My first day of cycling started great, leaving Catania. About 20 miles later, the trails kept my bike from rolling for many hours. The day ended with some amazing generosity from strangers.
I’ll start with the great part at the start of my cycling, by showing some pictures.
As the last picture shows, thunderstorms showed up in the afternoon. The rain changed the dirt road I cycled on to a road with amazing mud. It stuck and piled on so much that both tires would not roll. I cleaned off the mud a few times, but more mud came back.
I hadn’t seen a person or car for hours, so I was a bit concerned. For the first time ever, I abandoned my bike and started walking to the nearest town, about 3 miles away.
After less than a mile, a pickup truck showed up. None of the guys in the truck spoke English, and my phone’s translator app stopped working for unknown reasons. But somehow, we communicated. I also explained that their truck would likely get stuck too.
They “told” me to stay there and drove away. About a 15 minutes later, the grandpa in the group showed up with a tractor to get my bike.
Then, they drove me to a town with a nice BnB. Some teenagers volunteered to clean off all the mud on my bike. They took my bike for a short ride when they were finished. I offered to pay everyone, but they wouldn’t take it. I told them I would pass on the generosity.
The generosity of strangers always impresses me on my long bike rides, but the generosity of these Sicilians amazed me in ways I’ve never felt.
Wow! What an amazing story! And what amazing people! It seems the world really is full of kind, compassionate people. This helps restore my faith in humanity. Rain or shine, continue to enjoy the adventure, Steve. And plesase keep us posted.
Karl
Thanks, Karl. It was quite an experience. In the decade I’ve been doing these long bike rides, I hear part of your comment fairly often. It’s the phrase, “restore faith in humanity.”
Another phrase I hear a lot from other cyclists on long rides is “The generosity of strangers.” It happens a lot out here. Strangers have let me and other cyclists into their homes overnight. They’ve made BBQs for us. They’ve helped with my bike, and sometimes, they just give a simple laugh. But no news source covers it. And honestly, that’s why I watch the news a lot less.
Sorry for carrying on a bit, but this is one the reasons I keep taking these long rides.
I bet that set you back, miles-wise. But looks like they were just as happy to find you as you were to be found. What wonderful people.
I see the rain has been falling since last week ! Sicilian are really friendly and I think that during your journey you will meet some more… See you later for your new adventures.
OMG. I love this post. So nice to read about the generosity of strangers. What a great story.
Thanks, Beth. One part that stays with me is that none of them would take the $ I offered. I told them I pass on the generosity, using my translator app. They liked that.