Cash's Holiday

Wed. 16th …..Hello `blog’….and all who are still hanging on in there. It’s been hit and miss (mostly miss) with internet access since leaving Soriano (so spoilt there). Actually I began this blog on leaving NZ with a little trepidation. 1. Regarding control of the program itself and 2. Making it interesting without boring you all to death. I’ve not been one to keep a diary but as this is progressing, I have to admit, I’m having fun reporting in.

Crossed back over from Sicily yesterday. Only a 20min ferry trip. The weather during the week was perfect…..bordered on really hot ….a dry heat. Will be honest and say my personal opinion of Sicily is so so, but keep in mind it’s a large area and we only saw a fraction of it…….Our home base was at a little place called `Fontane Bianche’ (just south of Siracusa) situated two hours + drive on the south east coast from the ferry port of Messina…. the beaches in our area were smallish and of varying sand quality but the clarity of the water everywhere was SOOOO good, really enjoyed the swims.

We investigated the mountainous inner regions near us….some productive places but mostly so dry and stony…..hillsides layered in stone terraces…abandoned huts….life must have been hard for some. Drove round the flat coastal roads…area’s varied from fertile to so poor, where land was left to waste away through neglect or lack of hope (maybe). Litter just about everywhere caught up in the long roadside grass……surely someone could get off their backside and do something, but people seem happy to just sit around, looking and talking. Anyway, sorry to rave a bit, it’s disappointing to see. The publication `lonely planet’ describes Sicily as bitter-sweet…..

In summary though, we enjoyed our `base’. The house had no oven or toaster or washing machine, so Dave improvised an old BBQ and with added bricks made up a charcoal cooker….. lovely smoky tasting toast….slow food….washing our cloths in an outside concrete tube…just like camping, we lived well.

Our mileage over the last 36 hrs has been of mammoth proportions.. ..two big leaps…..From the `Toe’ of Italy to halfway up the `leg’(Salerno) 600kms. Then another 660km today…..the tollway making it a reasonably comfortable trip.

La Spezia (top north-west coast)is our base for the next two nights….the gateway to what’s called the `Cinque Terre’…..consisting of 5 villages along the coastline here, cars are heavily discouraged (high parking fee’s) Best option of transport is by a train service or ferry boats. Apparently it’s a World Heritage site with its stretch of sea a marine reserve……So now that we have internet for the next two nights will hopefully have time to let you know what it is like…… (:) G