Spectacular Sicily
Italy (Sicily) Stage 01 – Palermo to Castellammare Del Golfo 74 Km (Tue 22 May 2018)
Weather: 13⁰C min – 23⁰C max, mostly cloudy
“I just need to ride my bike.” ~ Emily Rooney
Sleeping on a ferry is a first for me, but I managed to arrive reasonably fresh at about 7 am this morning after the 11 hour trip from Naples on Grandi Navi Veloce’s Adriatica vessel.
My introduction to Sicily was it’s capital of Palermo, but there is only so much of a city you can see in the hour I allowed myself before setting off on my 74 Km ride to Castellammare Del Golfo, so I created a route to take me through the markets, some shops, the cathedral, and past the Capuchin Catacombs (which unfortunately were not open at that hour). Sicily’s allure is undeniable, but its capital Palermo is less universally loved. Whilst I did see some impressive architecture (particularly the cathedral) my lasting memory of Palermo will be grime, grit, and unbelievable peak hour traffic … mayhem and madness! Having watched all three Godfather movies on the plane from Sydney, I was very careful not to look directly at anybody and I was very discrete with the photographs I took. And I made sure I remembered to pay for my coffee!
After about 16 Km I finally escaped Palermo and enjoyed smooth riding on the SS113 for most of the journey. Traffic was heavy at times, but there was a reasonable shoulder to ride on so safety was not a concern (apart from when I was in Palermo). Scenery was unremarkable, but I am expecting it will improve considerably after I reach Trapani tomorrow and start making my way down the west coast.
Castellammare del Golfo, where I am staying tonight, is an idyllic little seaside town in a very picturesque location, below steep mountain slopes, with a delightful harbour containing lots of little fishing boats. One feature of Castellammare’s history not featured in the town museum is its past notoriety as a Mafia town with links to both the American and the Sicilian Mafia during the course of the twentieth century. There is, however, no hint of the town’s shadier history visible to the tourist. Castellammare simply seems a comfortable, pleasant and innocuous seaside town.
There are plenty good restaurants to choose from, so right now I am off to check out whether Sicilian cuisine is as good as it is cracked up to be!
No doubt you would have enjoyed the “rocking and rolling on the boat. It would be like a baby’s cradle..
Great photos. Glad you got out of the “God Fathers” area safe and sound.
Ride safely now!!.
Love the framing of the black bull 🙂 And was that Lantana growing on the roadside? I wonder if it’s a pest there, too? The cathedral looks amazing! Castellammare looks pretty – but where’s the sun?!
I couldn’t get the cow (yes look closely) to move exactly into the centre of the frame, so somebody suggested I should have moved the arch!