Coming from Sardinia to Sicily was a bit of a shock. Palermo was quiet in the early Sunday morning, but by the time we stopped to shop for food in a suburb, people had come alive. Cars honked, vendors shouted, dogs barked (or were run over) and African men insisted on packing our bags or pushing away our shopping cart to get 50 cents.
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SharePalermo - crowded like in Morocco
We crowded into a small noisy tobacco shop to buy internet sim cards (which didn't work), we bought slices from a huge swordfish that was dramatically dismembered in a street stall with the sword pointing straight up, and we bought fruit in another street stall where we were showered with far more melons and pears than we intended.
Rubbish was left in piles everywhere, dust was swirling and the heat was intense. It felt like we had arrived in ... Morocco!? Even the houses, the square stone houses with parabolas on the roofs, reminded us of Morocco.
Difficult to find a campsite
We steered the motorhome towards a campsite on the outskirts of Palermo but couldn't find it - all the streets were narrow and full of holes, and everywhere there were cars parked halfway onto the road. In addition, there were one-way streets everywhere. We were close to the campsite, but we couldn't get there. We gave up.
Towards San Vito Lo Capo, west of Palermo
We drove towards the headland instead San Vito Lo Capo west of Palermo, where there would be several campsites. Since we did not manage to buy an internet sim card, we wanted WiFi. At the first campsite there were WiFi spots and we checked in. Then it turned out that "WiFi is not working". The staff shrugged disinterestedly and said that they could not do anything about it.
We annoyingly checked out and headed to the next campsite. "Yes free WiFi, but only in the bar" - ok, that will do! We checked in and waited for the bar to open at 5pm. It did, but "Sorry, problem with WiFi this week"...
If we hadn't been so tired after the ferry ride, we would probably have checked out in pure anger, but now we stayed. A bit of a tough start in Sicily, but when we have rested we will take the time to discover the island with new eyes. Right now we are sitting down in the small village next to the campsite and blogging from a bar ...
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Matts Torebring says:
All the things you describe I already have inside my waistcoat. That is why I find it so difficult to return to this country. Correct me if you can. Take care.
27 July 2015 - 22:11
Mr Nils-Åke Hansson says:
Sicily is my dream! have read and followed so many people who have travelled there.
Goodbye
Nisse
27 July 2015 - 22:20
admin says:
Matts, I knew you would write this!!! 😉 I can correct you by saying that we had NO problems with WiFi in Sardinia 😉 How it will be in the future here in Sicily... we will have to come back to that!
Nils-Åke, we are of course reporting from our tour!
27 July 2015 - 22:29
Alexandra says:
Sounds a bit like here in Naples. 😉 Do not really know what I think of Italy actually.... horror mixed delight perhaps. Good thing you get to relax in the Mediterranean anyway 😀.
27 July 2015 - 23:02
BP says:
Ooooops! Sicily - the home of the mafia is the first thing I think of. But you obviously found a wifi spot to post and comment with me :-)
Oh hey - don't insult poor Morocco. In Agadir, the wifi worked perfectly - well, at the hotel when we were there;-).
About the rubbish everywhere. It is a constant theme throughout Italy, especially in Naples. So I would probably avoid that city if I were you;-)
It will be interesting what you think about Palermo. But you have "freedom" with the motorhome. You can leave tomorrow if you do not like the city and drive exactly where you want. Luxury ... and freedom as I said!
PS. Italy is ok, but totally over-advertised if you ask me, which you don't;-) The only thing I liked about Italy was actually their Fiorentina steak with lots of salad and the football of course...;-) DS.
27 July 2015 - 23:23
Monica says:
Huh!!! That sounds like a motorhome nightmare to us. It will be exciting to follow you further on this island. We ourselves also sit with non-existent wifi or tangled like that on most French campsites. Slightly frustrating but useful to not only be connected to such a high degree.
We remain in our part of Brittany and currently have 14 degrees and rain is expected tomorrow as well. Like in Sweden, but actually better than the 35-degree heat our neighbours in Provence are reporting. There are fires as usual there too, today alone 10,000 people had to be evacuated from three campsites!
However, we completely refrain from that Morocco feeling, now we stand calmly and nicely near a wonderful medieval town and have made our purchases at a modern supermarket without chopped swordfish today!
27 July 2015 - 23:39
Anki says:
Wow ... seems like it can be an exciting trip there in Sicily ... but it will surely be good - you are experienced and surely fix everything to the best 🙂 .
I think it is far too messy and too many people for me to enjoy it, but of course it will be fun to continue to follow you. Have a good time!
28 July 2015 - 5:50
Mr Steve says:
I have heard about the waste management in Sicily before. It is said to have much to be desired.
