Sicily in spring 2023 (public)

Departure day: Tuesday, April 11, 9 a.m

Daily km: approx. 307 km

At 7:30 out of bed. small breakfast, fridge contents "move" to the Frieda and off we go. Frieda was otherwise well prepared. It goes through Switzerland towards Genoa. On the way over the A7, we picked up the Austrian GO box reserved for us for the section toll at the Illertissen-West service area. Then booked/paid the Swiss heavy goods charge via mobile app and everything is fine.

Tuesday April 11th

Lodging source: Park4Night

38 CHF + 3 € electricity flat rate, dog free

On the square Restaurant Rania, home-style

Via Mala gorge within walking distance, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., 4 CHF/person, dogs allowed

At the CP very nice, extremely friendly reception by the boss. A ***CP with everything you need. The sanitary equipment is quite old, but clean and functional. We can live with the little quirks here and there, even if the price is "high", but that's how expensive Switzerland is. The electrical equipment is not state-of-the-art (old Swiss plugs/sockets, no CCE or Schuko plugs). Adapters are not available. However, a friend of the boss was so kind and fetched an adapter from home by car especially for us. I couldn't expect so much friendliness and support.

In the evening we ate in the restaurant. We were almost the only guests and the manager cooked especially for us (mixed salad, 1 cordon bleu, 1 cream schnitzel, both with fries, 0.2 l wine each). Altogether €66, but everything was fresh, very tasty and there were 2 coffees "on the house" and nice conversation.

The CP is in the immediate vicinity of the famous Via Mala gorge (approx. 1 km). We wanted to look at them, but access from the CP is quite difficult for people who are not good on foot, so we stopped about halfway through. However, you can drive/bike to the official entrance (approx. 3 km, with visitor center) and enter the gorge from there. Supposedly absolutely worth seeing and experiencing! We will definitely catch up when we get a chance.

When driving on the San Bernardino Pass, there is always the option of staying on the A13 motorway (then through the San B. tunnel. A good 6 km long) or turning off to the old pass road No. 13 immediately before the tunnel, which is of course much narrower and well takes longer but is certainly nicer and allows for many stopping points. At the apex of the pass you should even be able to stand freely for one night. The route should be easily feasible for WoMos up to 7.50 m in length. In bad weather, the Autobahn is recommended, because you can't see anything.

Wednesday April 12th

Daily km: approx. 332 km

Accommodation source: ProMobil Stellplatz-Radar

Campeggio Villa Doria - Genova
Via al Campeggio Villa Doria 15 N,
16156 Genova Pegli - Ge

GPS: 44°25'53"N, 8°48'48"E

Telephone: +39 010.6969600

E-mail: campingvilladoria@gmail.com
https://www.campingvilladoria.it/?lang=en

38€ tuttifrutti

After breakfast we left at around 10 a.m. on the A13 towards Genoa. The weather was pretty bad with only a few sunny sections and we were stuck in 3 big traffic jams and lost a lot of time as a result. Certainly very beautiful in terms of scenery, especially when the weather is nice, exciting bridge constructions on the route, interesting, long tunnel and otherwise relaxed driving!

Arrived in Genoa, the journey to the booked campsite turned out to be a real adventure. The travel recommendation for WoMos > 3 m height on the internet must be followed, otherwise you are guaranteed to get stuck somewhere with a large WoMo! It goes straight through old town areas, narrow streets, trees on both sides of the street, up, down, left, right and after a short time you completely lose your bearings as to where you actually are and where the CP is supposed to be. And it's very narrow in places! But don't think, stay stubborn, follow the instructions and signs and everything will be fine!

Have bought food from EKOM (EDEKA) (crabs, squid salad, bread, etc.). The CP itself is OK, very shady in a forest-like inner city area and ideal for visiting Genoa due to its central location. The plots are narrow and apparently well occupied at any time of the year, mostly by guests from the various ferry lines. However, we would not want to camp there for a longer period of time because of the relative narrowness.

As soon as we arrived, it started pouring rain again. Construction under the rain poncho. Heavy rain all night, occasional hail. We only slept part of the time.

Well, and then we had massive problems with our ferry booking for April 13th to Palermo. 2 days before we were informed that we had to take another ship due to technical problems, which also leaves at 2 a.m. on April 14th. Then yesterday we were informed that this ship was also canceled due to technical problems and that another ship had to be taken, but we only had pullman seats, no cabin with our dog Gina, and the animal had to be put in a cage below deck. Of course that didn't work at all. A ship with a cabin for us and dog would not be available until Saturday 15th April.

Long story short: ferry canceled for fare refund. We drive overland in 3 stages of about 400 km each to Sicily and lose only the planned visit of Genoa and max. 1 day. What the heck, can we do it...

Thursday April 13th

Daily km: 421 km

Lodging source: Park4Night

Free WoMo parking space with chargeable V&E

Lugnano in Teverina

GPS: N42°34'30.16", E12°20'2.54"

On to our 1st leg of the previously unplanned overland route to Sicily: leaving the CP in Genoa at 9:30 a.m. after breakfast, a shower and V&E in the pouring rain. Destination: the A1 motorway in the direction of Rome. And who thought that the way to the CP through Genoa the day before was already a real adventure was taught that the journey was only a foretaste of the way to the motorway across Genoa. Was handy for practice! I wouldn't have thought it possible, but if you know your vehicle, you can survive it without dents or scratches. However, I have never experienced anything like this in my short camper career and did not think it was possible. Tight ass, stressful, really exhausting. The thought of a 360° camera system for Frieda is slowly taking hold... But in the old city of Genoa, which has grown wild over the centuries, there really aren't any alternatives in terms of transport technology.

When we left the city after about an hour, we drove over dozens (!), daringly built bridges spanning valleys and at least as many tunnels. But here, too, the landscape and geology do not seem to leave any alternatives. Just crazy! But also incredibly beautiful (when the sun is shining...).

On the way repeated heavy rain, thunderstorms, hail in places. Arrived at the actually beautiful, small and lonely SP in Lugnano in Teverina, the rain poncho proved itself again. Must be a great area around us. If only we could see a little more of it! But maybe it will clear up overnight and we can take a look around tomorrow.

For dinner we had spaghetti aglio, olio et pomodoro, salad, wine, fresh pineapple for dessert, coffee, limoncello. Yummy! Tomorrow we start the 2nd stage of our journey to Sicily.

Friday April 14th

Daily km: 416 km

Lodging source: Park4Night

Il Tiglio B&B Rural House

15€/night incl. electricity, V&E

Via Nationale 422, 84034 Padula

N40°19'25.69", E15°37'28.82"

Woke up in the sunshine and saw for the first time that we were in a great, well-kept area that would actually be worth exploring (abandoned mountain village!). Instead, we quickly made V&E and continued on stage 2 in the direction of Padula. Our hopes of finally leaving the bad, far too cool weather behind us were severely disappointed. Alternating little sun, lots of rain and occasional hail. Nevertheless, we made very good progress (95% motorway, average speed 93 km/h).

Arriving at the new pitch, we were greeted very nicely by Mario and his 7 hunting dogs (in the kennel). We are the only guests on the well-kept site for 24 WoMos and Gina can walk freely. And then during assembly I realized that I had left our aluminum step for the WoMo on the last SP. Real disk paste, annoy me blue and green for a few minutes! We'll try to get a short-term replacement somewhere tomorrow.

