Day 3- Sunday 16th

Day 3 starts out early again but only after a much needed and anticipated full nights' rest. Katie and I rise early at 6:30 to go for a light jog likely comprised more of sightseeing and exploration than an actually productive run. But this is what vacations are for. I'm glad just get some real use out of these sneaks!

I'm thinking that we started out kind of quick but brush it off because I've not been running regularly for a few months. Having only run a little here and there and with no real purpose I was huffing and puffing early into this run.

Photo op! >Click< (breathe, breathe, breathe) Ok let's go!

Gorgeous run! The sea with the sun rising slowly ahead of us was a wonderful site. Once I get Katie's pics I can add them in as I didn't bring my camera on this run.

(Huff-Puff, Huff-Puff...oh hey! That's pretty!...Huff-Puff, Huff-Puff) God have I really slacked off this much?! I know Katie's a faster runner than I, and I've been lazy/busy/tired but sheesh!

On the run through the narrow Sicilian streets we point out quaint villas with carefully careless gardens. Discover businesses of interest that look just like the homes they're next to with the only real distinguishing difference being the sign hanging out in front. We saw a few bulls noshing on their spindly green delicacy of choice and heard plenty of dogs yelping as we pass by.

Dogs, yes lots of dogs. Actually as we reached our half way point we were heading toward the coast and hoping to find a path by which we could make our way back to our hotel so as not to have to double back the way we came. much to our dismay and alarm however were 2 stray mangy looking muts towards the bottom of the rolling hill directly in front of us! Thank goodness Katie spotted these 2 characters when she did. I was paying no mind to what lie ahead of us, distracted by everything we passed. We promptly ceased to run, turned our bodies around and began to walk directly from whence we came turning around every other second to make sure that we weren't followed.

Crisis averted! Let's get this run over with... (Huff-Puff, Huff-Puff)

Katie mentions that she thinks we're running between a 9:15 and a 9:30!? No wonder I'm struggling! I like my casual runs to hover around 11 minutes per mile, especially if I haven't been keeping up like i should! Must have been the "fresh" legs.

Good for us! we got our run in and got to see an extra bit of Cirini that we otherwise would have missed. AND it was actually a productive run! Sweet! More room for Gelato!

Everything else we did today (to fill in later...define later :)
Breakfast, shower, Nicole's hungover(?!)
Walked 45-50 minutes to train station (pics)
Hopped on train at Cirini station (wrong way!)
Got off train 1 stop later (TwitPic)
Hop on correct train to Palermo
Grab a bite to eat
The hunt for bus #118 to Independence Square
Now the hunt for bus #108 (found and kicked off!)
Should have gotten onto #389
we find a fountain at the foot of the mountain near a bed and breakfast and start the hike up this bad boy.
Found another fountain and sit in it's shell (pics)...continue hike
Man it's hot!
continue hike
a bus pulls over and saves us! Huzzzza!
We make it to the town of Monreale, SUCCESS!
Cappuccino break (Get a hex caste upon us by a scary old lady we wouldn't give money)
We ponder what the hex could be...preparing friends at home to gather hex breaking ingredients: eye of newt, hair of dog, blood of somethingorother...
Walk around town, gorgeous pics
I'm obsessed with taking pics of doorways
feet and KNEE tired
The church opens a tres e media; we walk through (pics)
getting dark
head for bus, which no longer stops where it dropped us off
some kind person tells us along with a group of others that we have to go down towards the next stop
we see bus...we run...downhill...owwww
yay bus!
back to Independence Square (piazza de independence)
the hunt for dinner...6:30 no luck
pissed
back track from where bus just came b.c we thought we saw food options, no luck
more pissed
decide to turn around and our luck has it that a bus is about to pull up that we need! (take that hex)
back to independence square (3rd time)
TIRED
find taxi drivers, very nice guys, Sox fans though...ehhh no one's perfect (<--waits for angry comments)
Driver near station said it'd be $80 back to Cirini, these guys start at $40 we say $25, then $30. we settle on $35, both parties happy
Back at hotel we nap for 20 minutes
eat
sleep
THE END (well, of day 3)
:)