I breakfasted on crispbread rings and soft cheese triangles aiming to set off at 5am.

I wouldn’t be making the finisher’s party, tonight, but I was still going!

It was going to be a long day through wonderful woodlands and rolling countryside.

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Herds of goats and their attendant sheepdogs, couldn’t stop me – mainly because they were as fast as me at going uphill!

And there is always time for a Magnum.

Although I had plotted possible stops en route it seemed most of them were booked up on booking.com I eventually got to the town of Gimilgliano and went into a bar to get a Coca Cola and ask it there were any beds to be had.  The barman said there was nowhere in the town but there was a hotel in Tirolo 11km further on.  I knew from the Garmin that there was a climb between me and there but put my head down and ploughed on.

Not long after I set off, a car pulled up alongside me and the driver spoke to me. I didn’t understand a word he was saying. He pulled ahead and then drove at a snails pace.  I gleaned he was guiding me.  There is nothing like having someone generously guide you to make you put a huge effort into getting up the hill to a town. We arrived at some traffic lights and he explained the hotel was in the town on the left.  He realised I still hadn’t a clue so carried on. I am glad he did as the hotel was at the top of a brutal 20% ascent and I had to push the bike up the last bit.  It was a very large establishment and I wandered into the restaurant reception and asked if they had a bed.  The manager took me to a fabulous suite and told me to come back to the restaurant for dinner, despite the fact it was gone 9:30pm.

Showered and changed (I had a pair of very lightweight trousers and a running top which I used in such circumstances, I would wear my duvet jacket and have on my cycling socks and shoes but at least I was out of lycra) I made it to the restaurant.  The manager showed me photographs of the view from the restaurant which faced south.  It was Etna! I ordered spaghetti with oil and chilli followed by a leg of pollo piquante, chips and salad with a carafe of wine.   It was too much food but I ate as much of it as I could before collapsing into bed.