For dinner there was zarzuela, freshly prepared, very tasty. My wife is a real chef! But washing dishes is my job again. division of labour.

We continue to hope that the weather will now switch to holiday and summer mode and that we can finally put on our short clothes and no longer have to heat the mobile home. We will see...

Tomorrow evening we will already be in Sicily!

Saturday April 15th

Daily km: 388 km

Accommodation source: ACSI

Sosta Camper Trinacera

15€

N38°8'25", E15°8'45"

On to stage 3 and our first stop in Sicily!

Woke up around 8 a.m., had breakfast, V&E and then looked for a replacement step. All the locals who were approached were very helpful and made phone calls and gave tips on where such a part could be found. The language barrier wasn't helpful, but as always: you can get through anything with hands and feet and Aunt Google.

Of course, there was nothing sensible to get locally and so a simple plastic folding stool for €6.99 from the local supermarket should do for the holiday in Sicily. Anyway, we hope he makes it through! The odds are maybe 50/50. ;-)

On the way to the ferry to Sicily at the southern tip of the Italian boot, I passed an endless number of bridges and tunnels. We hadn't really dealt with the geography of Italy so far and imagined the country (with the exception of the Italian Alps) to be relatively flat, but nothing could be more wrong. There are many mountain ranges, some of them high, that run through the whole country and require masterpieces of bridge and tunnel construction in order to create easily navigable traffic connections through impressive landscapes. It must have been well over 100 along the entire route. One must break away from the generalization of the flat Po Valley as a synonym for Italian geography. And the weather seems to be improving slowly: the rain is getting warmer and only showery. :-)

The ferry between Villa San Giovanni and Messina in Sicily runs every hour, 24/7. Our crossing took about 40 minutes and was uneventful. You could stay in the vehicle or get out and go to the passenger deck. We stayed in the vehicle. I wonder why? Exactly, because of rain! Arriving in Messina, we continue about 60 km to our first overnight stay in Sicily in Therme Vigilatore. A pitch with electricity, V&E and very simple sanitary facilities for €15. Spacious, beautifully laid out and maintained, only separated from the sea by the coastal road. The site is looked after/supervised by a German-Italian couple in their 50s who have dropped out and who themselves live permanently in 2 WoMos, 1 mobile home, 1 tent and a trailer with 2 dogs in a kind of "wagon castle". We had a good chat, even if some conspiracy theory-like views were ringing in my ears, but we got one or the other good tip for our Sicily tour.

Sunday April 16th

Daily km: approx. 72 km

Ogliastrillo 113
90015 Cefalu

GPS: 8°1'38"N 13°58'59"E

Web: http://camping-costaponente.com/en/

Phone +39 09 2142 4492

Costs: €21 incl., ACSI price

Due to the weather, breakfast is still only possible in the WoMo, even if it doesn't necessarily rain. But whatever. Today we went to Cefalu, our first stop with a "cultural program" in Sicily. The drive itself was relaxed, relatively uneventful in mostly sunny but cool weather, through very beautiful scenery and... over numerous bridges and just as many tunnels. That always surprises.

Arrived at the beautiful CP, we let the day end comfortably after a coffee with wisteria pancakes (wisteria flowers freshly picked on site!) and a walk to the CP's own small beach. It was just too cool for us to use the great pools (18 degrees) in the very changeable, windy weather.

And of course there was some rain at the end of the day. The heating in the WoMo will probably have to run for a while. I'm slowly beginning to squint at the filling level of the first gas bottle. But that didn't prevent us from finally inaugurating the OMNIA and making a thoroughly successful "roll pizza" for dinner.

Monday April 17th

We slept late and had a good breakfast. In the WoMo ;-).

Then we took the bus to Cefalu right in front of the campsite. Initially, the weather was kind to us and nothing stood in the way of a sightseeing tour through the nice old town. The cathedral and its small museum were impressive. The craftsmanship of the people of earlier centuries never ceases to amaze, regardless of whether it is architecture, silver and goldsmithing, embroidery or painting. Much of this craftsmanship has unfortunately died out today or has to be re-learned.

Undoubtedly, Cefalu has charm, but in the meantime the old town is clearly (but still tolerably) touristy and is somewhat "overhyped" in travel guides. Of course, the view from afar of the city clinging to the foot of a vertical cliff is simply gigantic. That alone is worth a visit.

After a late lunch at a small restaurant, we went in search of something very practical, a wool and haberdashery shop. Supplies for the handicraft woman had to be found, as the previously mediocre weather had allowed the handicraft supplies for the trip to melt away. As it turned out, the description of the assortment in stores in Google Maps is not necessarily reliable. Well, at least we found the buttons to complete a warm woolen jacket that we made during the trip. :-) Then the weather, which was too cold and rainy for the time of year, hit us again and it was time for the bus ride back to the CP. Gina did well all day, but was absolutely exhausted in the evening. And another cozy evening in the WoMo, this time with the "Cave of the Lions". Holidays in Sicily are OK, but it doesn't work without "HdL". ;-)

Tuesday April 18th

Daily km: approx. 70 km

Lodging source: Park4Night

Campo Sportivo parking space (also the only parking space for WoMos in Castelbuono)

GPS N 37.93730, E 14.09429

Simple parking space without V&E, free of charge, 500 m to the center

Breakfast, V&E and on we go on our tour, today to Castelbuono a picturesque mountain village. The approach is very nice on a winding road with almost no traffic. We reach Castelbuono in the late morning and park our Frieda on a rough gravel parking lot next to the small local sports facility. Although it is an area designated for WoMos, you can't really call it a parking space. Theoretically there is "basic V&E", but for hygienic reasons I can only advise you to keep your distance from it. But you can park there and spend the night. We have everything we need on board. Only we and 2 other campers took advantage of this opportunity.

On the 500 m walk to the old town, we stocked up on fruit and vegetables from a hawker: oranges, bananas, Japanese medlars (nespolene, a yellow fruit similar to plums, with a smooth core similar to lychees), beans, tomatoes, lettuce . Everything organic (like almost everything that is grown in Sicily!) super fresh, sun-ripened and very tasty! As the pack mule on duty, I immediately turned around and stowed everything in the Frieda.

The charming, well-preserved medieval old town of Castelbuono is worth seeing. The mighty Norman castle "Castello Ventimiglia" with a beautiful baroque chapel and the "Chiesa Madrice Vecchia" with what is said to be the most beautiful main altar in Sicily and medieval frescoes stand out. Well, if the main altar inspires storms of enthusiasm, then you have never seen a German high altar by Balthasar Neumann or other artists of the era... ;-) But still beautiful, and it doesn't always have to be superlative.

After the visits, hunger made itself felt. Late lunch at the small osteria "Kilometrozero" with super delicious mixed starters, calamari friti and pasta dish, coffee. Quiet end of the day at the pitch.

Wednesday April 19th

Day's stage: approx. 120 km

Accommodation source: ProMobil Stellplatz-Radar

Phone +39 091 542555 & +39 091 540323

Email: ideavacanzepalermo@gmail.com or idea_vacanze@tin.it

Web: https://ideavacanzepa.it/

GPS N 38.147180, E 13.353026

Costs €20 (WoMo, 2 people, dog, V&E), €5 electricity, €1 shower

With workshop and camping shop on site.

