Sicily - Moods of Mount Etna

Mountains have always drawn my interest, for various reasons:-
- they are dangerous
- to climb them is what draws you to them
- you are dealing with nature in one of its most basic forms
- the sheer raw beauty, unchanged over the centuries

And here we are right on the doorstep of a still active volcano, dormant now, but with a history of sudden eruptions as and when the forces of nature dictate so. Mystical in a way .... this Mount Etna. The surprise of our current camperstop here in Sicily is that five paces from our motorhome I have an unobstructed view of this volcano. I simply open the door and walk across our private patio to a gate in the fence, and there it is! I can watch it as often as I wish witnessing all its mood swings and changes of appearance. Just so wonderful!

Thursday 29 Nov midday; camera in 'Landscape' mode

 

Sunset brought about these back lit cloud formations giving a dramatic view of the eastern ridge of Mount Etna.



Thursday 29 Nov 4:00 pm using a telephoto lens at 70mm

Same time as above using a telephoto lens at 115mm

 

There is however no escaping the impact of humans and all of the ancillary mess that we bring with us, such as can be seen in the two pictures below. Fences, ugly buildings, aerials and discarded detritus all over the place. Just beyond it though the beauty endures.

Human habitation; Friday 30 Nov at 8:13am



The beauty somehow survives; Friday 30 Nov 8:40am



Sunset Friday 30 Nov 4:31pm

 

Mount Etna, Sicily!

 

Trinacria - Sicilian flag

 

From Italy to Sicily

Our very long stay of six weeks - and a very memorable stay - at Sena Park in Cropani Marina, Calabria, came to an end on Monday 26 November 2012. It was the quiet solitude of having the whole two acres of campsite to ourselves for most of the time, that brought this about. Thank you Salvatore for your hospitality and kindness, shown in so many ways! We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Sena Park.
We travelled from Cropani Marina heading south towards Reggio di Calabria. First stop was the shopping mall La Fontane near Catanzaro to top up on Vodafone internet connectivity time, and some mooching around. Remember we had not been into a shopping mall for many weeks. We left with groceries, Christmas decorations for Fifi and a new coffee percolator. The journey continued until 16:30 by which time it was getting dark and no suitable camperstop had been found, so onto plan B, stopped at a hotel and asked reception if we could overnight in their grassed parking area. Yes no problem .... and again we were all by ourselves enjoying a good night's rest.
Next day was to be it, the crossing into Sicily by ferry from Reggio di Calabria. A late breakfast stop was found at a viewpoint overlooking the Straits of Messina from the 'toe' of Italy.

Overlooking the Straits of Messina

The ferry anchorage in the port of Reggio di C (as the road signs refer to it) was reached at midday and a ticket was bought for 48 Euros for the one way crossing to Messina at 13:00. Wonderful co-incidental timing as the wait was only one hour.

Ferry arriving

So on we roll, this being what is called a Ro-Ro ferry, Roll on Roll off with ramps both sides and no real bow or stern on the vessel. The crossing takes one hour and you can stay with your vehicle if you prefer, which Joan did, but me, no-no I like a walk around!

From the lounge with Fifi front right

Leaving the ramp and quayside

Mainland Italy disappearing in the distance

Walking around the ferry, in this case an open decked one, brings you the sounds and smells of a ship at work. The sounds of the engines humming away, the smell of oil and diesel emanating from the stairwell leading to the engine room, the sight and sound of water coming from the bilges being pumped out, the smell of well used leather in the saloon / lounge - wonderful stuff!

Sicily ahead with outgoing ferry to starboard

Crossing the Straits of Messina

We docked and aimed for a camperstop in downtown Messina guided by Snoopy the SatNav / GPS but found nothing .... Sometimes these places close down and so we re-programmed to a site recommended to us by fellow motorhomers we met in Cropani Marina. This took us to the seaside resort town of Giardini Naxos near Taormina, south of Messina.
And what does it look like? Here's a quick peek:-

Roadway outside our camperstop leading into town

Foggy coast of Giardini Naxos from the promenade

The promenade has many restaurants, pizzerias, coffee shops and other places of interest. We came across a fresh fish market and various other 'alimentaris' selling all sorts. Also a small deli with local cold meats and cheeses. And oh yes, a bread van stops every morning at our camperstop with fresh buns, breads, croissants and pastries .... my first day's purchase came to 5.50 Euros resulting in Joan asking why am I buying four day's bread in advance.

Like it? Yes, so do we! How long will we stay? Oh I think a while .... Bella Sicilia!

More to follow in the days to come.

Italy - Cropani Marina(6)

Dov'e il sole? (Where is the sun?)

Well, when the sun shines it SHINES and when it rains it RAINS. Thus has been our conclusion after some heavy rains over the past weekend here in southern Calabria. However, as is the case when rains are late in coming, it was needed and everything has had a wash and a sluice down. The roads, the pavements, the drains and all else, giving everything a washed appearance. The ground is soaked through and a break in the rain has been most welcome.

