No time for emails again so they are fewer and ‘farer’ between and I have trouble remembering where I’m up to.
Maybe I’ll start right now as I sit in a Villa on the East coast of Sicily between Catania and Syracusa. The villa overlooks the Mediterranean with a view across the water to Mt Etna.
It is a rustic, white villa with steps down to the sea and a large swimming pool (shared with others in the complex). Our bedrooms overlook the sea and the sound of the sea lulls you to sleep (reminiscent of Trieste).
It is paradise and very relaxing. Only one problem at the moment…it is pissing down. Apparently rain today and tomorrow and then fining up again. Hammy has to get some work done while we are here (contract work) so the mornings will be slower starts while he does his work.
So now back to chronology which means back to Barcelona for the last day in Spain. From where I left off last time, we did go out for a meal that night and almost accidentally (except the AirBnB had recommended it) found a lovely restaurant (Restaurant Market) for a beautiful meal, and we couldn’t believe the cost…so much cheaper to be back in Spain.
The next day (Sunday) we had a pre-booking for Park Guell early. So we jumped into a taxi and off we went. It is lovely and we walked around, up to the top of the hill and down again and around. Then we got back into a taxi and went to Carrera Gran de Garcia to wander long looking at all the Gaudi houses. We only looked from the outside as it was 20 Eu each to go inside. But truly, what can you say, that man was a bloody genius. His work is so spectacular and different and interesting. It is a magnificent street with some amazing architecture both Gaudi and Gothic. We walked on down La Rambla in search of particular restaurants for lunch but the ones we wanted were closed it being Sunday! We walked to the waterfront and found a very mediocre place for lunch but there is a limit to how much walking you can do in search of elusive restaurants. Then Kirst and I got in a taxi to go back to the apartment for a rest and a ‘get ready for moving on tomorrow’ session. Ang walked home…honestly that boy has got ants in his pants!! As if we hadn’t already walked our little feet off!!
It was a lazy afternoon. Kirst had a rest (she is doing extraordinarily well walking, walking, walking, exploring, exploring and exploring)and I pottered around. Then time to go out to find a nice evening meal and a last meal in Spain. Again a bit awkward because all the restaurants that had been recommended to us were closed on Sunday. We got in a taxi and headed for the waterfront. We went for a nice walk along the waterfront and then went looking for a random restaurant, of course (it being Barcelona) we fell upon a really lovely place and had a most delicious meal of Tapas-type food, great wine etc. A taxi back home and then into bed.
Hopeless for me as I had to get up at 2.30am to get ready and walk to a pick-up point for the shuttle bus to the airport for a 3am pick up. Ang, bless his little heart, got up and helped me get to the pick-up point which was great. Then began a long and rather arduous trip to the airport as the shuttle had to pick up others…most of whom were ‘no shows’. I guess it isn’t easy getting up at that hour!! A long line up at Veiling to check the baggage in but all good for the flight. Arrived Palermo and very smoothly waited the prescribed 1.5hrs for Ham and Ariane, all good.
Then pick up the hire car….CHAOS!!! Shocking system. Shuttle bus to car hire place, huge queue and everyone with mountains of luggage. A shuttle bus would come and only some of those waiting could get on so of course there were taxis waiting to pick up an easy 10Eu to take you there. You don’t know where it is so you can’t walk and they tell you it’s 2km which, with all the luggage is disastrous. So you give them your 10 Eu and they take you round in a circle, back the other way and about 500Mt away was the car hire place. Then it was like a madhouse. We took a ticket and were 23 people away from our turn. Anyway, after 2 hrs we had our car and we were off. We loved it, settled in and as we had no food we went out and found a lovely little local seafood restaurant and enjoyed a lovely meal (again). Then we were all desperate to get into bed and catch up on some sleep (H&A also started off at 3am to get here).
Literally while I’ve been sitting here writing this email my image of Paradise has been shattered. I looked down a while ago to see my feet submerging in water. I turned around to see water pouring into ‘Paradise’ from the side balcony and water pouring onto the side balcony from above. There is always something to shatter the perfect scenario…if it’s not mosquitoes it’s a flood. We’ve had lots of hooha since then. I rang the manager, people came and have been deliberating, we’ve been mopping up and towelling and just coping with all that. They offered to move us into Catania for 2 days, we declined because we’d rather cope than move and the weather forecast is rain today and tomorrow and then fine and hot…so we’ll cope!!!
I love being back in Italy and I loved being in Spain…they are such warm and lively countries. Update on how the floods go tomorrow as we get through to the sun again.