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Two Go To Sicily
- Thread starter DBK
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Ps if you want to get close to a volcano try stopping at Vulcano Solfatera ACSI site on the way back through mainland Italy (if you haven't been already). Its at a place called Pozzuoli and you camp inside the crater, sadly though its dormant so it detracts from the excitement a bit..
. Its very interesting though and you get free access to the touristy bit. The steam room is quite good (really) though the sulphur smell isn't great..
. Its very interesting though and you get free access to the touristy bit. The steam room is quite good (really) though the sulphur smell isn't great..
hilldweller
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- Nov 4, 2014
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- I have been caravanning for 32 years but in 2014 I have"gone over to the dark side"
Again entirely out of context there is one of those MoHo washers by the Camping Mar Azul at Balerma not far from Almeria Andalucia Spain!!
Just saying!
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DBK
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High temperatures, forest fires and water shortages are amongst the natural hazards we may have to face. I have also loaded an app onto my phone called "Volcanoes and Earthquakes" which will alert me to any seismic or volcanic activity near us. What me, worried? Not at all!
Compared to previous trips the Murvi is now loaded with luxuries - a hairdryer for Mrs DBK and a small espresso machine for me. Knowing my luck the cheapo inverter powering these will pack up depriving us of their joys but we can at least set out in hope.
I would love to visit Stomboli but not on this trip - the downside of having a dog who doesn't like the heat!
Are you planning to visit Sardinia then return to mainland Italy? We had originally considered island hopping from Corsica to Sardinia then on to Sicily. But again, consideration for the wretched dog
ruled that out. The hops to Corsica and Sardinia are short but Sardinia to Sicily is quite a long way. We haven't ruled this route out, ditto a return from Palermo to Genoa (24 hours) but I need to confirm the dog accommodation side first.Subscribers do not see these advertisements
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There should be more of them. On a par with the invention of the printing press for the advancement of civilisation.Again entirely out of context there is one of those MoHo washers by the Camping Mar Azul at Balerma not far from Almeria Andalucia Spain!!
Just saying!
Glandwr
Banned
Etna is quite spectacular, and a lot more accessible than Stomboli. Careful though we got caught in a blizzard at the BOTTOM of the ski lifts.I would love to visit Stomboli but not on this trip - the downside of having a dog who doesn't like the heat!
Are you planning to visit Sardinia then return to mainland Italy? We had originally considered island hopping from Corsica to Sardinia then on to Sicily. But again, consideration for the wretched dog
Dick
Ps you can view it at night when it is erupting from camping Jonio in Catania.
hilldweller
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Charlie and I walked down to the beach this evening. There is a saying "what a difference a day makes" but here it should be "what a difference a ferry makes". Tropea was heaving, this place is empty. Charlie couldn't get a swim in the last place, tonight he had the beach to himself.
Beware sea monsters!
A few random shots from the beach - note absence of people.
The mountains in the far distance in the last shot are mainland Italy. I hadn't realised just how close Sicily was to the rest of Italy until we arrived at Villa San Giovanni when what I thought was a headland sticking out from the coast turned out to be a bit of Sicily. Our ferry crossing was only about three miles but at their closest the two land masses are half that distance apart just a little further north.
Immediately to our west from the site is the Tindari reserve which has a famous sand spit with lagoons sticking out into the sea. We will explore this tomorrow but here is a picture of one of the lagoons just behind the beach.
The ripples are due to Charlie, his head is just visible at the bottom of the shot. Children and animals, don't work with them!
Beware sea monsters!
A few random shots from the beach - note absence of people.
The mountains in the far distance in the last shot are mainland Italy. I hadn't realised just how close Sicily was to the rest of Italy until we arrived at Villa San Giovanni when what I thought was a headland sticking out from the coast turned out to be a bit of Sicily.
