So the holiday is over for another year. Time has really gone quickly and we have packed an awful lot into our two weeks and had a great time. Here’s the good, the bad and the ugly.
What I’ll miss
The barque architecture – the places we visited to the south of the island were superb, even if the most of them were churches. The buildings that were built up after the earthquake are stunning as we discovered in Ragusa, Scicli and especially, Noto. All are recommended for a visit.
In the steps of Inspector Montalbano – the very reason that we came to Sicily in the first place. Having seen the scenery on the TV series we decided that it was just the place we would like to visit and weren’t disappointed. Also going to the places where it is filmed and seeing some of the buildings used was great fun.
Lemon Soda – After walking around under the hot Italian sun there is nothing more refreshing than a can of Lemon Soda. Similar to a bitter lemon but not as, well, bitter. Great shame that it’s not available in the UK so maybe I’ll have to look at importing some in.
Arancini – On holiday in the past we have struggled to find something less than a full meal to have for lunch when all you really want is a snack, a quick sandwich. The Arancini is a local delicacy and just what’s needed for a quick lunch on the go. Pyramid in shape it is mainly rice with a tiny amount of filling.
Courteous Drivers – I have to admit that this one came as a bit of a surprise given how poor the standard of driving seems to be generally in Italy. In all towns we visited drivers would stop to let you cross the road pretty much anywhere, not just at a marked crossing. They would even pull up sharply to let you do so. Probably just as well though as parking right across a pedestrian crossing was also popular making it difficult to cross!
What I won’t miss
Biting animals – The flies round here are vicious and liked to feed upon us at regular intervals. Having got what they came for they left behind an itchy spot that remained for several days as an unpleasant reminder. Next time we’ll remember to pack some strong repellent.
