We both feel well for the little break and, unusually for us, could happily stay at this site for a few days more. But it's 23C and we're only halfway round our trip so it's time to move on.
Our journey takes us over fairly unkempt fields and rocky hills to the outskirts of Agrigento where we have a lengthy detour around roadworks, before we arrive at the parking beside the valley of the temples.
The valle dei templi is Sicily's most extensive and significant collection of temples, with one of the most complete Doric temples in existence. Having seen the temples at Segesta and Selinunte our visit is not to the temple site but to the museum of archaelogy a mile up the road. The footpath leading there is appalling let alone for the buggy, rough and broken, with trees or bins blocking it and very few ramps so most of the way is in the road.
At the entrance of the museum is the meeting arena, semi-circular tiered stome seating with a 'stage' at the bottom, just like many modern parliament buildings today. We pass a statue of Icarus falling from the sky which makes us think of our nephew's wife recently injured in a paragliding accident.
As anticipated, entry for us is granted free and in we go to view the sorts of artifacts found on and around the temple locations. It starts with glass cases showing fragments of pottery, some painted, some fire singed. Moving through the hall there are complete or reconstructed pots which show the quality of workmanship improving through time. A saucer sized dish, referred to as a gold cup is on of only four known in the world. Geometric tooling marks evolve into mouldings and painted decoration.
We move from hall to hall, sometimes aided with small lifts on short staircases, amazed by the sheer number of items on display. There are little sets of plain clay containers that could easily be cheap toys and there are pots and bowls of all shapes and sizes. Figurines, sections of marble statues, pots painted with chariot racers, Eyros, Persephone, Athena and Zeus. Another hall contains the finds from tombs in necropoli, ach with an almost standard set of bottles and dishes, but each set varying in pattern or design, in the way dinner services are standard bu different.
There is metalwork; Bronze and iron axes, spearheads, knives, and buttons nails, clasps like safety pins and a few helmets.
After two and a half hours we're thirst and hungry and start to move more quickly through one hall. The chap who has been working the lifts tells us in broken English - slowly, we open til seven.
Half an hour later we leave, potted, amphoraed and reliced for life. There is no sign of the cafe, despite there being signs for the cafe and on the way out we meet another English couple who couldn't find it but tell us of a restaurant just up the road. It's open and level access so in we go.
For starters Ali has antipasti and Nick has bruschetta then both have lamb grilled over wood with caramelised onion and garlic.
Then it's back down the road with the traffic, including a run in with the law who thinks Nick, facing oncoming traffic, is on the wrong side of the road. After gesturing that the pavements are impossible, blue lights and hazards go on while he drives slowly down the road ahead of us until we are safely round the corner.
Back at the carpark we discover that although it is in Camperstop, it's no overnight parking so we load up and head 3 miles towards the beaches at San Leone, probably to wild camp. But as we drive we see signs for AlbaChiara sosts and pull in. We don't really need a full services stop, but it's early evening, we're both tired, the sky is threatening rain or thunder and the sosta is clean andtidy with only 4 other vans.
Soon after we have parked the owner arrives with three plastic cups containing olive oil, red wine and white wine for us to taste in case we want to buy it from his bar.
The evening is heavy and muggy, hopefully the weather will break overnight.