Our ferry crossing was only about three miles but at their closest the two land masses are half that distance apart just a little further north.Immediately to our west from the site is the Tindari reserve which has a famous sand spit with lagoons sticking out into the sea. We will explore this tomorrow but here is a picture of one of the lagoons just behind the beach.
The ripples are due to Charlie, his head is just visible at the bottom of the shot. Children and animals, don't work with them!
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Now you tell me, I've been there three times
Pooch comes firstI would love to visit Stomboli but not on this trip - the downside of having a dog who doesn't like the heat!
Are you planning to visit Sardinia then return to mainland Italy? We had originally considered island hopping from Corsica to Sardinia then on to Sicily. But again, consideration for the wretched dog
. Our plan is to get the ferry from Barcelona to Sardinia then from there to Sicily before getting the ferry from Messina to mainland Italy. I've done it before and its quite an easy crossing both from Barcelona and then Cagliari to Palermo. The Sardinia ferry from Barcelona also travels to Civitavecchia and I've seen people walking their dogs around on the decks so they must be dog-friendly (unlike some Italian buses).
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DBK
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A gentle day today but after lunch I went for wander to see the Laguna di Oliveri - which is best viewed from the air and ideally from a photograph stolen off the internet.
It's a sand spit with several lagoons near the shore. Our campsite is immediately beyond the furtherest lagoon. There are some ruins on the hillside above, a Greek theatre and the remains of an ancient Greek town and Roman villa. We plan to visit these tomorrow.
At ground level the lagoons look like this.
The water is salt and there were small fish swimming amongst what looked like eel grass. The water was warm and Charlie had great fun running in and out of it.
The building on the cliff is the Sanctuary of the Madonna di Tindari which houses a Madonna Nera or Black Madonna. Once a year there is a pilgrimage to honour her - and the day we arrived here was the very day of the pilgrimage - which we missed of course - but our excuse is it was raining.
Later I saw a Peregrine Falcon grab a bird, possibly a Swallow) out of the air above one of the lagoons. It then flew in a very wide arc over the sand spit before landing momentarily low down on the cliff before flying away again. It was too far away to see what had happened but I suspect either a juvenile was sitting on the cliff or its mate was there and he gave her a present. It was too low on the cliff and the wrong time of the year to be a nest. Of course it just might have been an Eleanor's Falcon but they breed communally at this time of year (feeding on migrants) and this was a single bird and it looked like a Peregrine - as does an Eleanor's of course but I'm fairly convinced it was a Peregrine but I must remember to take my binos with me! I bought a small pair this year so they would be easy to carry and less likely to be left behind!
It's a sand spit with several lagoons near the shore. Our campsite is immediately beyond the furtherest lagoon. There are some ruins on the hillside above, a Greek theatre and the remains of an ancient Greek town and Roman villa. We plan to visit these tomorrow.
At ground level the lagoons look like this.
The water is salt and there were small fish swimming amongst what looked like eel grass. The water was warm and Charlie had great fun running in and out of it.
The building on the cliff is the Sanctuary of the Madonna di Tindari which houses a Madonna Nera or Black Madonna. Once a year there is a pilgrimage to honour her - and the day we arrived here was the very day of the pilgrimage - which we missed of course - but our excuse is it was raining.
Later I saw a Peregrine Falcon grab a bird, possibly a Swallow) out of the air above one of the lagoons. It then flew in a very wide arc over the sand spit before landing momentarily low down on the cliff before flying away again. It was too far away to see what had happened but I suspect either a juvenile was sitting on the cliff or its mate was there and he gave her a present. It was too low on the cliff and the wrong time of the year to be a nest. Of course it just might have been an Eleanor's Falcon but they breed communally at this time of year (feeding on migrants) and this was a single bird and it looked like a Peregrine - as does an Eleanor's of course
but I'm fairly convinced it was a Peregrine but I must remember to take my binos with me! I bought a small pair this year so they would be easy to carry and less likely to be left behind!