I hope that the slow start in Sicily is a temporary "uphill". It is with excitement and interest that I will follow your further adventures on the island. Have a good one!
28 July 2015 - 7:17
Marina says:
Lovely description! It got a little sweaty just reading it 😉 I would think that some of that mess can be found anywhere in the world, and it can be a bit exciting for a while and have a bit of a charm in its own way (for a limited time!!). Hope you find some cosy place on this island too, it might turn up, who knows....
28 July 2015 - 8:58
Maggan and Ingemar says:
Well 🙂 you have about the same feeling as us ...... Morocco! But this is not the case everywhere, it depends on which "municipality" you are in. In some "municipalities" they pay their garbage men others do not. If you have not already bought a SIM card, I can recommend one from TIM, they cover most places and also on the mainland. Here you can read about it http://www.lillviks.blogspot.se/2015/01/tufft-med-trafiken-i-italien.html. There may be cheaper ones, but the coverage may not be as good.
It will be interesting to follow you and hear what you think about Sicily. We can't compare as we have only been there in the winter. It was probably more beautiful in the part you are now in. We were advised not to go into Palermo, a lot of burglary in the cars among other things. it is probably in the larger cities.
Watch out for the other traffickers, they have no road manners on this island 🙂.
28 July 2015 - 9:35
Lots of other stuff and some concrete says:
Hm, doesn't sound like a good start to a visit to Sicily.
How is your computer, is it charging now with the new cable? And Peter's knee?
We have now come home after our one week motorhome trip and we are so happy with most of the car. Just the right size for us. Longing out again but there is a lot to do at home too.
Greetings Agneta
28 July 2015 - 10:00
Maggan and Ingemar says:
Answer to the question was: Can be a little difficult to find Villa de Romana del Casala if you do not have the ability to enter coordinates check my map and maybe you will find https://maggansreseblogg.wordpress.com/2015/03/08/det-basta-sparade-vi-till-sist/ , otherwise search the internet and maybe there is a better description. The place is called Piassa Amerina.
28 July 2015 - 10:16
Ama de casa says:
Oops! A little rough start in Sicily... My memory of that island is that it was both beautiful and peaceful. But on the other hand, it was in the mid-80s. Things change, and memories... 😉.
28 July 2015 - 10:39
admin says:
Alexandra, haha, ok what is it that you don't like in Italy? We like some things, but there are other things we don't like. Right now we are disappointed with WiFi and the food 😉 But in Sardinia we were happy with most things!
BP, Italy is not our favourite either (like France most) but we liked Sardinia! And Lake Garda is nice! Let's see what we will like about Sicily. We did not stay in Palermo... too messy and too difficult to find a campsite...
Monica, interesting, we thought the wifi worked well in France (but expensive)! How cold you have! And wow wow wow, dramatic with fires and evacuations!!!
Anki, we'll see what happens in the future and what places we can find! But high season is high season ...
Steve, waste management is a real pain in the arse!!!!
Marina, it can be exciting and charming, but a bit hard when you come from a night on a bench (=not the best sleep) and with an empty fridge (not allowed to use LPG on the boat)... 😉.
Maggan and Ingemar, thanks for the tips! We will see if we can find the phone cards you recommend! (Unless it proves easier to refill the ones we have, which are out of stock). Ok, it's nice here, but we thought we would go to Trapani today to look for phone cards. We didn't stay in Palermo...
Agneta, thanks for asking! The computer will accept charging with the new cord! I need to get a new battery at some point, but that will be later (internal battery which is tricky to change). Peter's knee is better, but not great. Glad you are happy with the car!
Maggan and Ingemar, thank you! We will check your blog as soon as we have better wifi! (Sitting in a bar now and it goes up and down. Trying to respond to comments and post a new post, but it's hard... ;))
Ama de casa, it may depend on the time of year now... maybe you weren't here in the high season?
28 July 2015 - 11:32
Elisabeth says:
I'm sure you'll find some privacy in Sicily too. It is an island we are also keen to travel to. Keep up the good work!
28 July 2015 - 12:04
Ditte says:
I think it is good to leave the Palermo area. There is a lot of other things in Sicily and we have been more in the Cefalu area. It is holiday time now and a lot of people everywhere and Sicily is not like Sardinia or Corsica....Not the food either. And we have eaten very well in the Cefalu area and not at all pizza.
It will be interesting to see how long you stay...
28 July 2015 - 21:31
admin says:
Elisabeth, yes, we can probably do that, but I think it's more difficult. On the one hand, it's more populated here, but then we are also here during the high season!
Ditte, no you are of course right that it is different, and it is high season. We will try to find the right place on this island too!
28 July 2015 - 22:14