Ruins at Selinunte

These Greek ruins at Selinunte are from 650 BC and are amazing. Most of the buildings are as they fell. Some have been partly restored so you get a better idea of how they would have looked. It was an amazingly big town.

Ruins of Mount Adranone above Sambuca.

Above the town of Sambuca these 6th century BC ruins of a town stand at around 1000meters above sea level. The city was destroyed  around 250 BC and was not excavated until 1968.  The road up to them is very steep and tortuous and made the scooter and me struggle a bit. Well worth it though. The ruins were closed for the afternoon but the staff invited us in anyway and no charge.   Another unmissable site.
 

Piano Cervi Walk

We started this walk at 1400 meters and climbed steadily to 1800 m. The scenery was amazing. We spotted a family of wild boar on the mountain side, this was a first for us. Also deer running everywhere. Lovely day but very cold at this altitude.

Surprise visit.

What a surprise! We were sitting in the van after dinner one evening and there was a knock at the door The visitor asked if we could turn our music down.  There stood Rich and Jan two of my sons best friends who had been in Northern Europe for the summer. They had met up with another UK traveller in Pompei who had recommended Sicily and they had come down to join up with him. He said that the couple opposite him on the site were from UK, so they came over, having realised that it must be us from his description.

We have since spent a very Happy week with them, walking and eating etc.  On our mountain walk we met a gang of workers clearing a fire break on the hillside. They called us over and brewed us an Espresso on a primus stove. They were a friendly crew.

Holly Walk

This walk is from above Castelbuono and climbs from 1260 meters to 1510 through woodland filled with gigantic holly trees some up to 350 years old. Great views of the surrounding area. 

Mountain Ride.

We took an 85 miles ride on the scooter around the mountains in the Madonie National Park.We reached 1850 meters above sea level where it was very cold but the scenery far outweighed that problem.

Stunning road, motorcycle heaven. No traffic just miles of hairpin bends and amazing vistas round each one. Probabaly one of the best roads we have ridden in the last ten years, and having crossed the Alps a few times, that should give a clue as to how good.