This was one of the less interesting rides of the tour and I'm behind anyway, so I'll save a little time here and let the photos speak for today. Also, here's Rachael's video clip for the day: biking through Ortigia, along the cycle path, approaching Etna. See you tomorrow.
Total elevation gain: today, 2,100'; for the tour, 53,000'.
Paula, our warm and charming host at Il Salotto di Maria Pia, Syracusa. A wonderful place to stay, in the best spot of Ortigia. Highly recommended.
This photo of a water polo team posing beside the Siracusa cathedral was actually taken yesterday. The longer that I stared at it the more grossed out I got, so I relegated it to the trash heap. Rachael insisted though that I resurrect it and include it in the journal. Thoughts?
Somehow we lost one of out water bottles a few days back, so we've been on the watch for a bike store. We found one on the way out of Siracusa. They had water bottles, and also jerseys. I picked up a new Italian one to replace an old favorite which was wearing out. If you're lucky you'll get a look at it somewhere down the road.
Riding out of Siracusa was the best part of the day. There is a five mile trail along the coast east of the city that makes leaving it surprisingly easy.
It takes a bit of imagination to recognize this for the team selfie that it is. That's us in the center, squished and upside down; the earth above, the sky below.
The end of the cycle paths, at Marina di Melilli. After this we returned to the roads, spending much of the day on the well shouldered but busy and none too scenic secondary coastal highway. If we bike this way again I think we'd find a way to stay further away from the coast through here - maybe by overnighting in Nicolosi.
Our first view of Mount Etna since leaving Enna - barely. It's generally been overcast to the east until now, but now the haze or smog is so awful that the great mountain barely breaks through.
