We're off!
The magnificent (???) Seven headed off to Palermo yesterday to be reunited with our bikes and luggage which Mark Dykes had already carted here via a hockey tournament in Verona.
The rest of the gang will arrive tonight making us 12 in total (some connotations!)
We're lodging in a grand Hotel in the centre of Palermo - reminiscent of the setting of the 60's movie The Leopard (Burt Lancaster and the gorgeous Claudia Cardinale) - at a time it was very grand but the beauty has faded slightly ("sic transit gloria mundis" applies to hotels - and the rest of us).
The bikes were dislodged from the van, assembled and for safety taken to our rooms; mine on the 4th floor is so far down a corridor that I cycled there dragging the luggage - fortunately traffic was only light at midnight (3 blind corners!) and in spite of a gigantic Sicilian pizza and a large beer I made it safely to my room!
As seen below the bike is now safely parked next to me - and don't worry - I did check that the lace curtain was clean before I leant my precious against it !
The day will now be spent on foot( feet, surely? ) exploring Palermo's cathedrals and markets.
Not a thought about the election chaos back home - will there be another election by the time we get home? Maybe we should have one every week? Although our present PM seems to have engineered her own downfall (sic transit - am I repeating myself?) I am pleased that our excellent local MP did well.
Anyway - after an excellent breakfast with great coffee I explored Palermo - as much as 30*C allowed! Il Duomo di Mon Reale was magnificent. Certainly worth the bus ride into the almost unknown. After that the local churches and cathedral paled somewhat!
So whilst I explored the spiritual side of Palermo my companions stumbled over a beer festival -
Ciao
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