October 10 Sicily

We left Cirella at around 8 am and with the bright sunshine on our port, we headed for Sicily. We had decided that since we had come this far, why not go to Sicily and see Mt. Etna?

The drive along the coast was again spectacular and the highway not terribly busy...unil we got close to Sicily. That is when the truck traffic came out of the woodwork and the construction zones sprang up everywhere. Although there were lots of construction zones and therefore single lanes, we saw very few people working.

The ferry ride from Villa San Giovanni to Messina was short...only about 30 minutes...but the scenery was spectacular. The Ionian Sea was very blue and we could see forever across the Mediterranean Sea.

Once we got off the ferry I got a taste fo Sicilian driving. The guide books warned me to drive defensively and I did, but I quickly learned that one has to drive defensively/aggressively. That does sound like an oxymoron but it is just the way one has to drive here. They pass when there is no passing lane, they beep their horns and flash their lights at you when you are not going fast enough fro them and they cut in so quickly that rubber fenders would work well here.

We arrived at Camping Etna which is on the edge of Parco Delletna and settled into a spot. Because it was siesta time (12 to 4), we had to ring the buzzer to get someone to open the gate for us. There are lots of campers here but most of them are closed up for the season. I find it so strange that most of southern Italy is essentially closed for the winter, even though it is hot. Today, for example, it is about 25 degrees and we are dressed in shorts and tank tops.

After eating, we went for a walk to explore the area. There are clouds to the north and so we cannot see Mt. Etna even though it is only about 14 kilometers away.

The guide books say taht Sicily is "gritty" and I agree. The earth certainly is gritty...it is volcanic sand...very black and fine.

If I could give Sicily a gift, I would give it more garbage days. There is garbage everywhere. There is a sports complex across from the campsite and even there, there is garbage all around the outside of the fence. Most of the garbage is empty beer and wine bottles. The garbage containers that one finds around the town are overflowing and very smelly. Perhaps there is a garbage strike!

The other gritty thing I have noticed so far is the way animals are treated. Cats roam wild and multiply and dogs are guard dogs. Each villa we walked by this evening had at least two dogs guarding, behind a fence. They let us know taht we were not welcome, even to walk by their villa. We also encountered a pack of strays who were guarding a corner by the sports complex. Needless to say, we filled our pockets with rocks (lava rocks, no less) for the return trip.

Tomorow we visit Mt. Etna