HELLO Sicily - Apulia here we come

Thursday 30.03.

Today is Mathennsi's birthday. Birthday children are notoriously the ones in charge on this day. And so it is today as well. The morning begins quite relaxed after yesterday's excitement, and we manage to do almost nothing until the afternoon. Actually, the plan for today was to continue driving, but we quickly decide against it. We write a blog and upload everything like super champions so you have plenty to read. We hope we have succeeded in bringing a bit of Sicilian holiday feeling into your living room.

In the afternoon, we decide to go for a walk by the sea. After all, Hundi wants to go for a swim in the summer temperatures. By the way, we notice that today seems to be the official day when all shops, restaurants, and everything else that can make money opens. Everything wakes up as if by magic after a winter sleep. And with it, suddenly so many more people are on the move than in all the previous days combined. During our walk, we buy some meat at the butcher's and some vegetables at our trusted grocer's. Birthday grilling in the evening is the wish, and we make it happen. Grilling, munching, evening dog round, toasting to turning 45, and then it's off to bed. Tomorrow we want to continue, and there are still a lot of tasks to be done in the morning to be ready to leave.

Friday 31.03.

In the morning, we pack everything together to slowly leave the cozy parking spot. In doing so, we shake our heads a few more times with a smile at our new neighbor. Last night, she absolutely didn't want any help with parking in the dark, and now she's parked slantingly and about 10cm next to us. By noon, everything is stowed away and refueled, and we start and leave Palermo behind. The plan now is to drive towards Messina in big stages to slowly leave Sicily. We make a small change and turn off and drive into the mountains. The goal is Pizzo Carbonaro, the second highest mountain in Sicily with a beautiful all-round view. If Mount Etna is still covered in snow, at least the second highest is. The drive to the starting point of the hike at 1600m takes a while, bad roads and a thousand curves, and we only arrive at the top around 4 pm. The first choice of parking spot is quickly discarded, here a cold wind is blowing. A little way back, we find a well-protected spot. The hike up the mountain will take place tomorrow, but the terrain is already explored. After just 20 meters, Ani and Layla see the first 3 deer, and later a few more deer appear. We take a little walk and then it's back to the motorhome for the evening program.

Saturday 01.04.

After a fresh but very quiet night, the sun is unfortunately hidden behind clouds today. Hoping that it will clear up, we take our time for the morning program. Shortly after eleven, we start, regardless of the sky. We put on our hiking shoes, but first put Hundi on the leash because of the deer, and off we go. It quickly becomes apparent that it will be a proper mountain tour. It takes 1 1/2 hours uphill over scree, at the beginning still well signposted, later it's a matter of orienting oneself using small stone heaps. Shortly before one o'clock, we reach the summit of Pizzo Carbonara. But unfortunately, it hasn't cleared up, in one direction Mount Etna can only be faintly seen, just like the sea in the other direction. Oh well, let's keep going, down the other side and back. We pass by several small snowfields that make Layla incredibly happy, she jumps into every one of them and rolls around. We're back at the motorhome around 2 pm, and even though the view wasn't great today, it was still a very nice tour. We briefly consider which side of the mountain to descend, and decide to continue along the north coast. On the way down, we look for a place for tonight. We decide on Villa Margi, a small town by the sea. The only notable thing here is a pretty large monument by the sea. We park a few meters further on the beach and listen to the sound of the Sicilian sea for one last time in the evening. Monday is supposed to be very bad weather, and the north coast between Palermo and Messina doesn't really catch our interest. So tomorrow, we'll say goodbye to Sicily and head to the ferry.

Sunday 02.04.

In the morning, Mathennsi feels a bit nostalgic about leaving Sicily. But there's no use, we've been all around and that's enough. We already summarize that we really liked it from Syracuse to Palermo, plus the trips inland.

Before we rush to the ferry today, we make a stop in the neighboring Santo Stefano. There are pottery shops and ceramic stores without end, and we want to buy a few small souvenirs. When we arrive, we ignore all the shops there, our goal is the pottery shops at the other end of town. Along the way, we also buy a small package of sweets, we can't leave the island without indulging ourselves a bit more. The small town is bustling and everyone is walking around with a small palm frond. We have to inform ourselves first, it's Palm Sunday and the palm fronds are blessed by the priest and are said to bring luck. Shortly before siesta, we find the right pottery for us. We choose a few nice pieces, and in the meantime, we have a conversation with the friendly owner.

