Pomieri Hotel Day 4 - Walk 4 Up and Down in Parco della Madonie

Perhaps this will sound familiar: the  morning dawned clear and bright promising another fine day.  We started our day off with so-so breakfasts of a distinctly limited Continental-style variety.  At least the croissants had  some nice flavor.  Our examination of what the hotel provided for our lunches did not inspire joy either but you eat what you are given. We shouldered our packs and headed out the door again just before 09:00.

The Inntravel book does not count the 300m long, descending some 30m along the hotel driveway as part of the walk. Personally, I think that is a mistake since you do have to trod that path too. I think the book claimed the walk would be 13km though I am not sure as I type this of the full stats.  We strode along the elevated highway, which looks really pretty from a distance, to where we would pick up the path into the Madonie mountains. 900 meters of paved road walk, a very quiet road, but a paved road walk nonetheless.   Cows mooed and their bells jingled, dogs barked and birds sang as we walked. A pretty morning.

We left the road to join a track that would gradually ascend for perhaps 500m before becoming more like a mountain trail and beginning the real steep ascent. Sweat poured off me as we pushed upward along the sometimes rocky, always steep, twisting trail. I would have to check the map to be sure but I think we gained the bulk of our ascent, say 200-220 meters,  in considerably less than 1km of steep trail.   Once in a while a view showing the spectacular highway, mountains, and Pomieri Hotel would present itself. What a climb.

It was a relief to reach the top and find an undulating trail that would lead us for another km or so to a forestry-style road that we would follow for over a kilometer. That might sound dull but we were treated to some expansive views of arid  steep mountains and deep valleys as we worked our way  south and west and eventually down into a valley we were going to circumnavigate. The road would fade away into a trail in time (why it stopped I have no clue) and we wound down good trail through the densest forest I think I have seen so far. I believe it is filled with a type of fir tree but other species are no doubt present. 

As we worked our way towards the halfway point we encountered over a dozen people coming the other way. Our notes suggested it would be unusual to see anyone. Well, today at least, the notes were very much in error.   Somewhere not that far away on a mountain road is a “trailhead” people can use to make a valley circuit of a few hours and I think that is what we were seeing people doing. Only Mom, Dad, myself, Maggie, and George had come from Pomieri Hotel. 

As we ate our mediocre lunches in a dry stream bed we watched clouds visibly move across the sky. Even some sizable heavy dark grey clouds passed on overhead. The temperature had risen to perhaps 70F but as we left the lunch spot to start the ascent out of the valley, continuing our clockwise journey, a cool breeze came up from the valley to push us along.  For the next couple of kilometers we climbed along an old concrete single-lane mountain road with unusual water capture and diversion emplacements nestled against the mountainside. 12-15 foot deep basins would capture water and send it under the road to exit the far side. Why were they so deep?

We closed the loop , about 6km, in early afternoon. Leaving the mountain road with fine views for the upland forest  to work our way back to the steep section that would plunge us down along path 3 back to the highway and the 1,200 meters (remember the driveway counts) to the hotel.  I had not been looking forward to the descent but it turned out that Mom would be right. It was tough taking the better part of an hour  but despite loose stones and one slip and semi fall it was not actually that bad.   We plodded down the highway and up the driveway  looking forward to what refreshments we  could get as the hotel came into view just a little after 15:00. This had been a very nice walk and even though it had the steep section it was well worth the effort. It is too bad it has the lengthy highway walk but we only saw one car.

Stats: The day started out almost cloudless but clouds , including some heavy ones, grew more common as the afternoon progressed. The high was about 70F though it was cooling as we returned to the hotel. Total distance 12.6km with ascent/descent of about 610m. This walk had 2 major ascents and 2 major descent: a nice change from simply a long  up and then a long down. We took 58 minutes in breaks; walked about 5 hours 20 minutes.

Photos

1. Not that much farther to the top but here is a view back from where we have been. You can see the Pomieri Hotel to the left of the second curve of the elevated highway.
2. I am not sure if the valley is called Polizzi Generosa or if that is just the region we are in. But this is one example of the vistas we saw walking along the forestry road before returning to the forests and the descent into the valley.
3. We are climbing out of the valley and this was an early scene along the way. The mountains are special.
4. Coming to the end of the mountain-road part of the ascent. We are about to close the loop which means we still have about 3km to go including the more than a kilometer of big descent

Pomieri Hotel Day 3 - Walk 3 Petralia Sottana to Pomieri Hotel

The morning dawned clear and with the promise of great warmth. We were fed, packed, and ready to hit the trail a little before 09:00. Today the book said the walk would be 11.5km with , as I recall without checking, 700m ascent and 350m descent.  The first 2.5km or so were along paved roads for the most part  with some lanes thrown in. That got us out of town and to the start of the Trail of Peace (Sentieri a Pacem).   We began following gently ascending paths that would first take us to, and across, a Roman bridge that spans a fast-flowing stream. It is a remarkable bridge that seems to be cut from the rock itself. If you ignore the excessive quantities of thorny bushes encrouching on the narrow path the next stretch is really quite lovely. We found ourselves wishing we had loppers to provide the trail some TLC.

