Pensioner Blogs: Sicily in four weeks

Sicily in four weeks

We have just had 4 glorious weeks in Sicily - 24 April to 22 May 2014
This blog is to help anyone trying to organise a similar venture

The Sicilian flag - which has the triskelion (trinacria) in its middle, the (winged) head of medusa and three wheat ears. The three bent legs allegedly represent the three points of the triangular shape of the island of Sicily itself.

My husband did all the planning and I was quite happy to leave him to it - as he is an expert at such things.

We decided on the dates/the time of year, because we hoped it would be just hot enough to be nice, there would be spring flowers, it would not yet be busy and it would still be cheapish (off season). I was taken by surprise by the weather in the first couple of weeks. It was colder than I expected and I found myself wearing warmish long trousers and a fleece most of the time. Then it suddenly became very hot.
We found everywhere (that we went) safe to travel except Palermo. Some parts of that are not nice and not safe for a woman on her own.

Overall there were several “must dos” that my husband identified

Byzantine/Norman Mosaics at –

1. The Capella Palatina in Palermo

2. La Motorana in Palermo

3. Monreale just outside Palermo

4. Cefalu

Greek Ruins

5. Segesta

6. Selinunte

7. The valley of The Temples at Agrigento

8. Syracuse

9. Catania

Norman castles

Erice

Roman Mosaics

Villa (Romana) del Casale at Piazza Armerina

Roman Ruins – amphitheatre

At Syracuse

Other

Mount Etna

My only “must do” was an island called Marettimo which my brother had visited several times and which I hoped would be somewhere to rest and do nothing.

So - the basic plan was to fly in to Palermo on the North Coast, move in a rough circle going west, finishing and flying out from Catania on the east coast.

We hired a car at the airport once we had left Palermo. My husband didn't fancy driving in Palermo, where the driving is rumoured to be even more anarchic than Naples - which it proved to be.

He therefore planned this trip ;-

Starting in Palermo, - (4 nights)

Making a quick divert east to see Cefalu (2 nights)

Then back North West to see Segesta and Erice and south west to see Selinunte (4 nights)

Then further west to the island Marettimo (3 nights)

Then south east to Agrigento (2 nights)

Then further east to Piazza Armerina (3 nights)

Further east to Ragusa (via Caltagirone) (2 nights)

Further east to Syracuse (via Modica and Noto) (3 nights)

Then north to Zafferana Etna

Then east to Catania

The Trip

We flew Easy jet from Gatwick to Palermo on 24 April 2014. At Palermo Airport we ignored the many people vying to provide transport into town - we had been warned about them - and got the highly efficient and cheap shuttle bus. It let people off at various different places in town but we decided it was easier to stay on to the bitter end – the station. Our B&B was in walking distance of the station. Despite a recent injury (a pulled calf muscle) I found the walk to our B&B, pulling my suitcase on wheels, – Ok. It took about half an hour. I would not have liked to do it on my own. I would not visit Palermo as a female on my own. The area around the station and the walk to our hotel was through seedy, run down, graffiti covered streets – oozing poverty and deprivation. It felt unsafe. We followed advice. I had a zipped handbag with a broad strap across my body, over which I had a small backpack, and I walked on the inside of the pavement, out of reach of passing muggers on motorbikes.

The street up to our B&B was one of the worst.

The B&B Residenza Nuvole is an old palazzo / town house behind a massive wooden door. Once through that door it was wonderful – a safe oasis. It is also an art gallery. We very much enjoyed our stay with them

My husband had earmarked several “must dos” in Palermo

Byzantine/Norman Mosaics at –

1. The Capella Palatina

2. La Motorana

3. Monreale

Along with the cathedral at Cefalu, these are considered to be the best in the world - and we love mosaics of any kind

Other than that –

4. The Cathedral

5. San Cataldo

We had booked the B&B for 4 nights – in retrospect - 3 would have been enough

Day 1 Palermo

The Capella Palatina and The Apartment

I am still a bit confused about this. It is listed with the Palazzo dei Normanni. We arrived in front of what we thought was the Palazzo dei Normanni - which was all closed - and we almost went away. Then by chance we noticed – on the far left – a small sign saying something like - "To the Capella" – which it turns out, is right around the back – accessed from the road at the left side. There we found a short queue to pay and get in. I imagine that later in the season this would be long queue. There were signs saying no backpacks etc but no-one said anything about our small ruck sacks. We didn't really understand what our ticket was giving us access to. It turned out that it allowed us to visit The Cappella and The Apartments by which they meant the part of the Palazzo dei Normanni one is allowed to see and in which the Capella is situated.

