Wednesday 11th. Michael leaves for the second time, and really leaves this time. It was great to see him but the 10 days he was here went so fast, and were too short. As usual we seemed to have achieved rather a lot in the short time he was here. I still have Fordie here until the 16th so we plan a few adventures together. We head to the temple of Apollo taxi stand and I mange to get across to Giuseppe the taxi driver, that we would like to go to Noto for the d...

Sunday. After 40 hours travel from the Samoan Islands in the Pacific, through Brisbane, Bangkok, Rome, to Catania in Sicily, MB arrives mid morning to Ortiga Island, Siracusa. After not seeing Janet for over a month there are great hugs and kisses. It is a beautiful day, no wind, calm blue sea. Off to the rock beach for a swim first up, in water about 21 degrees. After lunch in a nearby cafe, MB rings our architect Gemma Davies and her assistant, Laura,to cong...

Today I head to Fumicino airport to get my connecting flight to Catania 'Fontanarosa', Sicily. I am excited at the prospect of seeing the apartment completed and ready for my first sleep there. I arrive to find not only the taxi driver 'Elisabetta' waiting for me, but also my great friend Lucia. We all chat away in a mix of English and Italian as we pass fields full of oranges and lemons, with Mt. Etna smoking in the distance. There is a sense of coming home a...

While Michael has journeyed to Samoa with Dennis, Peter and Bernie, I have headed off to Italy. My first stop is Rome, via Singapore and Dubai. I had a massage and a shower at Dubai so when I arrive I am feeling quiet alright although a bit tired. I check into the 'Babuino 181', in Via Babuino in the centre of old historic Rome, ( Centro Storico ). Babuino means Baboon and relates to a statue located in the street of a half God half man reclining over a water tr...