We continued on and generally upward along mountain roads that would at times span some lengthy steep stretches. The footing was good so it is just a physical workout. In the distance we heard cowbells and birds in some pretty glades.  Pretty all around. 

I wish I could say we ate a fine repast in a lovely setting for lunch but that would be untrue. The setting was nice enough but the quality of lunches we are getting is rather poor. Leave aside the meager fillings in the sandwiches the bread itself is hardly what you would think Italy should be creating. It is fuel at best.  Fuel that we used on the next big climb up a rock-strewn faint trail where we, and Maggie and George who had long since caught up to us, made an error. Mom was right the place was too pretty to be right. That cost us a good 400m and plenty of time but we found our way back to where we needed to be and slogged up the remaining rocky faint trail along the telegraph poles. Too bad the  trail descending the last km or so was not really any better. Not even that pretty just tough going. THe 600 year-old oak  was impressive but we were ready to be done by then. The last km or so is just annoying as you go through psture and other stuff. 

But we made it be mid-afternoon and it was a good day. The hotel rooms are spartan and, as noted, Internet access is iffy but at least dinner was very good.

Stats: We walked 12.7km today and I think our error added about 400 meters to that. Total ascent 609m; descent 276m. We took 59 minutes in breaks and walked for 5 hours 11 minutes. Our thermometers, baking in the sun, pushed 80F which seems high. Not much wind today.

Photos

1. Dad on the Roman bridge.
2. You can get a bit better sense of how the bridge is built into the living rock here.
3. In the area of lunch. We are climbing again and it is about to get steep and rocky. 
4. It took two hours to get to this cow.  We probably hiked about 2.1km and ascended 160 meters before descending 70 meters (sure felt like a lot more).    Perhaps 1.1km to go with a bit more desent and a bit more ascent too.
5. The 600-year-old oak tree. The trunk is reportedly 7m around and that seems like it might be low as I am sure it is wider than a measly 1.1m.
6. The view from our spartan hotel Pomierie windows

Petralia Sottana Day 2 - Walk 2 Into the High Places

What a differnce a day makes. We awoke to clear blue skies with nearly zero clouds. The temperature promised to be at least as warm as the day before and the winds would be far less intense. A fine day for our first full day in the area of Petralia SOttana. After a decent, though not great, Continental-style breakfast (food is fresh but we are finding ourselves unimpressed by the breads) we gathered up our gear and struck out from  the hotel just before 09:00 to do a walk that our Inntravel notes say is about 14km long and features about 700m ascent and descent. The first part of the walk reprises the last bit of the walk we did the  previous day. The treat being once again at the Roman aqueduct where we could see the waning moon through the milenia-old arches.

At this point we turned left and after a short time on a paved road (going right would take you to Petralia Soprana) we reached what would be the start of the real meat of the walk. A cobbblestone road wound steadily up into forests of what I believe is part of Parco  della Madonie. At this point the forest seems to be a pine forest but as we climbed that changed to perhaps one of cork trees. Along the way we picked up a four-legged companion Mom would dub Scout.  Scout would hang with us, more or less, for about 10km.

Our road climbed steadily and we enjoyed the lovely morning.  Soon Maggie and George caught up to us. It turns out we are not the only people on an Inntravel walking trip. They’re doing the same thing we are: we just did not meet them until about 4km into the walk.  Up and onward .  We were making good time and, in fact, were perhaps lulled into complacency as we almost missed the sharp turn of path 10 into the woods. There is a tiny, hard to spot  sign but you better not blink otherwise you will miss it (some of us did; Mom did not).

The notes are really quite good. They warn that the path becomes indistinct and confusing. THey are right. I think it is a trail but it is one made solely by the traffic that walks it. It is not a built trail. It is more akin to a human version of a game trail. Maybe not that bad but hardly good.  We actually had some  confusion finding our way to the steep swithback that would lead to perhaps the standout point of the walk on a very windy grassy plateau.