The Capella Palatina is just magnificent. A beautiful church covered in beautiful mosaics and tiles.

It was perhaps the best experience of the 4 weeks.

The Apartment is worth visiting just to see King Rogers’s hall -which is again covered in magnificent mosaics (non-religious ones)

Lunch

We had excellent pasta at a very nice restaurant nearby – down a narrow alley.

The Cathedral

We were not too inspired by this although it has a wonderful meridian line. This is a line on the floor, on which a beam of sunlight (from a hole in the roof) moves and identifies the time of year (I think). It has delightful pictures of the signs of the zodiac along its way.

Chiesa Gesu

This was not on our list of must dos but we popped in and were entranced. Every inch is covered in very beautiful baroque marble with inlay. A delightful and enthusiastic volunteer explained it’s history. It is was for much of its time and still is - a Jesuit Church. ie there was lots of money.

As we wandered we found ourselves in a food market recommended to tourists. It was finished and clearing up. A police car stopped me and advised me to be very very careful and to guard my bag. The area was very seedy; we were scared and left quickly

San Cataldo

A very old Arabian/Norman Church – beautiful for it’s simplicity.

Supper

A picnic in our room. It was our normal routine to economise by eating out only once at day

Day 2 Palermo

La Martorana Church.

This was no 2. on our list of “must see” mosaics. It was in easy walking distance of our B&B and it was fantastic. It is right beside San Cataldo and the helpful tourist office

We then set off to see Monreale Cathedral – no 3. on our list of mosaic places.

Monreale is in the outskirts of Palermo and requires an intelligence test to get there. My husband had read the blogs and discovered what bus to get and where to get it. He recommends this excellent blog
An ever increasing gaggle of confused tourists gathered at what we thought might possibly be the correct place and eventually – half an hour late – the AST bus arrived – with standing room only. Apart from that it was a cheap and efficient service, taking about 20 minutes or so, with a helpful driver who showed us where and when to meet him for the return journey.

It was a short walk to the cathedral which was just closing for lunch. So we found a pizza place nearby and had lunch too.

If you visit Monreale be sure to walk around the outside of it – particularly around the back – which is beautiful.

The inside is quite glorious. It is huge and there are mosaics or tiles on every surface. It would have been nice to have had binoculars. It is worth having some sort of guide to tell you the stories that are being told in the mosaics. There is the story of the building of The Arc. The story of Adam and Eve - which finishes by showing life after they been thrown out of paradise - with a wonderfully disgruntled Eve -watching poor Adam - who now has to do hard manual labour - . It shows Jesus curing the lepers – people covered with lots of spots.

Do not miss the cloisters – they are lovely - with many columns ornamented still with coloured tiles and topped with fascinating carvings. Watch out for Adam and Eve shown below

Day 3 Palermo

This was a Sunday and by chance we found ourselves at the excellent market in Piazza Marina down near the sea

Lunch was nearby at the excellent Trattoria del Pesce Fresco

We had the set fish menu for 20 euro

Starter – mussels

Pasta – Spaghetti Sarde

Vegetable - salad

Main – grilled sword fish

Pudding – sliced fresh orange and strawberry

Coffee

With wine and fizzy water

We wandered around the old historical area

We didn't really like it – too poor and too frightening - much worse than Naples

Day 4 Cefalu

We got a train to Cefalu

This was easy to do and cost 8 euro.

It was an easy walk from Cefalu station into the village/town - which is wonderful. It is on a beautiful beach with a mountain behind and with - The cathedral - which was no 4. on our mosaic list.