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DBK
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The last picture above shows the Sanctuary of the Black Madonna from the seaward side.
Here it is from the landward side.
Today was the hottest of the trip so far 34+°C and we weren't looking forward to the walk up the hill - but there is a bus! After spending just €1 for a return ticket we were swept up to the church in air-conditioned coolness.
There was the annual pilgrimage on Friday and today was Sunday. The church was busy!
There was a service being held so we didn't go in but went instead to the real reason we were here - the ruins!
On the way we saw forest fires in the distance. The wind was extremely strong at times so I hope they were brought under control eventually.
There are at least two in the picture above and there was a third off to one side. Later in the day we drove past a house in the country where they had a lit a fire by the edge of the road to burn rubbish. It was completely unattended and which suggests one plausible explanation of why these fires start.
The ruins are not the most spectacular of their kind. Here a Greek/Roman temple I think.
The site is Tyndaris, founded by the tyrant of Syracuse, Dionysius in 395 BC, after which thing get a bit hectic, taken by the Carthaginians, who held it only for tens years or so before being chucked out by the Romans. Eventually the Arabs came this way and occupied it to be expelled in their turn by the Normans - yes that lot who poked our* Harry's eye out with an arrow.
There is a theatre, originally Greek but modified by the Romans. The blue plastic seats are of more recent origin.
And some proper Roman baths complete with mosaic floors. This is the Tepidarium where warm heat came from below the floor and through the walls - note clay pipes.
I would have preferred a Frigidarium today.
The attached museum was small but worth a visit - this is a larger than life head of Augustus I believe. I suspect he wasn't so innocent and boy like in real life.
* Harold's claim to the English throne was probably weaker than William's but we like to think of him "ours".
Here it is from the landward side.
Today was the hottest of the trip so far 34+°C and we weren't looking forward to the walk up the hill - but there is a bus! After spending just €1 for a return ticket we were swept up to the church in air-conditioned coolness.
There was the annual pilgrimage on Friday and today was Sunday. The church was busy!
There was a service being held so we didn't go in but went instead to the real reason we were here - the ruins!
On the way we saw forest fires in the distance. The wind was extremely strong at times so I hope they were brought under control eventually.
There are at least two in the picture above and there was a third off to one side. Later in the day we drove past a house in the country where they had a lit a fire by the edge of the road to burn rubbish. It was completely unattended and which suggests one plausible explanation of why these fires start.
The ruins are not the most spectacular of their kind. Here a Greek/Roman temple I think.
The site is Tyndaris, founded by the tyrant of Syracuse, Dionysius in 395 BC, after which thing get a bit hectic, taken by the Carthaginians, who held it only for tens years or so before being chucked out by the Romans. Eventually the Arabs came this way and occupied it to be expelled in their turn by the Normans - yes that lot who poked our* Harry's eye out with an arrow.
There is a theatre, originally Greek but modified by the Romans. The blue plastic seats are of more recent origin.
And some proper Roman baths complete with mosaic floors. This is the Tepidarium where warm heat came from below the floor and through the walls - note clay pipes.
I would have preferred a Frigidarium today.
The attached museum was small but worth a visit - this is a larger than life head of Augustus I believe. I suspect he wasn't so innocent and boy like in real life.
* Harold's claim to the English throne was probably weaker than William's but we like to think of him "ours".
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DBK
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Just for completeness, as I forgot to do it yesterday (I blame the shared bottle of prosecco) here is the map of where we are.
Love your photos, and ... blue skies!!!
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DBK
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Not always blue here. It rained on the first afternoon and it looks like we are having about 24 hours of unsettled weather at the moment.
We looked at coming out your way dbk but the weather is going to be unsettled for a while so we're going to Portugal instead...
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- Feb 22, 2011
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Weather seems unsettled over a lot of Europe at the moment. Floods in Livorno Tuscany apparently.
