Life In The Fast Lane - Off to Sicily
A couple of weeks ago, I had the fortune of making two overland trips. These involved two very different locations which, on the other hand, are the two closest countries to ours, namely Sicily and Tunisia. I do not wish to get involved in a political...
A couple of weeks ago, I had the fortune of making two overland trips. These involved two very different locations which, on the other hand, are the two closest countries to ours, namely Sicily and Tunisia. I do not wish to get involved in a political debate. However, the pace with which developments are occurring in these neighbouring countries is, to say the least, alarming. Apart from offering excellent opportunities to Maltese holidaymakers, they also make great alternatives to foreigners who are considering a holiday in our region and, in most circumstances, offer better facilities than we do.
As far back as I can remember, our annual family holiday consisted of a trip to Sicily by car. Each year it was a different destination and there was always something new to discover. I still visit as often as possible and a couple of weeks ago I decided to try something different. In collaboration with Virtù Ferries, we transported three different vehicles including the Nissan X-Trail which is presently my long-term test car, the latest Kia Sedona as well as the new Actyon from Ssangyong. My crew was based in a tourist village close to Siracusa but the idea was to experience different adventures in Sicily while discovering the true potential of the vehicles being tested.
The X-Trail was used to explore the possibilities of camping in Sicily. I had never realised that there are over 100 camping sites spread across the island and we actually hooked a caravan onto the Nissan and drove the distance on the autostrada to one of these sites to fully appreciate the facilities offered. It was a first for me to tow something the size, literally, of a small house and doing this on Sicilian roads made it even more interesting. We regularly speak about torque but it is in circumstances like these where one fully appreciates its importance. The X-Trail coped brilliantly with towing the caravan which, in addition to weighing over a ton, also offers substantial drag due to wind resistance brought about by its sheer size. I could shift swiftly through all six gears and eventually settled at a speed of 60 miles an hour with the engine barely reaching 2,000 revs per minute. The camping site was idyllically located on the edge of a sandy beach but still within walking distance to the closest village and offered facilities such as a power line and water supply, toilets, showers, washing machines and an arrangement to empty sceptic tanks apart from a good pizzeria.
I must admit that for the first time I could fully understand the benefits of this type of holiday and one should seriously consider renting a caravan in Sicily and exploring the island with his family in an extremely cost-effective way.
The Sedona, being the ultimate people carrier, was used to transport the crew all over the place and this it did in great comfort. One time we were hosted at a typical agriturismo just outside Siracusa and here again I could appreciate yet another way of discovering this magnificent destination. The idea behind the agriturismo is simplicity itself whereby agricultural estates offer accommodation and catering facilities to visitors. The rooms are functional and comfortable but purposely devoid of TV and telephone as the idea is to literally get away from it all and enjoy a break in a natural and tranquil environment. The food is excellent, prepared by the host family using stuff mostly grown organically on location and dinner is normally enjoyed in the company of the hosts and other guests.
We used the Actyon, a coupe-styled rugged cross-over vehicle, for the more adventurous stuff on Mount Etna. An expert guide led us to an area where we could enjoy some soft-roading on lava ash and further up in altitude on some snow-covered open spaces. The contrast was awesome, and the vehicle showed its true worth, offering a comfortable drive on-road but also proving to be a very capable off-roader.
The food, the roads, the historic sites and the spectacular scenery make Sicily one of my favourite motoring holiday destinations. In two weeks' time I will narrate my equally exciting but drastically different driving adventure, this time in the Sahara.
• Mr Darmanin produces and presents Paqpaq, broadcast on TVM on Sundays at 7.05 p.m. with a repeat today at noon.
As far back as I can remember, our annual family holiday consisted of a trip to Sicily by car. Each year it was a different destination and there was always something new to discover. I still visit as often as possible and a couple of weeks ago I decided to try something different. In collaboration with Virtù Ferries, we transported three different vehicles including the Nissan X-Trail which is presently my long-term test car, the latest Kia Sedona as well as the new Actyon from Ssangyong. My crew was based in a tourist village close to Siracusa but the idea was to experience different adventures in Sicily while discovering the true potential of the vehicles being tested.
The X-Trail was used to explore the possibilities of camping in Sicily. I had never realised that there are over 100 camping sites spread across the island and we actually hooked a caravan onto the Nissan and drove the distance on the autostrada to one of these sites to fully appreciate the facilities offered. It was a first for me to tow something the size, literally, of a small house and doing this on Sicilian roads made it even more interesting. We regularly speak about torque but it is in circumstances like these where one fully appreciates its importance. The X-Trail coped brilliantly with towing the caravan which, in addition to weighing over a ton, also offers substantial drag due to wind resistance brought about by its sheer size. I could shift swiftly through all six gears and eventually settled at a speed of 60 miles an hour with the engine barely reaching 2,000 revs per minute. The camping site was idyllically located on the edge of a sandy beach but still within walking distance to the closest village and offered facilities such as a power line and water supply, toilets, showers, washing machines and an arrangement to empty sceptic tanks apart from a good pizzeria.
I must admit that for the first time I could fully understand the benefits of this type of holiday and one should seriously consider renting a caravan in Sicily and exploring the island with his family in an extremely cost-effective way.
The Sedona, being the ultimate people carrier, was used to transport the crew all over the place and this it did in great comfort. One time we were hosted at a typical agriturismo just outside Siracusa and here again I could appreciate yet another way of discovering this magnificent destination. The idea behind the agriturismo is simplicity itself whereby agricultural estates offer accommodation and catering facilities to visitors. The rooms are functional and comfortable but purposely devoid of TV and telephone as the idea is to literally get away from it all and enjoy a break in a natural and tranquil environment. The food is excellent, prepared by the host family using stuff mostly grown organically on location and dinner is normally enjoyed in the company of the hosts and other guests.
We used the Actyon, a coupe-styled rugged cross-over vehicle, for the more adventurous stuff on Mount Etna. An expert guide led us to an area where we could enjoy some soft-roading on lava ash and further up in altitude on some snow-covered open spaces. The contrast was awesome, and the vehicle showed its true worth, offering a comfortable drive on-road but also proving to be a very capable off-roader.
The food, the roads, the historic sites and the spectacular scenery make Sicily one of my favourite motoring holiday destinations. In two weeks' time I will narrate my equally exciting but drastically different driving adventure, this time in the Sahara.
• Mr Darmanin produces and presents Paqpaq, broadcast on TVM on Sundays at 7.05 p.m. with a repeat today at noon.