Monday 9th November 2009 – Oliveri, Sicily, Italy

Camping Rais Gerbi would make a good base for a longer stay – plenty of space, good facilities (including a restaurant open out of season), a pleasant local town with plenty of shops and good options for trips with buses to Cefalu and Palermo and access to the interior and the area around Mount Etna. There is also a station 3 km away that would give more options. The railway actually runs through the campsite but it is in a deep cutting, muffling the noise and the trains don't run during the night.
It was time to leave Finale and we had planned our last archaeology visits before we left Sicily. Two sites were mentioned in our guide book but we had spotted another on the Michelin map earlier on our route. As the Michelin map also shows sites that are not open to the public, we agreed that we would only go to the first site if it was signposted. We we reached the area we found a sign indicating the site, Halaesa, was 3 km off the road so we set off along the side of a wide valley soon climbing steeply. We found the site open and parked up outside the gates. Walking past a deserted ticket office, we started investigating the site inspecting first a small Roman necropolis with a tomb in excellent condition. We then followed an ancient road up to a large building further up the hill. This was a 17th century monastery that now housed the ticket office and a museum. The five staff in the ticket office seemed surprised to see us, we were certainly the first visitors of the day an probably the first for a week!
We visited the museum first and after showing that we were interested in the displays, the custodian volunteered some information in English. His English wasn't very good but he gave us a good tour of the two rooms and told us things that we would never have been able to establish from the Italian information boards. One find was fascinating and an archaeologist's dream. In the 17th century two fragments of a Greek tablet were found and they described the town in some detail. It split the site into areas and listed the important buildings in each. The archaeologists have established where each area is and now now exactly what lies buried in each! Less than 5% of site has been excavated and it will keep them busy for many years. It is only possible to visit part of the site but we followed an ancient road in better condition than most modern Sicilian roads up to the Agora (market place). Here we could see the shops around the edge and a cast of the beautiful statue of Cerere in its original position, the original being displayed in the museum. We then walked on to the site of the theatre, only a rear wall of which is currently uncovered. It is however possible to see the position of the stage set way down the very steep hill. The custodian had told us that the theatre is likely to be excavated next year and the indication is that it was able to seat over 5,000 people. The view over the river valley, the position of Halaesa's ancient port and the sea is lovely. We weren't able to go up to the acropolis and the Temple of Apollo, which was a shame.
A major diversion caused by a road closure delayed us but we eventually got to our second site, the Patti Marina Roman Villa and were greeted by another group of 5 bored custodians. This is a huge villa of a very wealthy Roman and had quite a long history undergoing a number of modifications. Unfortunately, it is in poor condition, the many damaged mosaics being covered in dust and difficult to see. It was obvious from the small areas where water had dripped on to them that the mosaics were in lovely colours but it was difficult to appreciate them when they were so dull. Collapsed pillars had often been left in position over the mosaics and we couldn't quite understand why. Surely, once they had been recorded, they could have been removed? Frankly not worth the visit.
We had planned to visit Tindaris this afternoon but time had run out so we went just a few minutes beyond to the campsite, 'Villaggio Turistico Marinello' at Oliveri, under the hill that Tindaris sits on. The site is covered with very tall trees providing welcome shade in the blazing heat of the Summer but making it very gloomy at this time of the year.
Photos: Halaesa Roman necropolis (2nd - 3rd century AD) that would have looked like a mini temple with a triangular pediment – the niches held cremations in urns that were still in place with funerary offerings when excavated; Halaesa - the beautiful 2nd century AD statue of Cerere; The museum in the 17th century monastery – the monks didn't have such a bad life - this was the their winery and still has the presses in place – the hole in the floor is where the wine was stored; The position of the Halaesa theatre – the flat area in front of the large concrete car park is the stage.