Bus in the immediate vicinity for sightseeing.

The visit to Palermo was actually the beginning of our time in Sicily, but after the ferry journey was canceled we adjusted our planning. The way to Palermo led us from Castelbuono on very winding, partly narrow but easily passable roads across the very beautiful Madonie National Park. Very relaxing, could/should spend more time here.

We reached Palermo at the time of the rush hour and made acquaintance with the original Italian traffic turmoil. Nevertheless, everything follows clear rules (not traffic rules, they are only non-binding recommendations) and you make progress if you swim along, don't hesitate and behave clearly and decisively (don't think, signal and drive, honk the horn if necessary). Genoa was much more stressful due to the narrowness.

The continuously asphalted, narrow parking space was easy to find, is relatively centrally located in Palermo, everything you need is available (electricity, V&E, showers, toilets) but very basic. The vehicles are close together, a comfortable stay outside of the WoMo is not really possible. You don't want to stay here longer, but ideal for visiting the city and waiting for ferries and with no real alternative.

Thursday April 20th

Standing and viewing day.

Overnight stay on the pitch.

We took the bus to the historic center of the city relatively early and unwound what was probably the classic "1-day tourist program". Almost all of the sights mentioned below are within walking distance and not far from each other. We took a good 15,000 steps and wife and Gina held up surprisingly well. This makes happy!

If you stroll through the old town like this, you can understand that Palermo is said to have been the most magnificent city in Europe about 200 years ago. Then came the loss of importance caused by political, economic and military turmoil and paralyzing mafia influences with a long-lasting decline and decay of the city. Many formerly magnificent buildings are in a deplorable condition. A rethinking and reconstruction has only been taking place for a few years, and there are countless construction sites where repairs, renovations and restorations are being carried out. But that will take years. Nevertheless, Palermo is definitely worth a visit, has charm and there are numerous unique treasures that are among the most beautiful things this world has to offer and are rightfully UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

We had lunch in a small street bistro (pesce fritti, pasta). Not a special culinary experience, but it filled you up and was relatively inexpensive. ;-)

The planned return trip by bus to the parking space was a bit adventurous, because some of the official stops of line 107 according to the ÖffiApp apparently no longer existed and a timetable was not discernible either. We started at several alleged stops but there was nothing by bus. Well then, just a taxi. And as soon as the taxi came, the bus came. Stupid walk, but didn't particularly upset us. And a taxi was more comfortable after a long day, and it was worth the almost €20 to us... ;-)

What have we seen?

• The old quarter of Kalsa, the oldest quarter of Palermo
• Cathedral of Maria Santissima Assunta, a must-see!
• Piazza Pretoria & Fontana Pretoria
• Quattro Canti
• Church of San Giuseppe
• Mercato di Capo (Palermo's Farmers' Market), at least what remains after the end of the main business
• Teatro Massimo, the largest opera house in Italy and one of the largest in Europe
• The Churches of San Cataldo & La Martorana (Admiral's Church), next to each other in Piazza Bellini
• Palazzo dei Normanni (Palazzo Reale) with Cappella Palatina, in Piazza Indipendenza
• Church of the Gesu

Unfortunately, we didn't make it to the Catacombe dei Cappuccini (Capuchian Crypt), actually a must-see in the Santa Maria della Pace monastery church. One of the most famous burial sites in the world with 2063 fully clothed natural mummies. So we have to come back to Sicily after all...

Friday April 21st

Daily stage: approx. 100 km

After breakfast extensive V&E done as we want to have at least one night free in Segesta Archaeological Park, our next destination for the day. But before that, a "must-see stopover" in Monreale, about 12 km from Palermo, to visit one of the most famous cathedrals in the world, another UNESCO World Heritage Site. We are lucky and just about noon get the last parking space in the immediate vicinity of the cathedral. 2 hours for 6€! Otherwise we would have had to walk quite a distance. The old downtown of Monreale is quite nice and the cathedral itself is an absolute gem, roughly comparable in style to the Admiral's Church in Palermo, only 5 times larger, even more magnificent, fully equipped with mosaics and absolutely breathtaking. Truly a "must see"!

Then a late lunch in the restaurant "Il Giardino degli Aranchi" with a nice ambience and a wonderful view of the countryside, city and bay of Palermo.

Still Friday, April 21st

The Frieda continues inland to Segesta. A beautiful temple complex and an amphitheater from around 400 BC (UNESCO World Heritage Site) with a magnificent view of the surrounding area and the sea. We are enjoying the now much better and warmer weather.

Unfortunately, we have to cancel our plan to spend the night in the parking lot near the archaeological park with a view of the temple complex, which is illuminated at night. On the one hand, there are now clear prohibition signs and the place is used by some idiots, among other things, as a parking space for one or the other wrecked car and is quite unsightly. You don't want to stay there overnight. Without further ado, we decide to go to the "Nausicaa" campsite in Castelammare del Golfo, about 20 km away.

Still Friday, April 21st

GPS N 38° 1' 30.0", E 12° 52' 46.0"

ACSI price 25€/night + local tax

On the beautiful, shady and well-equipped CP with its own beach access, we only briefly explore the beach and the surrounding area after arrival and otherwise let God be a good man. In case the weather doesn't cooperate 100%, we decide to cancel the next day's trip to the Segesta hot springs and just hang out. Has to be too...

Saturday April 22nd

Standing day on the CP, vehicle interior cleaning, washing clothes, hanging out and the travel diary also wants to be written and photos want to be sorted.

The weather is actually great now, but there's a really stiff breeze with heavy wind chill, and you can only endure it "packed up" for a long time outside, even when the sun is shining. At night our Frieda is shaken up properly. When camping, you experience nature up close.

Sunday April 23rd

Daily stage: 38 km

Spiaggia Baia Santa Margherita,
Strada Provinciale, Via dell'Acqua Macari 16, San Vito Lo Capo.

GPS: N 38.125324, E 12.728999

It is legal to stand freely on the waterfront on this beautiful, mostly rocky stretch of beach from October to April. We were also amazed by the splendor of flowers that could be seen everywhere on this beach.

Even though the weekend, public holiday and bridging day came together this time in Italy and many Italians were out and about with their WoMos, there was plenty of space for everyone. At other times you're pretty much alone here. The weather was sunny during the day with a good 20 degrees, but there was still a very strong wind, which increased at night and made the overnight stay quite uncomfortable. As a precaution, we retracted the awning in the evening despite the storm protection. And that was a good decision, as the night showed, when it also rained. Other WoMo drivers had to go out at night to save their awnings. No gift in this weather! :-(

We only stayed one night because of the strong, uncomfortable wind. It's really a pity, because it was simply brilliantly beautiful here! You just have to stop here!

Monday April 24th

Daily km: approx. 8 km

Source: ACSI, #2739

Via del Secco 90
91010 San Vito Lo Capo

GPS: 38°10'26"N, 12°44'53"E

Phone +39 0923621382

Web: https://www.campinglapineta.it/germany/

ACSI price: 21€

La Pineta is a nice 4* campsite, beautifully shaded by numerous pine trees, located near the sea with two beautiful, very well-kept pools and its own restaurant. The town of San Vito Lo Capo (approx. 800 m away) is one of the northernmost points in Sicily in a scenic area (mountains & sea & beach). A colorful, small, quiet place in the off-season with a clear North African touch and great restaurants (couscous!), cafés and ice cream parlors, even if everything is now heavily influenced by tourism and is no longer as "originally authentic" as most travel guides advertise .

