Noto and other small Towns

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Sept 27 Day 6

Off our own homemade breakfast meats, cheeses.... We where off to the east and after driving through Modica we headed for Noto. This town was a series of one way streets and we had heck of a time finding parking as it seemed to market day. Eventually we travelled past a parking lot and had to go around again to find it. We found our way to town center and the main was closed to traffic for about 8 blocks. Looking like it might be a nice day, we thought we might need umbrellas, so from a street vendor we bought a 5 euro umbrella. At our first stop we went to a church called San Salvatore which looked like it had just gone trough a major reno and was going to get a visit on October 5th frpm the pope for its blessing. Interesting to see a 300 year old plus church after its reno. Then down the street to another beautiful church San Nicolo which also had be reno’ed because its duomo had collapsed. They had redone all the fresco’s it was absolutely gorgeous and was also to be blessed. The main road was covered with small businesses but nothing of interest. Sure enough it started to drizzle so lunch became a priority. No sooner did we find a small little restuarant up a side street and it started to pour. By the time we finished another great homemade lunch the rains where over.
Time to move on so we headed down the coastline through Marina di Modica and past where we found a beautiful beach with dunes and next to an old mill that was built at the beginning of the 20th century, but burnt down a couple of decades later and has stood there ever since. The mill was called Pisciotto, an old brick factory. The skeleton was amazing... Moving on through Donnalucata, and into Scicli. This was a great little town with a beautiful plaza which was covered with all of the old men of the town who gather around 4:30 to tell lies and exchange stories. ( i think it just to get away from the women for a few hours). Found an older gentleman doing carvings out of granite and also quite the salesman. Time to get back as we had dinner at the villa restuarant. Bonnie take us home... At about 5:30 and 3 kms to go she says next right. So we turn right through a T and onto a gravel road. 2 kms to go and girls say don’t do it as shes wrong. Dan and I though believe if she she’s it it must be alright. The road gets narrower, a little rougher rubbing up against bushes. 1.4 kms to go and around a hairpin turn and down a steep hill and now we start to rub the bottom, what have we done... Oh look a puddle, we get out toss a rock in it, got to be a foot deep (not going to happen) Now we’ve got to turn around. Thought we would look like Mike Myers with golf cart in one of his spy movies. ! hour later finally made it back for dinner. Good thing the car was covered in scratches as I think we added a few.

When we got back to the room we enjoyed a great Charme’ Rose Prosecco and then another great dinner accompanied by 2 bottles of what I think is the nicest wine we have had here. Adenzia- Cristo di Campobello from Agrigento a cab/syrah blend...9/10

Over all great day with lots of stories

Wine count 17

Caio till tomorrow

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