{"id":7163,"date":"2012-12-25T17:51:07","date_gmt":"2012-12-25T17:51:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ourtour.co.uk\/home\/?p=7163"},"modified":"2018-12-18T13:19:57","modified_gmt":"2018-12-18T13:19:57","slug":"a-very-merry-sicilian-christmas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ourtour.co.uk\/home\/a-very-merry-sicilian-christmas\/","title":{"rendered":"A Very Merry Sicilian Christmas!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dave the motorhome remains comfortably ensconced in the bargain \u20ac6 a night Eden Parking sosta at Giardini Naxos, Sicily. Not a single hairpin bend, first gear slope, Dave-width road, un-signed low bridge, lunatic moped nor car-reversing-from-a-side-street-without-caring-a-hoot-for-oncoming-traffic has had to be tackled. We’ve chilled out in the warming sun.<\/p>\n

Last night we had a great time with our fellow Brit travellers. Suitably lubricated with vino, beer, limoncino and other assorted drinks (me and Helen faring the worse for this encounter with the evil drink), we ate and were merry, sharing stories of hilarious incidents and the beautiful places we’ve all visited. Our Italian neighbours cooked outside, a wok-type device sitting on top of a large gas bottle, frying up salt cod and cheesy sausage, which they popped around with a tasty sample. We wondered what to give them in return, settling on some Chocolate Fingers; I handed them over to a look of bewilderment; maybe they have them here too?<\/p>\n

More beer, more vino, and off we popped to sing carols around the campsite, our four white pom-pommed santa hats bobbing about beneth people’s motorhome windows as we crooned. Some opened the door to shake hands and wish us boun natale, others drawing the curtains and leaning back into the dark, not unlike home! A few sparklers saw off the end of the evening, or at least the end of my memory of it, and we hit the sack at 2am.<\/p>\n

\"Just<\/a>

Just look at my little beer-addled face, I love sparklers, even more so after a few beers.<\/p><\/div>\n

Today, with a thick head, we’ve celebrated xmas in the sunshine. Skype sessions of varying success enabled us to catch up with our families from afar. Helen used Facetime to chat with her family, which looked a far more reliable and better quality connection than the ones we managed to get. Having said hello to all those in fair England, a bell rang and a shout went up around the site: time for food!<\/p>\n

\"Our<\/a>

Our German neighbours pour out the wine, which tasted great, but not in my fragile state!<\/p><\/div>\n

Inside a marquee at one end of the site, huddled in amongst an old wardrobe and various bits of cloth-covered furniture, the whole campsite had gathered on long tables. Queue a spectacle of international grub-munching as our host Rene stalked around between us all, flipping from language to language, joking and generally having fun. The food came in preposterous portions, anitpasti of olives, cubed cheese and cured meats, a primo of lasagne, a black-olived seasoned chicken secondo, huge piles of panatone and an alcoholic sweet cheese pink thingyness for pudding. In an assortment of wine bottles lay the same wine, each ‘corked’ with a wrapping of tin foil. A final fling with the booze came through a serving of champagne. To my discredit, I was so hung over (various methods of mime were used to convey this to our fellow diners) I hardly touched the lot, but it was a fine and fun way to share our Christmas day.<\/p>\n