Day 126 Caio Sicily!

Wednesday 25/07/2018 (Day 40 SZ) B&B Villa Eleonora Tropea Via Genovese 48a, Mesiano, Le Pioppe, 89841, Italy

Today we leave Sicily and sadly our very large unit that even though it has heaps of steps it still comfortable to be in! The owners arrived to collect the key, the guy couldn’t speak a word of English but like to use google translate, the lady could speak some English.... He told us through google he had a job in Sydney last year, but she wouldn’t leave her family so they didn’t get to go... he was disappointed about it....

We had left the unit speck and span with sweeping the floors, washing the floors and putting the sheets into washing machine....

Packed the car, said our goodbyes and off up the Hwy towards another Ferry Crossing.... on the way in exactly the same spot as when we headed to Catania the other day.... was the hooker in the bright yellow dress, Same spot as last time... I just couldn’t get over the fact she was standing in the hot, hot heat, no hat... but she did have a bottle of water at least.... what a way to have to make a living.....

We made it to Messina ok to catch the ferry ⛴, the big one we took the other day had just pulled out as we arrived, but there was another one waiting for us and before we knew it we were on over the ocean and into main land Italy and heading to our next destination stay.....Mesiano....just an over night stay before we get to Pompeii.....

On route, we had to have a road stop for a cuppa and outed into an Autostrada to get something to eat.... honestly I am sure they employ real actors for these stops... both women were more mature aged then the girls at the Sicily stop.... both had dyed black hair and heavy makeup with pumped red lip stick on... they looked like something out of a Marionette theatre.... funny as to watch too.... I love these stops real characters seem too appear especially in Italy.....

We headed down the coast road hoping to see some better sights other than Highways.... our first turn off the Hwy and we find a sign for a castle, we took a wrong turn, but some how end up at the castle anyway...which is preached on a hill, over looking the ocean and massive bays either side of it below.... around the castle is a village winding its way around the hill from above to below... below was a massive beach going from one side of the bay to the other, spectacular views along it. Heaps of umbrella sights to behold... all colour coded as they stake out their little piece of beach you pay to sit at...

Stairs, stairs everywhere... finding a spot to park then access looked difficult, but we managed, I am not sure how, to get a car space just below the castle... that was a rarity... as all any little tiny space had a car parked even like they do everywhere, sure ways, with their bum poking out.... off up the hill we walk... them into the castle we go....arrive at the ticket gate to be told sorry it’s closing time until 5 pm this as at 1 pm.... unreal, the amount of money they lose Turning people away so they can have siesta...it just didn’t seem like profit it important... at all... we passed a family with kids in prams heading up there and told them it was shutting.... but the guy didn’t take our word for it and kept going... we watched him turn around pretty quickly... as we wandered around looking at the cathedral that was at the base of the castle, we saw about another 10 couples head up to the castle all turn back.... so the money they are turning away for an antiquated tradition is just so silly for a country on the brink of financial disaster....

We went to walk down a few steps look at other sections of the village only to see the those few steps turned into I would say over 100, once down only one way back up.... Then above us was more shops etc, but again over 50 steps you had to climb up and back down..so we decided to get back into the car and head up the coast....

Not too much further up the coast we stopped to lunch... it was a beach shack type of building... nothing fancy... public beach on side and them with paid for umbrella spots on our dude with a yellow plastic fence between..l we asked did they have meals, yes they do... we sat and were given a menu, which looked ok, today I was wanting an ordinary hamburger... there was a picture but every thing was in Italian and the guy only spoke Italian... well what we ordered and what we got were 2 different things... plus it tasted just terrible... even John told me to dispose of it it looked that bad... getting food this time in Italy has been a real pain....

So with that back into the car off up the coast, then back to the Hwy as going along the coast was too slow....

Onto our stop which was in a really little village only a few shops and a 100 or so homes.... it was a fairly new building and parts of it were still being built... the guy couldn’t get to us straight away as he was working.... so we thought we would drive around the village to check it out... that took us less than 5 mins ha ha.... so back to the BnB and just sat there waiting.... when he finally arrived, this as just like being in a movie also.... he couldn’t speak a word of English but do you think that would stop him....no way he talked non stop in constant very fast Italian... morning phone as explained in another blog had no credit anymore... and John’s kept playing up... so trying to sort things out in English was challenging to the least....

We had been lead to believe it had a fridge in our room.... but no this was just a bedroom, everything else was shared........ he did say through google when we could get it to work we could use the kitchen fridge.... thank goodness, I don’t know what we would have done without it.... we couldn’t use his cooking facilities he said, bu suggested we go to some restaurant...

However after a huge drive John just wanted to veg out.... fortunately I had enough cheese and meat to make a platter up so we could have something to eat...

The guys mama came back with him when he went this afternoon, so funny... he would just have been in his 30’s but he had mama do heaps around the place...... she looked like your typical Italian Mamma no English and did all the cleaning for him....

With no restaurants close by and no way to prepare dinner we stayed in our room for the rest of the night.... we did hear another guy arrive after 10pm, so now he had 3 Guest....

It was comfortable enough, clean and enough room.... just the fact you were confined to your room, was a bit off putting...Meer informatie