# More Italian Tales (Sicily)



## Sonesta (May 10, 2005)

Good evening,

Well as promised here is a further report on our Italian trip.

After a very enjoyable day looking around all the Greek Temples and ruins at Agrigento (where as I told you we wildcamped in view of the Temple of Herakles) we made our way to a campsite we found on the internet called Camping Valle Del Templi which was approx 1km away in a small seaside resort called San Leone. We desperatley needed to fill up with water, drain our waste tanks and of course the lovely romantic job of emptying our Thetford so as this campsite is open all year we decided to stay overnight there and then move on. 

The campsite has a laundry room with washing machine, a decent toilet and shower block and it's very own restaurant which was exceptional for a campsite restaurant and we enjoyed a lovely, homecooked meal there. There is also a swimming pool (not open in the winter months) and as it was covered over I didnt see it personally but the photgraph I saw of it looked very nice. It was showing a terrace around the pool with sunbeds and parasols - which I would imagine is lovely to use in the summer. The beach and sea is approx 10 mins walk away and immediately opposite the campsite there are a couple of supermarkets and a fruit and veg stall selling lovely fresh produce. Further up the road going towards the resort centre there is a fabulous patisserie selling fresh bread, cakes, pizzas and all manner of tasty snacks and savouries. Mmmn makes for a delicious lunch, with a glass of cold beer when sitting outside your motorhome in the sunshine! 

Now on the sunday evening the seafront and promenade were buzzing with activity, with crowds of Italians with their families strolling along in all their best clothes and finery. Many restaurants were open and the little funfair set amongst the palm tree lined gardens was alive with excited children enjoying the rides and sidestalls. However, the next day the same promenade and seafront resembled a ghost town and apart from a couple of restaurants that were open for lunch there was not a soul about! It would seem that this is a very popular resort in the summer but come the winter it only comes alive at the weekend when the Italians themeselves make a beeline for the coast with their families. There is a little marina on the seafront too and we noticed a couple of motorhomes had pitched up overnight on the carpark immediately in front - so if anyone ever visits San Leone in the winter months this would make an ideal place to park for the night as you are right in the centre of the resort. I don't know if you would be allowed to stop over in the summer months or not but I don't think there would be a problem out of season.

We decided to stay 2 nights at the campsite and it was so nice just to sit outside in the sunshine and totally chill out. The weather the past 2 days has been exceptional and today the tempreature has been a very welcome 80 degrees! It drops chilly in the evening when the sun sets but we can cope with that if the days are pleasant and so far apart from a few rainy days we have been quite lucky with the weather! When we hear news that back home in the UK the weather is really dreadful we find ourselves thinking "Oh my goodness we really don't want to go back to all that!"

We left San Leone this morning and decided to head for the fishing port of Castellammare del Golfo that Eddied told us about. We drove to the beach and parked up directly on the sand and had lunch in our motorhome overlooking the sea with the waves only feet from us. Our little dog angel was in her elements running around off her lead in the sand and we were tempted to wildcamp there for the night but we wanted to take a look around first and Eddied had suggested an area altrezatta near to the town centre. We drove towards the town and decided to drive towards the harbour and once inside the actual town we were instantly enthralled by the place with it's narrow streets and ancient buildings. Shops, restaurants, pizzerias are plentiful here and everywhere you look is vibrant and alive with italian life and culture. We made our way to the old fishing harbour and for any one visiting here in their motohome there is plenty of room to drive around the town, so no danger of getting stuck (well not at this time of year anyway) and once inside the harbour we were amazed! It is full of charm and character and we were captivated! We drove to the far end of the harbour, parked our motorhome up and sat and watched as the little wooden fishing boats arrived back with their catch and watched the proud fisherman selling their fish to the eagerly awaiting customers on the quayside, all keen to buy their freshly caught produce. Around the harbour there are several restaurants and we witnessed the local restaurant owners buying trays full of the freshly caught fish in readiness for tonight's menu which I presume will later be on show in the refrigerated display cases situated outside their establishments! It was fascinating to watch and our camera and video captured some excellent memories for us. As I already mentioned Eddied suggested a area altrezzata but upon finding this captivating and charming fishing harbour we have decided to wildcamp here for the night as it is so interesting and I would love to wake up in the morning and watch all the hustle and bustle as the fisherman go about their daily lives! 

