Blog – Day 11 – Gioia Tauro to Taormina

We set out from Giovi Tauro after a really good evening in a local Restaurant.

At this point we had only around 100 miles still to cycle until the end but Taormina was 110 kms away and this included a boat trip to Sicily.

 

The ride started with 10 miles of really difficult mountain roads but after reaching the peak the views were breath taking and we were able to see across the Sicily and the straits of Messina in the distance. Jac and Loraine managed to drive to the wrong ferry !!! and we then raced their ferry across the straits of Messina. However once re-united on the other side the sprint to Taormina began in earnest. The sprint was left to Ben and Tom who come home together with Ben just in front on the hill up to the Hotel.

In the evening we ate at Terrazza Angela in the old town on the hill after we had taken a ski lift up to the incredibly beautiful mountain top town. Before that we had all enjoyed a swim in the sea in the lower streets of Taormina. This is probably the most fantastic town in Sicily and sits a few miles from Mount Etna.

Regarding the riding, Steve and Guy both crashed as a result of the really wild driving in Messina and the tram lines which are clearly a major issue for bikes. In Italy the drivers had shown tremendous respect for cyclists but it was becoming clear that in Sicily it was a wilder environment.

Everyone got to Taormina safely and we also saw Steve and Jac dancing on tables at the Terrazza Angelo. Angelo and his waiter Daniele then brought out a very large bottle of Limenchello which is a Sicilian form of Grappa and very strong. Needless to say a great evening was had by all.