Sicily and the art of tailgating
The ferry from Genova to Palermo felt slightly like a haunted house on the water. The seats we had reserved for the night were airplane seats in a gloomy room, windows so dirty it was near impossible to look out over the waves. A few people were scattered about, as much on the chairs as on the floor. Luckily, the ship had many large spaces that had been emptied for no purpose at all, so we found ourselves one with a nice red carpet and laid our heads to rest.
After a horrible nights sleep, we, for the first time in months, had a day with nothing but time on our hands. We talked, walked around, watched towards the horizon, and felt a kind of peace that can only be felt outside the reach of the internet and social media slowly stealing our attention.
Twenty-two and a bit hours later, we finally rode our motorcycles onto Sicilian soil. The smells, the chaotic drivers and the heaps of litter lining the street alongside the evening heat lingering inside the city instantly reminded us of Asia. We knew we had reached the shores of a country that would please us.
Days went by, and slowly, slowly, we got somewhat familiar with Sicilian life, although the unwritten traffic rules might remain a mystery to us forever. Right of way isn’t something you are given, it is something you will take or it will be taken from you. Right or left, it doesn’t make a difference. In cities drivers are tolerant, kind and, as long as they see you among the chaos, very polite. The common Belgian road rage doesn’t seem to exist here. That being said, danger always lurks in your rear view mirror. On the bigger roads it won’t take long for a car to be tailgating you as if his or her life depends on it. No worries though, the moment they see a dangerous bit they will make the courageous decision to pass you by.
However, don’t let the traffic keep you away from Sicily! The land is rugged, the history long and people incredibly kind.
