The Route

This is the actual 1.126 km route, I have taken. It is been generated by the files of my GPS Device (Garmin Edge 1030). Click on it for a large version.

The final day - Back to Palermo airport. Tour-total: 1.126 km

I needed to prepare the bike for the flight home. One of the most important things is to ensure that the pedals will be removable at the airport using my travel-tools. And I have to remember, what direction I have to push to on each side. I have prepared myself a little note:

"Spickzettel"

After such a trip, the screws are often very hard to loosen. That's why I looked for a real instrument. Thankfully, the tool-shop in Corleone could help.

Helpful people in Corleone. The mandarin was a special present from Sicilia

Now, I could continue my last ride. I came by Borgo Schirò, an abandoned village built during the agricultural reforms of Mussolini.

Background: School

Church of Borgo Schirò

Rock formations

Palermo Airport - the Bags and the bike is packed - I am ready to fly home.

to Corleone

Two days left until I will fly back to Frankurt and one destination is still on my list: Corleone. This village had seen very bad times and gave the name to Vito. It needs some climbing needed to reach it.

It rained from time to time. Often, I made it to some Bar and had a Cappuccino. 

Climbing higher, the rain changed to hail and the mountains had some white toppings. 

Finaly, I made it to Corleone. I will stayed there for the night. 

Tomorrow, I will drive back down and straight to the airport. 

1.000 km Beer - a puncture und rain - short day

Leaving another nice Hotel.

It´s not far to Palermo. I do not have to take the short way. Last year, on the trip from Palermo to Barcelona, I rushed through the rain. Leaving the big rock in the distance on my list. 

Not too long, the rain came to me this year again 

and that seemed to be the perfect time for my first puncture. 

The sun came back and with it, the 1.000 km mark. 

With only 40 km today, the #Festive500 is going to be hard (currently at 381 km)

Into the dark

The day was planned to be short. Out of the Gate of my Guesthouse and onto the road.

Only 55km to Cefalù was the plan.

But was not even 2pm, so rode on. The weather was ok, just headwind and big clouds. 

I made it to Termini Imerese, but the Hotel, I booked seem to not like the bicyclist, thy wanted 5€ to store the bicycle. There was some kind of bad vibrations that made me go away (the owner screamed that he will call the police (don‘t know why). By the time, I went back on the street, it was already dark . 

The Schmidt-Family light system (SON28 and Edellux II) is incredible effective. 

I continued a little further and found a nice boutique Hotel. Double the price, but once in a while the right thing to do.

My luxurious place for the night: Hoel Tonnara Trabia

On the road with many cyclists

After 10 nice km of rolling, a hill waited. 

I wondered where all the people on the racingbikes where going. I followed them up the hill to a monastery. They welcomed me and got me on their picture. 

Lots of sun at the beautiful Sicilean cost. 

At 5pm, the sun was already gone, when I pushed my final  5 km

25. December ride. Many things closed

So I rode my bicycle at natale - der erste Weihnachtsfeiertag. Very little traffic and tons of men on their racing bicycles. 

Waiting for more riders

 I started this morning in the sun, but  clouds darkened the sky to the North. 

My Christmas Hotel in the morning

Fortunately the clouds went within the first hours letting me enjoy the ride. 

Costal road bending inland

In Milazzo, I did the big loop to the very end of the road. I was rewarded with views

Piscina du Venere 

and more km for  Rapha #Festive500, a challenge to cycle 500 km between Christmas and End-of-year. 

[Nachtrag 25.12.  19:35. - ich bin derzeit 8.306er — von 73.738.  ;-) ]

After noon, nothing goes in Italy at the 25th of december. I had a hard time to buy water. I needed to search for my accommodation quite early and only one Pizzaria was open in town. 

Empty roads