... where B.C. stands for better cycling - or before collapse, depending on who you ask :P

We spent yesterday in Messina to give Matt the chance to catch up on some work. Hanne used the opportunity to find a post office and send back 4kg (!) of stuff that we decided we didn't need after all.
This morning started off with a slight hitch when we learned at the ferry terminal that they don't take bikes at that port, so we had to go to another one. We were mollified when we ended up paying only 3€ in total for the crossing at the second ferry port. We had decided to go around the bottom coast to give ourselves a bit more training time before coming up on serious hills, and it was a great decision!
After the first 20k, the road was flat, well made and relatively empty of cars. For the first time, it felt like we were cruising along instead of slogging and pushing. It also helped that it was not quite as hot today.* The few hills that were there we mastered almost effortlessly, so I suppose we are actually getting a bit stronger, too.
Our lunch spot was the lovliest we had yet. We sat on a completely empty beach in the shade of a few big stones. The water was so clear that we could see the ground beneath the water even from our spot 30m away...
In any case, the good fortunes came together in such a way that we are proud to announce our first 100k day!** This brings our total to 386km and feels very encouraging for the future.



*We have been so lucky with the weather! No rain at all so far.
**Don't be fooled by the map, we actually went all the way around the bottom.