Bicycle touring in Sicily, cycling from Corleone to Agrigento with our bike rental with delivery at accommodations
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.
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