Tuesday April 25th

Daily stage: 80 km

Who rests, rusts. We keep touring. The first stage today is a prehistoric grotto settlement that was regularly inhabited until about 1950 and provided itself with everything you need to live. All of the traditional trades were represented in the settlement.

Well preserved, equipped with many contemporary details, cared for and presented with a lot of love and commitment. There is no entrance fee, but a donation is requested. Definitely worth seeing!

The grotto settlement cannot be reached directly with a large mobile home (no parking space if something is busy). There is a WoMo parking lot in Custonaci (GPS: N 38.09693 E 12.66292). From there it is a walk of about 15 minutes.

Still Tuesday, April 25th

After visiting the cave settlement, continue to Trapani to the valley station of the cable car (Funivia) to the mountain village of Erice. Parking GPS: N 38.024228, E 12.550211, 100 m from the valley station. The cable car takes you steeply up to the mountain village in about 15 minutes. On the way very nice views of Trapani and the crescent-shaped bay that gave the place its name. In principle, you can also drive to Erice with the WoMo via a scenically very beautiful, narrow, very winding road, but there are hardly any parking spaces for WoMos there. We were glad to have come with the cable car, because it was quite busy and we definitely couldn't have found a parking space for our Frieda and therefore had to drive back!

Erice is a mountain village, founded in antiquity, with narrow streets and squares with elaborate stone paving, mighty city walls, 3 city gates, countless churches, 2 castles. You have fantastic views of the surrounding area. The place is also historically famous for its special local patisseries. In the meantime very touristy: numerous shops that always sell the same junk souvenirs, some beautifully prepared, old patisserie bakeries that are very busy. Many of the old buildings appear to be only partially inhabited and some are in a poor to deplorable state of preservation. Nevertheless, the place is definitely worth seeing, has a lot of charm and is worth a visit. However, it seems to me that it gets a bit "overhyped" in travel guides. So don't set your expectations too high, otherwise you will be disappointed.

Still Tuesday, April 25th

Source: Park4Night

Mamma Colette B&B & Restaurant

66s Contrada Spagnola, 91025 Marsala

GPS: N 37°50'39.1596” E 12°27'56.4372”

Email: commercialecolette@gmail.com

Phone +393391739320

Approx. 25€ tuttifrutti, including breakfast (!)

After Erice's visit, we headed towards Marsala to "Mama Colette". Your campsite is 5 km before Marsala. Mamma Colette is a multilingual, 78-year-old and still energetic "typical Italian mamma" (although actually French from Martinique) and offers quiet pitches under palm trees directly on the sea and a real "Sicilian food experience": simple, but typical and delicious Dishes with products from the region. Unfortunately it was nothing to do with "sleeping under palm trees", because due to the Italian national holiday there was a lot going on and we got the last parking space, quite off the beaten path on a less beautiful, slightly dingy parking lot in places. V&E and sanitary facilities were "very basic" (Dixis) but who cares... The welcome wine and the good food at Mama Colette's at an extremely fair price and her touching care made up for it. A real character, a one-of-a-kind with a big heart! We can only recommend a visit.

Wednesday April 26th

Stage km: 85 km

Contrada Bertolino, 92013 Menfi S.A

GPS: N37.543772, E12.985283

After a really sumptuous breakfast at Mama Colette’s (which was worth the overnight price for both of us alone), our goal for the day was a pitch without V&E directly by the sea, about 5 km from Menfi, with a white sand/pebble beach. Ideal for relaxation and rest and planned for a minimum of 2 nights. The path led us past the Marsala salt pans, which have been in operation for around 2000 years.

But unfortunately nothing came of being free on the seashore. The place is now under video surveillance and staying overnight is forbidden under threat of heavy fines, and the police check in the evenings, according to a friendly resident. Stupid and disappointing. Some campers have probably misbehaved again. It's a shame, but unfortunately that's how it often is. During the day, however, you can stand there and swim, have a barbecue, etc. After a walk on the beautiful beach, we then decided to go to the CP "La Palma" in Menfi, despite the moderate ratings, because we couldn't find an alternative within an acceptable distance was..

Wednesday, April 26th

On the CP "La Palma" we are received super nice by the owners and Gina is once again the hit and contact catalyst and breaks every language barrier. The tidy CP, beautifully shaded by old eucalyptus trees, has direct access to the sea and after a thorough inspection we book in for 2 nights. We definitely cannot understand the negative reviews in some camping apps. Since the weather has also turned out great (23 degrees, no more wind), there is also a "large build-up" outside, as we now hope to finally be able to spend most of our time outside. We treat ourselves to crabs and also some very tasty oysters.

Thursday April 27th

As planned, today is a standing day that we enjoy. During our long walk on the beach, Gina surprises us by constantly walking in the water, which she otherwise avoids like the devil avoids holy water (unfortunately, you can't post videos here on freeontour). In her old age, the water-shy creature turns into a real dog.

The vegetation here in Sicily is impressive: the lemons on the trees on the neighboring property are the size of a child's head! I haven't seen anything like this before. If there hadn't been a high fence in between I would have "organized" one.

In the evening we started the Cadac and grilled delicious pork chops. The weather is perfect, we're doing really well, it can stay that way... ;-)

Friday April 28th

Daily km: 67 km

Source: Park4Night

21 Via Nereo, 92014 Porto Empedocle

GPS: N 37.289001, E 13.492800

Phone +393475298525

Costs: around €19

Guarded camper place locked at night right on the beach with V&E and simple toilets/showers. Ideal as only a 1.5km walk across the beach from the famous Scala dei Turchi (Stairs of the Turks).

The extraordinary step formation is not a man-made staircase, but a gigantic rock. The Scala dei Turchi consists of so-called marl, a sedimentary rock. Over time, wind and precipitation have carved the steps into the bright white marl rock, to which it owes its name today.

After arriving at the SP in the early afternoon, we made our way across the beach to the Scala dei Turchi. Despite the manageable distance, the path turned out to be a bit more difficult than expected due to the dry sand in places. Entering the Scala dei Turchi has apparently been forbidden for some time and access via the beach in front of the Scala is blocked off by fences and warning signs. But that doesn't prevent numerous visitors from recklessly avoiding the barriers on the rocky subsoil because of the water, which is only about knee-high at low tide, and climbing the Scala anyway. As German-French people who always followed instructions, we did not take the effort and risk and marveled at the natural wonder from the required distance. On the way back to the SP we stopped at a nice beach bar and treated ourselves to an Aperol Spritz, enjoyed the scenery and gained new momentum. Later in the WoMo, delicious tortellini with homemade tomato sauce and green asparagus were served for dinner.

Saturday April 29th

Daily stage: 115 km

AGRIGENTO - Valley of the Temples

Parking GPS: N 37.28885 E 13.58176 (Porta V)

A visit to the archaeological park "Valle dei Templi" near Agrigento is one of the highlights of any trip to Sicily. We got the ideal weather for this: not too hot (about 22 degrees) with a pleasant, light breeze. We still sweated a lot!

