MODICA (April 7) -- Fattened on free chocolate samples and a five-course Sicilian dinner of grilled rabbit, fava bean pasta stew, stuffed antipasti, sautéed vegetables, vino rosso and fruit liquors, the Chippings woke up to another "bella giornata" in this Baroque hillside town.
We lodged in three reasonably spacious rooms in the Al Corso B&B in a renovated building on the city's main street. Gracia, the enterprising and bustling proprietor, told Jimma that her mother runs a "slow food" movement restaurant eight kilometers out in the country. She showed him the press clippings and the mentions in the Italian culinary guidebook. Moreover, she, her father (Giovanni) and her husband (Giovanni) would be happy to take us there. So at 8:30 pronto last night, we were off to Maria Fidone's (www.mariafidone.it), a white-table cloth, carefully-appointed restaurant where our ample, home-cooked meal was served "piano, piano" over several hours. The only other guests were two priests who blessed us and bid us arrividerci.
Gracia, third on left, her husband, mother and father, in the foyer of their restaurant, "Maria Fidone," in the rural village of Frigintini.
The banquet meal came after two days of fairly strenuous cycling. The Chips checked out of the Al Faro Hotel in the dusty, port city of Licata on Tuesday morning and logged a record 93 kilometers to the seaside resort town of Marina di Ragusa. Admittedly, most of the riding was at sea level with only occasional climbing. But the conditions were hardly idyllic. We rode through the center of Gela, a once sleepy town now befouled with petrochemical plants and tar on the beaches.
At one point an Italian driver hit the front wheel of Bruce's bike. Bruce stayed upright and was uninjured. The driver was apologetic. But readjusting the brake and brake cables required immediate attention. Dino, who some allege is but a "placebo mecanico" made the adjustments. Following his standard greeting in Italian ("We are Americans cycling around your island. We love it!), Gianni DeR was treated to four expressos at a nearby bar.
Once off the main highway and beyond the refineries of Gela, the Chips had a bucolic ride along the Mediterranean. They saw the old Sicily, the herdsmen with their sheep and goats, as well as the new Sicily, large tracts of south-facing land covered with plastic, hydroponic greenhouses for growing tomatoes, eggplant and grapes. Thanks to the greenhouses, tomatoes with Renaissance names such as Boccaccio, Desdemona and Donatello are being harvested now.
At the coastal village of Scoglitti, we took advantage of the shade of a refreshment stand -- not yet open for the season -- and made lunch. We tore open fresh bread, doused it with olive oil and stuffed it with sliced swiss cheese, salami and ripe tomatoes. Dino, happy and fed, donned his red swim trunks and took a dip in the Mediterranean. "Warmer than Puget Sound," he said.
Continuing along the coast, the Chips begin scouting for accommodations, always a challenge off-season in Sicily. Not many B&Bs are equipped to handle seven guys who want single, private beds in rooms with snore-proof walls. And are willing to pay no more than $35 a night. So we share, drawing cards for roommates and encouraging anti-snoring measures ("Sleep on your side, dude!").
The extremely gracious staff at a four-star hotel ($350 a night) in Marina di Ragusa assisted the two Giannis in locating the Capo Sud B&B where we shared three small rooms. Jimma, Bruce and David had a windowless basement bunker at the bottom of a tiny, circular staircase. The two Giannis had bunk beds. But, hey, nobody had to break a 50 euro bill!
Yesterday the Chips again split into hill climbers and coasters. The two Giannis, Dino and David gained about 3,000 feet on the long incline up to the central plateau cities of Ragusa and Modica. The coasters, Jimma, Bruce and Filippo, cycled a more direct route to Modica but eventually gained just about as much elevation. Unfortunately, the Chipping rendezvous strategy of "let's all meet in the main piazza" feel short. The climbers discovered there are two main piazzas in Ragusa. And the coasters discovered there is no clear main piazza in Modica. As a result, Gianni DeR and David enjoyed a very leisurely lunch in Ragusa's historic old city before Dino and Spazio showed up. And Jimma had three hours to chat with everyone who passed by the cathedral in Modica.
Before entering a long, dreary zone of industrial parks, the main arterial into Ragusa features this safe driving reminder.
Spazio poses before descending to the delightful medieval town of Ragusa Ibla with its narrow lanes, ornate palaces, gardens and cobbled, virtually car-free streets.
Given the incredible interest in designer shades, Dino agreed to pose with the 5 euro glasses he purchased in "Argumento." Note the cool Ferragamo hairstyle.
Location:Modica, Sicilia