Sunday 8th November 2009 - Finale di Polina, Sicily, Italy

The morning was spent relaxing and hoping that it wouldn't rain so that the wet clothes and shoes would finish drying. It was windy and, at 16°C, quite warm so the clothes did dry although the wind made it feel quite cool and we decided to have lunch in the van. Just after two o'clock we walked into the village ready for the three o'clock start of the folk groups in the 23rd Finale Olive Festival. We were early and decided to have another walk around the town and inspect the stone town built in 1500. There is a pleasant esplanade build around the tower with plenty of benches, even if they do face the town rather than the beautiful view over the sea.
Just before 15:00 we returned to the square in the main square where the action was scheduled to take place. It looked the same as when we had passed it earlier – no crowds, just a few people milling about preparing stalls. I tackled someone (metaphorically only) and asked them about the folk groups. It transpired that the 15:00 start was more like 15:00 to 15:30 and it was a procession that started from the church. We hadn't found the church so we went in search and soon found it set back inland from the main street. This area looked even more dead than the square so we wandered off towards the sea for a while. When we returned, we found the only bench empty and occupied it to watch the inaction. It was a fascinating occupation watching the municipal police trying to look important and moving the occasional vehicle on when it tried to park in the wrong place. This sounds as if things were happening but for the first half hour, nothing did. The important and very pleasant man who we christened 'The Mayor' was there with his camera and seemed to know or be related to everyone who passed. There were many greetings and much kissing, except by the police as it is obviously not correct to kiss people when you are in uniform. Eventually, cars arrived with people dressed in traditional outfits and they were directed to an area behind the church.
The Greeks occupied Southern Italy and Sicily for many years and their genes obviously still permeate the local population. The 15:00 was definitely Greek time as we know it, as the procession didn't form until after 16:00. There were three folk groups from the local area though none were from Finale itself. The first had an excellent band playing in front of them but didn't seem to dance. The reason for this became apparent as 10 minutes into the procession a large number of people joined them – they had arrived even later than all the others. They then performed the most complex of dances and together with the excellent music, they were most entertaining. The third group carried a maypole and performed intricate dances around it, winding the ribbons into complex patterns around the pole and then unwinding them perfectly. The second group were also very good performing traditional dances and singing traditional songs.
The procession followed a route inland from the main street and then on the seaward side before coming up the main street to the square. The procession was marked by frequent stops when one or more of the groups would perform a dance and / or sing at a suitable distance from the other groups. It was great fun watching them and watching the spectators, many of whom were extended family groups viewing from their front doors, balconies or windows.
In the main square the groups took in turns to perform although it was very difficult to see anything due to the crowds, so we walked to the bar opposite the tower and had a glass of wine. At 18:30, food was due to be served in the square but, given the timing of the procession, we didn't expect anything to be happening by then. We were wrong. When we arrived just after 18:30, eating was in full swing. The first stall we came to was offering their newly pressed olive oil with bread – it was very good. Then we were given a cup of red wine and a plate of bread, green olives and cheese – all local produce. There were 20 twenty very large, juicy olives that had been marinated in garlic and chillies and with the bread and lovely cheese it was very filling. Next came the pasta. Jane got her helping but I only got a few pieces before it ran out. I was told to wait for the next batch and I eat the little that I had been given. It was it a simple tomato and olive sauce and was very pleasant. Ten minutes later I received my freshly cooked portion, which was very hot, not only in temperature but also in spice. My mouth was positively tingling by the time that I finished it. All of this was totally free and delicious.
The 'Mayor' caught my eye as I was wandering around and insisted that I tried some of the bread and sun-dried tomatoes. It was lovely and I was now thoroughly stuffed. I decided to take some photographs of the pasta chefs at work and met the man who ran the fast food stall at the olive festival 'Da Nino Il Mago Del Panino'. He sold all sorts of food on his stall but the highlight was the stuffed suckling pig cooked in a wood-fired oven. Another possibility for my oven when it is completed although I will have to find out where I can get a suckling pig. We (the owner of the stall, not the pig) hit it off well and he gave me a glass of his Sicilian frizzante, a medium-sweet slightly-sparkling wine. It was very pleasant. I admired his van and was soon given a brochure from the firm that built his van, just in case I wanted to take one back to England.
The evening finished with me thanking the 'Mayor' for an excellent festival and we set off back to the campsite complete with a litre bottle of that lovely, freshly-pressed olive oil. It was just after 20:00 but felt more as if it was 23:00!
Photos: The Nazo Folk Group with their excellent band; I Terrazzani pose by the tower; Spectators at the festival; One of the musicians of 'Ballo Pantomima Della Cordella' with their maypole dancers in the background; The pasta chefs insisted on posing!; The suckling pig's hat needed adjusting – note how it matches its owners hat!

