Sicily... gladly again :-)

The last post is already a week ago. Time flies and we experience a beautiful Italy every day, which always surprises us.

But one thing at a time. On 18.04.2023 we drove many kilometers and also took a ferry for some of them. Sicily, here we are. For Heidi it was her first trip with the car ferry, Reto is already a bit more experienced. We didn't experience much on this day, except that we couldn't get any coffee because the machine was broken in a cafe. We felt like we were in Cuba. And what was really strange, the highway tunnels just after Messina were practically unlit. There is (of course) nothing new to report about the roads, the roads are no better in Sicily than on the mainland.

For the next day our weather frog Reto predicted good weather, at least for the morning, to explore Mount Etna. In the morning we drove about 30 minutes up to 1,900 meters above sea level. It was already a bit cooler there. And we took the cable car, which was rebuilt in 2002 after the last eruption, and reached our starting point at 2,500 meters above sea level. Dressed in cap and gloves, we continued on foot, others took the diesel bus. Without a guide, you can only hike up to about 2,800 meters above sea level, to reach the top (about 3,300 meters above sea level) a guide is needed. For Stephi: Thank you for recommending the long and warm 'undersleeves' to me (Heidi), I didn't take them with me in vain. The 19.04.2023 was also the first day when we could have an aperitif and dinner outside without freezing and with t-shirts on. And one of the first campsites with hot dishwashing water :-)

We spontaneously changed our plans for 20.04.2023. We decided to visit a bio olive oil farmer and also stay there. Villa Gerace, an agriturismo, in Enna, in the interior of the island. The journey there was very varied, we often saw Mount Etna (in the background). Beautiful landscapes and also a typical Italian road chaos in another mountain village called Agria. Oski was in the middle of it. Unfortunately, we don't have any photos of it. Finally, an Italian kept a cool head and resolved the chaos. Enna was touted as a beautiful mountain village, but we didn't find the charm and beauty. But we did have a delicious typical dessert from Sicily, Cannolo, of course without calories. After that, we continued to Villa Gerace and were warmly welcomed by Christof, an Italo-German. Christof returned to his homeland about 5-6 years ago and took over the villa. We had an olive oil tasting and of course bought some afterwards. Christof is very innovative and makes many things himself - including ice cream.

The next day we decided to go back to the sea. The destination was Finale, east of Palermo. On the way there, we drove through uninhabited hinterland and once again saw the beauty of Sicily. We also had to do some work, wash the laundry, and clean Oski on the inside. We did not plan on being the only ones who needed to do laundry. So there was a slight traffic jam in front of the washing machine. Thank goodness the traffic jam eventually cleared and we were able to get everything done. So that we had April 22, 2023 free again.
In the evening we were able to turn on our camping lights for the first time, a gift from our family. Thanks again :-)

All pending tasks completed, on April 22, 2023, we went for a hike. The destination was Pollina, about 760 meters above sea level. Pollina was also built on a rock and is quite exposed. The path there was an old packhorse trail and very beautiful and varied. But we got really sweaty, the temperatures were as high as never before. Pollina is also pretty and the hike was worth it.

On April 23, 2023, we left Sicily again. Sicily, we will see you again - definitely. We covered about 320 kilometers on Sunday and arrived in Amantea, on the Mediterranean coast, after taking a detour. Here too, we spend the night on an agriturismo.

Today, April 24, 2023, we wanted to go hiking again. The trail is probably not frequently hiked. Quite a few paths were overgrown and partly covered with thorns. Our legs are a bit battered. We couldn't complete the hike as planned because the path suddenly disappeared into the thicket. We reached Amantea, the older part of the village, via detours. We treated ourselves to a coffee and a very delicious ice cream (at least Reto). And as a reward, we had an aperitif afterwards (at 2 p.m.).

In the next few days, we will (hopefully) see some of the Amalfi Coast. It all depends on the traffic situation. See you soon again.