Noto & Marina di Modica

Lying in bed looking out the window as the sun rises over the horizon in Marina Di Modica. The palm trees situated in front calmly swaying. The craggy rocky shoreline highlighted with the pink sunrise. Last night peaceful with the sound of waves, like a lion’s roar. We are here parked up for free with mainly italian campers. Our neighbours from Italian cities of Milan and Verona. Lovely couples who are super welcoming. Not much is here but its lovely and peaceful and the sunshine hit 16 degrees yesterday. The neighbours out sunning themselves. The coastline here full of walks to neighbouring villages.You can sit all day watching the ocean, the occasional shipping vessel passing in the far distance. We travelled here from Noto, waving goodbye to our wonderful host Anna. She gave us some of her fab lemons from her grove. Monday we were parked in a lemon grove at Anticio Trappeto 1km from Noto. This camper spot ideal to visit the UNESCO city of Noto. The owner Anna lovely and welcoming, even providing a shuttle service to Noto and back. We arrived here monday morning after returning to get more seafood from the pescaras in Avola. The night before we were all parked up, starting dinner when the police turned up. 3 Italian campers were parked with their tables and chairs out cooking and drinking. Unlike all the other campers that had been there for up to 10 days. We hadn’t seen the police at all, and because these Italian campers were doing the illegal camping behaviour. We were all told we would have to move on the next day. The German campers who had been there for 10 days were gutted. The Italian campers moved on immediately leaving us all deflated that they had wreaked it for all of us. So that night we enjoyed our swordfish and decided to go to Noto in the morning. The night ending in a yelling match between a couple in the car park. If you know Italians you will know that this is on a loud scale of extra loud. So it sounded like a soap opera. Entertaining us for about 20 minutes. We stocked up in the morning with seafood for our risotto that night, we filled up LPG and a food shop at lidl to get us through the week. Arriving at Noto it’s not cheap at €18 a night, but will power us up for a couple of days and allow us to catch up on some tv. I’m glad I asked Anna for some lemons as she has an abundance of them in this lemon grove. The lemon trees over 6 feet high, not like the little ones we are used to seeing. If we could take a tree back and I knew it would it survive in Wales I would. As the citrus here is sweet and juicy, ideal with seafood and salads. Anna drove us and the dogs into Noto and gave us a number to call her to pick us up. Noto is stunning the UNESCO heritage site full of Baroque buildings. Arriving at siesta time is great ,the streets empty allowing you to walk the cobble stones and take photos without people in front of them. The beautiful carvings around the roof tops and decorating the window frames delicate in design. The sheer amount of churches, mind-blowing. You can see why its has been known to have one of the most beautiful streets. The entrance into the historic centre through a tree-lined park that has a huge garden full of rosemary and thyme. That smells beautiful. The entrance through the gateway arch of Porta Reale. You pass a few palatial buildings and then returning from a street above you see the piazzas below. Duomos, theatros, churches. Sicily is one of the most beautiful places in Italy.