We checked in to our excellent B&B called - B&B L&B

The afternoon was spent admiring the cathedral and its mosaics. I did not find the mosaics as impressive as the others we had seen already although the purists say they are more special. There are not so many and they restrict access.
But it is well worth going to Cefalu just to see the place - a really nice, clean, little, medieval seaside town

Day 5 Cefalu

We visited the cathedral again. A lady showed us round to see the back of it and we also went into the cloisters

Lunch was a delicious Pasta Sarde at Il Covo del Pirata - an excellent restaurant beside the interesting medieval lavatoro

My husband went up the hill behind the town where you get a good view of the town

After that we explored the beach and walked part way along the little coast path linking the old and new harbours

Day 6 Fulgatory

We got a bus to Palermo. From there we got the airport shuttle bus to the airport, where we had arranged to pick up a rental car from Hertz. This is much cheaper booked in advance online from home. It is also cheaper (we found for us) to take out insurance for the car at home.

It was then an easy, non stressful drive along the north coast to our next stop/base near Erice

We stayed at B&B Borgo di Pietro Bianca in a semi-rural area with it its own parking. We thought it would be a good base for the next few days.The nearest habitation was Fulgatory which had an excellent supermarket. There were no nearby places to eat.

Day 7 Fulgatory

Segesta – Greek Ruins

This was within easy driving distance from our B&B

The Theatre is up the hill and the Temple is just above the level of the car park

We did it wrong. We walked up the hill to see the Theatre and got the shuttle bus back. It would have been better the other way around – or even getting the shuttle bus both ways. However - The walk was lovely because the wild flowers were at their best and they were gorgeous

The Segesta Theatre 3^rd century BC is beautiful and the view from it is wonderful

The Segesta Temple 5th century BC a beautiful Greek Temple

We then drove south to Selinunte grabbing a lunch of pasta Sarde in a restaurant as we got near. Two Sicilian pasta dishes are pasta sarde (fennel and sardine) and pasta alla norma (aubergine and tomatoe).
Pastta alla norma was named after an opera by Bellini called norma. We fell in love with both.

Selinunte - 7th century BC overlooking the Mediterranean on the south coast of Sicily. It consists of several amazing Greek Temple ruins in a large area of land which was carpeted in wild flowers when we visited.

Week 2

Day 8 - Fulgatory

Erice – this was an easy drive up a road with lots of hair pin bends. It consists of a pretty medieval village perched on top of Mount Erice, where there are many churches and a fine Norman castle and amazing views. Well worth the visit

I was amazed to find Norman castles etc in Sicily. I associate Norman castles and Churches with England. So I did a small bit of historical research

The Normans – (according to me)

Originally they were Vikings from Scandinavia, who came south to France - raping and pillaging. They settled in North France which therefore became known as Normandy. They settled, integrated and became friendly with the King of France and converted to Christianity

After a while they grew restless and William the Conqueror went off and conquered England. Meanwhile his brother Roger went south and conquered Sicily

These Normans were very good at managing the places they conquered. They were adept at blending in with the best of what they found there and adding to it the best of what they had to offer.

Roger rather liked what he found in Sicily and went native.
He found a country that had been invaded and lived in by many people before him – The Greeks – the Romans and most recently Arab/Moor/Muslim. This was reflected in the architecture he found - similar to the beautiful Moorish Alhambra in Spain and the mosaics of Istanbul.

The Pope made a deal with him that if he brought Catholicism to Sicily he could call himself the King of Sicily. So he did – he built beautiful Christian churches and cathedrals, adorned with mosaics telling Christian stories. But much of the style was Moorish/ Arabian and much was Norman and it was rumoured that he himself retained the Muslim faith. He sounds a very pragmatic man. Actually two men - because he was followed by Roger the second

He also built Norman castles all over the place - one of which is in Erice

This mosaic (In La Mortorana) shows Roger the first being crowned.

Day 9 - Marettimo

Fulgatory to Marettimo

We drove to Trapani on the West Coast to get the ferry to Marettimo which is the smallest and furthest away of the Aegadi Islands.

Trapani is not very interesting in itself and there is no guidance to help find the ferries and on where to park.

Our problem was leaving the car somewhere safe for 3 nights.