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I blame those butterflies in the Amazon. If they would stop flapping their wings or breaking wind, or whatever it is they do which causes storms, all would fine.
hilldweller
LIFE MEMBER
Just north of you we've had rain of biblical proportions. I'd rather be in Sicilia.
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DBK
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Glancing in the mirror this morning I found inspiration for today - it was time to find another ruin.
So we headed west, where the views along the coast were almost as craggy as the view in the mirror.
Our plan was to visit Cefalù. Which is a pretty looking town.
And so it seems other people think so. We tried two attempts to get close to it, both attempts ending in three or four point turns to extract ourselves. Every conceivable possible parking space had a vehicle on it and the streets get very narrow as you approach the town.
The place is by all accounts worth visiting but forget getting close in a MH. We could have parked well outside it but it would have been a long walk and dark clouds were forming. Bikes or taxi would be best, or take the train, the line of which follows the coast.
So we went inland a little way to Caccamo, a hilltop town crowned by a Norman castle, or rather it was founded by the Normans but much of what can be seen today are 17th century extensions.
According to our guide book the castle is open every day except Monday (today
) but we wandered up to see it anyway. All the signs we passed on the way up also confirmed it was closed. However, when we got there - it was open! In our surprise (get the excuse in early) we somehow got in without paying. I'm not sure how we did it but sauntering passed the ticket office looking like two people walking their dog probably did it.
The castle is worth a poke around. This is the ramp up to the entrance.
Note the usual signs of alterations you find in old buildings in this arch.
Mrs DBK taking her Facebook pictures.
And dungeons (or so claimed to be) - some had drawings scratched into the remaining bits of plaster on the walls. Must have been pretty luxurious dungeons to have plastered walls. The chains are real metal though, but not I suspect original.
If you haven't paid to enter, leave quietly.
The town below the castle had some interesting bits.
We had parked just below the castle in what we assumed was a normal car park. But then we noticed there were electrical and water points dotted around it for MHs. Sadly they don't work, as the reviews on CamperContact (#15614) and our own tap twiddling confirmed.
After eating lunch in the late aire we descended back down through the numerous hairpin bends to the coast and headed towards Palermo. The Satnav found a supermarket but just too late to get off the main road in time. So I took the next turn off and let the Satnav guide us back through the streets to the supermarket.
A lesson was learned here - the traffic of Palermo takes no prisoners. So if you come this way do your shopping beforehand in a smaller town.
We are now at another ACSI site a little west of Palermo. A gale is blowing and large waves are breaking on the rocky shore.
All is well.
So we headed west, where the views along the coast were almost as craggy as the view in the mirror.
Our plan was to visit Cefalù. Which is a pretty looking town.
And so it seems other people think so. We tried two attempts to get close to it, both attempts ending in three or four point turns to extract ourselves. Every conceivable possible parking space had a vehicle on it and the streets get very narrow as you approach the town.
The place is by all accounts worth visiting but forget getting close in a MH. We could have parked well outside it but it would have been a long walk and dark clouds were forming. Bikes or taxi would be best, or take the train, the line of which follows the coast.
So we went inland a little way to Caccamo, a hilltop town crowned by a Norman castle, or rather it was founded by the Normans but much of what can be seen today are 17th century extensions.
According to our guide book the castle is open every day except Monday (today
) but we wandered up to see it anyway. All the signs we passed on the way up also confirmed it was closed. However, when we got there - it was open! In our surprise (get the excuse in early) we somehow got in without paying. I'm not sure how we did it but sauntering passed the ticket office looking like two people walking their dog probably did it.The castle is worth a poke around. This is the ramp up to the entrance.
Note the usual signs of alterations you find in old buildings in this arch.
Mrs DBK taking her Facebook pictures.
And dungeons (or so claimed to be) - some had drawings scratched into the remaining bits of plaster on the walls. Must have been pretty luxurious dungeons to have plastered walls.
