countdown for the bicycle trip to Ukraine

22 May 2010 – yesterday we set up a table in front of San Filippo church for our piazza sale (like a yard sale without grass). it started off slow but picked up around noon and we almost sold enough to pay the shipping for the stuff we sent to Ukraine this morning.



there’s a van that makes a trip each week from Ukraine to Sicily and back. in addition to packages, they bring specialty items to sell on each end. they usually come to Catania,( an hour north of here by car or train. we’ll soon find out the actual travel time by bike), but Valentina talked them into coming to Siracusa this time because we had so much stuff to send. they parked the van in the piazza and came to our door by foot to carry almost 200 kilos of boxes (and a big passion flower vine in a wicker basket). one of the two men is from Tula, Russia, the place of our pilgrimage to the home of Lev Tolstoj. he’s on his way there now after he drops off our things in Kahovka.

I’ll go by train to Catania next Saturday to meet the van with our last box (containing the computer). we won’t leave anything here in Siracusa. this trip will be life-changing. we’ll leave with an open-ended future.