Tuesday 4 November 2008

GOBSMACKED! ANGLO-SICILIAN REFRESHERS.





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Just before noon on Sunday 23 June 1997 I arrived at BIVIO COMUNELLO (>see<) after the 3 mile walk from GANGI and after having amusingly photographed 2 contrasting road signs just yards apart – one warned against fires the other about “snowy road conditions”.. At Comunello I rested up for 4 hours. I ate 3 chicken pieces and a ham sandwich and also noted
“there was some breeze, tho’ the sun is very warm – also a few spots of rain! The water is running … my ankle is a bit sore – it’s a nuisance. Bag not too heavy but heavy all the same. Nice in the grasses under these small trees opposite the water point…that lovely goat was with the sheep and nearby, and a shepherd (a nice man). The sheep all ran off in a great pack along the Nicosia road – the shepherd had to run to keep up – they were all over the road. The goat was extraordinary – he’d
previously jumped down off the roof to land right beside me! He did it again a little later”.
I still remember him right by my side, he stood for a second or two kind of shook himself down then toodled off.
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I set off along the ST MAURO road to a small bivio intersection then forked right in the MISTRETTA direction and after about 3 miles rested up at GIOVANNI NAPOLI’s small wood where I slept the night. Next morning I went on at 8am towards MISTRETTA and a little before noon arrived at an intersection (ST LUCIA/ MISTRETTA) and rested up. Here I ate one or two thirst quenching REFRESHERs and for amusement wrote “ANGLO-SICILIAN REFRESHERS”.

I’d also bought REFRESHERS with me in July 1995. Walking north of ST MAURO towards POLLINA and the blue sea I popped a REFRESHER into my mouth and in that very same split second instant totally out of the blue a butterfly flew straight into my mouth along with the REFRESHER. I reacted absolutely immediately, spat out both, tasting a powdery residue on my lips which I took to have been deposited by the unfortunate butterfly. It had had pale blue wings. An enormously surprising event. GOBSMACKED indeed! GOBSMACKED by the BUTTERFLY and GOATSMACKED by you can easily guess who.
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For Madonie Region map locations information click >here<.
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For the FULL chronological list of all SICILY ABLAZE pages click >> here <<.
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Tomorrow - SURROUNDED!