Sicily - Giardini Naxos, Christmas Day 2012

Christmas in Giardini Naxos on the Island of Sicily

On Christmas eve we all received invitations from the Director of Camper Lagani to attend a celebratory drink of Champagne and snacks in the garden from 11:00 onwards on Christmas Day. The entire contingent of motorhomers, numbering about 40, duly pitched up and it was a wonderful affair with Italians, British, Germans and some others mingling and enjoying the wonderful sunny weather near the slopes of Mount Etna.
At midday, after the 'garden party', we needed to kill some time before our 13:30 table booking so decided to sit out the hour at Cynthia and Martin's motorhome. Ian brought out a bottle of champers and the party continued with snacks on the side.

Campsite boss opening the champers

Six Brits enjoying some bubbly

The plans for a lunch on Christmas Day was made in good time, with two of our contingent of fellow motorhomers from England taking it upon themselves to source a good restaurant and book a table. The streets of Giardini was walked end to end several times and eventually a place was found. Restaurant Nettuno was chosen - and what a find it proved to be!

Ristorante Nettuno da Siciliano

 

Being a sunny day of 18C we walked the 1km (not that I know what we would've done had it rained) to the restaurant, along the seafront. The restaurant was ready for us, lovely corner table, slick service with vino arriving soon. The venue was well supported with another table of 20 people and some with couples. It was an all afternoon lunch and we only left at 17:00 with dusk falling, arriving back at Camper Lagani after dark.
A wonderful lunch shared and enjoyed with wonderful people - way to go!

 

Giardini seafront

 

Six Brits enjoying lunch

Six Brits sharing the 'conto'

The 5 course lunch:-

A mixed starter platter
- Mussels gratinee, Assorted focaccia, Smoked salmon, Capunata (eggplant), Fried broccoli

Fritto Misto
- Bits of Seafood fried in a batter e.g. squid and bacalao

Pasta
- Tagliatelle Ragout
- Carnaroli with brocolli

Meat
- Roast pork with potatos and Involtini (roll ups of various veg)

Dolci (Dessert)
- Ricotta Mousse with Orange honey
- 3 varieties of Panettone

- All food arrived in large dishes / portions whereby you served yourself by passing it around.
- 2 x Sicilian white wine and 2 x Sicilian red wine.

Cost 40 Euro pp incl. of service charge.

Sicily - Giardini Naxos, Christmas period 2012

THE FESTIVE SEASON - SICILY 2012

It will be our first Christmas away from England since 2002. However, there is no lack of a Christmas atmosphere here at the Camper site in Giardini on the east coast of Sicily. Many motorhomes are decorated with lights, poinsettia flowers, little trees, cyclamen plants etc. Some have resorted to grouping plants together thereby creating areas of colour in the Camper site.

Entrance to Camper Lagani

All lit up

Plants clustered together for effect - Fifi beyond

 

View from our dinette

 

I also find the festive season to be a time of reflection and of thinking back on the year gone by. The things you did and those you hope still to do. I seldom get bogged down on what I should have done and what I didn't do. Joan and I both live and plan for tomorrow and focus on what lies ahead, it is a case of 'how will we' and not 'why didn't we'.

For dreaming and planning ahead, for quantifying tomorrow and next week there is no place like the openness and endless horizons when walking on a beach. It also has a beauty all of its own and can be a wonderful place to sit and think - and sometimes just to sit.

 

Looking south towards Catania

Fisherman and cargo vessel

Cormorants

A moody sky

This Christmas promises to be different, because of different surroundings, yet familiar because everyone is celebrating it in the same time honoured way. There are about half a dozen nationalities here, most numerous Italians, then Germans, Brits, Belgian and Danish. Six of us Brits have booked a table at a local Sicilian restaurant for Christmas Day lunch - Sicilian style, however that pans out!

Sicily - Breakfast at Tiffany's?

Breakfast at Tiffany's? Nah, not quite, but the quality of the setting with a view of a volcano, fresh grapes in early December (remember its winter), all on your own patio with a bit of sunshine to brighten things up! And how much does all the seemingly poshness cost .... ? Answer at the bottom of the page.

Breakfast on the patio

Fresh grapes

 

A passing visitor from the Italian Navy

The passing visitor above? Yes, there is the odd helicopter flying over and this one made for a good capture - an Italian Navy Agusta Bell AB212. Made Marius' day!

Ah yes, the cost - all in for less than £10 per day in low season and only if the Godfather likes you.

Sicily - Giardini Naxos(1)

Giardini Naxos and its bay - in the shadow of Mt Etna

The history of this town has its origins in Greek mythology and goes back many centuries, starting off as the most ancient of Greek colonies on Sicily, in 735BC. The story is complicated and not all agree as to how things unfolded or what the time line was, suffice to say the Greek name of Naxos has remained as a reminder to its beginnings.
Giardini Naxos used to be a quiet fishing village until the 1970s when visitors from mainland Italy and eventually tourists from all around Europe started frequenting the area. The beautiful bay is fronted by good swimming beaches, a promenade along the coast and a host of hotels, hostelries, restaurants and pizzerias to cater for all budgets and tastes. It has become a destination in its own right and is the resort of choice when travelling to Sicily. Visiting now, as we are, finds it much quieter and certainly with a local feel to it; there is no mistaking who lives here and who visits here. Our first week was spent getting to know our immediate surrounds by going for daily walks to the promenade, the local 'supermercatos' and 'alimentaris' for groceries.
The town still has an active fishing port and also utilises the soft beach sand to simply pull and heave the smaller boats onto the sand. It makes for a very colourful display and a photographers joy on a good sunny day.

Looking north along the beach ....

.... and west towards Mt Etna ....

.... east towards Cape Taormina ....

.... south towards the harbour wall.

 

We came across these two columns on our walkabouts, but they are new and not from the days when this was a Greek colony and is only decorative, placed as they are in two busy pedestrian areas of town - still a nice touch!

 

After one week here we are starting to get a feel for the place, although we have only done what can easily be done on foot. The bicycles haven't even been taken out of the 'garage' yet. We have been to the nearest supermercato (smallish but only 200 yards down the road) for essentials twice and once to a nice big one about a mile away. All very handy!

Opposite 'Camper Lagani' is the area which used to be the central point of Grecian Naxos, now a protected area for the archaeological remains of that era. I hope to post more detail at a later stage. So there is much to see and explore in the weeks to come. Weeks? - yes we will probably spend the festive season of 2012 here in Giardini Naxos, on the east coast of Sicily halfway between Messina and Catania, near the slopes of the brooding colossus of Mount Etna.

 

What a setting for a New Year's eve fireworks display, if you know what I mean?!

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.