wherearetheloves2006

Sicilia at last

Stupid mouse - I just lost everything I posted about our Italian adventures - Oh well ...start again.

We are now in Cefalu and the weather is GORGEOUS. If you think that is a strange statement, try pouring rain and cold in Roma, thunderstorm and torrential rain in the middle of the day followed by sunshine in Capri, rain in Positano and sunny though cool weather in Amalfi and Ravello. ARthur is well into the Italian driving spirit (renamed Fangio). Who says driving in Palermo is a nightmare? All you do is do as the locals do, ignore the road rules, take your chance when you see it and everyone give way ...no such thing as road rage in Italy. We only have a couple of scratches on the wing mirror..... a very handy gauge for the driver to tell where the walls.... other cars.... pedestrians are on the side of the road, particularly when allowing a large coach to pass on the Amalfi coast roads... and they pass with cms to spare!!! The local buses know exactly the width unlike the Frog drivers who seem to need the whole road and really clog up the roads. We got behind one on the way up to Ravello!!!!

Ravello is absolutely gorgeous and seems to have less tourists than Positano and Amalfi and we really loved Altrani which was empty .... no Duomo with a square and no tourists shops, so.. no tourist buses!! Even though we had 3 days in the area it was not nearly enough.

Palermo, where we spent the day after the ferry across and before arriving here was just great. I dont know why we did not go there before. There is so much to see and of course the great weather made a difference. Everywhere there are flowering trees, roses, bouganvillea, jacaranda, greenery .... and the fruit..!!!

Food and coffee have lived up to our expectations most of the time. Baby artichokes, fresh swordfish, delicious clams, mussels, fabulous oxheart tomatoes with the buffalo mozzarella for the Caprese salads, loquats (nespoli), cherries, strawberries, rockmelons, oranges and of course lemons everywhere - particularly around Sorrento and the Amalfi coast ..... limoncello (lemon based liqueur) everywhere.

We still have not got a simcard for the phones - no time to go looking for a place to buy them. It is hard work this travelling and being on holidays. And I still have not got all the email addresses into my webmail address book. Please send emails ... that is the easiest way for me to update the address book.

Today is il giorno del madre here as well (where are the mothers day wishes from my children - Rhondda had a fax), and the Duomo is a picture with azealeas in pots up the steps. This am while having breakfast we watched lots of very bella Italians with their even more belli ragazzi (kids) arriving. most of the kids were dressed in long white robes with a gold cross on the front...... lots of pictures which i will attempt to download when there is more time. Today is a rest day ... just enjoying the town and will swim this afternoon.. the beach looks inviting, but no locals in the water - what does that mean?

posted by lizandarthur @ 7:13 pm