The chains are real metal though, but not I suspect original.If you haven't paid to enter, leave quietly.
The town below the castle had some interesting bits.
We had parked just below the castle in what we assumed was a normal car park. But then we noticed there were electrical and water points dotted around it for MHs. Sadly they don't work, as the reviews on CamperContact (#15614) and our own tap twiddling confirmed.
After eating lunch in the late aire we descended back down through the numerous hairpin bends to the coast and headed towards Palermo. The Satnav found a supermarket but just too late to get off the main road in time. So I took the next turn off and let the Satnav guide us back through the streets to the supermarket.
A lesson was learned here - the traffic of Palermo takes no prisoners. So if you come this way do your shopping beforehand in a smaller town.
We are now at another ACSI site a little west of Palermo. A gale is blowing and large waves are breaking on the rocky shore.
All is well.
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Robert Clark
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Thanks John - great pics and info
Hope the weather holds for you
Hope the weather holds for you
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The aim today was to see some more ruins - but when we got there these ruins didn't seem very ruined. Indeed apart from the missing roof, it was more or less intact.
And it would have had a roof originally, probably cedar with ceramic tiles.
Today's "ruin" is the 5th Century BC* Doric Greek temple at Segesta. It has done well to survive not having its stones pinched for two and a half thousand years. This is probably because it is a long way from any major towns.
Getting to it was a bit involved. Naturally we ignored the parking signs and drove directly towards the temple. Folk must do this a lot as they employ a bloke full time to tell drivers like me to turn around and drive back to the parking area and catch the shuttle bus. €7 for parking a "camper" but this includes the bus fare.
At the site you queue for an entrance ticket. We were unlucky and arrived just after a bus of tourists arrived but we are well chilled after three weeks and took the enforced wait in good humour.
The temple must be built of limestone (we saw huge limestone quarries later in the day) so the surface is quite eroded. And in need of support.
On a hill above the temple is an intact (not ruined) 3rd Century BC* Greek theatre. It is a steep walk on foot so we paid €1.50 for the shuttle bus.
The theatre is a bit unusual apparently in facing north - but this does give a sea view as a backdrop. Plays are still performed here from time to time.
We missed the shuttle bus for the return so we walk back down the hill - which wasn't difficult and gave the best views of the temple. The first picture above was taken on our descent.
After lunch of a focaccia sandwich bought from the shop - tasty - we drove to Castellammare del Golfo, a pretty fishing port.
The port itself is attractive and sees the arrival of tour buses. We had one pull up behind us when we parked and found it was full of Brits. Which as an aside, in the car park for Segesta we saw the only UK registered car we have seen for a couple of weeks.
The port is attractive, Charlie swam in it, with traditional fishing boats amongst the yachts. Finding a parking space wasn't difficult but getting out was tight. I suggest finding a bus driver for advise how to escape if you have anything bigger than a PVC.
Tonight we are staying on a site on the Capo San Vito reached via a dead end road through some of the most barren country I have seen for while - think the Burren in Ireland but hotter and dryer. But there is a sand beach here so it is heaving.
*BCE for the politically correct.
And it would have had a roof originally, probably cedar with ceramic tiles.
Today's "ruin" is the 5th Century BC* Doric Greek temple at Segesta. It has done well to survive not having its stones pinched for two and a half thousand years. This is probably because it is a long way from any major towns.
Getting to it was a bit involved. Naturally we ignored the parking signs and drove directly towards the temple. Folk must do this a lot as they employ a bloke full time to tell drivers like me to turn around and drive back to the parking area and catch the shuttle bus. €7 for parking a "camper" but this includes the bus fare.
At the site you queue for an entrance ticket. We were unlucky and arrived just after a bus of tourists arrived but we are well chilled after three weeks and took the enforced wait in good humour.
The temple must be built of limestone (we saw huge limestone quarries later in the day) so the surface is quite eroded. And in need of support.
