Scilla, Italy 2018 🇮🇹 – Michael and Pam's Travels

Date: 16th August 2018

Travelled: 50 kilometres by road from Roccalumera in Sicily to Scilla in Italy.

Visited: Messina to Sante Giovanni ferry crossing €46 and Scilla

Stayed: Scilla Area Sosta, €25. All the usual. N38.25203, E15.70200

Once the karaoke conclude at 9.30pm it was all quiet in Roccallumera.

Remembering yesterdays concerns about being towed somewhere we dug through our paperwork to find our european breakdown insurance policy. We thought why not give them a call and see if they can find a repairer for us. Giving them a call in the UK and explaining our problem, within the hour we had been called back 3 times and received a text with the name and address of a Bosche service agent in Messina.

We have a coffee and fruit, service the Hymer and say our farewells.

Messina, Sicilia, Italy

An hour later we arrive at the workshop in Messina. The place is full of cars and Italians all trying to complain about their cars. But the manager comes straight out takes one look under the bonnet and allocates a mechanic to remove the alternator for testing.

Ninety minutes later with a new alternator installed (€504 including 22% GST) we drive into the afternoon traffic somewhat relieved. We spotted a Lidl supermarket back up the road as we came in earlier, so we do a backtrack for some supplies. Have some lunch at McDonalds of all places, then drive down to the ferry terminal.

The Lonely Planet, Italy doesn’t even list Messina. Its history as a port city goes back thousands of years, but there is none of that to be seen anymore.

The is no point booking, you just drive down to the port and queue for the next ferry. Except in our case there was no queue we just drove straight on.

Looking out on the Straights of Messina. We have done a few ferries this trip, but this is a short passage, just over half an hour.

Scilla, Calabria, Italy

Off the ferry we track along the coast north to Scilla. There is a small sosta just out of town, so we stop and grab a spot.

The view from the sosta along the Costa Viola is as good as it gets.

Our parking fee includes a return trip down to the beach, so we head off to explore Scilla. The beach is pretty in an Italian 4,000 beach umbrellas sort of way, but we are more interested in the village above so we start walking up the hill.

From just below the church we look back across the bay. With a keen eye you can see the motorhomes over there. The view is a good excuse to take a breather. There are a lots of steps to get up here.

Looking along the Costa Viola again, but to north this time. It’s very pretty up here.

Lastly we pop into the church, The Mary the Immaculate. The mural around the alter vivid in the late afternoon light.

Its been a long day full of drama, so we make our way back through the village and get a lift back to the sosta. Several more motorhomes have arrived and the place is in chaos (in an Italian sort of way) on our return. The attendant wants me to move, but I decline his request. If we are paying €25 for an allocated space, we get our allocated space I explain. He gives up and we sit down to a beer and wine, the chaos subsides and it’s a quiet night.

Michael and Pam

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