Easter Monday called for a bike trip across southeastern Sicily, to another agriturismo. There were many adventures to accomplish on the way! Freddy first took the pair out to the coast, where Stan would frolic and play a bit on the sand. They next biked past some swamps, where in the distance they saw flamingos in the wild.

The pair’s food supplies were running low. Stan had always preferred to carry the better part of a grocery store, for fear of creeping hunger; Freddy preferred to throw caution to the wind and try to live of the land. It seems as though Freddy’s gamble might result in hunger, but luckily, he was able to find a winery open this holiday to ply them with olive oil, bread, cheese and fermented grape juice.

Powered by Mediterranean food fuel, the pair reached their next agriturismo with ease. This was a very different beast than the first – more of a resort, with a shimmering blue pool and employees who wished they’d made different life choices. The pair rested, relaxed, and head out for a snack at a nearby eatery in the park. They whiled away the time there and about the area while they waited for a proper dinner at the agroturismo (though it took some effort to convince the dour staff their to serve them and not allow them to perish of famishment).

The next they the pair pushed on to Noto, but first headed towards a national park – which was very exciting! Sicily was full of beauty, but as it has had thousands of years of people building on it, it has little in the way of untouched nature. Maybe this national park would have some!

It did not, but it did have a nice trail to walk down, to go down a viewing booth where flamingos and other water fowl could be observed. Signs cautioned would-be birdwatchers to remain silent so as not to disturb the birds. Freddy walked out reverently to the viewing port, breathed the fresh air, and gazed out upon the flat marshland, where flamingos stood majestically, keeping alert for a tasty fish. The moment was solemn and peaceful.

Stan followed a few steps behind, and sauntered up to the next viewing point. “Dumb fuckers,” he said, looking with disdain at the literal bird-brains before him. He shook his head at the flamingos relative lack of pinkness.

Continuing on, the pair walked along to find a medieval tuna processing plant now in disuse. It stood a stark monument to tuna.

There was one more stop along the way – an abandoned Roman building, which had some very dilapidated mosaics. They mosaics were badly damaged when the landowners excavated to build a farmhouse and then hid their discovery from the government, not wanting their land to be confiscated. Instead, they built over it, mosaics and all. This sounds terrible – to destroy history in this way, reflected Freddy. Then again, Freddy considered, it must be quite a challenge to try to live your life and build a home and family in a country where you can’t do a damn thing without treading on some historical site or other.

On to Noto!