Bill Giovinazzo 6/14/21 Bill Giovinazzo 6/14/21

Noto Antica

There are days which will stand out in my life. This was one of them.

Bill Giovinazzo 6/13/21 Bill Giovinazzo 6/13/21

Sweet Ricotta Ravioli

Today we had a bit of a climb to get to Ragusa. If you look up Ragusa on good ol’ Wikipedia it says that the town is located on a high hill. I will tell you, from someone who got here on a bike, they weren’t kidding!

Bill Giovinazzo 6/13/21 Bill Giovinazzo 6/13/21

Chocolate, the Blessed, & the Mafia

Today was a simple loop ride to Modica from Scicli. Modica is another UNESCO World Heritage Site. I am thinking at this point that they should have just declared all of Sicily a World Heritage Site and be done with it. However, the architecture of Modica is not what I want to talk about today.

Bill Giovinazzo 6/13/21 Bill Giovinazzo 6/13/21

The Flotsam and Jetsam of Culture New & Old

Today, we left the lovely little town of Scicli moving on to Agrigento. As we pressed on to our new destination I noticed something that reminded me of the day before, trash. As we rode along to our destination I was overwhelmed by the garbage, not just litter, but garbage that was just about everywhere you looked.

Bill Giovinazzo 6/13/21 Bill Giovinazzo 6/13/21

Under a Sicilian Sunset

Another day cycling through Sicily. I have likened these trips to eating an excellent bag of potato chips when you are very hungry, not just hungry, but a maddening craving for something crisp and salty. You look at the bag only to realize that it isn’t that big, certainly not large enough to fill the need. With every savory bite, you realize that you are getting closer to the inevitable end. An unsatisfying completion that terminates long before your desire is sated.

Bill Giovinazzo 6/13/21 Bill Giovinazzo 6/13/21

“Il bar più a sud d’Europa isole escluse.”

We were barely on the road when we stopped at an abandoned farmhouse. The farm had been made into a museum. Apparently, someone who had found some Roman mosaics and were chipping away pieces destroying them and obscuring the story these treasures told. As I understand it, someone had started farming here when they discovered what was under the ground. It reminds me of something a friend once told me. According to him, there is so very much history in the ground that every construction project uncovers something from the past.

Bill Giovinazzo 6/12/21 Bill Giovinazzo 6/12/21

Italia, Ieri, Oggi, Domani.

Today we boarded our flight for our Italian adventure. We battled traffic on the LA freeways, passed through the gauntlet of security, and ourselves into seats that would be restrictive for hobbit. There is not much to tell about my odyssey at this point, so let’s talk about Italy.

Bill Giovinazzo 6/12/21 Bill Giovinazzo 6/12/21

The Climb was Worth the View

Today we left the seaside city of Sciacca heading for the pleasant mountain community of Caltabellotta. The keyword in that previous statement is mountain. I am on a bike. So, before you read much further you could pretty much guess what my day was like. I started the day looking up at the mountain seeing all these lovely windmills way off in the distance, high up on the slope. By lunchtime, I was looking down at those same windmills.

Bill Giovinazzo 6/12/21 Bill Giovinazzo 6/12/21

The Cerberus of Selinunte

Today was an easy day, we did a simple loop ride in the Menfi area that took us up into the hills above the town and then to the Greek ruins in Selinunte.

Bill Giovinazzo 6/11/21 Bill Giovinazzo 6/11/21

Invading Marsala

As I wrote about in my book, Italianità: The Essence of Being Italian and Italian-American, Garibaldi is the Italian version of Washington. Just like Washington, Garibaldi led a group of volunteers to victory over the professional army of one of the world powers at that time.

Bill Giovinazzo 6/10/21 Bill Giovinazzo 6/10/21

Arrival

Today, after a very long day of travel, we arrived in Syracuse, or more correctly Sircuasa. I am referring to the original in Sicily and not the one in central New York.

Bill Giovinazzo 6/10/21 Bill Giovinazzo 6/10/21

Siracusa

oday was our first full day in Syracuse Sicily. As I had noted yesterday, I am very excited to be here. This morning, much to the chagrin of my son, we got a bright an early start. There is just too much to see in this wonderful place in just one short day. So, after a quick Italian breakfast, we were on our way. I should note that the breakfasts here are quite different.

Bill Giovinazzo 6/9/21 Bill Giovinazzo 6/9/21

The Road to Noto

What a great day!! It is our first day of riding and it has reminded me of why I love these trips so much. We left Syracuse this morning headed south-west toward the town of Noto. It was a short 34 miles, which I guess is a great way to start the trip. We don’t want to attempt anything too intense and the terrain was relatively flat, very little elevation gain. The sky was overcast as we began our travels making for a cool start to the day.

Bill Giovinazzo 1/15/21 Bill Giovinazzo 1/15/21

Hooped Dresses & Watermills

I feel as if I am continually repeating myself when I say that we rode through some very beautiful countryside today. Such repetition not only lacks an imaginative start but calls my credibility into question.

Bill Giovinazzo 1/3/21 Bill Giovinazzo 1/3/21

Bicycle Diaries Siciliano

I have some interesting news for my friends, family, and followers, over the next few weeks to promote my award-winning book, Italianità: The Essence of Being Italian and Italian-American, I will be touring Italy. We will begin with a bike tour along the southern coast of Sicily, the home of my maternal ancestors, followed by a visit to the Amalfi coast, and concluding in the Eternal City, Rome.