When the alarm clock rings this morning here at Isola delle Correnti at 6 o'clock, I am still very tired. I open the sliding door, standing open in the hope that it will rain and I can lie down again and continue to sleep. But what I see there is so beautiful that all tiredness is gone in one go. Suddenly I just want to get out there, to this uniquely beautiful beach and see the sunrise there.

The southernmost point of Sicily

The time before sunrise has something magical. Almost mystical. The light is beautiful. 

We are standing here at the southernmost point of Sicily, and thus at the southernmost point of Italy. It occurred to me briefly whether it is the southernmost point of Europe. Sorry Greece, I almost overlooked that this is on a small island south of Crete.

I love the area, although of course it is not as lovely as many other Sicilian regions. Down here you feel much more Africa, it is very down to earth, a lot of agriculture, very original. This is where the supposedly world's best tomatoes come from! The tomato farm is signposted. Just walk into the hall and ask nicely. Very, very tasty.

There is a small sandy headland here that juts into the sea, separating the two seas. On one side is the Ionian Sea, on the other is the Mediterranean Sea. On both sides there are beautiful sandy beaches and a small shifting sand dune. In summer it is a popular area for windsurfers. About 300 m northeast of Isola delle Correnti is the beach bar "Cabana e Nabana" of Pino. He comes from Portopalo and knows everyone and everything. He can tell you EVERYTHING about this corner here.

The Isola delle Correnti

And in front of it is the Isola delle Correnti, the island of the currents. It is only about 90m from the beach, connected by a breakwater that has just been destroyed. Otherwise you could walk across at low tide. The small, uninhabited island is only 140m x 290m. There is a lighthouse and a few old abandoned military buildings on it. 

It is striking how different the two seas are. The Ionian Sea is quite rough with high waves, the Mediterranean Sea is almost as smooth as glass. One can hardly believe it. This clash of the two seas causes underwater currents that can be dangerous, especially for children.

The Cristo statue

On the southernmost point of Sicily there is a statue of Cristo. The view is towards the mainland, for the protection of the population. It was donated by Paolino Greco for the citizens of Portopalo. According to the inscription, in gratitude for the narrow rescue of loved ones from the fire on the Scialai beach on 21.7.2017. Many now certainly think of the Christo statue in Rio. We know this one only from pictures. It reminds us of the Christo statue in Lisbon, which we saw in the winter of 2019/2020. 

Somewhat inconspicuous next to it stands another monument: here the 'Club Alpino Italieno' has marked the southern end of the 5500km long "Sentiero Italia". This long-distance trail, which the Sicilians call the longest trekking path in the world, leads from this point to Trieste, across the Apennines and the Alps.

Helicopter exercise

During the morning we have more entertainment: a helicopter circles 2 times very low over the bay and remains quietly in the air above the Isola delle Correnti. Then 3 people abseil down one after the other, this is probably an exercise. We are often asked if we are not bored on the way. And this is again a best example for the fact that our journey is always very varied and really no boredom arises. I always say traveling is better than Netflix.

Boredom?

Or another example:

I'm quite active on Facebook and well connected. Although I keep hearing that Facebook is dead and Instagram is the future, I think Facebook is great. I use Facebook for a lot of things and have gotten a lot of valuable information & tips there. I don't know how I would have managed our apartment liquidation without Facebook.

But back to the topic: No sooner had we arrived at Isola delle Correnti than I read in a Sicily group on Facebook the question: "Is anyone by chance in the vicinity of Isola delle Correnti right now and can take a few aerial photos of my house? Sure. We'll be happy to do that. It was fun for us. And we could really help, because there's a house being threatened by a shifting sand dune here, and that's not fun. So much for being bored. 

Sunrise and sunset

From our stand, we watch the sun's progress until it sinks into the sea again before our eyes. We are now sitting in the evening, out here on the cliff. With a glass of wine in hand, also a very special moment. When do you have moments like this? Sunrise and sunset in one place. Although we have been traveling with our bus for several months, we have rarely had places that combine this. An all around fulfilling day. For Marc a good occasion to light a cigar.