Sicilian Sizzlers!

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I couch-surfed with several hosts in Sicily. The quote in the Insight Guide from locals stating 'We are not a sharing people - it isn't in our nature'!!! - was not so for me – Folks I met were great and friendly…

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Agrigento is amazing. It is very steep with lots of concrete stairs and tunnels, and even when you arrive at the huge three temple site - which is also a walled graveyard, there are still views below you across the valley.

I couch-surfed with an orange grower who had a lovely flat in the middle - ish!. I had my own room not just a couch ! - and good heating. He rents rooms cheaply also – for 20 euros a night - but there are the many, many steep steps and the under road tunnel to get up to main street. There on a corner is a bar with trays and trays of free tapas covering whole counter… You just help yourself - with your prosecco or whatever you drink at early supper time – and then don't need dinner! It’s called ‘Orange’ I think. It‘s - on an L bend on the main drag.

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There are yet more steps up on to the height of the old city. - There IS a pic. of that street in the Insight Guide and from there you can see over the north wall of the city to the country side on the opposite side from the temple valley.

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I walked down to the temple site from my mid-city ‘home’ and back and passed the football stadium - from where on a Saturday, the singing before the match sounded like a Welsh male voice choir concert at the Albert Hall! - and I also found a local bus to the beach from the temple site.

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I must say that travelling by bus goes to small villages and up higher into hills than trains can usually do, apart from ONE route in Liguria - from the bottom of the Italy/France border town going back through the steep valleys and hills to Turin. This route the train is higher than the road and the river and the views are stunning! – An engineering marvel too!

The good thing about local buses is being up higher than in a car and not driving - so you also see more - and meeting local folks and exploring en-route little ‘one view’ places...e g where I had to wait for a follow on local bus connection to get to Capo San Vito -- (a unique spot, and near wooded coves for summer). I had an hour to wander the village and have fresh orange juice in the cafe. That guy owned so many orange trees, he threw the oranges from my juice away only half squeezed! I nearly told him off! - I could have made another whole glassful from what he chucked in the bin!

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In San Vito Lo Capo I stayed in  Le Margherita Hotel. It's normally closed all winter but on offer to couch surfers - courtesy of Gianni - who normally is away all winter in exotic places - as is his brother. But he was home as he had family business to sort out and a football injured knee this winter. The room was glorious with scented solid wood wardrobes and a marvelous bathroom and a huge double bed and special wooden shutters. The wild flowers in the lanes around the village were great and the little bars and beach side cafes were fun and its where I discovered fizzy Birra Morretti - which I still drink! Gianni and his twin brother Marco are red-blond haired beauties - slightly hooked noses - Ramses 2 descendants I guess! - and members of the FIRE society who help anyone they can. Boy was I lucky!

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If you see a dark haired, square faced person with a flat nose running straight flat to a broad square forehead - that's the original island species - before invasions interbred. I love looking out for that! Blond-haired, blue-eyed girls - who are 'Sicilian' but are obviously ancestored by KNIGHTS! - or the many Roman invaders of course!

I was also able to see the original pre-invasion species in Tenerife and La Palma. – Very thin framed, narrow but wide chested, tall skinny. - Thin stick-like bones to help living at high rarified altitudes, and to run up steep mountain valleys with max lung capacity but not bulky weight to cart about. You almost miss them sideways on! Almost not 3D!.

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You should see Taormino. I had to take a train there from Catania, but the bus from just across from the train station stop, winds you up through beautiful scenery with stunning views to the top of the city and from there you can see the views down the pretty beach or take the funicular down to it. Upper Taormino is fab. and well worth the waddle along the main drag and back with views and special bars etc. Try finding the unique thick fruit drink thing they make freshly – I can’t remember its name! I breakfasted in the bar which invented it! - nearby my room. But Pistachio and Apricot Ice cream in a brioche roll I have yet to breakfast on! – I saw that advertised in Cinque Terres.

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Catania's market  - is below the city river running underground in the main square and is very special.

You will see a brochure from a festival of Arts I was so lucky to catch at Via Grande, where I couch surfed with another amazing host on a black (Etna) soiled permaculture ancient patch. Living in converted stone barns with old pizza ovens, chickens and prickly pears and peaches and herbs and real wood fires.

I stayed with another host - a gay teacher - and took buses to see the famous rocks on the north coast. Not so impressed by those! - and also near him a tiny coastal town castle museum with prehistoric people remains!