Saturday 7th November 2009 – Finale di Polina, Sicily, Italy

Happy Birthday Mum – I am not allowed to mention that she is 83 years young today.
We wanted to investigate the local town of Cefalu (pronounced like a cook with a weak bladder – Chef-a-loo). The good news was that there was a bus that would get us there. The bad news was that it left the campsite at 07:25. We set the alarm for 06:30 (this was supposed to be a holiday!) and were at the bus stop before 07:20, which was a good job as it was early.
Cefalu is on the coast with the old town set under a huge rocky outcrop known appropriately as 'La Rocca'. The modern town sprawls rather untidily inland but the old town is very pretty with the cliffs of La Rocca as a backdrop. We were too early to climb La Rocca as it didn't open until 09:00, so we headed for the Duomo that opened at 08:00. The guidebook said that we should get there early to avoid the coach loads of tourist and we certainly did that. Roger II built the Norman Cathedral in 1131 and it boasts the oldest Sicilian church mosaics, created in 1148. These are similar to and perhaps provided the inspiration for those that we failed to see in Monreale. They cover a much smaller area than Monreale but are nonetheless very impressive with their gold background.
It was still too early for La Rocca so we headed for the weekly market held well outside of the old town probably because the old town is too crowded to fit it in. On the way we stumbled upon the fascinating Saracen washing area. We had an enjoyable wander through it buying nothing although I was tempted by the very long silver eels coiled up in boxes. A strange vegetable also caught my eye – like a giant chilli or a very thin cucumber, over 1 metre in length.
It was time for the long climb up La Rocca where we were met by the custodian near the gate. He booked us in, confirming our nationality and warning us to only go as far as the church and temple as the rocks above were dangerous when wet. The weather was overcast but it hadn't rained yet – he obviously knew something we didn't. We admired the 'Temple of Diana' shown as 5th century BC but actually a much earlier construction built of Cyclopean blocks and probably a 9th century BC temple to Artemis. It had been modified in the 5th century to add classical doorways and had been used much later as a church. The views over the old town were lovely and we spent some time looking out over the town and sea whilst phoning my mother to wish her a happy birthday.
It had started to rain and we soon understood the custodian's advice as the limestone, full of intriguing fossils, became very slippery and we had to descend with care. We just got out of the main gate, still well above the town when the heavens opened. It poured down and we were stuck in the open. We sheltered as best we could under the trees but the rain soon started coming through and we ran down to try to find some proper shelter. We ended up huddled together on the doorstep of an old building on a steep street, legs either side of pot plants and pressed against the door to try to avoid water coming down and splashing up. And then the rain got heavier still with the narrow street funnelling the water from La Rocca down into the town. We couldn't move – the street was a fast flowing river with the water 2 cm deep. Further down the street we could see water cascading down the steps of a joining street, doubling the volume of water. We were trapped there for over 20 minutes until the rain finally subsided and the water level in the street dropped. All ideas of further investigation of the town were dismissed – we were drenched and as quickly as we could we found a restaurant to have a leisurely meal. It was an excellent meal but when we left after one hour we were nearly as wet as when we arrived. The bus left at 14:00 from the train station and we shared it with all of the college students who must have been amused to see the two drowned tourists.