Looking towards the entrance

View through the doorway

From the dinette table .... wet wet wet

The forecast is for on/off rainy weather until Wednesday when sun with scattered cloud hopefully returns. In the meantime we read, surf the web, listen to BBC Radio 2 on the iPad whilst still enjoying a day time temp of 20C. We still walk down the road daily, either to the beach to 'look and see' whatever there is to see .... or to Carrefour for essentials.

Italy - Cropani Marina(5)

Last Tuesday 13 November marked our longest stay in one place - 4 weeks and counting! I jokingly said to Joan it's time to move on because I'm out of pictures to post seeing as the town and surrounds have been covered end to end.
However, we're still enjoying the very laid back location, it's still only us and Fifi here 99% of the time and where do we need to rush to. The days are mainly sunny, the mercury still goes to 20+ during the day (12-14 at night) little rain thus far, although the locals say it never rains much here anyway. The beach is 200 yards down the road, a choice of three mid-size 'supermercatos' within walking distance, barber, dentist, 'bancomat' (autobank) all of which have been used at some time.

Many years ago I used to go for walks on Grotto beach in Hermanus, a seaside town southeast of Cape Town, to watch the changing moods of the sea. Doing the same here has brought back happy memories.

Above and below is looking northeast along Cropani beach on two different days, showing how the sea state influenced by weather, can change.

 

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Same here looking southwest along Cropani beach, note the piece of wood as a point of reference.



 

Even though beaches can be devoid of people, there are many signs that show recent visits and evidence of something still ongoing. The picture below was taken some days ago, with no indication as to what the outboard engine was doing there, stuffed into the sand as you see it. When I passed by again some time later it had gone.

No, we did not place the chairs there. Judging by the footprints in the sand someone had passed there earlier in the day, although I don't think they could sit down judging by the broken state of the chairs.

Beach combing

 

Italy - Cropani Marina(4)

The following is for our friends in the UK, and all others reading this Blog, enduring the cold wet greyness of autumn cum early winter. The pictures were taken today, Thursday 8 November 2012, near our camperstop. Nevermind, we are thinking of you all - really! Well ....

Location:- Northern hemisphere, southern Europe on the Med, Calabria region in Italy or if you like the 'foot' of Italy.
Weather:- Sunny, 23C midday, blue sky and blue sea, no wind. Nights can be cold though at 10C.
Outlook:- No change for the next few days.
Activities:- Walks on the beach and still swimming regularly, cycling, sitting in the sun outside the motorhome, reading and relaxing. Hard work this motorhoming thing!

The name says it all

View across Cropani Marina

.... and it's the second week in November!

Place to be

This is what we hoped for when we planned this trip, an autumn with some sunny days and temperatures that are kind to body and soul. We've had some rain here in Calabria, but this is not an area with a wet climate, this is an area with a sunny climate. We still wear shorts and T-shirts with sandals or flip flops on our feet. We cycle or walk to the supermarket with sunglasses and arrive there with a smile on our faces. I can go on ....
So far so good after almost seven months of this 'A New Adventure', next stop is Sicily, towards the end of November.

Italy - Cropani Marina(3)

"The old home town looks the same

  as I step down from the train .... "

(Green green grass of home - Tom Jones)

 

Our long stay here in southern Calabria (21 days and counting) has brought a new dimension to our experience of things weird and wonderful. We have started looking in more detail to our surroundings, the buildings, the streets and the community at large. The camera which must convey what we see and how we see it, has also come of age and is being used to its full potential in order to tell the story of our sojourn here.
The region of Calabria as a destination in Italy, is not a natural choice for tourists and visitors, lying on the southern 'foot' of Italy and therefor somewhat at the back of beyond. However, as is often the case when you travel on the roads less travelled, it ticks all the boxes if you wish to be far from the maddening crowds. It is by definition a traveller's place to visit and not a tourist destination. Travellers are happy at seeing whatever they see, tourists expect to see what they have seen on brochures - there you have it!

Many moons ago I saw a notice on the Travel Desk of a hotel near Cape Town:-

Don't expect things to be the way they are at home - 
they won't be.

I have not forgotten it and I hope I will never forget the message it carries. To make the point clearer I took the above and below photos, so as to show what the traveller's eye will see. None of the pictures will entice the normal tourist, because none of them will make the glossy pages of a tourist brochure. Hopefully you will see the point I'm trying to make.

Grill restaurant

Sunset at our camperstop

All the pictures were taken on the same day in the same Calabrian town. It shows various aspects of the town and indirectly of the community. It hopefully also communicates a mood and ambience of what we see and how we see it - through the eyes of two visitors travelling through Europe.