Sicily wanderings

I wasn’t intending to keep a blog this time as we’re only away for a couple of weeks but it’s an easy way of keeping in touch and also of keeping a note of where we went when etc. , so here I am again.

Why Sicily? Basically both Steve and I have wanted to see volcanoes Mount Etna and Stromboli for ages. There’s something so exciting about unpredictable and powerful forces at the very core of the earth that can produce massive explosions and rocks so hot they melt.

Also, a bit of warm sunshine before the cold of winter arrives wouldn’t go amiss either.

So we arrived yesterday (Tuesday 22/9) on a very early flight from an extremely wet Gatwick. It was a joy to feel the heat of the sun as we drove to our first destination of Noto.

Noto is an unesco town situated in the South Of Sicily, an hour’s drive from Catania.

Our room at Villa Ambra is small but comfortable and has the most beautiful view of Noto’s old town.

The B and B is run by a family who live on the ground floor of the villa. We were warmly welcomed and given lots of useful information as to where to visit etc. Food was a major part of our briefing with our host Informing us of which town/restaurant serves the best fish, best pizza, best steak rolled in pistachio etc, etc. Eating is obviously a big hobby round here!

In fact, when we wandered into town and stopped at a cafe for lunch, we were absolutely blown away by the food. Steve had a horse burger (!) and I had a roll with sundried toms, olives, cheese (naughty!) and oregano. How can something so simple be so delicious?

Today we headed off to the Reserva Vendicari for a bit of a hike. But not before the most incredible breakfast. Sweet breakfasts seem to be a Sicilian tradition and I LOVE it! Omg, the pastries we were given were stuffed full of the most delicious creme patisserie ever. I must take a picture of them tomorrow. (I shall cry if we don’t get them again.) if I was a diabetic, I’d definitely be in a coma.

We then had to eat focaccia stuffed with sundried toms and oregano, drizzled with oil. Feeling rather too full, we managed to wrap the remainder of the focaccia in some napkins and smuggle it into our rucksacks for lunch. Together with some chorizo style meat we bought from a local and very traditional corner shop, we had a stunning picnic lunch, perched on a cliff looking out to sea.

Our walk was 9 miles of sandy path cutting through spiny bushes and prickly cacti. With the sea in close proximity, we had a couple of dips to cool us down – bliss.

The only blot on a perfect day was a less than warm welcome at the gay nudist beach we accidentally stumbled across. Tolerance works both ways guys and all the beaches are public – please remember.

On our arrival back at villa Ambra, we were greeted by 6 very tiny kittens all wanting something to eat. I obliged by giving them some Peppa Pig cheese triangles which they enjoyed hugely. The Sicilian love of food isn’t just confined to humans.