outdoors, because generally it's been too chilly. While we were waiting for the bill, fireworks erupted. Rachael nicely offered to wait for it to arrive while I went out to the plaza to see what was happening.
We have just called for the bill when a loud explosion echoes through the alley, and then another. Fireworks! Rachael offers to wait for the check to arrive so that I can go look around with the camera, so I race off to the plaza in front of the duomo.
Incredible - the plaza is packed, and a magnificent fireworks display is underway that lasts for about 10 minutes. They finally wind down, and almost immediately we hear snare drums and horns, and turn to face the beginning of a parade. Here come the musicians, then once again two rows of burly guys bearing an immense icon up the street. It's Monreale's patron saint, and she's on her way to her resting place at the end of what's apparently been the annual two week long spring festival here. It is a bit dumbfounding that we've been lucky enough to cross paths with another of these events on this trip.
Total elevation gain: today, 4,700'; for the tour, 109,400'.
A huge fireworks display erupted in Monreale to mark the end of the festival for the town's patron saint, Mary. This trip has astonished us right up to its end.
Bearing the Madonna and child through the town for the final procession of the festival. We were fortunate enough to see three of these processions in our month here. It doesn't reflect any great planning on our part - it was just dumb luck.
