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| Samuel and Andrea cycling in Pisa |
In this post we would share the 2nd day of the self cycling holiday enjoyed by Enzo, our canadian customer who used out quality bike rental and shared with us his travel book notes.
I slept well after a long, hot ride down from Corleone on Day 2, and an amazing dinner served up by Rosario. I woke up well-rested on my third touring day, and decided to spend it in Agrigento to tour the local sites.
My brief riding summary for the day was:
Distance: 9 km
Elevation Gain: 193 metres
Elevation Loss: 193 metres
I checked with Patrizia, and she had a room available for another night at B&B Dei Templi by Patrizia (http://www.bbdeitempli.it/). She also gave me a key to the garage, so I could get my bike in and out of there as I pleased throughout the day.
The day started with an espresso and fresh pastry at a local bar across the street. Some of the B&B’s I stayed in would offer this for the breakfast option, and it gave me a chance to meet and chat with some of the locals. Next stop was a street vendor to pick up a bag of fresh fruit for a Euro. This would end up being a daily tradition before I started riding for the day.
Today’s ride was quite minimal, not even hitting double-digit kilometres! It was made even more relaxing by leaving the saddle bags behind at the B&B. My destination was the Valle dei Templi (http://www.parcovalledeitempli.it/ , http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valle_dei_Templi ), just a few km south of town. This is one of the great attractions in Sicilia that takes you away to a different time and place. In this case, it was ancient Greece in the 5th and 6th centuries BC – over 2,500 years ago! The Greeks left behind some beautiful temples, in various states of preservation in an area they referred to as Akragas (now called Agrigento).
After spending a few hours wandering through ancient Greece, it was a short ride (uphill) back to modern Siicilia. I spent the rest of the afternoon wandering through this bustling town of about 60,000 people, and enjoying my afternoon coffee at the same bar in which I started my day. I also got myself organized for the next day, and booked a B&B in Piazza Armerina – just over 100 km away.
For dinner, I could not think of any better choice that a return visit to Pizzeria Gastronomia Manzoni (http://www.paginegialle.it/pizzeriamanzoni ). Tonight I just had to try one of the mouth-watering pizzas I had seen Rosario Salerno prepare the night before. I was not disappointed, and Rosario made sure I was well-taken care of with appetizers, salad and vino to accompany one of his speciality pizzas.
Information and bike rental quote requests, fill the form to this link.
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| Veloce Lifestyle : made in Italy leisure shoes |
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| Veloce Cycling Jersey |
.JPG "bike rental venice") |
| Cycling in Venice, Italy |
In this post we would share the 2nd cycling day by Enzo, our Canadian customer who enjoyed the tour of Sicily using our road bike rental services.
Day 2 saw me go through many ups and downs in rural and mountainous Sicilia, on my way to the southern coast and the Mediterranean. It was a net “downhill” day with a drop of over 300 metres, but many climbs along the way. My summary for the day was:
Distance: 109 km
Elevation Gain: 1,285 metres
Elevation Loss: 1,614 metres
I was the only guest at the B&B in Corleone, so Antonino (the owner) basically gave me the run of the place to come and go as I pleased and leave when it was convenient for me.
This was a day that his restaurant was closed, but he took care of me for breakfast before he headed into Palermo for the day with his friend Gino.
I chatted with Gino a bit, as he was fluent in English. He runs a small local touring company, so gave me some ideas on what to do in Corleone.
I spent most of the morning on a walking tour through town, and then joined a tour of the C.I.D.M.A. International Documentary Center of Mafia and the No Mafia Movement museum.
A bit upsetting to see the devastation the Mafia has had to people in this area, but they are showing their strength and resilience in fighting back, as exemplified by the very passionate and proud Sicilian tour guide, Meralana.
I had a bite to eat, got my bike loaded up and hit the road shortly after 1:00 pm with temperatures already in the mid-20s. The 100+ km would take a bit of a toll me in this heat, but I made some stops along the way and met some more interesting folks the rest of the day:
- Carmelo in a bar stop in Ribera, a transplanted Brit with Sicilian roots
- Salvatore from Montallegro, who was out for an after-work spin on his road bike and on his way back home. We rode together in a 2-man mini-paceline for about 12km, and he was impressed I could keep up with my loaded touring bike
- Rosario Salerno, world-class chef and owner/operator of Pizzeria Gastronomia Manzoni
He cooked me up a late-night feast that included an amazing seafood pasta dish, and then a swordfish for secondo, with some vino from his private collection!
A well-earned night’s rest at B&B Dei Templi by Patrizia – modestly priced and very comfortable.
Information and bike quote requests, fill the form to this link.
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| customers with Jerry at accommodation in Peschiera del Garda |
Picture shot at Crown Plaza close Milan Malpensa Airport where our company provided Bianchi road bike for rent with delivery and collecting service at the customer accommodation.
Information and bike rental quote via form at this link
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| pick up of bike rental at accommodation in Milan |
