Panorama Photo

Few people venture into the mountains behind Cefalú.
This is a pity, since this is a region where mountains and sea are truly in strict contact. The Santuario di Gibilmanna lies at 800 m, only 6 km away from Cefalú, in a wonderful position, ideal at sunset. But it is more and more neglected by tourists (who, as you perhaps know, behave more and more like sheep, guided by interested web shepherds), such that the old restaurant and the old hotel are now both closed, and also the monastery (founded, according to the tradition, right by San Gregorio Magno) does not offer accommodation anymore.
With Edoardo we ventured on the road leading to the Osservatorio Geofisico: officially asphalted, actually worse than an ordinary gravel track, due to huge holes. The Osservatorio, as the name says, should be an optimal viewpoint, but we were stopped by a fence well before reaching it. Instead of rolling down to the coast, to civilization and - what for us would have been more important at that point - to some restaurant, we chose to fasten in the wilderness and to lay down our sleeping bags on the side of the road. With an early awakening and some fighting with the wild wood I was able to reach the summit at dawn and to collect the present view.