I was getting ready to set off this morning when I got a message asking me to rate the hotel I thought I was staying at tonight! Whoops I got the date wrong.
I was having trouble finding somewhere to stay, and Giorgio, my host at Le Camere dell’Emiro, checked with his contacts and found a room for me. Phew!
On the way out of town I came across the fruit and veg man and got some peaches for lunch .
All that accommodation hassle had delayed my departure but today is a short one of just 12km. However the guide book does warn of a long climb of around 500m at the end.
The cammino passes the Caves of Capelvenere. These were dug out of the limestone by the original inhabitants of Sicily, the Sicani, in around the 6th century BCE. The name derives from the type of fern that grows in the caves.
The Casale Di San Pietro was a medieval fortified hospice originally built around 1,000 years ago to provide pilgrims with lodging and control this portion of the road.
A stream flows through the nearby valley, creating something of an oasis in the otherwise harsh landscape .
The climb mentioned in the guidebook was long, hot, and pretty much continuous for about 7 kilometres. But before you can go up you have to go down .
Looking back, Castronovo doesn’t seem that far away.
I passed a sign saying 3km to go but it took me another hour to get to Cammarata.
The entrance to the town has a set of pilgrim themed murals.
I’m staying in the twin town to Cammarata called San Giovanni Gemini.
When I arrived at 3 o’clock it was like a ghost town . Everything closes for about 3 hours in the afternoon. I was told not to drink the tap water and my water bottles were all but empty. Luckily a bar nearby opened at about 4.
Later I came across a man purchasing water from a dispensing machine. He explained that the tap water is usually alright to drink, but not always. People just can’t take the risk .
Tomorrow is another challenging walk with lots of climbing.
My Relive video ….
Paul's Walks Through Europe 
So lucky you found somewhere to stay Paul 😊 The history of the caves and other buildings is interesting. Xx
Sharon Beeston
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