Back in the motorhome, we eat the sweets, and then we start for the ferry. On the way, the sky darkens and the bad weather forecast for Monday is a bit early. So the ferry might rock a bit.

At the port in Messina, however, we are lucky, the rain takes a break and we only have to wait a short time before we are allowed to maneuver the motorhome onto the ferry. The wind makes the ferry sway a bit, but the crossing is quickly done, and it's back on the highway. We drive until just past Reggio Calabria, and then our destination for the day is reached. We set up our overnight camp in a parking lot by the beach. With nice weather, you can see Mount Etna spewing fire from here in the evening, today we can't even see Sicily. So we take a short evening walk and then get cozy in our dry home sweet home.

Monday 03.04.

Clouds and rain, the view from the window in the morning clearly shows what's on the weather program today. This means for our morning program, coziness is the trump card, and a few rounds of Rummikub before breakfast. After eleven, we finally start, it's good weather to make kilometers along the Ionian coast. The first destination is a shopping center in Siderno, rain program :) On the way, we can already see that this part of Calabria is still poor, despite beautiful beaches, this piece of the big Italian tourism cake is rather small for this part of the country. And something else catches our eye, suspiciously many unfinished houses. Our suspicion is that we are in the heartland of the 'Ndrangheta mafia, and building sites are probably a good place for money laundering (alongside Germany).

When we arrive at the shopping center, we stroll through the stores, and Mathennsi makes a find and auctions two pants at absolute bargain prices, SuperSale is calling. Afterwards, we fill up the fridge again and, lo and behold, the rainy day is well advanced. We drive until Rosella Ionica, where we visit a nice spot at the harbor to set up camp for the night.

Tuesday 04.04.

Finally, the sun shines again today. We can't wait to get outside, enjoy the fresh air, and explore the area a bit. Hundi already had a bit of cabin fever. In the morning, we take a walk through the enormous harbor area, where a lot has been invested and built. In front of the motorhome, there is even a small sports park, which we definitely want to tackle as well. But before that, we want to visit the next small town along the beach. Once there, we go to a cafe to taste the local delicacies and sip coffee. The owner speaks fluent German and we have a nice conversation with her about the upcoming Easter festival. In Italy, huge chocolate eggs filled with all sorts of things are given as gifts. They have been bought like crazy in the supermarkets in the past few days. Here, there is a whole wall full of particularly beautiful specimens (in the background of the photo from the cafe). Just from the arrangement, you can see that everything here is done with great dedication. Accordingly, everything is delicious, and we feast in two rounds. On the way back, we each buy a scratch card, and of course, the winnings are not invested lucratively. Well, the day will come when we will hit the jackpot :-)

Wednesday 05.04.

We attack the sports park with full enthusiasm and unfortunately have to pass at some devices due to acute unsportiness. But the will was there. That will give us nice muscle soreness for the next few days. We try to use the shower at the harbor, but unfortunately, we can't get it to work. Oh well, no problem, we'll just do the washcloth program. We pack everything up and continue towards Matera. But on the way there, we make another stop in Nocera Scalo. A mini seaside resort that was hit by a storm surge last year, completely destroying the entire promenade area. Another family from Germany is standing next to us in the parking lot. But since it's raining like from a watering can, there is only contact through waving. We take a short walk with Hundi as long as it's only drizzling, so that the little sausage gets at least a little exercise. It has also gotten a bit cooler due to the rain front. We make the best of it and have a nice evening with wine, chips, and games.

Thursday 06.04.