Back at the campsite we changed into dry clothes, arranged the wet clothes (including those that were supposed to be drying on the line outside) around the van and switched on the electric fan heater to accelerate the drying.
I decided to have a shower as I needed to get a little wetter. I have an uncanny knack of choosing the wrong shower at campsites. For example, at the last campsite Jane reported that the showers were excellent so I went along, stripped off and then discovered that my shower was only lukewarm and water only came out of the nozzle in a very restricted area. I then spent the next 10 minutes desperately trying to manoeuvre myself so that the squirt of water hit the correct part of my anatomy. This time I wasn't going to make the same mistake. I checked the first cubicle – most of the shower head was blocked, the same problem as before. The next cubicle however had excellent water distribution and was wonderfully hot, in fact I had to turn the temperature down. I stripped of and piled my clothes in dry area and stepped into the shower. It was one of those showers where pushing a button gives a timed amount of water and you need to keep pushing it to get more. Some of these are hopeless in that the time is so short that you have to lean permanently on the button to provide a flow. This one was very good and gave a reasonable period of time between pushes. However there was a catch. Part way through the time, the water suddenly went very cold for a few seconds before going back to normal temperature. I thought that I could prevent this by pushing the button again before the cold period. It was at that point that I discovered that the same sudden but temporary temperature drop happened as soon as the button was pressed. My more hurried than intended shower was punctuated by me jumping in and out of the shower trying to anticipate the cold phases.
The sun then came out and we were able to drink tea sat in a patch of sunshine on our pitch. We are flanked by two huge motorhomes, one British and one German, each one only occupied by two people. The British couple obviously like their own space – he sits outside smoking and I haven't even seen her - and attempts at communication have only resulted in curt acknowledgements. The German couple are more friendly and I have a theory as to why they require such an enormous motorhome. We were sat drinking tea (we are after all British) and the strains of organ music drifted across. This went on for some time and I established that it was not recorded due to the very occasional mistake. I have to admit to a rather strong dislike of organ music with the possible exception of some classical church organ pieces but Jane quite enjoyed it. I was also able to establish that it was the lady who played given that the husband, possibly to get out of the way and to avoid hours of said music, spent a long time emptying the grey water and the toilet and filling up with fresh water. Anyway, I am sure that this is why they have such a large van. At a push of a button, the four-poster bed folds down and slides horizontally to allow a full-scale Wurlitzer organ to rise from the bowls of the cellar (these huge vans must surely have a cellar) with the lady sat at the four-storey keyboard pulling organ stops with gusto. Dry ice supplies the smoke effects but probably only when there is an audience. I have thought about asking to have a look inside their van but it would probably be a great disappointment – it is better to keep some mysteries in life.
Photos: The Christ Pantocrator mosaic in Cefalu's Duomo; The Saracen washing area; Cefalu's Via Microscopile (actually Vicolo Monteleone but it doesn't sound as good); Cefalu Old Town with the dominating Duomo itself dominated by La Rocca; The highly defensible gate in the first wall of La Rocca.