On a hill above the temple is an intact (not ruined
) 3rd Century BC* Greek theatre. It is a steep walk on foot so we paid €1.50 for the shuttle bus.The theatre is a bit unusual apparently in facing north - but this does give a sea view as a backdrop. Plays are still performed here from time to time.
We missed the shuttle bus for the return so we walk back down the hill - which wasn't difficult and gave the best views of the temple. The first picture above was taken on our descent.
After lunch of a focaccia sandwich bought from the shop - tasty - we drove to Castellammare del Golfo, a pretty fishing port.
The port itself is attractive and sees the arrival of tour buses. We had one pull up behind us when we parked and found it was full of Brits. Which as an aside, in the car park for Segesta we saw the only UK registered car we have seen for a couple of weeks.
The port is attractive, Charlie swam in it, with traditional fishing boats amongst the yachts. Finding a parking space wasn't difficult but getting out was tight. I suggest finding a bus driver for advise how to escape if you have anything bigger than a PVC.
Tonight we are staying on a site on the Capo San Vito reached via a dead end road through some of the most barren country I have seen for while - think the Burren in Ireland but hotter and dryer. But there is a sand beach here so it is heaving.
*BCE for the politically correct.
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DBK
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Forgot to add above, €6 pp entrance to the Segesta site, which is reasonable I think as it is an impressive place.
And Castellammare del Golfo has some really good looking fish restaurants from what we saw on our short visit. We are contemplating returning, even though it means back tracking. There is a sosta there (CC #7956) which isn't the best of its kind but it would do for one night. There is also a campsite but it is slightly outside the town on a busy road so walking into town would be fraught.
And Castellammare del Golfo has some really good looking fish restaurants from what we saw on our short visit. We are contemplating returning, even though it means back tracking. There is a sosta there (CC #7956) which isn't the best of its kind but it would do for one night. There is also a campsite but it is slightly outside the town on a busy road so walking into town would be fraught.
Glandwr
Banned
Up until a few years ago there were regular dawn performances in the Segusta theatre that were magical.
Are you avoiding Palermo? Some very interesting sites especially left by the Normans. William the Conquer's brother (Roger) headed south and took the whole of Sicily, his dynasty then took a lot of S Italy and ruled it for centuries becoming Kings of Naples. Still buildings from his time in very good condition including his palace in Palermo and an out of town retreat with a wonderous chapel that has spectacular mosaics that date from Roger's time.
The old town and markets are an experience too but I'd get out well before dark.
Secure parking in the aire shown on Campercontact within a short bus ride of city centre, you can also park (over night) at his chapel out of town whose name I can't immediately recall.
Dick
Are you avoiding Palermo? Some very interesting sites especially left by the Normans. William the Conquer's brother (Roger) headed south and took the whole of Sicily, his dynasty then took a lot of S Italy and ruled it for centuries becoming Kings of Naples. Still buildings from his time in very good condition including his palace in Palermo and an out of town retreat with a wonderous chapel that has spectacular mosaics that date from Roger's time.
The old town and markets are an experience too but I'd get out well before dark.
Secure parking in the aire shown on Campercontact within a short bus ride of city centre, you can also park (over night) at his chapel out of town whose name I can't immediately recall.
Dick
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Hmm, yes.
We have indeed deliberately avoided Palermo. Not because of the traffic skirmish yesterday, more because we tend to avoid cities. This is partly because of Charlie and also a preference for more countryfied (?) surroundings.And the history of Sicily is indeed rich. I still find it extraordinary the Normans came here - and they had come from Scandinavia originally of course. The scenery the Jumars have been enjoying was not enough to hold them.
But we probably should have found time to see the Palatine Chapel.
JackieP
Free Member
Loving your updates and the pictures. We spent a wonderful winter in Sicily and your pictures are a real trip down memory lane for me. Thank you. Enjoy San Vito lo Capo. It was blowing an absolute hoolie when we were there last!
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