Sicily 2006

Here I am

As promised, to tell you about my holidays, since telling you everything would fill half a blog, I'll tell you about the most beautiful places I visited. The first place I'll tell you about is DONNALUCATA, it is in the province of Ragusa and is a small fishing village that has remained untouched by time. There you find long stretches of white sand where you can take long walks and swim until you see the sun set in the typical sunsets with almost magical shades that pass from bright red to violet to a final blue. I leave you the link to the official website where you'll find all the photos!

The second place I want to tell you about is SELINUNTE, it is in the province of Trapani, its splendour is enhanced by the great archaeological park where the huge acropolis stands, whose remains can still be admired in a 3-hour visit, but don't worry, there is a shuttle service that takes you through the whole acropolis so you don't have to do it all on foot under the scorching sun.

If I may express a modest opinion, I prefer Selinunte to the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento, since in the latter the monuments are wrapped in scaffolding, there is very little explanation about them and they can only be observed from outside.

At Selinunte you are allowed to enter the temples and have a more personal encounter, to realise how small we are compared even just to the columns of the temple.

You can walk inside the temples, still perfectly preserved, realising that our feet are walking where, a very long time ago, the peoples who conquered time once lived. The most magical moment to visit it is in the evening from 5 pm onwards, when the sun begins to set behind the hills; the scorching heat is gone and the temples are lit up with the colours of the sunset!!! TEMPLIOIO

The third and last place I'll tell you about is the Zingaro Nature Reserve in the province of Palermo, a huge park-reserve where nature still reigns untouched by man. The reserve can be reached on foot from the ticket office or by sea with motor boats; there are two entrances, one from San Vito Lo Capo and the other from Scopello; there are kilometres and kilometres of natural landscapes to explore in the silence that distinguishes it, broken only by birds in flight or by the mules that go back and forth laden with sacks of rubbish. In the reserve you can find a series of little coves of transparent water where you can swim and, if you wish, go snorkelling with mask and snorkel to explore the wonder of the underwater landscape. Along our walk we also come across a cave (the only shaded spot) or the museums set up in the houses where once the few peasants lived.

Animals cannot enter the reserve but there is a convenient service of shaded kennels that can be used (rather than leaving our friend in the car!!)

If you intend to go to the reserve, here are a couple of tips:

- Take at least two bottles of iced water; you'll find the seller at the entrance but then inside the reserve you won't find any more, it's desolate!!!

- Bring food and above all fruit for the afternoon; it's very easy to get dehydrated along the walk or after the long swims

- Bring a large sun umbrella: there is no shade!!!!

Here ends my account; I hope I have interested you with my account as much as I enjoyed this trip!!! A big hug

Your Meme