Friday 6th November 2009 – Finale di Polina, Sicily, Italy

The idea was to have a relaxing day sat in the sun but the night was stormy with a large thunderstorm at 06:00. The day was overcast but fortunately we only had a couple of showers.
We strolled into Finale di Polina to buy bread, fresh milk and vegetables and found a very pleasant village without the run-down houses that we have found almost everywhere else in Sicily.
Whilst we were in the village, I spotted a poster advertising an Olive Festival this weekend. We managed to work out that most things were happening on Sunday afternoon and this was confirmed by the campsite receptionist when we returned. We decided that we would stay on until Monday so that we could see the celebrations.
Photos: We felt somewhat inadequate parked between these massive motorhomes but the sea views are lovely.

Thursday 5th November 2009 – Finale di Polina, Sicily, Italy

Another very windy night, stronger even than when we were in Marsala but it had died down by morning.
We had an early start as we wanted to visit the church in Monreale, just outside Palermo, famous for its Christian mosaics, the most extensive in the world. However, it was not to be. We drove into the town but parking was impossible and returning to the ring road we found the road to the main car park was blocked by a large market. At that point we gave up and pressed on towards Finale di Polina.
We had already decided not to visit Polermo but our route took through the outskirts until we reached the ring road. That was an interesting drive. The road in was lined with many shops and improvised fruit and vegetable stalls, often simply a lorry parked on the side of the road. It seemed that all of Polermo was shopping in this street and they all had cars that had to be parked. This problem was solved easily by double parking. This constantly reduced the road to a single vehicle width, causing traffic chaos and we had to hop between gaps big enough for us to fit. I felt sorry for a car trying to join the traffic from the left. Unusually, he wasn't just forcing his way out so I waved him on. I got a thank-you wave from him and the passenger and he then proceeded to stop right in front of me, double parked and blocking my progress.
We needed to do some shopping and we had passed many shops in Palermo but there were no supermarkets with large car parks. In fact we didn't pass a single supermarket with a car park between 09:00 and 12:45. However, just as we thought that we wouldn't find one until they all closed for their three-hour lunch, I spotted one. Serious shopping followed and the fridge was once again filled to overflowing.
This was actually a day without archaeology, although I did glimpse the large stone block base of a 'Temple to Victory' as we drove past.
We arrived at the Camping Rais Gerbi in Finale de Polina just after 13:30. The weather was warm, the pitch was large and we soon had the chairs and table out and laid with lunch. Rais Gerbi is one of the campsites that operates the ASCI Card discount scheme - €15 per night. It is a very comfortable site, good facilities, lovely sea views and the village of Finale just half a kilometre away.
Photos: Our overnight pitch in the Zingaro National Park car park – we had the whole car park to ourselves!; The view into the national park from the pitch; A tower guards a bay at Scopello just outside the park.

Wednesday 4th November 2009 – Scopello, Sicily, Italy

Having paid and bought some wine, we left Piana di Borromeo, drove the 6 km back to Fulgatore and then on into the mountains and the Greek site of Segesta. The occupation of the site goes back to the 12th century BC and was used up until the Middle Ages when a castle was built on the Acropolis but it is the Greek remains that dominate. The two main attractions are the theatre and a Doric temple.
The theatre, capable of holding 4,000 people is on the side of the Acropolis, a twenty minute up-hill walk from the modern entrance near one of the ancient gates. The climb however is worth it and weaker souls can use a bus to do the journey. The views from the Acropolis over the mountains are fantastic and the theatre was built so that it gives a commanding view over a fertile plain to the distant sea.
The temple looks almost complete from a distance and it appears that very little reconstruction has been done. However when you get close, you can see that the temple was never completed. The cella was never built, the columns weren't fluted and the stones of the temple base still have the lugs used to move them into position. The building seems to have been interrupted in 409 BC when the Carthaginians occupied the city. The mountain setting of the temple is magnificent.
We had been told that the Zingaro National Park was worth a visit and so we decided to pay it a visit. We approached from the eastern side, just west of Castellemmare del Golfo at Scopello. This part of coast is very pretty and we really enjoyed the drive to the car park at the end of the no through road. There is a charge of €3 to enter the park and as we paid the attendant we asked about camping or aires in the area. Much to our surprise, he said that we were able to stay in the car park without any charge. We can't believe that this would be the case in the Summer or the car park would be full of Italian motorhomes as the Park is very popular.
We chose the lower path close to the sea with lovely views up and down the coast and up to the steep high limestone cliffs on our left. We started walking past bushes of rosemary and soon encountered wild cyclamen, other wild flowers and insectivorous plants. Eagles soared, catching the thermals over the top of the cliffs and many other birds including redstarts flitted amongst the bushes. There were olive, almond and fig trees, cacti and many other bushes but the most impressive were the hundreds of short palm trees. The perfume of ripe dates filled the air and it was so sweet that you could almost taste it. The ruins of defensive towers dating to the 15th and 16th centuries are dotted along this rugged coastline, relics of Spanish occupation.
The narrow path climbed and dropped back to near sea level many times until we reached the point where we hoped to climb up a valley and on to the higher path for the walk back to the entrance. However, the path sign told us that the climb would take an hour and with the rest of the walk to do after that, we knew that it would be dark before we got back. Reluctantly, we retraced our steps although this was still a lovely walk with a different aspect on the views. The walk took us three and a half hours and we didn't see a single piece of rubbish. This would be extremely impressive anywhere in Italy but in Sicily it is a miracle!
We can thoroughly recommend the Zingaro National Park – come early, bring a picnic and walk for the day.
We sat in the motorhome with a view across the 'Golfo di Castellammera' and as night fell, we watched the nearly-full moon rise out of the sea. Magic.
Photos: The theatre on the acropolis at Segesta with the sea (the 'Golfo di Castellammera') in the distance; The Segesta temple set on the hill opposite the acropolis; Donkey power is king in the Zingaro National Park.