The complex covers 1,300 hectares, making it the largest of its kind in the world and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Actually, the name "Valley of the Temples" is misleading, since the temple complexes are located on a small chain of hills; the name comes from the fact that they are located below the city of Agrigento. It is ideal to park the mobile home in the parking lot at Porta V and take a taxi to the Porta 1 entrance, the highest point of the facility (3€/person) and buy the tickets there and start the tour. This reduces your own running distance to a good 2 km, mostly slightly downhill over the chain of hills, and makes the whole thing less difficult. Without visiting the museum, you have to reckon with 2-3 hours of sightseeing.

The archaeological park consists of a number of Doric temples, some of which are excellently preserved, which were built in the 5th century BC. were built and reflect the power and wealth of the then Greek colony of Akragas.

Also worth seeing is the Garden of Kolymbetra (Giardino Kolymbetra) on the premises, a 2500 year old garden with almond, lemon and orange trees, all in bloom in April/May and exuding intoxicating scents.

Still Saturday, April 29th

Source: Live2Travel

Agricampeggio Villa Gerace Azienda Bio

Contrada Gerace, 94100 Enna EN

GPS: N 37.468765, E 14.250584

Email: info@agrigerace.com

Web: https://www.agrigerace.com/

Cost: 25€ low season tuttifrutti

Parking space for 15 Mobile outside of Enna in the hinterland in the mountains. Mostly flat, partly shady course with olive, orange and tangerine groves. There is also a pool, spacious, well-equipped sanitary facilities, a restaurant and a farm shop with its own organic products. Ideal for relaxing and being pampered for a few days in great surroundings. The owner Christoph welcomed and instructed us in fluent German. The facility is very well maintained and clean, the food is delicious and relatively inexpensive (flat rate of €30 for 4 courses, including wine, water, coffee, etc.). We liked it very much, but since the weather unfortunately decided again for cooler days and rain showers, we still only decided for an overnight stay and to continue our journey to other sights.

Sunday April 30th

Daily stage: 60 km

Parking GPS: N 37.36914, E 14.33236 , chargeable

Admission: 10€/person.

The Villa Romana del Casale is a late Roman villa urbana near the town of Piazza Amerina (probably built between 310 and 325 AD). The villa is an important monument of Roman Sicily and famous for its floor mosaics. In 1997 UNESCO declared the Villa Romana del Casale a World Heritage Site. The Villa del Casale building complex covers about 1.5 hectares. About 45 rooms have survived to this day. The floor of almost every room in the estate is covered with mosaics of colored tesserae, covering a total area of around 3,500 m² and composed of around 120 million individual stones, more than in any other known building of the Roman Empire.

The whole thing is extremely impressive, even if today you can certainly only see a copy of the original condition, and you get a good impression of the beauty and splendor that the system must have exuded in its heyday.

Still Sunday, April 30th

Source: ACSI, #2737

Agritourism camping Gigliotto

SS117 to km 60, 95040 San Michele di Ganzaria

GPS: 37°17'26"N 14°23'17"E

Phone +39 0933970898

Web: www.gigliotto.com

Email: gigliotto@gigliotto.com

Cost: 25€ ACSI price

After a thorough inspection of the Roman villa, we continued to our planned parking space. The campsite with around 15 pitches is located on an estate in the Sicilian hinterland. Wine and oil are grown and sold here. Great views, nice saltwater pool, farm shop and a very good restaurant are advertised. That's exactly what we were looking for today, isn't it?

Unfortunately, the good pitches with a view were already occupied, the sanitary facilities and the V&E facilities were unkempt, dirty and only partially working (e.g. no hot water), and the SP site was partially occupied with building material and rubble, so that the stay was not pleasure was. The condition of the camper facility did not correspond at all to the picture of the rest of the property, which was well maintained and first-class renovated. The pool was also not filled although it should be available and heated from the beginning of April. At least that's how it's advertised. According to other campers, the restaurant is said to be very good and "good value for money", but we did not test it. We decided to continue the next morning. After a fair discussion with the operator, we only paid €15 for accommodation and electricity, which was still ok for the offer.

Monday May 1st

Daily stage: 80 km

Source: ACSI, #2734

Via dei Canalotti, 97017 Punta Braccetto/Santa Croce Camerina

GPS: 6°49'1"N 14°28'2"E

Phone +39 0932918096

Web: https://www.campingcard.com/en/italy/sicily/ragusa/punta-bracetto/scarabeo-camping-111780/

Cost: 21€ ACSI price

After the bankruptcy of the previous day, we were looking forward to the small, very well-kept and quiet square with lots of flowers and greenery. Large, delimited pitches. Beautiful sandy beach directly at the CP. Private toilets for each pitch. Stylish lighting, daily bread, fish and vegetable service on site.

We stayed here for 2 nights. If the weather gets warmer and less windy, we might stay longer.

Tuesday May 2nd

It rained several times during the night. The weather was mixed during the day, the sky was cloudy, the temperatures were changing (15 - 20 degrees) and there was a fresh, again increasing wind. The now high waves on the beach are ideal for surfers and make a lot of noise.

For dinner I have spaghetti with tomatoes and olive oil, garlic, parmesan. Show me how the weather is developing. The next stop is Noto, one of Sicily's baroque cities. In rainy weather, however, visiting the city makes little sense.

Wednesday May 3rd

Daily stage: 100 km

Source: Park4Night

Contrada Faldino-Noto

GPS: 36.883690, 15.086031

Phone +39 328 8065260

Email: info@anticotrappetonoto.it

Cost: 22€ tuttifrutti

We slept for a relatively long time and are getting Frieda ready to go. In the late morning we are on our way to Noto, our next stop with a cultural program. After stocking up, we cruise relaxed to our camp site for the next two nights on the outskirts of Noto, about 100 km away, a good half of the way along the sea, which has been churned up by the renewed strong wind.

Embedded in a magnificent grove of fragrant lemon trees, the Antico Trappeto Agricampeggio offers the usual services of a 2-3* CP. The partially blooming lemon trees are the show for us. We are right in the middle of it and (legally) picked a few lemons and prepared a really delicious lemonade. The Antico Trappeto offers a free shuttle service to Noto's historic centre, around 2 km away.

The weather is slightly thundery in the evening and the mosquitoes start to piss us off, which is why we retreat to the WoMo. The meal consists of grilled beef steaks, fresh beans with cherry tomatoes, lettuce and melon for dessert.

Thursday May 4th

Noto is one of the 7 Sicilian late baroque cities (like Catania, which we will visit later) and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2002. Today's Noto was built from 1703 about 15 km southeast of the original Noto Antica, which was completely destroyed by an earthquake in 1693. As a result, Noto was completely rebuilt at a new location, according to plan and uniformly in the style of the Sicilian Baroque.

The new old Noto is definitely a "must see" and the term "pearl of the late baroque" is by no means exaggerated, even if the splendor inside the villas and churches cannot be compared with the exuberant abundance of the baroque sights in Palermo and Monreale, for example. But that is not a shortcoming, just an observation and does not take away from the extraordinary beauty of the town center, which impressed us even with today's very changeable weather. Due to the onset of heavy rain, we ended the sightseeing tour in the late afternoon and returned to the campsite, just in time to avoid the heaviest rain.

For dinner there was fresh ravioli with ricotta filling, salad and a delicious melon for dessert. We decided to skip the optional visit to Noto Antica and to go directly to Syracuse and on to Catania tomorrow.

