Our quiet car park worked, but there's no lie in as a lorry arrives at 07:00 and unloads a digger which then trundles down the road with tracks screeching and rumbling. Eager to avoid another yesterday, we check a few options for tonight before setting off on the S284 which loops west and north of Mount Etna. The sun is shining as we climb towards Bronte and everywhere there are vines and pistachio trees. Soon after we leave Bronte we find a layby with a head ...

Yesterday everything we planned and did went perfectly. Today is a day to forget. Our destination was to have been Syracuse and we had found three suitable parking locations but first we had an errand for a friend. Just outside Syracuse on the main road is a war cemetry and we'd been asked by our friend to stop by and take a photo of his uncle Frank's resting place. We parked outside, Ali bought a little posy from the flower stall and went in, only to find sh...

We are up quite early aided by the amount of traffic going through the harbour. Destination today is Noto but instead of the direct route we start out along the coast past some interesting derelict industrial buildings and a castle-like structure. A few miles on the coast road is closed where a bridge is being repaired so we go back towards Pachino, through the town onto Noto. We've programmed a camperstop in Noto and approach on a none too promising road, but...

Although it's a lovely location it ain't quiet. The digger on the adjacent site starts work at 06:30 masking the sounds of the factory presses behind which run 24/7. Ali gets bread from the baker's van which calls each morning, we service the van and say goodbye to Toni and Giorgio. Toni is still telling us places to go and things to see as we drive through the gate. What a star he is. It's a short drive to Scicli [pronounced Skiggly] and we park on the outs...

We had such a lovely lunch yesterday that we decide to take a day off here and eat at the same restaurant this evening. For most of the day we relax, read up about future destinations and catch up with emails and other internet bits then at 16:30 we wander into town and amble around the harbour and seafront again until the restaurant opens. Tonight we have caprese [tomato, mozarella and herbs] then pasta dishes. It's all excellent with the same friendly servic...