The person at the kiosk selling our ferry tickets advised this;-

Antonio Burgarella

Autoparcheggio – deposito bagagli

Via cap.S.Poma(trav.via Virgilio)

P.zza G.C. Monalto, 24/25

Via Trento, 31-91100 Trapani

P.IVA:00302340815

Cell.320.4171154

burgarellaantonio@gmail.com

It was an excellent solution and I highly recommend it. He took our car (which was driven away to a safe lock up) and he drove us back to the ferry. If I remember correctly it cost about 10 euro a day

Due to bad weather our ferry could not go until the evening. It was an easy crossing on the hydrofoil - about 1 hour.

At Marettimo our B&B owner Diego came looking for us and helped with our cases

We stayed at B&B La Tartaruga which was excellent.

Day 10- Marettimo

There are not many places to walk if you don’t like going uphill. The island is/was a steep volcano.

We walked around the coast a short way in one direction which takes you past the cemetery to a nice tiny beach of black shingle. The island is not a place for the bucket and spade brigade

Lunch was excellent at La Vinere in town

Day 11- Marettimo

We walked gently part way up the mountain to an old Roman ruin and old Byzantine church.

Lunch was a picnic

We walked along the coast in the other direction towards a little sticking out bit of land with an old fort on it. After a bit the path goes steeply up hill and I stopped and came back

We had Dinner back at the same restaurant because it was so good

Day 12- Marettimo

Marettimo to Agrigento

We got the big ferry back to Trapani and it took ages – about 3 hours – but it was very restful.
It stopped at at the other islands on the way and it was interesting to have a quick look at Levanzo. Someone we met had told us that it was even nicer than Marettimo. It certainly looked beautiful.
Back at Trapani my husband walked around to the car place. Our car was brought back from the safe lock up and he came and picked me up

We then drove to Agrigento arriving about 7pm

We stayed at B&B Via dei Templi. This turned out to be at a busy junction and hard to find. I would not recommend it. It was below the standard of all the others we stayed at.

Day 13- Agrigento

Am and PM

Vallei dei Templi – Greek Ruins

There is no guidance as to where to park to see the temples. Agrigento is a horrible industrial modern city on one side of a ridge. Just south of that is a valley and then further south on the other side is another ridge with this amazing line of Greek temples. So the name is wrong – they are not in the valley. We drove from Agrigento down into the valley and we missed what is probably the main car park on the right because a coach was parked in front of the sign. However we carried on to the big roundabout where we saw directions to another car park on the other side of the temple ridge. We drove along a pretty little road with the temples just up on our right hand side – a lovely view of them. The car park was just along there - quiet and easy. From there a path took us a short walk up to the ridge and the temples – but at the far end of them. In retrospect this was the nicest place to start. We wandered along the ridge looking at the temples which are really worth seeing. The flowers where lovely and we had brought a picnic lunch. By mid-afternoon we had finished and we walked up the hill back towards Agrigento to see the museum, which was excellent - although quite a hike up the road in the hot sun.

Agrigeto in the distance and a ruined temple in front

We had dinner at Trattoria dei Temple next door to the B&B. It was grossly overpriced and snooty – I would not recommend

Day 14 – Piazza Armerina

Agrigento to Piazza Armerina via lunch at Enna/ Calascibetta

Enna proved too hard to find for my map reading skills and we ended up in nearby Calascibetta. This was an excellent mistake. It proved to be a delightful, little medieval town (built 951 by The Saracens when they were attacking Enna) perched atop a hill – quite off the tourist path. From the top there was a wonderful view (our first) of a distant, snow clad Mount Etna - with some smoke coming from it

We had an excellent, simple, cheap lunch – rustled up for us at a café bar in the main square further down the hill.

We then drove on to the pretty town of Piazza Armerina and the excellent B&B Kimera

Week 3

Day 15 – Piazza Armerina

Villa Romane Casale – Roman mosaics

This was an easy short drive out of the town into the country where it is.

The mosaics are quite, quite wonderful and amazing. It is extra-ordinary to think of them lying buried under mud for such a long time and to then emerge so recently in such good condition.
The floor with the mosaics of girls in bikinis has become famous as the first depiction of women wearing such things. They also have body piercings!

There is one huge, huge corridor where the mosaics tell the story of hunting for animals. The left side tells the story of normal hunting in Europe - for deer and wild boar etc. the right side tells the story of hunting animals in far away countries such a lions and tigers. These were brought back alive if possible - no easy feat. They were used for public sport in the roman amphitheaters. People who misbehaved were "thrown to the lions" or any other available wild animal. I cannot imagine how anyone could have found pleasure in watching such sport but they did - brutal times.

