Cash's Holiday

Hello, ……Arrived Sicily Tuesday 8th. First impressions don’t rate too highly. Our villa is really comfortable and spacious, surrounded by a secure high fence & plastered block walls. A locked iron gate. …….Beautiful front yard, very private, planted up with ornamentals at the road end and fruit trees down the side. The surprise is a well tended vege garden taking up what’s left of the front yard. So no lawn just tilled soil……..Apparently the house is overseas owned and is supervised by a local guy who’s father is `the gardener’. The immediate properties are of similar presentation, each with their high walls but herein lies the reason??…….Driving through, the district itself seems very poor, maybe once could have had a get up and go spirit but certainly now has a got up and gone look about it. Overseas ownership could be due to bargain property prices?? Only surmising on my part.
Will come back to this soon but will briefly go back in time (while I have time) as no internet here so posting this on `word’ to transfer over later when we go to explore out of our `enclave’ as Jim calls it. Our one night in Leece had us staying in the old quarter….big piazza with stage being erected for a big night??. Buildings a bit worse for wear but the impression is one of renovation happening.
On down the coast, the sea so clear and blue. Built up areas, rocky outcrops, nothing really wow but nice enough. Stopped for a seafood lunch right on the waters edge of a swimming beach….private section cordoned off with the sun umbrella’s massed together. Our destination for the following two nights was an area called Morano Calabro located within a national park….`Parco Nazionale Del Pollino’. The attraction an Agritourisum farm stay. Into traditional home cooked food. The property containing convent ruins dating back to 1700’s. The outbuildings lower down the valley, now renovated and converted into guest accommodation, the main house also part of the original concept caters for the dinning / entertainment area. We were able to wander at will, exploring the various tracks leading to the convent, waterfalls, general bush walks etc. The location is one of strategic importance due to a pass through the mountains…..so all very pleasant with our cold drinks sitting in the running water nearby, the birds, the bush, terraced pastures………Plus the AUTOSTRADE. The modern equivalent of travel…..so add to the picture and ribbon vehicles droning past…but the noise was acceptable so didn’t intrude too much…..just amusing really.
Anyway time is running out for me to continue on too much more….we are leaving soon to explore so will finish by saying Sicily on arrival looks mountainous, dry, stoney, very built up, high rise dropping to ugly coastal sprawl but I reserve the right to be wrong as give us a few days and its appeal is bound to present itself. (:) G ….trip in general going really great, many books being read, experimenting with food, weather balmy.
By the way, our internet access may be intermittant over the next couple of weeks. As I said before we don’t have it at the house so will connect when opportunity presents itself.