Noto
The B&B exceeded our expectations and served an excellent breakfast on the balcony so we decided to stay another night and to spend the day in the Vendicari National Park. We cycled there without baggage (what bliss) down a road which we thought would be quite quiet but which we now refer to as ‘squashed dog road’. They were everywhere.
Crates full of oranges.
Our first port of call was the Villa del Tellaro – a late Roman 4th century aristocratic villa (des res) which was only found in the 1960’s when the occupier of the farmhouse on the site accidentally uncovered a mosaic.
Mosaics at the villa Romana
circa 4th C AD
We could have brought this little chap home - fleas and all!
We then went to the coast to explore the National Reserve which is a collection of lagoons, reed beds and untouched coastal plain. It was lovely and warm, there wasn’t much wind and the whole place was teeming with birds, butterflies and lizards. The warblers were mostly impossible to see but the sound was deafening, the flamingos were some white and some pink but all spent their time with their heads under the water and bottoms in the air and the bright yellow butterflies were huge.
Handsome beauties!
A flamingo - bottoms up.
This is the area for ‘almonds’ and now is the time to see the blossom which is a particularly intense pink and from a distance appears to covers acres and acres. We returned to Noto via the scenic route of Lido di Noto which took us away from some of the heaviest traffic but added 5ks to the journey – probably worth it as there aren’t so many corpses on the minor roads.
We had passed several local men walking along the side of the roads carrying knives which is a little unnerving, but we then came across an elderly couple both with knives and a small spade. They were busy digging a plant from the verges which looked like a mixture between wild asparagus and thistles. We must find out what it is, as it is obviously quite a delicacy in these parts. Their car boot was full of the plants.
We had passed several local men walking along the side of the roads carrying knives which is a little unnerving, but we then came across an elderly couple both with knives and a small spade. They were busy digging a plant from the verges which looked like a mixture between wild asparagus and thistles. We must find out what it is, as it is obviously quite a delicacy in these parts. Their car boot was full of the plants.
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