Casato Licitra Ragusa

... who spoke very little English took it as their duty to get me back to where I needed to be safely. They started calling friends of friends to confirm bus schedules and stopping the bus at a pay phone so I could call Anna, but then there were no pay phones in the tiny, little bus stop towns, so then the girl used her cell phone to call Anna, and the whole time she was trying to explain to Anna who she was and why she was calling, the bus driver was -- 2 inches from the phone, saying "Tell ...

... airport. Miraculously we arrive at the airport at 11:45 and I'm able to check in my bag without any issue. PHEW!!! I see signs for a post office in the airport so I check it out. Indeed, it's a full-service office so I buy a box and package up all my random tourist trinkets and Guinness glass -- no longer plural, one didn't make it. Anyway, I am feeling on top of the world. I made it to the flight, I got my package out and I have time for a leisurely ...

... helemaal weg van de aanstormende vissersboten. De volgende ochtend, maandag, zoeken we tussen de vissersbootjes een plek aan de kade en slaan voor drie dagen onze voorraad in. Ondanks de bedrijvigheid op de werf (nieuw houten schip in aanbouw), restauratie werkzaamheden aan een tuna fabriek en de groenteman langs de deur is het een stoffig stadje.



We kopen aan de kade twee visjes en denken maar niet aan het vuil en ...

... and lots to see.

We found the gelati bar and set to work especially as it was a warm day. Mandy agrees with me we would be hard pressed to find a nicer gelati. I had Pistachio & Nero (dark chocolate with orange) and Mandy had Pistachio & Bacio Chocolate- real nuts in both & very good.

That done we headed to the Beach with tom tom set for Marzamemi on the coast about 20 minutes away. It found the town ok but do you think it could find the beach? No much to ...

... but NO women. Where ARE they? --------------------- We ended up, with a touch of our usual serendipity, in a town about 20 km from the incredible mosaics of the castle near Piazza Armerina (Mosaic floors from the THIRD CENTURY -- like the time of Constantine!). The floors depicted things like the labors of Hercules, and hunts of tigers and gryphons and elephants and rhinos, scantily-clad women working out, a few erotic scenes --- all kinds of incredible mosaics ...

... so the three of us caught up on our sleep, mostly to avoid the in-transit movie, Garfield. There are just some things no one should be expected to handle at 7am. We arrived in Sicily in the town of Pozzallo and after strolling along the beach and playing in a little seaside park (with slides!) we hopped on the bus for our trek up the eastern coast toward Catania. On our way we stopped halfway up the mountain at a little souvenir stand where ...

... nearby airport at Bari for her flight to Athens, from where she will fly to Kathmandu. What a change from 5 months in Italy (where she came as an innocent Aussie girl and has been corrupted, working in a pub, satying up late at night, drinking red wine and beer and grappa, etc) - she will now be going on a trek to the Annapurna sanctuary, then will be doing voluntary work in an orphanage in Kathmandu until nearly Christmas, when she will be returning to Italy. I'm on my own again - where to next?

So after an enjoyable journey South through Italy we finally arrived at our destination point - Sicily. Above all Floridia, the small town where my father was born and where many of my relatives still live (or atleast live nearby). It was great being able to meet some of the relatives in Sicily and speak with them in Italian without too much difficulty. Everyone was so genuinely happy to see us, and welcomed us into their ...

saw some very cool stuff today. we left early and headed to a city with lots of Greek Ruins. I got to see the ancient greek amphitheatre and learned about a lots of cool places. it will be easier to explain when i get to show you all the pics. my uncle got me a hat and now i look like a real tourist! haha after we saw all of that we went to Noto which they kept referring to as a Barosque (?) town. I am going to assume that ...

... on passe à table pour un barbecue. On parle des français, de leur voiture et de leur comportement. Une petite piscine a été montée pour le fils qui doit avoir 3 ans, mais on en profite aussi. La maman d´Anna vient nous servir le café et le digestif dans la piscine sur un plateau, la classe. En soirée, on demande à aller visiter Ragusa. Après le repas, on met au point la fin du séjour et notre voyage sur la cote Ouest.