The last two days presented the most remarkable cross Sicily experience. Milazzo to Falconera in two wonderful follow-our-instincts days with Mount Etna, always in our eastern view.
After our 4 days in Lipari, we handed the scooter in, took the ferry across to Milazzo and rented a little grey Fiat 500. It's our favourite Italian car, especially appropriate for small back roads, steep and narrow cobble streets and typical hair pin turns.
From Milazzo, we drove towards Agira. This was a planned destination, but how we got there was open. It was so fascinating witnessing the landscape changes. It is late June (summer solstice) and the wheat is being harvested. Steep rolling hills covered with neat rows of harvested wheat by very skillful farmers. We saw a combine with a tilted header, to cover the incredible angles. Volcanic rock spread throughout, pastures of cows, sheep and goats, huge rocks everywhere and then towns built atop incredible peaks. This is rugged land. The vistas are stunning! Again, we have Mount Etna always guiding our direction. As long as she was to our left or behind us, we knew we were heading in the direction we intended.
Agira was beyond our expectations. High up on a geologic peak, an entire old and quaint town with admittedly nerve wracking steep and narrow streets that led right up to a piazza filled with excited locals watching soccer at the local cafe. They were happy to help us find an albergo and the children were tickled to keep saying the words "I speak English" and then giggling at us.
We did find a delightful B&B, run by a woman who spoke no English. Gestures and a few understood Italian words gets us a room with an extraordinary view for 30 euro each.
We rested well and prepared to go to the Canadian War Cemetary, which was the reason we chose Agira as a destination. Here lie 490 Canadian soldiers, killed in attacks in Sicily in the summer of 1943. It is the only all-Canadian war Cemetary in Italy. It is meticulously kept with a view of Mount Etna and Lagos Pozzillo to one side and the town of Agira to the other. A moving experience, wandering amongst the perfectly lined marble tomb stones. We looked in the register and even saw a soldier from London, Ontario.
After our 4 days in Lipari, we handed the scooter in, took the ferry across to Milazzo and rented a little grey Fiat 500. It's our favourite Italian car, especially appropriate for small back roads, steep and narrow cobble streets and typical hair pin turns.
From Milazzo, we drove towards Agira. This was a planned destination, but how we got there was open. It was so fascinating witnessing the landscape changes. It is late June (summer solstice) and the wheat is being harvested. Steep rolling hills covered with neat rows of harvested wheat by very skillful farmers. We saw a combine with a tilted header, to cover the incredible angles. Volcanic rock spread throughout, pastures of cows, sheep and goats, huge rocks everywhere and then towns built atop incredible peaks. This is rugged land. The vistas are stunning! Again, we have Mount Etna always guiding our direction. As long as she was to our left or behind us, we knew we were heading in the direction we intended.
Agira was beyond our expectations. High up on a geologic peak, an entire old and quaint town with admittedly nerve wracking steep and narrow streets that led right up to a piazza filled with excited locals watching soccer at the local cafe. They were happy to help us find an albergo and the children were tickled to keep saying the words "I speak English" and then giggling at us.
We did find a delightful B&B, run by a woman who spoke no English. Gestures and a few understood Italian words gets us a room with an extraordinary view for 30 euro each.
We rested well and prepared to go to the Canadian War Cemetary, which was the reason we chose Agira as a destination. Here lie 490 Canadian soldiers, killed in attacks in Sicily in the summer of 1943. It is the only all-Canadian war Cemetary in Italy. It is meticulously kept with a view of Mount Etna and Lagos Pozzillo to one side and the town of Agira to the other. A moving experience, wandering amongst the perfectly lined marble tomb stones. We looked in the register and even saw a soldier from London, Ontario.
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