On the plateau the trail vanishes but the directions were good enough that we were able to spot landmarks, tiny posts and cairns as well a copse of  trees, to make our way across without trouble.  Though windy it was still a lovely early afternoon and a great place for lunch before we joined up with path 25 for the trek down back towards the Roman aqueduct.

Path 25 has some gnarly steep bits but overall is essentially a two-track through ever-descending pasturelands. It is nice enough. We strode past numerous cows and in time were back where we started our climb. The last descent, along the path we had trodden now twice, seemed to last too long. Between that last bit and the steep town street my quads sure hurt. Still and all a very fine first full day.

Stats: sunny and warm. I am not sure I believe my thermometer saying it was in the mid-70s but then it was in the sun all day. The winds on top were strong but otherwise pretty much a non-issue. We walked 14.7km taking 6 hours to walk and about 45 minutes in breaks. We ascended/descended 634m.

Photos.

1. Me and the aqueduct. Look carefully and you might spot the waning moon through the arch.
2. Petralia. Soprana in the distance.  We are probably not to far from the start of the final push up the switchbacks to the plateau. It is late-morning and the weather is superb.
3. On the windy plateau. From left to right: Maggie, George, Dad, and Mom. I do not see Scout but he is trotting about. In just a few hundred meters we found a spot to settle down for lunch.
4. We are descending along the track back towards the intersection. We probably are about halfway to that point. We are not sure what that steam-like stuff is. Is it even steam? Is it a volcanic vent of some type. Are is it something more prosaic like dust by some human activity.

Petralia Sottana Day 1 - Walk 1 Between Petralia Sottana and Petralia Soprana

To get into the mountains and our first town we had to take a train, bus, and taxi from Catania to Petralia Sottana. We got to this mountain town, and it is certainly nestled into the hills, a bit before noon. Fortunately we found staff at the hotel (name here) and were able to get into our rooms right away. The sun was in and out and the winds were blowing surprisingly hard. It was going to be a blustery afternoon.  

This town features narrow cobblestone streets that twist and climb amongst the hills where Petralia Sottana is located. We walked into the center of town to find a quick lunch and when you are not on level ground you are dropping quickly down streets as you walk a few hundred meters and descend 30 meters. People get good workouts walking in this town. We found our modest meal and that gave us the energy to tackle one of the Inntravel walks during the rest of the afternoon.

The walk is a circuit-walk that starts at the hotel and winds through the town before climbing out of the habitation into a small forest. Now and then views of Parco della Madonie were seen. Now and then we could look back down into the town we had left. The clouds moved in and the wind picked up. It was about 60F but felt colder with the windchill.  We continued along modest paths and small roads that eventually would take us into  the town of Petralia Soprana. This town seems to have just as many twisty narrow streets that climbs among more hills. Many little, and not so small, churches were passed. Places to grab a bite to eat too - too bad we had eaten already.  It seemed like a nice town.

We left it curling around the backside of a tiny hill (why Inntravel calls it a mount eludes us) before we began descending paths that wound past pastures before we reached an aqueduct that still spots some deck between the several standing arches. Sheep grazed by the aquaduct and we continued down the grassy paths back towards Petralia Sottana. The walk was just over 8.3km and we climbed (and then descended) about 240 meters. Inntravel writes it would take 2 hours 45 minutes to walk and that is about what it did take. They were a bit off on the elevation gain and loss but we won’t complain about having less to do. It was a nice opening taste of the area and used up the bulk of the remaining afternoon.

If their is a downside so far it is dinner. The restaurant that is attached to the hotel seems to just have pizza. They have some ante pasta dishes but you don’t (well we don’t) want cold dishes for dinner after a good day of hill walking. The pizza was OK but it isn’t going to live in memory as  a remarkable dish either.

Stats: Blustery afternoon tending towards overcast with winds pushing 26MPH and a high temperature around 60F. We walked into the downtown twice and each time that meant of walk of about 1.2km roundtrip with ascent/descent of 30m. The major walk was 8.3km and we ascended/descended 240m. Walking time for the major walk was about 2 hours 47 minutes and we took just 9 minutes (or so) in breaks.

Photos

1. Petralia Soprana. The upper town that may be smaller than the lower town but that is just maybe how it felt to me. 
2. A view of Parco della Madonie from Petralia Sottana.
3. I know not much of a picture but it gives you a tiny sense of the twisty narrow steep streets that fill both towns.
4. A small church not far from Petralia Soprana. Too bad there is a bunch of trash strewn about the grounds. We This fountain and small church of the piazza San Michele in Petralia Soprana is quite nice. 
5. Sheep are doing a great job keeping the grass short by what remains of this Roman aqueduct.