Friday May 5th

Daily stage: approx. 100 km

Source: Freeontour

Viale Presidente Kennedy 1, 95121 Catania

GPS: N 37°29'14.01” E 15°5'6.6912”

Phone +39 351 541 2425

Cost: 17€ tuttifrutti

Slept until 9 a.m., showered, had breakfast, made V&E and off we went around 11 a.m. relaxed on our trip to Catania today. On the way there we actually wanted to make a stopover in old Greek Syracuse for a visit. In order to save time, we wanted to drive as close as possible to the bridges to the old town peninsula, which we managed to do in heavy traffic and narrow streets (almost by Genoa standards!). However, there were no suitable parking spaces for a mobile home and the streets were getting narrower and narrower... :-(

With a heavy heart we then left it at the impressions of Syracuse that we were able to get from the vehicle, which was definitely worth it, and drove on to Catania.

We reached the Lua Beach pitch, which is simply equipped but very nicely located by the sea (200 m), in the best of weather. We looked for a nice, semi-shady place under palm trees and "built it up" because we will be staying here for at least 2 nights.

It is only a 2 km walk to the old town center of Catania, so the place is unbeatable for sightseeing in Catania. Shops are also available in the immediate vicinity. So you can have a good time here.

Dinner was shrimp, olives, bread, yoghurt and delicious, fresh, sun-ripened Sicilian oranges (always a revelation compared to the crap you can/must buy from us). End of the evening with "Lets Dance" quarterfinals on TV and coffee and Cantuccini.

Saturday May 6th

We got up relatively early and after a short breakfast we took a taxi to the old town. save your feet! ;-) Catania is one of the so-called. Baroque cities of Sicily and has countless sights. The particularly worth seeing are close together, and we have limited ourselves to these:

• Cathedral of S. Agatha in Piazza Duomo
• Piazza Duomu with elephant fountain and various other baroque buildings
• Porta Uzeda
• Palazzo Biscari
• Achilles thermal baths
• Via Etnae (numerous baroque facades)
  
• numerous daily markets

We were particularly impressed by the vegetable, meat and fish markets, where the range of products is almost unmanageably rich and very inexpensive, and especially loudly advertised by the market criers. That's how I've always imagined markets. We stocked up on fresh vegetables, various types of oranges, peppermint, lamb chops, swordfish fillets and almost a kilo of king crabs, both cheaply and plentifully. After returning to the campsite, swordfish and crabs were grilled and eaten. A decadent but utterly delicious and satisfying food spree...! :-)

We ended the evening relaxed with coffee and cantuccini and fruit and decided on the course of the rest of the trip. Due to various other appointments that have arisen in the meantime, we want to be home by May 17 at the latest and therefore had to shorten the originally planned program by a few days. At the same time we have decided that this won't be our last longer trip to Italy, because there is still so much to see. So in the end we won't miss anything.

Sunday May 7th

Daily stage: 60 km

GPS: N 37.69903, E 15.00229, at about 2000 m altitude

Large paid car park (9 a.m. to 8 p.m.) with a cable car station. Restaurants, souvenir shops, etc. Official accommodation with camper (self-sufficient, without V&E), €12/night.

After a relaxed breakfast, the usual preparations for the descent and a few necessary purchases, we headed towards Etna Nature Park. Surprisingly, we encounter the worst roads in Sicily so far in the communities we drive through. Despite the "slalom ride" around huge potholes, we and Frieda are pretty shaken up. The roads in Etna Nature Park, on the other hand, are good to very good. Through numerous curves and serpentines it goes steadily uphill to about 2000 m to the parking space Rifugio Giovannino Sapienza (the current consumption display is between 30 and 40 l/100 km the whole time). Despite the bright sunshine, long trousers, a warm jacket and sturdy shoes are appropriate here. There are also remains of snow.

Access to the Etna summit region at an altitude of 2500 m is obtained by cable car. In the meantime, you take 50 €/person for the trip (round trip), really exorbitant! We do not book the offered connecting trip with the 4x4 bus. This turned out to be an error. You can explore the region on foot from the mountain station of the cable car (e.g. older lava fields, side craters, lava grottos, etc.), but the distances are not insignificant, the paths are very steep in places (up to 45 degrees!) and the ground is soft and crumbly the "Generation Over 65" definitely not recommended in the thin air! We therefore broke off quite quickly and went back to the WoMo, which was a bit disappointing overall in terms of "experience potential". I had promised myself more. Well, at least we saw the main craters smoking from a distance... ;-)

Access to one of the 3 active main craters at approx. 3300 m is not possible. Tours up to approx. 3000 m can be booked with mountain guides, are expensive and require appropriate equipment.

Back at the camper, we first put our feet up and then had a delicious meal: tomatoes stuffed with tuna as a starter, then turkey schnitzel with fresh peas (from the market in Catania) and tomato sauce, and 2 super-juicy, sweet oranges for dessert. By nightfall, the large parking lot has been completely emptied, except for about 10 WoMos. We enjoy the beautiful, illuminated panorama of Catania and surrounding communities at the foot of Mount Etna. A gigantic sight that the photos can't even begin to do justice to...

Monday, May 8th

Daily stage: 110 km

In the middle of the night, without prior notice, a veritable storm with heavy rain surprised us and shook us up again. No wonder in this exposed and rough location at an altitude of 2000 meters. Thank God the nightmare was over by morning and only very changeable weather with frequent rain showers remained. After breakfast we set off for the planned Etna bypass, roughly within the boundaries of Etna National Park from Rifugio Sapienca south and then clockwise to the northeast and further towards the sea to the Alacantara Gorge (Gole di Alcantara) for sightseeing. Adrano, Bronte and Randazzo are on this path. When the weather is nice, this tour must be terrific, when the weather is raining with very limited visibility, you can only guess at the beauty of the landscape and the majesty of Mount Etna. But you have to take the weather as it comes, and we still got a lot of nice impressions.

And also experienced adventures: on the way to Bronte, for some inexplicable reason, our navigation system takes us right through the old town of Adrano, although (in retrospect) this would not have been necessary. The streets got narrow, narrower, even narrower and then we stood at a bottleneck where an Italian woman stupidly parked her Mercedes. Since there was only "forward" and "no going back" (one-way street without any possibility of maneuvering or turning), skill, courage and the support of a few Italians were required. No shit: there weren't more than 2 cm on each side. It's a good thing that 2 men loudly grabbed the good Mercedes owner, who was on the verge of going crazy, and almost hit Frieda when she was moving her car completely insanely. The fact that we brought the traffic to a standstill for about 15 minutes was accepted calmly by the local road users. We also mastered another bottleneck in a similarly adventurous way and then, ignoring and cursing the navigation system, escaped from the city center "according to our inner compass". Was really exciting and stressful at the moment but we stayed calm and now it's just a nice anecdote (and boosts confidence in mastering Frieda).

We then reached the Alcantara Gorge without any problems. Treated ourselves to a fast food refreshment before the visit and then took the lift into the gorge. Impressive rock formations that are well worth seeing with an informative small museum that explains the formation of the gorge and the special features of the flora and fauna in several languages.

Gole di Alcantara

SS185, 2, 98030 Motta Camastra

GPS: N37.87899, E15.17592

Tel. +390942989061

Open 9am-6pm

Costs: from €7/person. incl. elevator

Since the weather got rainier again with no prospect of a short-term improvement, we decided against the actually planned free standing in CATALABIANO on San Marco Free Beach and drove to the next campsite, which offers more comfort and possibilities when the weather is lousy.

