a cycle up Monte Erice, Sicily

I can think of no better way to finish the perfect day than with a cycle up a Category One mountain in Sicily. We started today with a swim in the chilly Mediterranean of clear water and rocky headlands at Scorpello. 
For lunch, we tried the local workers meal of Pane Cunzato - a doorstop-sized sandwich of olive oil, salt, tomato, cheese and sardines. After that, I needed a bike ride.

Beginning at the fishing port of Trapani on the north coast of Sicily, I cycle up what must be one of the widest main roads in Italy. For a country of Fiat Bambini and Piaggios, here was a road fit for Hummers. Consequently, Italians drive three abreast down the Via. I wobble into the gutter and take the first right-hand turn and find myself confronting a 13% gradient out of town. 

Craig, my bicycle, is a staid hybrid with twenty-one gears and is not suited to climbing. He prefers a slow wander on a bike path beside a river. But, we both have no alternative, so I press on and soon join the main road to Monte Erice. It�s a lovely day, with a sea-breeze blowing north from Africa and the poppies are blooming along the roadside. 
There�s not much traffic and I soon maintain a steady rhythm. The road surface is excellent, smooth with a half-a-metre high sandstone rock barrier on the drop side. 

There are a few small olive groves but much of the landscape is given over to stunted pine trees, scotch broom and cactus. Foxgloves bloom in every roadside ditch and occasionally Craig and I glory in the site of a meadow of yellow, purple and white wildflowers.

Craig is beginning to creak loudly, but I prefer to think of it as squeals of delight, not a whine of pain. I try and gently explain to him that I have two weeks of excessive consumption of pizza and pasta to work off so he�ll just have to bear the extra weight. 
The gradient is now a steady 6 to 8%, with hairpin bends leading over the occasional one-way stone bridge. Every bend affords me a view down to Trapani and the ever-widening panorama of Mediterranean coastline. The water is a deep turquoise with patches of azure, if you�ll pardon the colourful hyperbole. 
Back to the grind. 
There are a few restaurants perched to take in the views and one brave soul has even planted grapevines in the rocky soil. I imagine he has a better chance of harvesting tourists than grapes up here.

At five hundred metres, the clouds start to sweep in from the sea and the temperature drops considerably. Around another few bends and I join a cyclist coming up from the east side of the mountain. He is riding a gleaming road bike. He takes one look at Craig and stands on his pedals and powers away. 
Ha! Craig and I ignore such a flagrant display of arrogance and continue to slowly grind up the hill. We�re overtaken by a few tourist buses as we near the arched entrance to the old town. The cloud cover is now dense and chilly. 

Craig and I ceremonially ride under the stone arch and I have a celebratory crema de cafe, while Craig respectfully leans against a 12th Century stone wall. After a short rest, the cloud parts enough for the obigatory photos. From here, it�s downhill all the way to Trapani.

Erice is a 12 kilometre Category One mountain climb, with an elevation gain of 750 metres. Maximum gradient is 18%, but only for a short time. The average hovers around 6%. On a clear day, you can see Africa. On a cloudy day, you can enjoy the cool clear air. At either time, I�d suggest adding an extra day to the itinerary and climbing from both sides. It�s worth the effort.