It’s 2.30pm on Friday 20th August and 7 bikes, 10 people and 1 van are aboard the Virtu Ferries service from Pozzallo in Sicily to Valletta in Malta! Can’t believe it! Just a quick word of thanks at this stage once again to Virtu Ferries, who have very kindly donated the crossings for us all free if charge. It’s a lovely, air-conditioned, comfortable ferry and we are all truly grateful for the generosity of Virtu Ferries.

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We all re-grouped and found our way to the B&B,  which certainly maintained our record for unusual places to stay! Read more

After an indifferent breakfast (they never seem to put enough out at any one time, meaning that you have to keep asking for more, a bit like Oliver!) we kitted up and set off, finding a much easier route down to the SS114 than the night before. Read more

The iPhone satnav led us up some steep hairpins away from Pizzo but we all hoped it wasn’t too far. However, we landed at a semi-derelict oratorium of the same name as our destination, clearly not the right place! Nothing for it but to climb further back on to the main SS18 and head for town. Mercifully, just up a short way, like an oasis in the desert, was a sign for San Leonardo Resort, with a driveway steeper than Goose Eye beyond! I rode up the drive and virtually into reception, so delighted was I to find that it existed. We walked into an apparent wonderland, a mountain-side, air-conditioned huge resort with roof-top Olympic-sized pool and wondrous views over the sea towards Stromboli in the west and towards the route we had just covered to the east.

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Apologies for the breakdown in transmission but the iPhone suddenly went on strike in terms of WordPress.  No photos with this but will forward to Brett and hopefully he can put them on.

Day 25, Sunday, dawned slightly overcast and even with a spot or two of rain but still red hot.  We followed SS18 out of Vallo in (yes, you’ve guessed it!) an uphill direction, which lasted for some 5 miles or so.  We’d entered a national park and it was beautiful!!  As a Sunday morning ride you couldn’t beat it: no traffic, good road surfaces, steady, curvaceous gradients and swooping descents through the tree-clad mountains. We weren’t alloweedd on the planned route so had to take the old national route instead, but it was worth it as we headed for Sapri through mountain-top villages and cool air.  The first stage was 40 miles and everyone rode really well, including Patty who was putting in some great riding.  A long descent round all sorts of hairpin bends led to the bottom of a valley that was as humid as could be imagined, reminding us of how pleasant it had been further up.  The descent had been steep, leading to fears that the corresponding ascent would be equally fearsome, but it wasn’t too long before we were preparing for the final 10K descent towards the coast and Sapri.  On this trip, however, nothing is straightforward, and a sign appeared saying that the road was closed and the diversion included some extra 10K of climbing!!!  Tizz used the opportunity to do some light fruit shopping, whilst I pragmatically spoke to a local in sign language and established that a minor road by the village school would get us past the block.  This would have worked fine if Patty hadn’t immediately punctured, semi-fixed his wheel and then punctured again!!  I waved the others on, changed the tube and we finally all rolled up at Sapri, which was very pleasant just by the sea and where we all scoffed loads of pizza and pop.  Bernard and Martin decided to go for a swim and chill a bit and hitch a ride in the van, so Tizz and I pushe on along the coast road soutwards towards the “boot” of Italy.  And what a road!!  James Bond eat your heart out!  Tired legs pushed us up long climbs and through rocky tunnels past massive sea cliffs, and then we swooped downwards round hairpin bends with breathtaking views off to the right of us.  Fantastic stuff, but desperately hot at 2pm-ish in the afternoon.  We put another 20 miles in and stopped for a drink at a cafe full of Italian men playing cards.  We struck up a conversation with one chap who actually said “Mamma Mia” when we established that I had ridden from Inglaterre!!  Back on the road, we crossed heavily and superbly engineered bridges and tunnels as we progressed southwards, eventually meeting up with the support crew who were thorough chilled after their swim!  We sent them on to fnd some digs for the night, and as we entered our target town of Belvedere, some 80+ miles in to the day, they met us at the entrance to Hotel Europa which looked to me just the job.  Tizz wanted to carry on to see if we could find a seaview/organic/fruit-producing/cheaper deal, but I took an executive decision and booked in immediately!!  Brilliant showers and air-conditioning, a great view of the mountains and hill-top village, and we wandered down to the quay-side for some welcome food, albet that the ordering was interrupted by an effigy of the Virgin Mary passing by outside as the local folk celebrated an August Festival!  Another 80-miler tomorrow, so nice to have a decent sleep in a cool room!