Today, the destination is Latronico. Off we go into the mountains in Marco Nazionale del Polinno. We found a free parking spot on an app, and a thermal spa is promised. After 3 hours of driving over rough and rocky terrain and lots of altitude gain later, we arrive. It's really chilly up here, and we have to put on our winter jackets and hats. We set off for the thermal spa, but we can't find it. Instead, it's all pretty deserted and closed. Which it turns out to be as well, open from May. But the associated park is really beautiful, and we walk around to take a closer look. We also get to see an artwork by the famous artist Anish Kapoor, a huge Earth Cinema. We two art ignoramuses don't really understand what he wants to say with it, but that's not really something new for us. So please take a look at the associated picture, and if you understand it, feel free to explain it to us. A few meters away, there are also a few waterfalls and a geocache. The former is really beautiful and worth seeing, the latter remains an unsolved puzzle. In summary, we can say: spa closed, geocache not found, artwork not understood. So we better continue driving. It's time for a small success. Fardella is today's destination, a small mountain village where Gennarino operates a small parking lot. His main business is wine and herbal liqueur, but since he is a camper himself, he offers a place with full service at a low price, and we also need a hot shower again. When we arrive, he tells us with regret that we can only stay for one night. Tomorrow is the Easter procession in town, and 22 campers have already reserved. Well, then it is so. Nevertheless, we stay and explore the village and its surroundings. After we return, we have to turn on the heater, it's quite chilly up here after sunset. So we shower, have dinner, and then cuddle up in the warm bed.

Friday 07.04.

We are awakened by various voices and a bit of commotion. What's going on here on this Friday morning? Market day right in front of our motorhome window. Well, not bad. We will definitely visit it later. But first, coffee and a small round of games to start the day. After we have conquered the market, we pack everything together and now drive again towards the spa hoping to find it this time. And lo and behold, we find it. Although in a completely different direction from where we walked yesterday, but never mind, we found it. But everything looks pretty deserted and closed. And that's exactly what it is, open from May. However, the associated park is really beautiful, and we walk around a bit to take a closer look. We also get to see an artwork by the famous artist Anish Kapoor, a huge Earth Cinema. We two art ignoramuses don't really understand what he wants to say with it, but that's not really something new for us. So please take a look at the associated picture, and if you understand it, feel free to explain it to us. A few meters further, there are a few waterfalls and a geocache. The former is really beautiful and worth seeing, the latter remains an unsolved puzzle. After an hour of searching, we give up. In summary, we can say: spa closed, geocache not found, artwork not understood. So we better continue driving. It's time for a small success. Fardella is today's destination, a small mountain village where Gennarino operates a small parking lot. His main business is wine and herbal liqueur, but since he is a camper himself, he offers a place with full service at a low price, and we also need a hot shower again. When we arrive, he tells us with regret that we can only stay for one night. Tomorrow is the Easter procession in town, and 22 campers have already reserved. Well, then it is so. Nevertheless, we stay and explore the village and its surroundings. After we return, we have to turn on the heater, it's quite chilly up here after sunset. So we shower, have dinner, and then cuddle up in the warm bed.

Saturday 08.04.

In the morning, it's time for a 5km walk before we reach the old town in Gallipoli. However, we quickly realize that we don't feel comfortable here at all. Such tourist destinations, no matter how beautiful they may be, are simply not for us, and they torment us more than we can enjoy them to the fullest. So, a short time later, we leave the old town again. We head for a 24-hour cafe, and as always, the machine coffee doesn't let us down here in Italy. This invention is great. With the necessary energy boost, we return to the motorhome. On the way back, we decide that we don't want to stay here for another night. Battle plan is made within minutes, and the motorhome is quickly made ready to go. Let's go to Zollino. A small town in the middle of nowhere, right in the middle of the boot. Here, we find a nice shady spot on the outskirts of town, and we feel right at home. In the evening, our refrigerator content doesn't really satisfy us. So we go to the pizzeria, the first one is closed, the second one is not. We get white wine and 2 x pizza.

Game night is canceled tonight, the wine has left a slight mark on Mathennsi, and there's just enough energy left for a movie.

Wednesday 12.04.

The morning is filled with cleaning work in the motorhome, like a house cleaning. The refrigerator gets repaired, and we hope that it will refrigerate properly again. Around noon, we head to the training path, which is no longer a training path, and pass beautiful olive plantations along the way, enjoying the weather and the tranquility. This afternoon, we plan to have coffee with internet access and find a bench to go for ice cream again. So we head to a cafe and order brioche with gelato and coffee. The problem is that the Wi-Fi here is very slow. We remember that the pizzeria from yesterday had a good network. So we have to change places again to make these lines accessible to you.

We would like to thank you very much for reading and say see you soon