Photo 1: Our photo finish, after more than 500 km
If there could have remained any doubts about the warmth and hospitality of the Sicilian people, yesterday and today would surely have dispelled any doubt of any Hamlet who may frequent this region. In fact, in all the vicissitudes of last night, both the owner of the first b & b where we ended up, and the owner of the b & b La Casa di Nunna where we actually slept, proved to be exceptional people.
Photo 2: Marina Palma di Montechiaro
Photo 3: Marina Palma di Montechiaro
The first completely renouncing any right on my reservation, the second, after hearing the difficulties we were in, and despite no longer accepting reservations, he opened the b & b just for us. And not only this. The human warmth with which they hosted us, and for which Cri would no longer want to leave, certainly makes us think again about the use of this form of accommodation that we usually do not take just because we stop only one day and we know perfectly well that we could put in difficulties for those who do not have large facilities with the fact of having to clean, completely disinfect and change all the linen, just for one day.
Photo 4: the Castle of Palma di Montechiaro, with the fields voluntarily burned by farmers, but a possible cause of devastating fires.
As complete owners of the b & b, since the owners had left us the keys and went to work, we leave, not without tidying up as Cri can’t do without. Everyone gives me advice including Google, Locus map, but this time I do everything on my own, I don’t follow the directions of the locals, as as usual they are influenced by their way of seeing things, and I head towards the castle of Palma di Montechiaro.
Photo 5: the Castle of Palma di Montechiaro
This castle is practically in front of the first b & b and is located on the top of a promontory over 100 meters high almost overlooking the sea.
Photo 6: View from the Castle of Palma di Montechiaro
The scenographic effect is impressive, especially due to the fact that, going up the steep dirt road, the fields all around have geometric black lines, which follow the trend of the sown crop, whose undergrowth, after the harvest, were set on fire. , thus creating a chromatic effect of arid earth alternating with blackened grass. The castle, built around the mid-1300s to control the coast from pirate raids, passed from hand to hand until it was abandoned and decayed. It was then refurbished in a dubious way, however today it is closed and we can only admire its beautiful size from the outside. The view from up there is also extraordinary for the clarity of the day, we can also see the Scala dei Turchi, the final destination of our journey.
Photo 7: View from the Castle of Palma di Montechiaro, in background our final destination, Scala dei Turchi
We continue our journey on roads that everyone has advised us against. in fact they had announced to me roads full of holes and with steep climbs. So it is.
Photo 8: The interland road .
But, despite the holes and the climbs, the road is an incredible sight. Of course, when the road is too steep we push the bike, it’s not a problem, but the view sweeps over all the hills around, right down to the sea. The blues of the sky and the sea are so intense and I don’t know if the camera will be able to render the chromatic effect. The hills, or rather the mountains around them, are burned by the heat of this incredible sun that we have above our heads. 12 km of interesting road that makes us avoid taking the SS 115 which is actually much more linear, but also much more dangerous.
Photo 9: Mountains burned by the scorching sun
For 12 km we don’t meet somebody. Obviously the road is so bumpy that any vehicle would have difficulty traveling it, but by bicycle, paying attention to the potholes, it is a unique pleasure. It will certainly be uneconomical to set up a cycle path of such a road, but many foreign tourists could be enthusiastic, as it was for us to follow it.
Photo 10: San Leone, Dune beach
From afar we had noticed fields covered with crops, completely red and yellow. We thought they were cultivations of flowers or poppies, not for the flowers but for the basal leaves. Fatality the road passed close by and we realized that they were nothing more than tarpaulins in a modern vineyard. The chromatic effect, in any case, was beautiful from a distance giving a splash of color on the arid earth. Then a long descent towards San Leone and its beaches. We have a tasteful lunch in a restaurant on the beach of the Dunes. Two drops of rain! We wait half an hour and then resume our journey to the Villa Romana hotel, already the arrival point last year. We don’t even have time to sort out our bags. We walk on the beach, and walk the 2 km that separate us from the Scala dei Turchi, our final destination. We have thus closed the cycle of the tour of Sicily by adding last year’s tour to this year’s one.
Photo 11: Scala dei Turchi (Stair of Turks)
We arrive that the sun is almost on the horizon and we immediately realize that many idiots, despite the prohibitions, are on the stair. This particular rock formation is very delicate, and must be respected, otherwise in a few years, there will be nothing left.
Photo 12: Scala dei Turchi
We remain calm and take pictures of this unique but at the same time so mistreated place. We return to the hotel, immersed in the darkness of the night, with the wind that swells our shirts and the sand that pricks our calves, happy and light!
Photo 13: Scala dei Turchi
Photo 14: Scala dei Turchi
