Pure Adventures’ Bicycle Tour of Sicily Leads Guests (Self Guided) over Routes of History Mid March through Mid November

Bicycle vacation specialist Pure Adventures announces a seven-night self-guided bicycle tour of Sicily from about $1,250 (1199 Euros) per person double. The trip, Italy - Sicily Cycling The Crossroads of History, begins and ends in Palermo. The best periods to travel are March 15 to July 15 and from Sep. 1 to Nov. 15.

“The strength of the dollar makes this tour into retro Italy especially appealing this year,” said Loren Siekman, Pure Adventures founder/owner. “The U.S. dollar is stronger against the euro than it's been in a decade, and with Pure Adventures trip pricing in euros, North Americans are the beneficiaries of this favorable exchange rate.”

The patchwork of cultures that is Sicily is a puzzle of history. Who came here when and why are still being worked out in the historical centers of Palermo,Catania and Siracusa and even in most of the little towns of the island. One minute visitors are standing before Greek temples and the next pondering the influence of the Arabs. This historical texture gets tossed into the cuisine as well, creating a variety of flavors unmatched on mainland Italy, thanks in part to its Spanish, Greek and Arab influences.

Guests are plunged on the first night in Erice into a cultural salad of pre-Greek Elymians, Phoenicians, Greeks, Syracusans, Carthaginians, Romans and Arabians. To digest the cultural complexities, life necessarily has to slow down.

Opportunities abound to sip regional wines while dipping country bread into organic olive oils, all the while savoring Sicilian dialects that trace back to dark-haired Arabs and fair-haired Normans. They all contributed to, among other gustatory pleasures, pane cunzatu (home made bread cooked in wood oven, dressed with tomato, oregano, olive oil, pecorino cheese and anchovies).

While the conquests that marked Sicily are in the past, the only battles on this cycling trip might come about when deciding which vineyard or tasting site to stop at and visit. Western Sicily is mostly rolling countryside and seaside where this tour takes place. That is in contrast to the eastern side of the island where volcanic activity is ongoing, including Europe’s largest active volcano,Mount Etna. Pure Adventures can organize custom groups to ride that more challenging eastern part of the island upon request.

The rate includes seven nights accommodation and breakfast; four dinners; transfers from Palermo or Tripani airport to Erice; an orientation meeting with the local support person who reviews the route book and helps guests set up their bikes; luggage transfers; telephone and technical support; a detailed road book with route maps, route sheets with suggestions for visitation and site information; pre and post-travel planning services; and a package of pre-planning documents provided electronically. Not included but available is a custom hybrid bike rental with all gear, set up, delivery, and return. See: http://pure-adventures.com/show-tour/81/Italy+Sicily+Cycling+The+Crossroads+of+History