Source: Park4Night

17 Via San Marco
95011 Recanati - San Marco

N 37°48'16.9164” E 15°14'38.76”

30€/night including electricity and local taxes

For dinner we had lamb chops (from the market in Catania) with fresh beans. Fantastically delicious... ;-)

Tuesday May 9th

Stage km: 150 km

Source: Live2Travel

Contrada Fine Tono Snc, 89866 Ricadi

GPS: N 38.626456, E 15.829479

Phone +390963663002

Email: info@villaggiocampinglascogliera.com

Web: https://www.villaggiocampingglascogliera.com/

Today we enjoy our last breakfast in Sicily, which we have completely circumnavigated. The end of the tour is near and it's the long way home today. But there is still so much to see along the way and we decided to focus on 4 points: Capo Vaticano, Pompeii, Tivoli near Rome and Modena. We'll see everything else on the next tour of Italy, which we'll definitely do!

First it went about 60 km to Messina to the ferry back to the mainland to Villa San Giovanni. The crossing went smoothly. Although the weather and visibility were still "moderate to modest", we decided to take the approx. 90 km to Capo Vaticano as close to the sea as possible over the numerous mountains and gorges of the Calabrian west coast. You have to force your luck!

A very winding and beautiful route with wonderful panoramas, where you change heights between 200 and 1000 m several times and tinker through small villages. Frieda works really hard, but masters all challenges with flying colors. A mountain road that was suddenly closed unannounced and without a signposted detour forced us to "crank around" and take a decent detour. But without this detour we would not have seen some beautiful things, and my wife would not have "found" her long-awaited cactus offshoot. So all good.

In the late afternoon we reach the camp site with idyllic pitches directly on the beach on the edge of Capo Vaticano, about 13 km from Tropea. A beautiful piece of earth, with a view of the island of Stromboli with a smoking volcano, where you could easily endure a few days. In view of the now increasing rain and ever worsening visibility for us unfortunately no real pleasure, but nothing to change. We stay for 2 nights to sit out the bad weather front, because visiting Pompei (our next stop) in the rain would definitely be a non starter. We're making the best of it, and it's supposed to get better.

In total there are only about 10 WoMos in the facility, which is getting old and urgently needs renovation. But the environment and panorama are unbeatable even without the sun and are super cool! One can gladly accept the shortcomings. We don't use what we don't like.

We end the day with a delicious dinner: in a rain break, grilled chicken thighs with grilled thighs and strawberries and peaches for dessert.

Wednesday May 10th

Unfortunately, the title of the diary entry is only 50% correct. Standing day yes, but beach life? Definitely not. It rained all night and only in the morning could one stay outside during longer rain breaks. The island of Stromboli has also disappeared somewhere on the cloudy horizon. From noon then continuous rain. So we just hang out at Frieda: sleeping, playing on the PC/mobile phone, reading, handicrafts, some TV, writing a travel diary. Also good. However, it was disappointing, because we were really looking forward to a longer stay here in this fantastic environment with the best weather typical of the season. Instead we have the worst weather of our trip. So it's a total failure. Will we survive?

Since the tide is low in the fridge, we visited the restaurant on the CP in the evening. A decision that we have not regretted. Very tasty food (large antipasti platter, ravioli with salmon filling, pizza frutti di mare) and friendly service. We were actually the only guests, and yet the large, wood-fired pizza oven was fired up for 1 pizza (!) after registration. Who is still complaining...

Thursday May 11th

Daily stage: 420 km

Source: Park4Night & ACSI #2675

Camping Zeus

Via Villa dei Misteri 3, 80045 Pompei

Phone +390818615320

ACSI price €23, otherwise €29

The night passed without rain and the morning woke us up at 7am with sunshine. After shortening our holiday program, we have a few kilometers to eat today. Quick breakfast, V&E, refuel and off we went to Pompei. A really scenic route, partly by the sea, but mainly through/over mountains and valleys via countless bridges and tunnels, mostly on the motorway. We change the altitude between approx. 100 m and 1100 m several times a day. A constant up and down. Arriving in Pompeii, there was still shopping to be done for the next few days, as the empty fridge and storage box caused existential fears.

Then on to CP. Very nice place in a magnificent, Mediterranean-style park at the foot of Mount Vesuvius, surrounded by orange trees. The sanitary facilities are brand new and perfect. D ut is less than 200 m from the entrance to the Pompeii excavations and the Circumvesuviana train station. It is ideal for visiting the archaeological sites, Mount Vesuvius and the city of Naples. Although it is still not the travel season, the place is almost full and we got one of the last places.

To visit the excavations, we treated ourselves to a guided tour of around 2.5 hours. In retrospect, this is also strongly recommended in order to at least see the highlights of the facility and have them explained in context. 39€/person which is a good investment (single entry 18€/person). We got the tickets online the night before, and looking back that was also a great idea when you saw the queues at the ticket office. By the way, we left Gina in the mobile home, which was also a good decision, because the tour would have degenerated into unhealthy stress for the old lady (and us) with the crowds.

I visited Pompeii with my mother almost 50 years ago. The excavations have continued since then and a well-organized tourist infrastructure (and also commercialization) emerged, which did not even exist in the beginning at the time. The complex itself has also grown in size and development and has little to do with the Pompeii of yesteryear, even if I can still remember some of the highlights from back then. Of course, we were only able to visit part of the gigantic complex in the 2 hours, and you could spend days here and still not have seen everything worth seeing. Absolutely impressive and a "must see". But we had enough after the tour. Feet hurt and the crowds didn't exactly make you feel good. And we're still in pre-season! However admirable Pompeii may be, we would not want to visit during the peak holiday season and with the very hot weather usual in July/August.

We spent the rest of the day relaxing in/around the camper. Dinner was rabbit in a lemon basil cream cheese sauce with fresh beans, tomato salad and yogurt for dessert.

Saturday May 13th

Daily stage: approx. 260 km

During the night it rained several times again and the weather is now really raining. Climbing/visiting Mount Vesuvius today will not be a pleasure, nor will you see much due to the low clouds. That's why we skip the visit to Vesuvius and instead drive to our next overnight stop: Tivoli in the north-east of Rome.

About halfway along the way we will visit the Abbey of Montecassino. The abbey is one of the two largest monasteries in Italy, a national shrine, was founded by Saint Benedict in the 6th century and is still the center of the Benedictine Order and also its burial place.

Mount Montecassino was part of the 161 km long German Gustav Line during WWII, designed to stem the Allied advance into Italy's interior and became a focal point of one of the largest and deadliest battles of WWII. 55,000 Allied and 20,000 German soldiers lost their lives there. In 1944 the monastery was bombed by the Allied Air Force, although there were never any German soldiers in the complex, and it was completely destroyed (for the 4th time in its long history), if not to say "obliterated". Only after the destruction did Wehrmacht forces dig into the ruins.

After the war it was rebuilt within 10 years according to the preserved original plans - in the condition/mixture of styles of the 18th century - and completed and dedicated in 1966. A beautiful winding road leads to the top, affording fabulous views of Abruzzo's valleys and mountains (cloud permitting) and it becomes apparent why Mount Montecassino was of such crucial military importance in WWII.

