May 2006 - Cycling Sicily

In 2006 Patrick and I decided to go already in spring on our annual cycling holiday. Both of us needed a little rest from work. May suited us best, but where to go? We considered Scotland or Ireland, but a short view at the climate tables of these countries convinced us to go somewhere more south. Being spoiled for choice, we finally decided for Sicily. Culture, mountains, sea, agriturismi - what else could one ask for?

The outward flight departed on May 6, the return flight was on May 23 which allowed us 16 complete days cycling.

Travelling Time

The weather was very sunny, we just experienced half a day of rain. However, I felt that the temperatures were a bit too high for cycling, especially the last week with degrees up to 36°C. I could only stand it with a long siesta between 1 and 3 pm.

If you prefer temperatures below 30°C, please consider to start your Sicily holiday earlier in the year. Keep in mind that the south of Sicily is on the same latitude as Tunis in North Africa. It is not very uncommon to be warm there in the second half of May... For more detailed info on the climate, you may want to use the service offered by WetterOnline. Click on "Rückblick". Be aware, it is all in German. :-(

temperatures

Language

Don't believe your guidebook if it says that Sicilians are capable of English or German. You may find some that do, but usually this is not the case. Most people including owners of agriturismi do not speak foreign languages. This makes talks very difficult if you are not capable of Italian. For us, it was never a problem to reserve a room (by phone) or to ask when dinner is served as we learned the necessary Italian phrases, but a discussion of more general topics was sometimes simply impossible.