PEACEFUL SOLITUDE AND POETRY 'NEATH SUN AND STARS. "MY SICILIAN BEDROOM".

Unobtrusive the SP52 quietly snakes along seawards in the distance.





You can see the "bedroom" fencing noted in the poem.

LEFT CLICK on one of the above images to greatly improve visibility and detail.

These varied photographs together with the poem MY SICILIAN BEDROOM relate to an extremely peaceful spot along the Strada Provinciale 52 (SP52) a quiet country road that I walked on numerous occasions. It takes one from Bivio Comunello (see here) northwards all the way for about 30 miles (50 kms) to the northern Sicilian coast at peaceful Polina Marina. Usually, beyond the SICILIAN BEDROOM location, I would fork right at 6kms after reposing briefly at BIVIO CALABRO and climb the 9 kilometres up up and up to ST MAURO CASTELVERDE. I enjoyed legging it along these incredible peaceful summertime roads immensely. Strictly speaking this countryside area is to the east a little outside the MADONIE GEOPARK REGION itself.

With sufficient food, water, groundsheets and a sleeeping bag I'd stay put for the occasional single night at this location, and on one occasion (in June 1997) I stayed put for two nights just relaxing and very very greatly enjoyed the beauty of the location hence the poem MY SICILIAN BEDROOM. The days here progressed through amazing sunshine into clear starry peaceful nights - of course sometimes the skies would cloud over dramatically as per one or two of the above photos.

It was along this road in 1995 heading on further north (beyond ST MAURO CASTEVERDE) that I was utterly GOBSMACKED when - SEE HERE - a large winged beautiful blue butterfly flew straight into my momentarily opened mouth. And on yet another occasion high up on the climb to ST MAURO feeling tired in the baking heat I took shelter for a while naked to the waist and lo and behold a similar butterfly came and settled on my bare right shoulder - which caused me to go pretty boss-eyed to see him without making any movement that might scare him. It wasn't always enormous sunshine up to ST MAURO - in late September 1992 I was pursued closely by a very very violent tempest and had to sleep the night below ST MAURO in an old fortunately accessible family tomb.

For a full chronological list of all SICILY ABLAZE page titles click HERE.

For a full A to Z indexed MADONIE REGION locations map click HERE.

For a full A to Z indexed NEBRODIE REGION locations map click HERE.

Still to come - eventually - "FROM GANGI TO MISTRETTA" - branching off along the SP52 from BIVIO COMUNELLO well before reaching ("MY SICILIAN BEDROOM") and legging it onwards by way of GIOVANNI NAPOLI's WOOD to MISTRETTA.