Saturday May 2nd 2009 - Sunday May 10th

Scarabeo Camping, Punta Braccetto (ACSI2009-1552) N36.81709 E14.46729

Sunday approaches, so decision time, do we stay and “do” Mass here, or do we move on. We elect to move on. Now we are heading more or less East along the South coast. We arrive at Scarabeo Camping, initially it all appears pretty much what we have come to expect, a bit scrappy. Reception is closed. I wander across to where a couple of guys are cleaning squid they have caught, and ask (using my very few words of Italian) what time Reception opens. He tells me we are at the wrong place, we need to be a few hundred metres down the road, where a refurbished Scarabeo Camping is open for business.

Amazing, this site is clean and orderly. The pathways are weed free, and there is a clean sandy beach adjoining the site. Facilities are excellent, there is event hot water in the washing up sinks. Fresh Bread is delivered to the site every morning, and some days an Ice Cream man calls, plus there is an excellent pizza shop just outside the site. But hold on, I am getting over excited.

The young lady in Reception gives us a conducted tour, ensuring we know where everything is and pointing out our choice of pitches as we go. Can this be Sicily?

There is a mix of nationalities, Swiss, Austrian, German, Dutch, and once we settle in we find a couple of fellow GB’s. As often happens, the small world syndrome kicks in and we find that our fellow GB’s even originate from the North East. There is Vera and Pete originally from Barnard Castle and Darlington respectively, but now living in Crete, and Colin and Kath originally from Newcastle but now living in Leicester.

Colin by the way does excellent “puddings” of doughnuts, strawberries and cream.

Kathleen is soon sitting in the sun, playing her guitar, soon joined by Colin and a German chap who can play some good Simon and Garfunckle stuff, but whose singing leaves a bit to be desired.

We settle in to stay here a while. We cycle the 4miles to San Croce (the nearest town of any size), and find the essentials (ie church, supermarket and cash machine). Apart from playing boules on the beach, and abortively trying to fly a kite, we explore the coast on our bikes and cycle along the coast to Marina di Ragusa, which is taking shape as what promises to be a smart resort, stopping off for beers or coffee’s as the mood takes us.