Weekly planning Monday morningNew week, means making some new plans, which change 100 times at the last minute. Nevertheless, today we are planning a bit for the coming week. We want to arrive in Sicily at some point. So for the next few days, the motto is to make kilometers. A destination for today is quickly found and we decide on the route along the coast. But first, we have to endure the torture down to the sea, once through Amalfi and then along the coast to Salerno. Salerno inclusive shopping on a large scale. Hundi gets new treats to chew on, Mathennsi grabs swimming trunks and flip-flops, Ani gets a coffee. Once again to the supermarket and fill up the fridge. But now we have to continue, otherwise we won't arrive today. At some point in the late afternoon, we arrive near Sapri and find a place to sleep quickly. Right on the beach next to a still closed bar. Perfect for the windy conditions this evening. Hundi and Ani take a walk along the beach and check out the village. Suddenly there are police and carabinieri everywhere. All heavily armed and in heavily armored cars. Looks like a different wind is blowing here? As soon as there are any observations to report about possible criminal activities, you will be the first to know. Promise! But now off to bed, tomorrow there is another longer distance to cover.
Tuesday 21.02.
Walk through PizzoWe start the day very slowly and the planned early start is a bit delayed. Late in the morning, the machine finally starts and off we go south. The first major city along the coast is Matea. They have a Jesus on the top of the mountain like in Rio, which can already be seen from a distance. On the way, we see some traffic signs with many Italian words that unfortunately don't tell us much, only the round sign with a red border and white inside should actually give us something to think about. But we both ignore it really well. Shortly afterwards, we have a problem, the road is completely blocked and on one side is the sea, on the other side is the mountain. This means that the choice of bypass roads is zero. So we have to go all the way back and then towards the highway through the mountains. We are only driving uphill for kilometers, it just won't end. Poor Womo. By the way, Hundi rocks all the rides with full stars. Halfway up, there is an accident, Ani is at the refrigerator and just when Mathennsi has to avoid an oncoming truck while sitting down, Ani falls with her nose on the open passenger window. Ouch, that hurt a lot and needs immediate cooling.Eventually, the highest mountain also comes to an end and we have arrived at the top in the snow. We pass the national park and after several tunnels, we arrive at the parking lot in Pizzo in the afternoon. Pizzo is the birthplace of Tartufo. But since we heroes still eat our sweet pastries from Salerno directly after arrival, we first have no appetite for more sweets. We take a look at the small town, which is worth a visit not only for the friends of various delicious ice cream specialties. There is also a bit of history offered. In the church is the grave of Joachim Murat, king of Naples, born in France and brother-in-law and follower of Napoleon. He was also a well-known bon vivant throughout Europe during his lifetime, just like our August, so to speak. There is a small castle named after him, which probably does not console him, as he spent his last days there in a cell, accused of high treason and executed by a firing squad.We change our parking space one more time and look for something outside the city by the beach. There Layla can romp around again and then we have dinner and watch a movie.
Wednesday 22.02.
Layla dayDuring coffee, we change the plan again. Instead of completing the remaining journey to Sicily in two stages, we will stay here today and start early tomorrow. The beach where we are standing is very beautiful, so it will be a day in Layla's sense. After coffee, Ani and Layla go on an exploration trip before we have an extensive brunch and a nap. Then we all go for an extensive beach walk to the neighboring village, with Layla probably jumping into the water 100 times. In this village, there is a very good gelateria. But it is still closed and we actually manage to visit the birthplace of Tartufo without eating it. We might stop by again on the way back. Back in the Womo, we enjoy the sunset and end the day. After all the running around, Layla is exhausted and doesn't move an inch.
Thursday 23.02.
Overpass to SicilyToday is finally the day, we are crossing over to Sicily. South of Naples, the highway is toll-free and quite empty, so we complete the remaining journey quickly and arrive in Villa San Giovanni shortly after eleven. Now the excitement is nicely shared. Mathennsen is a bit nervous during the procedure of buying the ticket and bringing the Womo onto the ferry, if everything goes smoothly. But he is completely relaxed when the ferry is scheduled to leave. On the other hand, Ani is nervous during the crossing. Luckily, it only takes 20 minutes and we disembark in Sicily at half past twelve. This is followed by an exciting drive through Messina, where there is even more anarchy on the road than in northern Italy. Right of way is just a word without any meaning, but maybe it doesn't exist in Italian at all. We have decided to circle the island clockwise, so we head towards Catania to Ali Terme. A parking lot by the sea is our accommodation for today. Apparently, this is a popular place for motorhome owners who arrive or leave Sicily and we meet a nice couple from Aachen who tell us about their impressions. We learn that there were heavy storms and flooding with flooded streets last week. Luckily, we took our time coming here. We take a walk with Hundi and plan the next day before making ourselves comfortable in the Womo.
Friday 24.02.
Taormina ParkToday we have Taormina on the agenda. It is located in a spectacular location on the mountain slope and is the most popular summer resort in Sicily. So many chic boutiques and luxury hotels for VIPs and those who want to admire them. Just right for us. Well, luckily it's February, so the hustle and bustle is still at a minimum. First, we drive there and park the motorhome in a parking lot of a hotel that is still closed. This parking lot is visited by motorhomes and in the evening by young people or occasionally for a rendezvous. There are two ways to get to the city. Either by cable car or steep uphill on foot. We choose the latter option and take a break in the beautiful park. Then we head towards the Greek theater, the second largest on Sicily after Syracuse and a venue for art and film festivals in the summer. The €10 per person are a bit much for us again. Maybe then it will be the theater in Syracuse. We stroll through the old town and admire our parking lot from above. At some point, we have seen everything and head back. In the evening, there is still a lot going on in our parking lot, but eventually it becomes quiet and we can go to sleep.
Saturday 25.02.
Anglers in San MarcoDuring morning coffee, we check the weather forecast. The next few days are likely to be a bit gray. Since our last shower was already a few days ago, we decide to head to a campsite a short distance south. On the way, we stop at the greengrocer and supermarket to stock up for the next few days. We arrive around 1 pm and settle in for the next few days. Normally, Mount Etna is clearly visible from our spot, but today it is completely covered in fog. First, we check out the beach. Layla already has ants in her pants anyway. Somehow, we don't really know if they are planning something big in terms of tourism here, or if the plan has already become history and literally disappeared in the sand. Unfortunately, the cliché with the trash is true and prevents the area from showing its charm. For anglers, today seems to be a good current, as suddenly many cars arrive and the beach fills up with fishermen trying their luck in an organized manner. Petri HeilBack in the motorhome, we try the delicious things we bought. Then it's time to wash up and do a little cleaning. The beach and the motorhome not only have romantic aspects.The highlight of the evening is our changeable cold and warm shower before we cuddle up in a warm bed after a movie.
Sunday 26.02. / Monday 27.02.
Our parking spot with Etna in the backgroundThere is not much to tell about these two days. We enjoy the benefits of the parking spot and take Layla to the beach twice a day. After initial rain, Monday turns out to be very friendly contrary to the weather forecast. Suddenly it clears up and we have blue skies. We enjoy the sun and the view of Mount Etna while having coffee in the chair in front of the Womo. Speaking of Mount Etna, we actually wanted to go up there, but there is still quite a lot of snow. Hikes are recommended from April onwards. Well, then not now. Thank you for reading and see you soon
So ein schöner Bericht!! Ani‘s Nase ist hoffentlich wieder heile..
Wie es aussieht, hat nicht nur Layla eine schöne Zeit. Lasst es euch weiterhin gut gehen!!!😘
