After leaving Mt Etna to her fate we took the freeway to Siracusa. We found a camping ground which looked good initially, but the hot water worked for about a minute, just long enough for me to wet my hair and the dust from Etna and then it went off. There wasn't even any cold water in the tap. I was not happy. The toilet had no paper, and the grass had prickles in it. And then to make things worse the dogs barked all night.
However the saving feature was meeting a Dutch couple who also had travelled by 4wd, and we had great coffee (a la George Cluney) and great conversation. Unfortunately we didn't get their names! So we would not be able to take up their invitation to visit if we are in Netherlands again! So please if you read this please contact us!
Siracusa was a venue for piazza food and music, near the Duomo.
But we had enough of towns and we headed for the hills. The hills around southern Sicily are better described as plateaus, with very harsh conditions for farmers.
Have a look at the stone walls on this hill side! They have been built by shepherds over generations, clearing the rocks to allow grass to grow for the sheep, as well as making terraces for olive trees. How much work has gone into this! And was it worth it?
The cliff sides also have been used for burial holes.
The plateau is broken by a deep gorge, with fabulous looking swimming holes. And have a look at this house, accessible only on foot. At least they have great swimming holes.
20 May 2016
We struggled to find somewhere to camp, but after the last campground experience we were looking for somewhere quiet off road. We noticed a sign indicating a nature reserve so down the Laneway we went. We were stopped by a derelict (we thought) steel gate, with a sign including the word "scouts" in it. There was just enough room to turn the vehicle around and we decided that since there was unlikely to be passing traffic we would camp on the very narrow rocky track.
But we had just poured our glass of wine when three very threatening dogs appeared, followed by a couple from the nearby farm. Expecting to be told to leave we indicated with hand signs that we wanted to sleep here. The farmer gave us a very cheery "OK" and collected his dogs and left! So we relaxed with our wine again. But no sooner had we settled down than a 4wd vehicle appeared and indicated he wanted to go past us! This was a young couple, not the farmers.
After a few minutes of discussion it transpired that he wanted us to follow him through the old gate. He seemed friendly (an acrobatic pilot we learned, with a cousin flying for Qantas Link in Melbourne!) and so we followed, down a very steep and narrow track with overhanging branches, some of which we had to remove.
This is where we camped.
We think the farmer had contacted the young man (?his son) to come and bring us into the scout camp rather than leaving us to camp on the road! We were told we could stay as long as we liked, and simply close the gate when we leave! This is the Italian hospitality and warmth we have come to know, and we feel far more welcome here than we have in some other European countries.
So I took the opportunity to wash my hair at last! We do have an inside shower but the outside one is a real pleasure in the right conditions!
We had a campfire and relaxed. Wonderful. The campground had nothing to offer like this!
No comments:
Post a Comment