When we got up on Wednesday 25th April the clouds had cleared and we got a good look at Mount Etna where yesterday's ash had come from!
It's a very impressive peak - over 3300 metres high.
That day we moved on to Noto on the south east coast of Sicily and stayed at a small aire in a lemon grove. Lemon trees are very interesting as they seem to have flowers, unripe fruit and ripe fruit simultaneously!
On Thursday 26th April we went further west along the south coast of Sicily and parked for the night in a car park right by the sea near Marina di Ragusa.
We met this cool Tunisian guy called Naim in the car park. He had no papers and no job but seemed quite happy on the face of it. We had the impression that he was getting some money as a sex worker.
On Friday 27th April we went north towards the centre of Sicily passing some amazing towns like this one.
We visited the excavated roman villa at Piazza Armerina near Enna. It has many amazingly well preseved mozaics and is a Unesco world heritage site.
We stayed Friday night on a grass verge by the side of lake Pergusa in central Sicily which would be a tranquil spot only it has a motor racing circuit around it. Here you can see someone being taught to drive a fast Porshe passing our overnight stay place.
On Saturday 28th April we came north to the north coast of Sicily through very sparsely populated rural and mountainous areas on a motorway which was in itself a very major feat of engineering.
We stayed Saturday night at a campsite at Finale di Pollina. This nice pebble beach was just below the site.
Ann went for a swim in the campsite pool.. We met a couple from Taunton at the site who had bought a motorhome and with no experience of vanning had set off last August for a year abroad. They'd been all round central and eastern europe and were on their way to Sardinia.
On Sunday 29th April we went east along the north coast of Sicily to Oliveri where there is this impressive monastery on the hilltop overlooking the town.
As it got dark we watched the Oliveri locals promenading up and down the sea front. I think it's called the passagio or some such and is a big thing round these parts.
Yesterday Monday 30th April we crossed the Strait of Messina back to the mainland of Italy and started travelling up the east coast initially through the City of Reggio Calabria. Here's a view from thr ferry looking towards the mainland.
We spent last night at a campsite at Caulonia Marina. Here we are camped right by the Ionian Sea! We thought about staying for a second night but by about 11.00 today (1st May) we were completly surrounded by newly arrived vans of various nationalities so we decided to move on. Also the camp wifi didn't work!
We did see this nice lizzard before leaving.
We continued north up the east coast of southern Italy today and stopped off at a beach along the way.
Then we visited a mega archeological site which had roman, bizantine and norman remains to name but a few. Ann could tell you more.
Tonight Tuesday 1st May we are staying on a small camper site at Cropani Marina on the Ionian Sea Coast in Calabria. It is very hot. Ann is sitting in the shade!
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