TOMB RAIDER. SOTTO ST MAURO CASTELVERDE. 21 SEPTEMBER 1992.

I took this ST MAURO CASTELVERDE TOMB  foto (for the record so to speak) on a return trip subsequent to 1992 as my camera on 21 SEPTEMBER 1992 en route by foot up to ST MAURO had suddenly stopped working. The weather along the way from BIVIO COMUNELLO walking by way of BIVIO CALABRO had suddenly become very bad with very heavy rains and much thunder and lightening. It was the very first occasion when I had made the wholly uphill climb from BIVIO CALABRO to ST MAURO and so I hadn't known quite what to expect. I certainly as always on my summer Sicily trips never carried a tent and hoped against hope that I would be able to manage along one way or another.

I was quite confused and fearful en route on the TOMB RAIDER occasion as the weather suddenly became very very bad indeed and altho I did not know exactly how far from ST MAURO I was on that early stormy darkening evening I eventually got on the look-out for somewhere to take shelter. During the afternoon my old notebooks record that the weather was sunny. But all that suddenly changed as the sun went down and evening drew nigh. Anyway lo and behold in my developing desperation I espied off the road the above TOMB and took overnight shelter therein. It was not in the township but in the countryside area. By then it was after 7pm and I'd walked about 15 miles since about 1.30pm.

The entrance door was pad locked but the lock was slightly ajar and so I manipulated it a little and made my way inside. I had a small torch. Inside there were many insects and large sized moths and even a SCORPION or two. Inside there was also a very narrow staircase winding down to a lower level (altho I never ever ventured to the lower level) and fortunately at the ground level so to speak there was just enough room to lay out my ground sheet and sleeping bag and so there I stayed overnight while the storm raged thunder and lightening. It was a bit strange overall but I just made the best of it and was not indifferent or disrespectful of the fact that it was a tomb. Next morning the weather had settled so on I treked on up to ST MAURO after re-securing the door and lock. Obviously it was quite a memorable occasion - the above foto was made for the record when I re-treked the route in subsequent years.

As I have already recounted in blogspots I certainly had more lovely times en route from BIVIO COMUNELLO HERE - via BIVIO CALABRO and MY SICILIAN BEDROOM HERE - to treke on and on via lovely BORRELLO ALTO to the quiet gentle POLLINA MARINA seaside beaches.

You can find the ST MAURO location (at No. 39)
on the Madonie Region Map link below -
but not the precise TOMB location. 

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.

NICOSIA (EN). "IN SICILY RELIGION IS PANTS!"

IN NICOSIA (EN) "RELIGION IS PANTS!" 

There it is and so you don't just have to take my word for it!

Not quite the same as MISTRETTA - click HERE.

Anyway don't be too suprised - wait until mid July and then click HERE
for a genuine NICOSIA CAVE MAN surprise.  

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 NEBRODI REGION locations map click HERE

“SHADE HOPPING” TO TAKE REFUGE FROM THE BLAZING SICILIAN SUN.

When I am casting back in my minds eye on occasions over the years of my MADONIE and NEBRODI MOUNTAINS walking excursions a phrase that recurs to me is “SHADE HOPPING”. It’s a descriptive phrase that I have good reason to look back on fondly. It signifies that altho’ there were very very many long walks through beautiful shady woodland and forest areas where shade was abundant, especially during the very hot long high summer days, there were certainly other times along contrasting roads where in the blazing sun with my sometimes weighty back pack, there was almost no shade whatsoever to be had from the hot blazing sun.

Sometimes a combination of tiredness and lack of shade encouraged me to scrutinise the roads ahead very carefully indeed and at various intervals set my mind for heading for espied individual wayside trees which projected down enough shade onto the nearside road surface for me to head for with some desperation so that I could stop there underneath in the shade for brief although extremely very welcome rests. So it was that I would mentally coach myself to enjoy these memorable "SHADE HOPPING" occasions. Of course there were times when I felt grumpy because there was no shade hopping prospect at all on the road ahead, and I would just have to slog on regardless. There was no alternative anyway.

Sometimes, when the going was difficult, I would see a small shady location in the distance and hope very much to be able to rest beneath the roadside tree which had cast its shadow but when I got to the location the actual road system at the particular spot was such that traffic conditions made it impossible to stop at all – it would be too dangerous. Disappointingly, at some moments therefore it was more complicated to SHADE HOP than I would have wished. Anyway “SHADE HOPPING” was a memorable occasional aspect of my travels.

I will search through my photographs and if I find something to illustrate a SHADE HOPPING location I will in due course add them to this particular blog narrative.

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 NEBRODI REGION locations map click HERE

EXCLUSIVE! MARLON BRANDO - SENSATIONAL NEW 2013 GODFATHER FILM EPHEMERA.

