Wednesday, June 9, 2010: AM…..Arrive at Fontanarossa airport, Catania (Sicily) meet at 'arrivals', near the gate, look for the large Australian flag. Transfer in the Topbike air conditioned mini-bus to our Agriturismo on the north side of Catania. Lunch & orientation of our new surroundings will follow and assembling of bikes etc. Dinner by the sea near our accommodation, possibly enjoying a bowl of spaghetti with Scampi and a crisp dry white from one of the local 'Trattoria', with a meditteranean view, followed by a passegiata, with gelati, along the waterfront.

Thursday, June 10: After breakfast, we gear up and start our ‘Giro di Sicilia’, taking the roads south, away from Mt Etna, we’ll drive out on a busy road for 30k before we turn inland and saddle up to enjoy the quieter roads, through Scorida and Palagonia, arriving in our destination town of Caltagirone.  We’ll have lunch and morning tea en route, and dinner this evening in Caltagirone. (42k)

Friday, June 11: From Caltagirone we’ll strike out west to Mazzarino which sits atop of a small hill and is an ideal lunch stop.  Once here we will have time to enjoy a long lunch, and then choose to continue on to Caltanisetta in the van, or by bike if you prefer  (60k, small climbs, plenty of views)

Saturday, June 12: Today we are riding north-east across Sicily, and will pass by the most central town on the island, Enna, which has earned a few nicknames, such as "belvedere" (panoramic viewpoint) or the "ombelico" (navel) of Sicily.  At 945m it is the highest provincial capital of Italy.  We’re on scenic roads the whole day, and will finish our internal tour in Nicosia, at a hilltop located ‘Agriturismo’ in Nicosia. (70k hard, with hills)

Sunday June 13: Another big day of scenic riding is planned for today.  We’ll have morning coffee in Mistretta, and from there it is the closest thing to ‘downhill all the way’ to the coast, where we will turn left and ride the flat coastal esplanade into Cefalu.  After a passegiata (slow walk) around the old town, with a gelati, we will transport up to our hotel in Castelbuono.  (80k easy)

Monday, June 14: From Castelbuono we’ll ride, once more downhill to the coast before joining the pancake flat coastal road that will take us in the direction of the port we’ll need to be at for tomorrow’s adventure.  It’s 137k, so after 80k, or whenever you feel like it, we’ll jump into the vans to continue the final stage into Milazzo, where we will spend the night, before our ferry trip out to the island of Lipari.  (80k easy)

Tuesday, June 15: Time now to relax, as we have two days of doing as we please.  We’ll pack a daypack (well, a two-day pack) and our bikes for an early morning hydrofoil trip (1 hr approx) to the island of Lipari, where we will spend the next two nights. There is one 25k loop of road on Lipari, which may not sound like a lot, but in Topbike’s well traveled opinion, it is the best 25k loop in the world.  So it'll be up to you to do as many laps as you wish, before dinner.

Have a look at Dave's lap of Lipari

 

Wednesday, June 16: Rest day today, on Lipari.  A few suggestions are:
1:  Sleeping in, then walking to the beach, enjoying a couple of freshly caught charcoal grilled garfish for lunch followed by a lengthy afternoon siesta. 
2:  Catch a ferry to Stromboli or Vulcano and have a close look at an active volcano. 
3:  Set the world record for cycling laps around Lipari in a day. 
It will all be up to you (I’ll be chasing the garfish option myself). 

Thursday, June 17: Departing Lipari on an early ferry (‘early’ meaning about 9am around these quarters) we’ll arrive in Milazzo with plenty of time to transport up to Novara di Sicilia, 650m above sea level.  We’ll complete the hillclimb up to the pass of Mandrazzi at 1125m, and commence a curvaceous descent south, to the base of Mt Etna.  We’ll continue on a little further, riding up the first minor climb of Mt Etna to Linguaglossa.  (44k med w/climbs) 
 
Friday June 18: More scenery today as we traverse the lower roads of Etna along to Zafferana, here we can choose to jump in the car and drive up to the top of Mt Etna, or ride, if you like.  We’ll have a picnic lunch en route and should arrive at Mt Etna with plenty of time to enjoy a gelati before driving the remaining few K into the maelstrom of Catania.  Dinner tonight will be over the water at Capo di Mulino. A few k from our B & B accommodation.  For our last meal together there’s sure to be another round of Scampi pasta and a crisp dry white on the menu.  (20k easy, then 20k hard if you insist on riding up the volcano!)    

Saturday June 19: After breakfast it's time to pack up the bikes, farewell all our new friends and head off for our next adventure. Arriverderci!