Wet day activities

I woke to the pitter patter of rain on the roof and the sound of sea waves hitting the beach. I'd had a completely undisturbed night and so slept really deeply. I did disturb the couple in their car with the steamed up windows though as I drove onto this headland car park with full beam and a 15 inch LED light lighting up the night sky... they didn't stay long after my arrival. Sorry folks, whoever you were!

The weather wasn't as bad as forecast where I was, but as I pulled onto the streets after breakfast, it was clear the city wasn't coping so well. Huge puddles everywhere, water bubbling up out of manhole covers and almost deserted streets. I found a supermarket open, so bought today's bread and nibbles,then decided to head to Siracusa, some 3 hours south to see the fortress and the lighthouse at Capo Murro di Porco. 

On the drive, I saw nature doing what it does best, putting on a show. One of the rivers cascading down from the volcanic peak of Etna, hidden in the clouds above, was carrying loads of material into the sea, so the bay was a mix of blues for the sea water and the spreading mushroom cloud of soil filled fresh water turning the whole bay a reddy brown colour. All those nutrients will spread out and no doubt add to the life under water around there. 

Another Twatnav moment next as I ended up annoyed with technology again in one of the really steep hillside towns as the road it wanted me to use was closed. Three re-routings later, back to the same closed junction via some fairly tight and hairy streets for a 110 Landy, I turned it off and found my own way around the blockage. 

Once down to Capo Pig, I found the sea crashing up over the rocks by the lighthouse in huge plumes, so I grabbed the camera and picked my way to the rocks through the sharp bushes to get some photos. Once my lens was covered in fine sea spray, that put paid to more of this kind of fun.

Slightly damp back at the Landy, I headed off to find somewhere to park for lunch. More wild boar, cheese and bread it was then. 

Sicily is getting battered by this storm, but I've managed to stay on the leeside of the island so far and thus avoid most of it. Tomorrow I'd like to drive under Etna and hopefully see the top, but we'll see. 

At 2.30pm, the weather caught up. thunder, lightning, heavy rain, high winds... the already drowned roads were now really struggling. Emergency services seem to be everywhere. But, for me it offered a rare opportunity. 

I took the road into Siracusa, then crossed onto the island of Ortigia for a wacky drive through those ancient streets. I, very cheekily, managed to stop on the bridge of the narrow strait that seperates it from the mainland to get some pics too.

The streets through the old town are so narrow, I didn't need my wipers on to see the beautiful buildings. 

It's a loop, so once back out, I got to see the crazy sea swell hitting the city walls and a brief glimpse of the heavily swaying sailboats in the marina, then I was off out again. Unfortunately, it wasn't the day for walking around to take pics with the big camera..

At 5pm, the heavens truly opened and the storm fully arrived. I was on the motorway and pulled into a services to park up and forget driving any further. I couldn't even get out the cab of the Landy for the first half hour, it was so heavy!! 

Hey hey, book reading time. 

Sicilia

After a disturbed nights sleep with lots of visitors and even the police, to look around my Landy at 3.30am, I set off around 8am.

My plan was vague again, roughly head to Reggio and get the ferry to Sicily. 

The road around the coast took me out from under the damp grey clouds and into warm sunshine. For the first time on this trip, I actually started to feel warm!

Town after town lies along the coast, very Italian. They vary from utter shit hole to up and coming tourist town. This section of Italy's coast though is like the Spanish coast before they butchered it with holiday hotels in the 80's/90's. It is showing signs of going that way, but not yet.

Inland is all olive farms, vinyards and fruit. I saw a few large herds of sheep too, complete with protective dogs.

Lunch was a lazy one, on another nameless beach sandwiched between small towns. Sliced Chinguila, (Wild Boar) seasoned with spices and dried. Alongside Toma Piedmontesa cheese and local bread. Rounded off with a fresh coffee from the Landy stove. Happy days!

There are some pretty serious hills inland, ofter with stunning granite faces or towers. It would be interesting to learn a bit more about the climbing, plus the roads that run N to S on this peninsula look fabulous for a motorbike.

After finding out the Reggio port is lorries only, I eventually found my way to the Villa San Giovanni port. This was very random. The tickets are 38 euro one way for a 20 minute trip. Once you have your ticket, you drive through town to the load point. The traffic is nuts, the signage sparse and it was more guesswork than navigation that got me there.

Sicily shone brightly across the bay, with a storm warning for heavy rain hanging over it too. 

After sitting in the Landy for the short crossing, it was off easily into Messina. I headed to the north coast for a beach park up, which was a very short trip. My first conversation was in English to a Sri Lankan lad who had lived here for 20 years now! 

Tomorrow is heavy rain, thunderstorms and easterly winds, so it'll be a hunker down somewhere kind of day I suspect.