We weren't supposed to be here but the pedal affair turned out to be more complicated than we had anticipated. Indeed, as we put away a bottle of some local wine over supper, we agreed that it's all been a bit uphill today.
The exact details of how our indefatigable mechanista battled with my crank shaft, hacking here and chopping there, need not detain you. Nor, how once the assembly had fallen apart mere metres from his garage, I one-pedalled to catch a train/bus combo to Palermo, found a suitable bike shop and left Larkspur in their capable young hands while Jan and I took in just a smattering of the many cultural highlights that Palermo has to offer.
Suffice to say that we triumphantly braved the evening rush hour traffic, steeds and mobility successfully restored with barely a dent in my pocket for the work, to arrive this hostel which is conveniently near to our first port of call tomorrow: the rail station.
The damage for today is not inconsiderable: in addition to buggering up my crank shaft yesterday, I stood on my glasses this morning.
Then there's the iPad. At various stages on today's walking tour of Palermo, we could hear my iPad spontaneously burst into life, sending forth muffled music from the depths of my bag. I switched it off a couple of times but didn't really take on board the error messages/cries for help that it was emitting. As a result, when I eventually had a look, it had decided that it was hors de combat and needs to be connected to my computer before it will play ball. Bum!
So that's essential travel equipment, essential personal equipment and essential communications equipment that have gone west. In one day! A challenge or what?
Not. Because it's as nothing compared to what lies ahead. Somehow we have agreed that we will travel to Catania on the east coast tomorrow and thence to a hostel with the revealing name of 'Etnaview'. Think of it as Base Camp. You know how the highest mountain most Brits ever walk up, Snowdon, is about 3000ft. Put three of those on top of each other and add some for good measure. And then agree to cycle up it! Oh God. What have I done?
So... you know all those holidays people try to get you to go on and you aren't quiiiiiite sure that they will all be plain sailing - literally or figuratively? Well, suddenly they don't seem so daunting after all, comparatively! I guess some holidays are destined to be better in retrospect. But the good news is... the mountain won't look nearly so big without your glasses. Or maybe the summit will never look as though it's getting any closer. Or maybe you won't be able to see it at all... (Sorry, maybe it's not good news after all. I was trying to think of something positive to say, but couldn't.) X
ReplyDeleteOh dear, and it makes your byline, about one's destination being a new way of seeing things, a bit ironic, what with you having trodden on your glasses and not being able to see your destination at all!
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