Sept 11, 2019
Woke up at 6:30 am this morning and fell asleep a little earlier last night - maybe around 11:30. Sleep has been tough for me here and most nights, I've tossed and turned until 1 or 2 am. I think my clock is finally adjusting now that it is time to go home. David woke up shortly after me and we headed out for coffee before waking Avi. Just like everywhere in Italy, it doesn't matter where you go, they have expensive espresso machines and can make a delicious cappuccino. We had one coffee at the Bar by the beach and then walked down the beach sidewalk a little way and had another. We then headed back and woke up Avi. We had plans to hike and see the Riserva Naturale dello Zingaro.
The Reserve was not very far from our place but it was another throw up road. Hairpin turns with feeling like one wrong move would send you to your death. Eventually we found a parking spot that we thought was a legal spot and headed into the Park. What a beautiful place. We hiked about 3 miles in at a very leisurely pace, enjoying all there was to see along the way. On the way back, we stopped at an amazing little beach and went swimming. The water in these beaches defies description. It is crystal clear and every color of green and blue. I didn't swim very long but David and Avi swam a long time while I relaxed on the beach. It was such a peaceful time.
We got back on the trail to hike the final mile back. I think this was the hottest day we have had since we arrived here and although we all carried water, we went through it before we finished with the hike and went the last mile without water. We were happy to arrive back at our car. There was a little trailer set up there where you could buy water and it tasted like the Elixir of the Gods.
Unfortunately, when we arrived back at our car, there was a ticket waiting for us on our windshield. Guess our spot wasn't legal but we weren't sure why. Difficult in another country to understand the signs you see and what they mean. We drove back to town and asked a few questions the best we could in Italian to determine how to take care of the ticket. We were directed to a Stazione di Polizia and we walked there with intention to pay only to find they were closed. Somewhere along the way, we managed to find a sandwich as we were starving. I had nothing to eat but coffee in the morning and it was now 4 p.m. Between the hike and no food, my legs felt like jello. Wandering around the hot streets of town trying to figure out how to pay for this ticket was a little much at this point.
We rested just a bit and then decided to drive to Trapani to see the city and have some dinner. Trapani was about 45 min away and is a much bigger city of about 60,000 people. The noise and smells of the downtown areas of these cities is a little tough to take at times. Everyone drives diesel engines with little pollution control and there are so many scooters and motorcycles on the roads, everyone honking as they drive. Not much peace there. We did find a wonderful restaurant and enjoyed an amazing dinner. Something other than pizza! I had some of the best salmon I've ever tasted along with a salad, imagine that. So nice to have a few vegetables. They are hard to find here, unless you count the tomato sauce on your pizza.
We drove home along the water under a full moon. Beautiful night. Great day. I have to admit I'll be happy to return this car tomorrow and be done with driving in Italy. Really. Happy.
Woke up at 6:30 am this morning and fell asleep a little earlier last night - maybe around 11:30. Sleep has been tough for me here and most nights, I've tossed and turned until 1 or 2 am. I think my clock is finally adjusting now that it is time to go home. David woke up shortly after me and we headed out for coffee before waking Avi. Just like everywhere in Italy, it doesn't matter where you go, they have expensive espresso machines and can make a delicious cappuccino. We had one coffee at the Bar by the beach and then walked down the beach sidewalk a little way and had another. We then headed back and woke up Avi. We had plans to hike and see the Riserva Naturale dello Zingaro.
The Reserve was not very far from our place but it was another throw up road. Hairpin turns with feeling like one wrong move would send you to your death. Eventually we found a parking spot that we thought was a legal spot and headed into the Park. What a beautiful place. We hiked about 3 miles in at a very leisurely pace, enjoying all there was to see along the way. On the way back, we stopped at an amazing little beach and went swimming. The water in these beaches defies description. It is crystal clear and every color of green and blue. I didn't swim very long but David and Avi swam a long time while I relaxed on the beach. It was such a peaceful time.
We got back on the trail to hike the final mile back. I think this was the hottest day we have had since we arrived here and although we all carried water, we went through it before we finished with the hike and went the last mile without water. We were happy to arrive back at our car. There was a little trailer set up there where you could buy water and it tasted like the Elixir of the Gods.
Unfortunately, when we arrived back at our car, there was a ticket waiting for us on our windshield. Guess our spot wasn't legal but we weren't sure why. Difficult in another country to understand the signs you see and what they mean. We drove back to town and asked a few questions the best we could in Italian to determine how to take care of the ticket. We were directed to a Stazione di Polizia and we walked there with intention to pay only to find they were closed. Somewhere along the way, we managed to find a sandwich as we were starving. I had nothing to eat but coffee in the morning and it was now 4 p.m. Between the hike and no food, my legs felt like jello. Wandering around the hot streets of town trying to figure out how to pay for this ticket was a little much at this point.
We rested just a bit and then decided to drive to Trapani to see the city and have some dinner. Trapani was about 45 min away and is a much bigger city of about 60,000 people. The noise and smells of the downtown areas of these cities is a little tough to take at times. Everyone drives diesel engines with little pollution control and there are so many scooters and motorcycles on the roads, everyone honking as they drive. Not much peace there. We did find a wonderful restaurant and enjoyed an amazing dinner. Something other than pizza! I had some of the best salmon I've ever tasted along with a salad, imagine that. So nice to have a few vegetables. They are hard to find here, unless you count the tomato sauce on your pizza.
We drove home along the water under a full moon. Beautiful night. Great day. I have to admit I'll be happy to return this car tomorrow and be done with driving in Italy. Really. Happy.
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