大象传媒

This is the last diary I had. As before, I haven't edited it with regard to grammar/spelling. Unreadable words are represented by '****'.
Sicily
Our first site was Southern tip of island, Capo Passiro, Nr the Castle home of Pietro Brunno de Belmonte. We were billeted in his former house, 2 big bungalows which were very comfortable. In the living room was a portrait of the owner鈥檚 son. The room was a fine large one leading onto a balcony with grand sea view of the bay. The bathing was grand only a couple of minutes down cliffs. The nearest town, Piachino was just a collection of hovels, no made up streets & the hovels little better than 鈥渨og鈥� standard. Like many towns here it is built round a square & one finds the church on the square. We landed at Augusta after going in & out the harbour of Syracuse. The run down from Augusta to Piachino was through quite pretty country. Most of the way saw lots of vineyards, lemon groves & olive groves. On road met a dozen of the villagers, peasants, returning at dusk to their after being in the fields all day. Almost invariably with their **** on donkey-drawn 2 wheeled carts, with dog tied up & running between the wheels. Produce in carts were mostly tomatoes, grapes etc. the beech & almond nuts are knocked off tree with long cane. After eight days we left Piachino for a little place about 20 miles by road, 8 miles as the crow flies (on Northern tip) from Messina. This trip was really grand 鈥淐ooks鈥� Tour of the island 6 days. Our route was via Syracuse, Pt. Augusta, Catania & along the coast road, just beyond Acriele & then inland right round Mt. Etna & through Rundazzo to Cap. Orlando along coast road & across mountains above Messina & 鈥業ti鈥� streets to our site on the northern tip. Syracuse & Augusta are fair sized towns with a few good buildings & streets. Most of town however is 鈥減oor place鈥�. Only a few roads in Sicily are tarmac ones & on the rest the white dust churns up & simply blinds & covers one. Never since landing have we had such a dirty journey. At the end of each day we were absolutely filthy. After leaving Augusta we made for Catonia. The country being hilly & covered more or less with vines, olives & a good *** *** trees & lemon groves. Pleasant green country, some of it beautiful. As we approached Catonia we saw the 鈥榩asting鈥� we had given the aerodrome, just outside. The bombing had been absolutely terrific. Mangled kites on the ground, all hangers badly smashed up & countless bomb craters everywhere. The South of Catonia was pretty badly smashed up but the Northern end not too badly damaged. Catonia best town we have seen yet, quite a number of wide tree lined streets & decent buildings. After we leave Catonia the run along the coast road to beyond Aericle was delightful & really beautiful. On our left was the beautiful Mt. Etna. It is huge, the lower slopes, all green, covered a huge area. The Mt. was gently puffing out white vapour, just like cloud, which gradually moves away & vaporises. There was not a cloud in the sky, so the re was no doubt that this was from the volcano. On our right gently sloping down to cliffs & gorgeous blue sea were lovely lemon groves. Really a beautiful coast road. As we go north, find towns & also some of the villages much better built, bigger & cleaner houses than in the extreme south. Aricle in particular was very nice large village. After leaving the coast we went inland & at once started to climb the Mts & go round Etna. Etna was in sight for 2 陆 days, & we saw many aspects of it, all very beautiful. It absolutely dominated this part of the island for many miles around. Stayed one night at Pied Monte, small town right up in the mountains at least 5,000 ft up. All the mt scenery now right until we reach Cap Orlando was magnificent. As fine as our lakes & as some of Switzerland. Eventually reach Rondazzo. The town is very badly damaged & reminds one of the pictures of Flanders towns & villages in last war. All the way along many bridges blown up. Mostly we circumvent then by deep & difficult (for heavy gharries with trailers) diversions. Some, the engineers had already repaired. British by steel, USA by wooden structures. From Randazzo we strike north & the bridge over the valley separating the two ranges (with several hundred feet drop from bridge) is blown up. The diversion is very steep, going right into the valley & then a climb of 2,000ft (part diversion, then the road on the other side of the broken bridge). The engineers had nearly finished erecting a new bridge. Very fine feat. Looking back on top of other range we get really magnificent view of Etna. This further range had corn sown on slopes which is now cut, & so we have yellow colouring right down slopes to valley, where there is sharp contrast of deep green olive & lemon groves stretching right up huge Mt Etna & surmounted by the white 鈥榗loud鈥� gently ascending from Etna鈥檚 summit. The sun was blazing forth & it was grand sight. Etna was in view for many miles almost until we reached Orlando. Near here some of the mt. slopes were black, after fires caused by heat I expect. The coast road from Cape Orlando to northern tip was again very beautiful. The mts. Slope steeply to the sea, sometimes there is only room for road which then runs just along the sea. Indeed at one point the road goes through small tunnel under the mts, which drop almost sheer into the sea. This part reminded me of the drive round the Great Ormes Head, Llandudno. At other points there is more land between the base of the mts & the sea. Brushing the mts at many points are white stony river beds, needing bridges (many blown up) to get over them. Expect these are shallow fast running wide streams in winter rainy season, that the water streams down from the mts. Owing to part of the coast road still under repair, we drive at ten minute intervals over mt road overlooking straits of Messina. From this height the straits are very narrow & only look like a wideish river. Notices tell Gharries not to stop as we are in sight & range of the Jerry鈥檚 guns. Nothing happened on our trip. Our site (from where we operated for eight days), is pleasant, on cliffs overlooking sea & in midst of plenty of olives. Have billets of old coast guard station, but our weather is very hot, it is more comfortable in ridge tent outside. Sicilians very friendly, quite a number here from Messina. Dodging the bombing & shelling. Meet several University students. Messina University closed & all schools. Sicilians say that they are honest, that they liked not Musso (Mussolini). He seems to have done little to help the Sicilians. Peasants very poor & live in poor conditions generally. Vineyards etc. owned by Italians who get wealthy on them at peasants expense. Also understand the men in sulphur mines underpaid & overworked. Very unhealthy work I believe.
Messina Finest town I鈥檝e seen so far. They say Palermo is nice town. Messina pretty badly knocked about, although not as bad as I expected. Here there are many wide tree lined streets & many fine cream stone buildings & churches. Of course from here the streets look very narrow. Many vino (wine) factories about in village. Quite small places. Smell outside like vinegar. As in East, water jugs on head. No water laid on. Plenty of malaria here. We take mecrapic yellow tablets 2 or 3 times a week. Very many cases of malaria in Eighth Army & A.M.E.S. Units. So far none in 886. Must always sleep under mosquito nets & wear slacks & long sleeved shirts at night. Big notices on roads to this effect, telling you not to be a B-------- Fool. Some of notices on road here & in Libya are very much to the point.

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.