Tuesday 3rd November 2009 – Fulgatore, Sicily, Italy

Gale force winds buffeted Henrietta all night and in the morning we could hear the sea roaring.
Yet more archaeology today but with a twist. In the Marsala museum yesterday we saw many finds from the island of Mozia. This was occupied by the Phoenicians for over 300 years from the the late 8th century BC until they were defeated by Syracuse. After that the survivors moved to the mainland and established the city of Lilybeo, modern day Marsala.
We drove along the coast to the jetty used by the ferry to Mozia. Even if you aren't interested in archaeology, this area is well worth a visit. Mozia is set in a huge, shallow natural lagoon formed by the long low island of Isole Grande and many saltpans line the shore. These take advantage of the high natural salinity caused by the shallow lagoon and the hot summer sun and huge amounts of salt are produced here and on Isole Grande. Large piles of salt are lined up along the edge of the saltpans and they are protected with a tile covering giving the impression of low-roofed houses.
The boat left with just us and less than 10 minutes later we were dropped off on the island, arranging to be collected three hours later. The trip was amazingly calm given the storms of last night and the continuing strong winds this morning.
The island was first excavated by an Englishman, John Whitaker, in the late 19th century. He was a member of one of the Marsala wine families and he bought the island to be able to uncover its history. His collection of finds from Mozia and other nearby sites is still on display in the museum together with many more recent finds from the island. Sadly, although an Englishman excavated the site, all of the finds are displayed without English explanations. Many of the best finds, with a few notable exceptions, seem to have been given or loaned to other museums such as Marsala (we saw them yesterday).
We were provided with a map and brief information in English for exploring the island and this proved very useful. The many information boards also had English explanations and were very good. We had time to be able to explore the whole of the island, mainly by following the 2.5 km of shoreline. It was interesting to see a different a different culture with its own burial practices and deities. The boat duly collected just us at 13:00 and dropped us off back at the jetty.
We had identified an agroturism restaurant on our route inland and, given that there weren't any other campsites in the area, it seemed a good place to stop. The Plein Air booklet showed it as being at Fulgatore, the address was Fulgatore and the sat nav pinpointed its exact position in the town. So we ploughed on through miles and miles of attractive vineyard-clad scenery and arrived at Fulgatore to see a sign telling us that it was 6 km back the way that we came. The address was 10 Via Marsala, number 9 Via Marsala was indeed in the town but the next house on the road was 6 km away. We found it easily, spotting the signs that we had missed on the way because we weren't looking for them. There was only a worker on the farm busy pressing grapes for wine but he made us welcome and directed us to a pitch with electricity. The deal was that it cost €10 but was free if you had a meal. We suspected that the restaurant wouldn't be open and we were correct. It is however open at weekends if you happen to be in the area. The owner arrived back at about half past seven and came to welcome us. He return a little later with a quarter of a litre each of his red and fortified white wines plus a small bottle of “cooked wine”. We chatted for some time with him after overcoming the problem that he thought that we were French – his English was better than his (and our) French! We drank his wine so that we could return his carafes in the morning – the red whine was very good but the white at 15% alcohol didn't have enough depth of flavour. We haven't tried the “cooked wine” (reduced by half) but have been told that we should have it with a good cheese such as Gorgonzola.
Photos: Dismantling a salt 'house' roof ready for moving the salt; The windmills on the saltpans; The 'Youth of Mozia' – a sculpture representing an unknown but obviously important person from the 5th century BC and carved in marble from Eastern Greece; A 6th century BC Phoenician mask in marvellous condition; The imposing and heavily fortified North Gate of Mozia has deeply ruts in the stones due to the volume of carts that used it. Although it appears to go into the sea, there used to be a causeway, created in Phoenician times, that linked the island to the mainland. The road is over 1.7 km long and 7 metres in width, broad enough for two chariots to pass, quite a construction project for the 6th century BC. The sea level has risen (or the land sunk) now but the road was regularly used up to the 1970s and is still capable of use as the maximum water depth is only 1 metre.