The monastery is definitely worth a visit. Even if it is not "old" in the classical sense, it has enormous cultural and religious significance and charisma. You have the opportunity to admire the building as it was in the 18th century, as if you were there at that time. Exciting...

After a chicken broth with egg in the WoMo to warm up, we continue to the selected parking space in Tivoli. Of course it rains on the way...

Still Saturday, May 13th

Source: Park4Night

"Il Sogno", 8b Strada della Cacciavilla, 00019 Tivoli

GPS: N 41.971870, E 12.784320

Phone +393472769219

Email: goldenkey65@gmail.com

Costs: €17, electricity €3

Private, very well-kept parking space. Fenced and guarded grass pitch, with very clean and rational V&E services. Quiet location surrounded by greenery with electricity, showers, sinks and garbage cans. Excellent strategic point to visit Tivoli, Villa Adriana and Villa d'Este. Nice and helpful operator couple (she is Swiss), even campers. Slightly narrow access road with some overhanging trees/shrubs that protrude into the road, but can be managed with a little caution and skill using WoMos up to 7.50 m in length and 3.30 m in height.

Upon arrival, we just had time for a chat and chocking up the vehicle before it started raining again. Let's see what the weather looks like tomorrow morning and whether our planned cultural program (a visit to Villa Adriana and Villa d`Este, both large outdoor facilities) and another night's stay on "Il Sogno" make sense. Otherwise we continue our journey home and are home a day earlier.

Sunday May 14th

Stage km: 420 km

Source: Park4Night

Camper Club Mutina

S.da Collegarola 76/A 41126 MODENA

GPS: N 44° 36' 49", E 10° 56' 40"

Phone +39335427561

Cost: 20€ tuttifrutti, 5€ only V&E

Web: https://www.camperclubmutina.it/wpdemo1/

Email: info@camperclubmutina.it

As expected, it rained all night. At breakfast we decided to call off the planned visits to the villas, as there was no real sign of the weather improving and trudging around in the rain is not our thing. So today we continue directly to Modena and we will be home a day early (or not if we can think of something great and the weather allows it).

A rain break is used to get the vehicle ready to travel, and then it starts. The sat nav says " Why return to the main road on the familiar path? We'll just take a shortcut! " Well, the road chosen by the sat nav was very narrow - about Frieda width ;-) - and you had to get between overhanging trees and into the street cleverly circling through protruding bushes at walking pace, but the trust in the navigation system initially remained! It knows exactly how long, wide and high our WoMo is! Then came a sharp right turn and in front of us an old, narrow stone bridge built up, maybe a good 2 meters wide, but definitely too narrow. It definitely doesn't go any further! A déja vu (Genoa, Adrano...)! And whether this bridge can withstand 4 t of vehicle weight? I wouldn't want to make a bet there!

Thank God there was a branching, sloping, washed-out dirt road with very deep potholes and opposite a narrow embankment of the stream over which the bridge leads, and we tried to turn the Frieda inch by inch. It took maybe 20 minutes and required a number of millimeter-precise back-and-forths and unshakable trust in the stability of the embankment (after all, people have to believe in something) until Frieda finally looked the other way! The automatic transmission got pretty hot and was about to cut out, and the traction aid worked well. But adventures and challenges have to be obvious...

Then it was back on the familiar route and the rest of the day trip to Modena was relaxed and uneventful. The fact that it rained like cats and dogs at times on the way probably doesn't need to be mentioned in particular... ;-)

Our pitch in Modena is very well equipped, very clean and is in a very quiet area. Better than many a campsite and need not fear "German standards". After a delicious dinner (pork chop á la Napoli with fresh green beans, frisée salad with lots of garlic, bread cake for dessert) we end the evening relaxed with coffee, news, Terra-X and Tatort on TV. By the way: it's raining again...

Monday May 15th

Daily stage: 560 km

After V&E, refueling and shopping for Italian specialties and delicacies for home, we set off towards the Brenner Pass when the weather improves. On the way we heard from the radio about the severe flooding in Emilia Romagna and the Po Valley, which we apparently escaped just in time.

Our next overnight stop was planned in Steinegg in South Tyrol. A simple, private pitch on a mountain farm set back from the motorway with what is said to be a magnificent view over the mountains. Unfortunately, a precautionary call there revealed that due to the continuous rain of the last few days, the ground has softened so much that large motorhomes cannot be parked at the intended overnight accommodations and visibility continues to fluctuate between "zero" and "very moderate" due to clouds. Accommodation would only be possible on the farm itself next to a barn with no view. Since we have made good progress in terms of traffic, we decide to cancel the overnight stay in the Alps and drive straight home. We no longer register the rain showers on the way. We reach our home around 7:30 p.m.

This is the end of a very nice road trip to Italy after 34 days of the tour, despite the unusual, sometimes unusually changeable or rainy and too cool weather for the time of year, which we wouldn't want to miss. A comprehensive summary is drawn in the following article.

• We covered 5233 km in 34 days. That's an average of 154 km/day and can be done very relaxed.
• For coffee drinkers: Senseo coffee pads are rarely used in Italy and are practically unknown in the south of Italy and not available. So stock up on sufficient supplies!
• From our point of view, the condition of the roads in Sicily is surprisingly good, but there are also terrible sections that can only be driven on with the camper at walking pace. However, even on the best roads/motorways, individual, unexpectedly occurring, deep potholes must always be expected.
• The driving style of the Italians "takes getting used to", especially south of Naples: speed limits/traffic rules are apparently only recommendations. You have to reckon with everything, just like the Italians do it themselves, don't hesitate but act decisively and predictably, then everything will work out. In our experience, WoMos are taken into account, but you always have to watch out for scooters/motorcycles, which are usually skillful, but always with a very high risk of danger.
• AdBlue in canisters is not always available at petrol stations in the south and is quite expensive (2.50 - 3.50€/litre). AdBlue petrol pumps are rare but inexpensive (approx. €1.30/litre). seize opportunities! The diesel costs (self-service) ranged between €1.55 and €1.70 on our trip. Many gas stations offer gas pumps with gas station attendant service, which has to be paid extra at around €0.22/litre. Always look at which pillar you drive up to!
• On provincial roads (SP) you should not rely 100% on the correct guidance of the navigation system based on the latitude, longitude and height of the WoMo. Despite the latest version, the IGo navigation maps of our navigation system often had digitization errors in remote areas or were inaccurate/unreliable. Our navigation system occasionally tended to unnecessarily guide us through narrow inner cities. Consult route overview!
• There are a lot of reports about tricksters and burglaries in WoMos in Italy. We have not had any negative experiences and felt completely safe at all times, even when standing alone in remote areas.
• The quality standard of the CP/SP is very different. The number of stars cannot be compared with Germany and is not always meaningful. The facilities are occasionally unkempt to dirty, but it wasn't really "really disgusting" even in more extreme cases. The CP/SP operators were always very friendly and very helpful with us.
• Environmental pollution in Italy is a problem that is often raised. In our experience, the problem is clearly visible in places, but overall far less pronounced than many travel guides and comments/posts on forums suggest.
• In our experience, no registration/reservation on CP/SP is necessary in the pre-season (April/May) if you arrive by around 4 p.m. If you come later, it can sometimes become scarce in individual cases at tourist hotspots even in the pre-season.
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