Lunch – was an ok light snack at the eating facility at Villa Romane.

In the afternoon we went to see the ancient Greek ruins at nearby Morgantina. It was almost deserted, awash with flowers and rather nice. The ruined Greek theatre had a sweet spot in the middle where – when you spoke- your voice was taken up and sounded weird

Dinner was at Amica Mei just off the main square (Piazza Garibaldi) in Piazza Armerina

Day 16 – Piazza Armerina

We spent this wandering around Piazza Armerina – a nice little place. It is another little medieval town on a hill.
It has a small but charming art gallery, which had the frescoe below (from one of the old churches there)

Day 17 – Ragusa

Piazza Armerina to Ragusa via Caltagirone

We drove to Caltagirone a pretty small town famous for its ceramics which it has made and exported for centuries.

The main tourist sight is the staircase where every stair is faced with tiles - everyone different

It is worth seeing

Lunch - was excellent at Non Solo Vino

We drove to Ragusa Superiore and B&B Giumbabulla (wonderful - quite the best care we have ever had in a B&B)

Day 18 - Ragusa

We walked “the walk down the steps” from Ragusa Superiore to Ragusa Ibla.

Ragusa Superiore has been done up and has slightly lost its quaintness. Ragusa Ibla still has it all and the walk down those steps is a must -as the views are wonderful.

This is all Inspector Montalbano country and both the Cathedral in Superiore and Ibla were used in filming. Ragusa Ibla is quite charming.

We had lunch there and later climbed back up the stair to Superiore

Day 19 - Ragusa

Ragusa to Syracuse via 1. Modica 2.Cava D’Ispica 3.Noto

Drove to Modica where we stopped for a moment to see the cathedral

Then

Drove to Cava D’Ispica which are at Ispica

These are caves in a cliff where people lived and where buried. They were well worth the stop

We then Drove to Noto where we had a very very late lunch – an excellent pizza near the cathedral

It was in Noto that we first came across a parking scam. You are helped to park somewhere that may or not be official by someone who may or not be official who you are then expected to pay. You get the feeling that what you are paying is protection money! We didn’t like to argue.
Noto had some fine examples of balconies held up by weird and wonderful characters

We then drove to the outskirts of Syracuse to our B&B Al Palmento Cruillas. This proved very hard to find. A new motorway was being built near it and our satnav kept telling us that we had arrived when we were on the new road. Most confusing

Day 20 - Syracuse

Greek Ruins of Syracuse – the Neapolis Archaeological Zone

We again had to pay protection money for the car parking

My husband was greatly disappointed by the Greek theatre because it is actually being used as a theatre and most of it is covered in wood seating and staging. However it is still interesting.

We both loved the adjacent caves – the Orecchio di Dioniso - very interesting

And also the ruined Roman Amphitheatre

We then drove into Syracuse Ortigia – very difficult to find parking

We had an excellent lunch there at Restaurant Syraka

We wandered around Syracuse Ortigia (an island) which is lovely. The Duomo in particular is interesting because the church has been built around an old Greek temple without removing the temple which is still there to be seen inside. It also had a collection of gifts made to the church. Saint Lucia is the saint of eyesight so lots of people with visual problems would leave her (the church) lavish eye related gifts
I Googled her story and apparently she was being courted by some man she didn't fancy - so she blinded herself to put him off and so that she could worship God without distraction

Day 21 Syracuse

AM and PM

Vendicari Nature Reserve

This was lovely because we saw flamingos feeding in the old salt flats near the sea. The sea itself is ringed with beautiful beaches and coves and there is a nice walk along the coast. There is also a little Norman Castle. Take your own picnic and water

Week 4

Day 22 – Zafferana Etnae

Syracuse to Zafferana Etnae on the slopes of Mount Etna

We drove there in the morning (skirting Catania) to our B&B Villa Rosa and the wonderful Alberto

We had lunch near the B&B at Gli Aragona – a place we kept going back to it was so good

Then we met Alberto the owner of our B&B and the most wonderful, delightful, helpful man who helped us plan our visit to Etna

Day 23 – Zafferana Etnae

Mount Etna - refuge Citelli and a walk the Sartorius mounts

Alberto told us to drive to Refuge Citelli and to find there his friend Giuseppe who would tell us where to go from there. Giuseppe turned out to be most helpful and gave us instructions on how to see and walk the Sartorius Mounts. These are ancient craters that originated during the 1865 lava flow. They are not covered in hard lava as one imagines but in black ash/sand. They are fascinating.

