Grumpy Old Men On Bikes

Yes, the lazy option - reissue an old movie with extra content (the stuff that wasn't good enough for the original).  After much queuing we eventually got our flight home and our fantastic bike boxes survived in-tact.  The taxi was waiting for us and we were tucked up in our beds by about 2am.  Sadly we both had to work today so the sleep was all too short. So, Italy.......a seriously lovely country with a fantastic climate and mostly nice people. Too much litter, scary driving in cities, expensive restaurants, but never-the-less a great place to visit. We did about 830 miles in total and, although there were pretty challenging days, overall its was not too demanding. The bikes mostly behaved: Alan broke a spoke and I broke a rack but we didn't get a single puncture. Our bodies also behaved, with no serious ailments and we have come home fitter, browner and lighter than we left. To do proper camping you would have to travel earlier in the year but the heat would b...

Our hotel last night set a new record low for the quality of it's breakfast - a coffee and a stale pastry. Based on our experience of the rest of the hotel this wasn't a total surprise. Still, it meant we were on the road super early and, with only 66 to do, it was clear we would finish very early. It was a bit odd riding with the sea on the left after 750 miles with it on the right but otherwise there wasn't much to distinguish mainland Italy from Sicily. We did glimpse Etna but the summit was lost in cloud of steam or some such. Coming down a decent hill I deployed my emergency braking system. This is also known as my rack and panniers. A clamp had sheared, allowing the whole thing to rotate around the wheel until it dragged along the ground. After changing my shorts we managed to bodge it using cable ties and this just about held. We got into Catania around 2pm and then the fun began. First we had to scour the wheelie bins for cardboard, then we had to try and fas...

We are in Sicily, what other movie was I going to use? We made good time today despite the fact that the wop civil engineers ran out of money, dynamite or maybe just interest. There is a ritzy motorway that parallels SS18 and this has all the fancy tunnels and viaducts while we made do with good old-fashioned switchbacks. Two pretty cheeky 6-7 mile climbs kept us working all day but we reached Villa San Giovanni with about 75 on the clock at 3:40 so rather than find a hotel we hopped on the ferry to Messina. We are in a budget hotel near the port but it isn't quite as classy as it sounds! Actually it is ok and the beds are gratifyingly free of horses heads. I am typing this with my cheeks stuffed with cotton wool but I am not sure that you are getting the full effect.....trust me, I sound JUST like Marlon Brando. Thanks to our heroic efforts we now have an easy day tomorrow. 66 miles to Catania then the fun of getting the bikes boxed (actually first we have to find suitable b...

Well, we made it to the toe and I am on the poop deck waiting to set sail for Sicily. Full report when we get into Messina and have found a hotel and a cold beer. But first...that poop. Steve ------------------

To the people of Italy who conceived, funded and built SS18......we salute you. Until today the roads have been servant to the geography of the coast line resulting in all that climbing. Today the civil engineers put an end to all that and threw serious money at the problem. For miles and miles the road was almost entirely tunnels and bridges - and gloriously flat. The longest tunnel was 1.25km and some of the bridges crossed hundreds of feet above the ravines. All of this was VERY welcome because we were totally knackered this morning. Last night we were too tired to even find a restaurant so we had self-assembly sandwiches and tried to work out if we could swing a small kitten by moving the wardrobe. The answer was no. We slept like the dead but woke not really refreshed and as we started riding even the slightest slope slowed us almost to a standstill. We perked up a bit later in the day and did our 80 with only a little snivelling. We are now about at the bottom of the lace...