So folks, tonight we are wildcamping right here and going to eat at one of the restaurants nearby. I mean we just have to sample some of the fish we have seen being bought from the local fishermen don't we? And at least one thing we do know for sure - it will be fresh Lol!

Will tell you more in the morning but right now I have got to get ready but thanks for reading.

Sue


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## autostratus (May 9, 2005)

> Will tell you more in the morning but right now I have got to get ready but thanks for reading.
> 
> Sue


Hi Sue

Thanks for reading? You must be joking.
It's thank you for taking the time out of your holiday in order to make us feel really jealous.  
You must have really enjoyed writing all that about the busy harbour, the fresh fish and the restaurant. You certainly know how to make a reader wish they were there.

Sue, it sounds as though you're having a great time and I sincerely hope that it continues for you.
Keep writing and keep me jealous.

Good luck be with you.


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## aultymer (Jun 20, 2006)

Thank you so much for sharing this with us all. It has made me more determined than ever to visit Sicily with the van. 
We have passed through en route to the Aolian island of Lipari on a conventional holiday and are keen to return. If you get the chance, do a trip to Lipari and visit the islands of Vulcano and Stromboli. I would love to know what the ferry fares are from Sicily to Lipary. I do know that most transport, including the transport of water, is in the hands of a few 'families'.


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## geraldandannie (Jun 4, 2006)

Another brilliant report, Sue.

Gerald


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## Sonesta (May 10, 2005)

Good morning everyone!

Well what a lovely evening we had. The restaurant; a stones throw away was busy with Italians dining, which assured us immediately that it must be good and just as I thought, outside in the refrigerated glass cabinets lay the wide eyed catches of the day! Knowing how much food is consumed in a typical Italian meal we erred on the side of caution and ordered mussels for starters. My husband chose a mussel mezze and I opted for the mussel soup. My goodness when it arrived it was HUGE and my soup was piled high with fresh mussels still in their shells. The soup was absolutely delicious and was made with garlic and sweet cherry tomatoes accompanied with the fresh italian bread it was a meal in itself. My husband's starter; (mussel mezze) was served with fresh lemon and I have never seen so many mussels in a meal before. There we were expecting a small starter and already we could feel our tummies bulging. I couldn't eat all mine as I just knew if I did I would not enjoy my main course - so reluctantly I left quite a bit in order to make room for the next course! I had in the end opted for peppered fillet with potato fries and my husband had swordfish and very nice it was too but after the delicious and filling starters the edge had gone off our appetite's, which was a pity. The total bill for the night including a litre of house red was approximately £35 which for a restaurant of such quality, overlooking the harbour we thought was excellent and it has been the cheapest meal we have had so far during our trip. We are keen to sample the street food that Jamie Oliver spoke so highly of during the making of his travels around Sicily in his VW camper and that is something we are very much looking forward to trying at some time; problem is as yet, we haven't really found where they all are!

This morning at 5 am I was woken by the sound of a car pulling up beside our motorhome! I quietly pulled the blind down partially (well just enough to peer out unnoticed) whilst loudly hissing to my hubby that someone was outside when suddenly a police car pulled up beside the car! Intrigued by this activity we both peered out through the small gap into the darkness and my imagination was working overtime by now. Was it a member of the 'family' doing some corrupt dealings with the police I asked myself? The policeman got out scribbled something in his notebook and handed the man in the car a piece of paper. My husband brought me back down to earth and said he had probably followed him into the harbour and given him a ticket for a faulty light or something! The policeman drove off and the man eventually got out of his car and went for a walk around the harbour. Again I wondered what on earth he could be up to at this time in the morning so I watched suspiciously from the peephole I had set up and then another set of headlights appeared on the quayside. This time the car parked behind us and the first man walked towards the car. Believing this was some kind of imminent attack being plotted against us I shot into our rear bathroom to see what was going on (again pulling the blind down just enough for my eyes to glare out without being seen) and the 2 guys were chatting away in Italian (of course they were - they were Italians lol) I whispered to my husband; who by this time was finding my antics quite hilarious and was fighting to stifle his laughter (oh, I forgot to mention I was videoing all this for future evidence in case it was ever needed) and then both men got out the car. Well - I was ready for them (I mean me in my nightie at 5 in the morning is no pretty sight and would scare away the hardest and meanest of thugs) and couple that with the baseball bat which is stored handily in one of the over bed lockers, a can of special red dye that you spray into an attackers face, which apparently temporarily blinds them and of course our little dog Angel and my macho husband I was was well protected! Now that's a joke - cos angel hadn't even flinched during all this outside activity and hubby was laid on the bed quite calmly whilst I flitted around like a demented lunatic securing everyone's safety! The 2 men passed by our motorhome (they didn't even look at it) I shot to the front and as quietly as I could pulled down the lounge area blind to see where they were. By now I am sure you must all be on the edge of your seat wondering what happened next well guess what? They were fisherman up early to start their working day and as I glared into the darkness I could see them organizing their nets and preparing their boats for it's early morning fishing trip! My hubby was right and my overactive imagination had once again conjured up all manner of wild and absurd goings on! LOL!