36 Hours in Catania, Sicily

We arrived mid-morning and breezed through the airport to get a taxi into the heart of Catania. The morning was overcast and it sure looked like it could rain a modest bit though weather reports suggested it would be minimal.  Driving into the town we had a different sense of things from Florence. It felt somehow less good. Not bad just less good. Maybe that is just because of the weather. The Una Hotel Palace presents a grand lobby and we found the staff, in particular Rita, quite helpful. Too bad their sense of time is just a bit off. Well we were not really expecting to get rooms when we arrived or even when we came back after our first walk. Let’s focus on that instead.

The streets of Catania seem to mix modern and narrow steep ancient. Too bad they seem to share trash. A street cleaner went by but if it left a cleaner street behind I did not see it. Oh well. We strolled into the heart of the town where a fountain topped with an elephant on a pedestal. Why the city chose an elephant as its mascot I have no idea.  We visited the large fresh foods market noted for its fish but home to meats and veggies too though oddly enough we did not notice fresh breads. We then visited an excavated Roman amphitheater. I found myself wondering if vendors sold food in the high-ceilinged passageways we walked through. Also, if they had even minimal facilities for bathrooms: probably not. I hope the shows people saw were impressive because I am confident the seating was impressively uncomfortable. 

An easy day of some modest wandering finished off with a nice enough dinner that featured many styles of veal, french fries, a roasted potato type dish, and other things. We may or may not be eating local fare but we are certainly eating inexpensively.

Our next day, our one full day, we spent doing a tour of Mount Etna (Monte Etna) and Taormina. Numerous companies provide tours of Europe’s largest volcano. Some give you an option to take a cablecar to the summit at about 3,200m and you may have a chance to explore a lava tube too. Maybe those options get you further away from the hordes of people but I’d not be surprised if they don’t. Our tour was much more relaxed. We spent a brief time strolling, no real special gear needed though warmer clothing and a windbreaker are advisable.  It is hard to get a sense of scale as you stand amongst some of the several hundred craters at 2,000m. Mount Etna has destroyed Catania, I think, 7 times. It has spewed lava far more often than that.  

Our stop at an agricultural business making, we think, all sorts of jellies, honey, pesto, olive oils, and wine was a nice treat. And our visit through the bustling resort/market town of Taormina was fun too in its way. They build towns into the steep hillsides that hug the coast here.  All in all, a nice way to spend the day.

Photos

1. The seats at the amphitheater we visited. Catania has another  that is underground now (so many bits of history lay under the modern city) but we could not explore that one. 
2. High-ceilinged passageways run behind the seating. It is impressive considering how old the place is-1BC
3. You get.a sense of how big Monte Etna is from these 2 photos taken on our way there.  We are at above 1,110m above sea level and maybe 15-20 minutes drive from the parking lot that hosts vast numbers of tour buses and cars.
4. I think there are something like 300 craters on the slopes of Mount Etna. Here is just one sample. It is sunny, but windy, and we were glad we were wearing warmer clothing. Too bad you can’t really get a sense of things with so many people about.
5. A coastal view near Taormina.

Quick Glimpse of Florence

Florence, Italy, Tuesday  9:00PM - This will be just a quick little note because I am tired and I have to get up in about seven hours to catch the flight to Catania. We have spent the last day and a half wondering the historic areas   of Florence.  Our hotel, called Pendini, is meters away from the heart of the old city.  We have crossed the teeming Ponte Vecchio, gazed upon the intricate designs on the walls of the Duomo, explored Uffizi gallery, and more. Here are some photos to give a sense of things. 

Photo

1. The Arno River from the bustling Ponte Vecchio. 
2. The people below are waiting to enter the Uffizi gallery. It’s a remarkable place. You can see the dome of the Duomo and, I think, the tower of City Hall too. 
3. From inside Uffizi you have some great cityscapes like this view of Ponte Vecchio and bridges beyond. The buildings are small bustling shops. 
4. One of many intriguing sculptures in the gardens at Pitti Palace. We had been hoping for more green grounds but the art we found sprinkled throughout the extensive hillside grounds was special. 
5. A view of the Duomo. Though perhaps not obvious it’s crowded here and getting more so as the afternoon progresses. I really like the stonework you see on the facade. 

Maine morning

Good morning from Ocean point resort. Our first day of kayaking started out sunny and then the fog rolled in. By the end of our 12 km kayak the fog was  thick  and the air was hot and moist. A bit spooky on the calm water (swells earlier)  the tolling of belled  buoys and blasts from a ferry’s foghorn and breakers on an invisible shore. 

This morning yhe clouds and fog have left.