Archives: June 2008
In Which It's Just Like Being In New York
June 28, 2008 by Mike in Diary
Route: Isola de Femmine - Palermo - Corleone - Prizzi - Termini - Messina - Villa San Giovanni A long day: Palermo, Corleone, a terrible storm, a brilliant stretch of road, back to the mainland. Lots to pack in. Two bad things about Palermo: One I saw the aftermath of...
In Which Oiy Fink Oiy Louk Loik Dick Vaahn Dyke
June 27, 2008 by Mike in Diary
Isola de Femmine Route: San Leone - Castlevetrano - Marsala - Trapani - Erice - Isola de Femmine Up and away bright and early. San Leone was never likely to detain me for long. There's nothing to it but long stretches of golden sand and the cool, quiet, turquoise sea....
In Which I'd Rather Not Sleep With The Fishes, Thank You Very Much
June 26, 2008 by Mike in Diary
San Leone Route: Catania - Augusta - Siracusa - Avola - Pozzallo - Gela - San Leone Full speed ahead. That means no sight-seeing in Catania and, having diverted in to the town only to discover that the only museum is closed for repairs, no sight-seeing in Augusta, either. (nb...
In Which Everything Goes Back To Front
June 25, 2008 by Mike in Diary
Catania Route: Tropea - Bagnara Calabra - Scilla - Villa San Giovanni - Messina (Sicily) - Nizza de Sicilia - Catania I wasn't going to do it. I really wasn't. Partly because it would take too bloody long; partly because I wanted some discipline and limits; partly because the ferries...
In Which We Discuss The German Divorce Rate
June 24, 2008 by Mike in Diary
Tropea It's a beautiful, storied, historical town -- narrow streets, old decaying palaces and defensive walls intact. There's a church on a little outcrop right on the beach. It looks very pretty. The only museum is the Church Museum, so I content myself with walking the narrow streets of the...
In Which I Host A Brief Debate Between Darwin And The Catholic Church
June 23, 2008 by Mike in Diary
Tropea Route: Paola - Amanta - Pizzo - Briatico - Tropea Some highlights from my morning paper, 'Calabria Ora': p2 A student from Parma has been fined 148€ for using his mobile phone while riding a bike. Not surprisingly, this is news in Italy, considering millions of bicycle, scooter and...
In Which I Join The Gang
June 22, 2008 by Mike in Diary
Paola Route: Marina de Camerota - Policastro - Sapri - Praia a Mare - Paola I've stopped for the night in the first workaday, boring town I've seen in a week. That'll teach me to listen to the locals and ask advice about what to see and where to go,...
In Which I Go Drinking With Johnny Depp.. Sort Of
June 21, 2008 by Mike in Diary
Marina de Camerota I got here yesterday.. a great day.. and had absolutely no inclination to leave today. Not while the pool is this cool. A great day. Spent the evening at a barbeque with Alex, Nadia, Luigi, Marcello and Paulino. A little gang of bikers from the Naples area,...
In Which Things Get Better And Better
June 20, 2008 by Mike in Diary
Marina de Camerota Route: Paestum - Agropoli - Castellabate - Palinuro - Marina de Camerota Two nights in a campsite near Paestum. Yesterday, I just hung out in the campsite and the nearby beach. Actually, that's a lie. The beach is five minutes' walk away so I just stayed around...
In Which I Throw A Strop (Or Two)
June 18, 2008 by Mike in Diary
Paestum. Route: Pompeii - Sorrento - Marciano - Positano - Amalfi - Ravello - Minori - Maiori - Vietri sul Mare - Salerno - Paestum I hope you noticed my route today: read it and weep. Fanbloodytastic. The road is everything you'd hope: snaking round cliffs and promontories, rising high...
In Which I Hope You're Still Out There, Somewhere
June 17, 2008 by Mike in Diary
Pompeii Route: Norwich - Stansted - Rome - Pompeii Kinky Friedman was magnificent. Sarah looked ravishing and Martin elegant at the wedding of the year. And I've had a funny, funky few days.. sort of besidetheseaside.. but sort of not. It's put a big smile on my face, but now...
In Which I Sign Off For A Wee While
June 3, 2008 by Mike in Diary
Heading Back Home Again Route: Pompeii - Rome - Stansted - Norwich As I wrote on Sunday night, I need an early night and lots of sleep because I need to look beautiful this week.. for Martin and Sarah's wedding. In London, on Saturday. Preceded by Kinky Friedman live in...
In which I Am Brief & To The Point. For Once
June 1, 2008 by Mike in Diary
Pompeii Something of a day off today. It's just a bit strange, having a day off and not doing anything touristy, when yr tent is pitched two minutes' walk from the ruins of Pompeii. (I was tempted to write 'the greatest Roman ruins of them all' but I'll reserve judgement...