Wednesday 13th January 2016:  San Vito Lo Capo

We started with the mystery of the missing croc.  We are used to stray dogs and cats all over Sicily … however one hound on the campsite got under my skin … a skinny, black and white, leggy Spaniel cross.  He has a damaged hind leg / hip and his spine is hunched with the pain.  Our last spaniel, Will the Wuss, suffered with degenerative discs and we witnessed him hunch his spine.  I know we probably shouldn’t have but last night we fed him bread and milk.  Later on, one of my crocs, left by the door was missing.  After my run this morning, I spotted it as I glanced through and under some mobile chalets …. slightly chewed and in good company with a flip flop!  Tempting as it is (only a little), we will not be bringing him home with us!

We walked into San Vito Lo Capo.  The start of the walk was pretty amazing as it was along the sea and then up through a gap in the rock face.  It is serious climber country around here.  The young German in the pitch next door said even the campsite climbing area was good climbing.  Some life in the town so we bought stamps for postcards, had a coffee and cake, walked a bit more and found a locals’ bar for lunch … white wine out of a box and two arancini (the deep fried stuffed rice balls) for only EUR8 :).  We sampled the local red in another bar on the way home.

Wonderful rocks, crashing waves and a red plastic chair …. this is Sicily!

Guess the cake was small but tasty!

One of Italy’s top 100 beaches …. miles of white sand.

Must be an OK place, even the buildings are stable!

Gourmet lunch:  cheap and delicious.

Coming back round to the campsite.

Half a vat of Marsala followed by BBQ chicken and caponata for supper.

 

269 – Thursday 14th January 2016:  Zingaro National Park

Our German neighbour had been a wealth of local information and told us to visit the national park early.  Being on the east coast of the peninsula, it would loose the sun soon after lunch.  We weren’t quite up and at ‘em, but we did make it to the park by 10.30.  Apparently it heaves with Italians in the small coves and beaches in the summer.  We fortunately only saw three other couples, so it was really peaceful.  The walk was not difficult, but we were glad to have pukka walking boots on as it is pretty rocky at times.  There were even two small museums open.  The park is a paradise for birds and the variety of fauna.  Where we lunched we saw so many butterflies.  There are grottos, where human remains from 12,000 years ago have been found; we could not go in.  A must do for Sicily.  

 Tuna fishing was a main industry of the area.  One of the small museums was dedicated to it and this net is shaped like Sicily. 

Sandstone cave.  The rocks mostly looked this red brown, but many were white when smashed open.

Where we came from – the colour of the sea was such a deep blue

A real variety of fauna and flora, including the greater stripped James….

… and a lesser spotted lizard.

The yellow flowers closed up as the sun disappeared over the top of the mountains.