Sue


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## christopherobin (Mar 26, 2007)

Hi Sue

Love it

Keep writing reports Pleeeease.

Chris


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## autostratus (May 9, 2005)

A lovely post again Sue.

So glad you enjoyed your meal...........well you just had to after the way you built us up for it. 

The account of your early morning 'fright' had me in stitches and I can empathise with bits oif it especially 


> me in my nightie at 5 in the morning is no pretty sight and would scare away the hardest and meanest of thugs..


We've had a couple of occasions when activity outside the van has caused one of us (usually me  ) to get up and see what's going on. Unfortunately imagination takes over from common sense in those circumstances but like your episode there was nothing amiss and calm was restored.

Continue to enjoy your holiday and once again, thank you for sharing it with us.

PS Keep posting in this one thread. It will make it easier to find particular places if readers want to refer back.

With you in spirit if I can't be in person


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## nukeadmin (Oct 10, 2003)

Hi Sue, lovely to hear your reports on Sicily and makes me think back to our trip there 

Are you thinking of visiting San Vito Lo Capo, its very close to where you are now ? I can recommend it thoroughly

any chance of adding that Camping Valle Del Templi campsite to our campsite reviews section as we dont have many Sicily reviews


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## Sonesta (May 10, 2005)

Anyway, further to my last post re the "PROWLERS" outside our motor home I will just fill you in on the events of this morning!

Once all the excitement had died down we settled back down again and enjoyed another 2 - 3 hours of sleep and awoke to the sounds of the harbour coming to life! We sat with a cup of tea and watched with glee as all the hard working fisherman who had been up since the crack of dawn were returning back to land with their morning catches. Cars were arriving in their droves with italian men and women all eager to buy the freshest and biggest fish before anyone else got the best pick and the keen fisherman were seen to be bartering over the prices with one or two of their more fussy customers! I tell you what, sat with your morning cuppa, with the sun rising watching this scene far beats breakfast tv any day of the week and it certainly makes you appreciate the beauty and freedom of owning a motorhome!

I know 'wildcamping' (strange phrase that) isn't for everyone - but for us personally being able, where possible to stop for the night and enjoy such fantastic opportunities as this, really sums up what owning a motorhome is all about. It is like having your own luxury hotel room on wheels and you can enjoy a different view from out of your window every day if you so desire. No campsite can ever offer such wonderful experiences as far as I am concerned and so we tend to use a mixture of campsites and 'wildcamping' whenever we are away on a long trip! I truly do believe that providing you are not breaking any rules or causing a nuisance to anyone 'wildcamping' is the perfect way to enjoy your motorhome. However, like I say, I am not saying 'wildcamping' is for everyone and in fact my best friend and her husband, who have recently changed over from a caravan to a motorhome have never had the desire to 'wildcamp' themselves and much prefer the security of a campsite, especially after a close friend of theirs suffered an horrific attack after stopping the night in a lay-by in Ireland - so I do totally respect that way of thinking and I believe if you do not feel comfortable about something then there is no point in doing it. But if you do feel that wildcamping is something you could enjoy, then please give it a go and truly sample the real freedom that your motorhome can offer!

Right am off to get ready and then we are going to take a proper look around the town.

Have a nice day.

Sue

PS. By the way it is another lovely sunny day in Sicily! (Sorry to rub it in!)


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## Biznoz (Nov 6, 2005)

Hi Sue,

Your 'on the spot' on Sicily make great reading you paint such a good picture, quite a talent! Out of interest do you connect to the internet via you mobile phone?

Keep the reports coming!

Phi


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## whistlinggypsy (May 1, 2005)

Great reports Sue, keep them coming please and by the way instead of "wildcamping" why not use the phrase "camping sauvage" i believe is the french translation :wink: 

Bob


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