Sicilia

Mi dispiace for not writing yesterday but wasn't the best of days although ended well as you will find out.

So, fond farewells from Villa Isobella and I'm on my way, hugging the coast to Villa San Giovani for the ferry to Messina, Sicilly. The reason for the repeat pic of breakfast is the tomatoes; someone, can't remember who, said the toms in Southern Italy are excellent ... Answer: Correct! Deliciously fruity and rich with a bite like an apple, in fact you could eat them just like an apple, they are that good, but I digress. Seated position, arms out stretched, R1200GS winding smoothly through village after village, acknowledging the also seated but stationary elderly as they clock all passers by with that look that demands a toll, then I notice


a Rio de Janeiro stylie, Cristo Rendentor (Portuguese, Christ the Redemer), bearing down on me from a great height, arms out-stretched to the side (this is beginning to sound like an aerobics class). Not surprising given the deep Catholic belief in the south, constantly evident in the multiple, roadside shrines; so I took comfort from the on-high gaze possibly wondering if my childhood Catholic schooling had a purpose, only to enter a monster rain storm two bends later. Thanks mate! Thank God, no pun intended, I was bike-geared up as these raindrops were the size of marbles that quickly created fast flowing streams of water across my steep path. All locals, especially those on two wheels, have taken cover by now, but I charged on relentless with that true British 'BBQ with an umbrella' mentality; the show must go on. Stiff upper lip. Pip-pip. Carry On!
Bollocks, I'm soaked!
A couple of coffee stops later (leaving arse-shaped damp patches on various chairs and benches) and I'm easily on the ferry chatting away with a Ducati-riding German on his way to Palermo.
Messina; all a bit tired and dirty but major port cities often are and the local driving style is to completely ignore red lights. Disgraceful behaviour, Rules is Rules, so I ignored them too! Heading down the south coast, I eat up another 100 kms and am now getting tired and emotional not to mention still damp, so I decide to check into a hotel then I'll do a proper campsite recky domani.

"110 Euros" said the receptionist and I regrettably agreed but my stay totally confirmed that I really don't have to spend much money to have a fantastic time. Views are no better, too many people and somewhat constraining unlike the freedom of a campsite. Strange but true.
Dinner was buffet style and very school dinnerish for a 4 Star hotel (must say at this point that the food generally in Italy is a bit hit and miss) but the tomatoes were good and a chance meeting with a fun couple from Birmingham made it all the more jolly. However, the piano bar, viz a bloke with a fancy machine and enough echo on his mic to bounce off every wall in the hotel, was my own, personal X-Factor evening. The short stories are A: sweetest French lady gets on the mic, starts singing "Feelings", "whoa-oa-oa", "Feelings" with a voice that can only be described as fingernails scraping down a blackboard and all this in the affectionate direction of her husband who now has his laptop open pretending to be the hotel IT Services Manager and B: a Spaniard, I think, because it looked like his moustache was a pair of black, fornicating hamsters, started a rendition of "That's Amore" in his best Dean Martin voice (not!) just as his wife decide to pick up her mobile and make a call. She left the lounge, never to be seen again. Who said romance was dead!

While writing this, an elegant German fellow-camper has just presented me with a glass of red wine. Excellent! Campsite-tastic!

Where was I, oh yes, karaoke ... well, a couple more of these holiday auditions and I was in bits, I literally had tears pouring down my face, I hope it wasn't obvious. Bloody funny!

Breakfast; buffet, solid scrambled egg, stale bread and plastic cheese, but the tomatoes were good, did I mention about the tomatoes down here! Checked-out and goodbye. Another great lesson learnt.

I too will check-out at this point and write today's news in a the next blog.

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