We took a picnic for lunch and we ate there

We drove further along that road to a small town called Linguaglossa

Day 24 – Zafferana Etnae

We had a paid guided tour with a friend of Alberto’s called Sergio. He said that it was nice to avoid the scrum of tourists at Rifugio Sapienza and that the gondola up was an expensive rip off. He took us around lovely quiet places and showed us old craters and different lava flows and lava caves.

What we had not realised is that Mount Etna is not just a mountain/volcano with a crater at the summit which erupts. It is a huge area of erupting cones. (The area is so big - it would fit into greater Birmingham) and they keep erupting – most recently last year

Lunch – was recommended by Alberto at Café Donna Peppina. This is where the famous Sicilian Pizza was invented and still made. This is a cheese, anchovies and black pepper pizza folded over and then deep fried. A quite delicious fat ball.

Day 25 – Zafferana Etnae

We drove a short distance out of the upper part of Zafferana Etnae to Piano de’Acqua (see map below) to see where the lava of 1991 stopped. It stopped just short of a house and there is a small shrine to give thanks.

We walked up along the right side of the lava flow along a pretty paved path lined with flowering broom. There was signpost pointing to Monte Caldana and Ilici di Carinu but we had no idea where we were. It is all very vague but quite fascinating

A few things we learnt about Mount Etna and Volcanoes
Certainly the people of Zafferana don't fear Etna. They call her the gentle giant. They explain that this is because she is not like other volcanoes such as Mount Vesuvius which covered Pompeii and Herculaneum killing all the inhabitants. Etna erupts very very slowly and there is always time for everyone to be safe. She last erupted very recently - last year - an ash eruption. But we were told that no-one was hurt except a few people who were near the crater at the wrong time.
When lava pours down the hill it often travels through caves and tunnels and channels made within lava from previous old lava flows. When this happens the lava flow is faster.
The most recent big lava flow eruption in 1992 was towards the town of Zafferana where we were staying

"1992 Lava Flow diversion

During the 1992 eruption of Etna earth barriers were used to save the town of Zafferana Etnea from lava flows. In January 1992 an earth barrier 234 m long and 21 m high was constructed. The embankment contained the lava for about a month but finally, it overflowed, on 9th April 1992.

Three additional smaller earth barriers (length: 90-160 m; height: 6-12 m ) were then built in April, to gain time, while the lava front continued to descend towards Zafferana, from the overflowing first embankment.

The main intervention point was located in Valle del Bove at an elevation of 2000 m, at 8 km from Zafferana. Initial interventions called for attempts at plugging a tunnel by dumping into it linked concrete blocks etc. Each intervention caused the partial obstruction of the tunnel, which caused major increases of lava overflow into Valle del Bove and the consequent halt of the most advanced front to Zafferana.

The intervention gave, at the most, two weeks of respite before new lava fronts approached the outskirts of Zafferana.

The final successful intervention was carried out on May 27-29, 1992. An artificial channel was dug, departing from the natural one. The solid separation levee was thinned to 3 m and blasted by 7000 kg of explosives. After the explosion, 2/3 of the lava flowed spontaneously in the artificial channel. As a consequence of the intervention, the active natural lava front, that on May 27 was only 850 m from Zafferana - stopped."

For the first time - man had tamed, controlled and beaten the volcanoe - Amazing

Day 26 - Catania

Zafferana Etnae to Catania

We drove to Catania Airport to get rid of the hire car

Then we got the Airport bus into Catania station. This all proved to be very easy and we walked to the B&B XX Meigle.

We had a late lunch

We wandered around Catania
Many of the building are partially built with lava - which makes sense for a town built at the foot of Mount Etna. In the middle of the main square is a gorgeous elephant made of lava (below)