Swimming With The Fishes

And that's a wrap. I feel as if I have been away for ages which is amazing considering I have slept for most of the time.   All packed and surprisingly, I managed to get the suitcase down all those stairs.  It reminded me of a scene in the film The Lost Daughter with Olivia Coleman.  In the film, she is going home and has had enough and can't be arsed to carry her case down the stairs, so just throws it!  I have actually done that before, but today I was more civilised. Waited for the Airport Bus and it soon arrived and was quite busy for early morning.  Got to the airport, dumped my case, sailed through security and sat and waited, listening to the radio and the build up for Glastonbury. All very exciting for numerous reasons. We were late boarding and then we could not take off because of a backlog of flights.  The Captain seemed a jolly fellow and invited the children and 'older' children to the...

The funny thing about being a way is you forget what day it actually is and what you should be doing in real life.  I had to really stop and think this morning what day it was. I went up to the Tour Operator's office for 10.00am and got on the open sided mini bus that was going to take me out of Catania to Acitrezza which is about 10km north of Catania.  It is located on the Ionian Sea and apparently is a popular spot for Italian vacationers in the summer.  To be honest, I did not see many people.  I guess it is too early for holidaymakers yet but the place was incredibly quiet. The place has a long maritime history and the Patron Saint of the town is St John the Baptist and the Festa of San Giovanni is celebrated each year during the last week of June in his honour and there was evidence of this starting to take place.  There were lights strung across the street and red and yellow ribbons everywhe...

I slept really well.  In fact, all I have seem to have done this holiday is sleep.  My AirBnB here in Catania is very basic. I did know this when I booked it.  Remember, I have stayed in some wild and wonderful places throughout my travels and whilst I have had worse experiences, this is very much what it said it is. Basic but convenient as the bus stop for the airport coach is literally outside of the door.  One of the reasons why I chose this property.   I was awake very early this morning so put it to good use and made my way, with the help of Google maps, to the market.  Surprisingly, I found it straight away. It was massive and sold everything.  I really do like a market as it gives you a snapshot of the area where you are staying and this market did not disappoint.  One of the things I loved were the clothes stalls.  There were your usual stalls selling clothes then there ...

I was awake very early this morning.  I think it is that feeling of you know you need to be somewhere at a specific time so you never sleep that well.  Beautiful sunrise and the birds were in full tune. I packed my case and spent the morning just hanging around (as you do) waiting to go.  Taormina really is a beautiful location and I would thoroughly recommend a visit, but not if you do not like hills or steps!  I have also become a smorgasbord for the local wildlife who, regardless of spraying goodness knows what chemicals on myself every day, are still deciding I am sweet meat.  I remember as a child always this happening and here we are all these years later and once again I am tasty ........... well to insects at least.                                                          ...

I am getting a bit bored now.  I do not do nothing easy and there is only so much of doing the same thing day in day out I can put up with.  Please do not get me wrong, I have really enjoyed my time in Taormina and it is a beautiful place but I am ready to move on now.  Also, my little mind is now racing with all the things I have to do when I get back to London.  I know there is nothing I can do about it here and now and all will get done.  I will try to focus in just being the moment today and enjoy the day.                                                Not much to report today if I am honest.  I just spent the day hanging around the apartment, lazing on a sun bed trying to read a book but gave up in the end as it was not hooking me in. Dozed a bit. Such a hard life. ...

Another early start.  So much for a holiday and it is no wonder I am sleeping so much! I had to be at the bus station for 8.00am.  The bus station is about a 15 minute walk in normal weather; in the heat it is about a 25 minute walk.  I opted, finally, for a trip to Etna, Randazzo and the Alcantara Valley.  For those of you who do not know, Mount Etna is the highest active volcano in Europe.  The volcano is perpetually active and is 3350 metres high.   I am not going right to the top, just to 1900 metres.  Etna has been an UNESCO site since 2013.  It last erupted in 2021.  Let us hope it does to decide to perform today whilst I am up it!                                                  The gorges that have been created by lava flows To say this was an interesting trip would be an understatement.  The guide was...

Yes, I know I said a day at the beach would kill me.  So guess what I did today? Yep, a day at the beach.  I spoke to Mauro, the guy whose apartment this is and said where can I find a good beach.  Amazingly (not) he had the solution and made a phone call.  He then spent five minutes asking Google something and it was reassuring to see that even in Italian, Google, Siri and Alexa do not listen and still go off and do their own thing.  Finally, he showed me a photo of a beach buggy, yes like the one in Banana Splits and said it would arrive at 8.00am to take me to a lovely beach, which is part of a beach club.  My initial thought was, how much is this going to cost me.  Then I thought as I am spending money hand over fist at home at the moment, what is another thing to pay out for.  I had no fear whatsoever of what was to come and just prepared my lunch and bag and stood waiting for my chariot to arrive.  I do lik...

                                                   Mount Etna - always watching The internet is a tad like Mount Etna.  It is always watching.  The problem with taking your Mac on your travels with you means you are still subjected to 'the real world' imposing on your day.  I have a lot of plates spinning at the moment.  Actually, it is more like an entire Royal Doulton dinner service if I am honest. Therefore, that means still dealing with the life laundry as it hits the inbox. I am always an early bird and this morning it paid off.  I was up and out around 8.45am, the best time of the day.  On my commute to and from my accommodation I pass a house that has swifts or swallows (I can never tell the difference to be honest) nesting in the eaves of their roof.  These birds swoop in and o...

  Sicily really is a beautiful place and I really haven't seen much of it yet. I took these two photos last night.  There really are worse places I could be right now. When I arrived yesterday it really was quite cloudy and I did think typical, I leave London when they are having a heatwave and look at the weather here.  I was wrong.  Today it has been very hot.  I started my day with my breakfast on the patio just outside of my apartment.  I decided to go and find the market.  Now, those of you who have followed my previous adventures will know that I do like a market.  Do you remember the market in Cambodia when the fish leapt out of the bucket onto my ankles!  Armed with a kind of address and high hopes I set off.  I was looking for the Arco dei Cappuccini.  Armed with my very limited Italian I asked a woman who had no idea. I then realised that I was in fact standi...