THE GODFATHER in 2013 ... like you've never seen him before.

Not even in CORLEONE!!

This new release will prove sensational. 

I will need a big supply of paper tissues

for eye-wiping during this summers Sicily excursions. 

This film is believed to have been directed by
3 Sicilian Geologists whose names

so far have not been released.
CLICK ...CLICK on the above images to enlarge the details.

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 NEBRODI REGION locations map click HERE.

ST AGATA DI MILITELLO - CREATURE LIKE SHADOWY ANIMATIONS!

This ST AGATA DI MILITELLO (Messina Province) photograph I made quite some years ago now - if you CLICK on the image once its size and visibility will be greatly enhanced and you can then enjoy its creature like SHADOWY ANIMATIONS.  It's a foto I have always remembered and on occasional ST AGATA re-visits I have sat on the tree shaded public benches in this central ST AGATA location and rested up. The beach at ST AGATA I don't much care for at all but its creature like quite a surprise SHADOWY ANIMATIONS I certainly do.  These shadowy hanging BAT and CRAWLING INSECT like animations are no longer there but here they are still preserved for enjoyment. This photo's location is on STRADA STATALE 113 SICULA.

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 NEBRODI  REGION locations map click HERE.   

A SMALL BUT MEMORABLE WAYSIDE RARITY. WHITE POPPIES!

It was June summertime SICILY 2004. And as sometimes happens (although relatively rarely) the rain was really lashing down. It was absolutely torrential rain. And for the first time ever in my life I'd seen some wayside white poppies from aboard a coach the day before.

So next day I went back on foot. I found the spot OK as I knew the road (Strada Statale117) and had made a mental note of it.  Before I quite reached the location to make matters even more traumatic a patrolling countryside CARABINIERI vehicle's custodians (probably bored out of their cocky peaked caps) decided to stop me thereabouts in the absolutely teeming rain to check my I.D. etc.,  I was very very far from endeared as I stood there getting absolutely soaked to the skin. Anyway I disappointed them and proved not to be the biggest criminal since THE GODFATHER!  For my satirical take on the Italian CRABINIERIE click HERE. 

Anyway I eventually got on my way again and took shelter for a while. And then walked on and hey presto I came upon the only WHITE POPPIES I have ever seen - as shown below.

CLICK CLICK on images to helpfully increase their VISIBILITY! 

They were along the NICOSIA road northwards en route to BIVIO CAPIZZI and CESARO or MISTRETTA. On the left hand side of the road about a kilometer or so beyond NICOSIA's CEMETARY. Over the years betwixt the MADONIE and NEBRODI mountains I had trudged this road backwards and forwards a few times - nice countryside. And several times I had holed up for BED AND BREAKFAST at LA VIGNETTA MOTEL at Porte Portelle - usually I stopped therein when well into my annual holiday and when in dire need of a good wash and the luxury of a civilized bed for a night or two.

Along this road - there was also an old CAVE I had discovered and I had also stayed therein overnight a few times - when the weather was unsettled and rainy wet. My next blog spot will feature my "CAVE MAN" stopovers. In fact I got to know and remember certain passing small locations along the various roads so that when the weather was unsettled I'd head thereto to take shelter until the weather had re-settled.  More in passing about these locations in my CAVE MAN blog spot - HERE.

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 NEBRODI  REGION locations map click HERE.   

“ARSENAL, CHELSEA, TOTTENHAM, NOTTINGHAM FOREST!” NEBRODI 1990 CONTADINO FOOTBALL ENTHUSIAST.

September 1990 and I’d left the MONTE MALLARO “DESERTED COTTAGE”. Heading on foot towards FLORESTA eventually by way of PORTELLA MITTA I was passing through a beautiful open landscapes area with very very many grazing animals. I had covered about 2 kilometers of the journey from the DESERTED COTTAGE  pasture when I chanced upon this shepherd. We spoke – he hadn’t expected to encounter a lone South Londoner and although I did not expect him to speak English I did get a truly amazing surprise which I noted and have always remembered. When he realized my nationality he almost immediately blurted out with very energetic enthusiastic good humour

“ARSENAL, CHELSEA,

TOTTENHAM, 

NOTTINGHAM FOREST!”.

That was his sole English – and I absolutely do not mention this limitation grudgingly – absolutely not – it was a really lovely unexpected moment. Doubly so because I had never had any interest in football but notwithstanding this our exchange and meeting was really lovely.

CLICK on photo to increase its visibility and his contadino football enthusiasm!!

He'd be pretty elderly now and I certainly still hope
he’s doing OK in that really beautiful area of
the NEBRODI MOUNTAINS REGION.

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 NEBRODI  REGION locations map click HERE.