Sicily
Trip Start
Mar 30, 2007
1
Trip End
Apr 08, 2007
Catania, Italy
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Since the crackdown on the Mafia in the 1990's and the influx of funds from the EU, the crumbling structures, and weary facades are undergoing restoration. So now tourists can enjoy past splendors Sicily has to offer, like the beautiful baroque towns of Noto (intro pic) and Ragusa, and explore the crowded bustling market of Palermo's, Mercato della Vucciria with little to fear but the hand of a skilled pickpocket uplifting their wallet.
Street markets like Mercato della Vuccira abound in most villages. Another worth taking in is the fish, fruit and vegetable market of Ortygia, Syracuse, which stretched out to the sea from the ruins of the Temple of Apollo. Oranges have to be tasted to be believed when they are picked the evening before sale at the morning market.
In spring the pervasive fragrance of orange blossom wafts on the air, especially around Ribera where stands of citrus groves march hand in hand with seasonal crops such as strawberries, artichokes and tomatoes, and of course vineyards. Field swathed in wild flowers surround Roman and Greek ruins that are dotted throughout the countryside providing a visual and sensory feast.
Driving in Sicily is easy, despite the suicidal tendencies of Italian Drivers who take the posted 130kph as a suggestion and every car in front must be caught and passed, even if it is on a corner with no view of oncoming traffic. With the help of a GPS, you soon find your way through overcrowded, narrow city streets to your hotel, never mind that the voice over is in Italian. You soon pick up left from right and 'recalculating your route'. We used a German Self -Drive (DerTour) company for our tour. It offered cheap airfares, and booked hotels along our travel route. All, bar one, had parking...a must, narrow streets can make it a nightmare if they don't. Parking tickets for blue line areas are available from vendors, and Tabaccaio's (Tobacconists).
If you are a history lover, you will never find time to soak up all Sicily has to offer. Occupied by everyone from the Sicani,Carthaginians,Greeks,Romans, Byzantines, Normans (King Frederick II) Angevin's, Aragonese and Bourbons, up to Garabaldi's expedition in 1860 which paved the way for Italian unification, all left their mark. In temples such as those found in Neapolis Archaeological Zone in Syracuse with it's beautiful Amphitheater, to those sprawled along the ridge in the Valley of the Temples of Agrigento, to the little gem of the Temple of Segesta tucked away so it withstood the ravages of time. Some are not as obvious, like the Duomo in Ortygia, where the Temple to Minerva can be seen incorporated within its walls. The influence of its occupiers is most obvious in its architecture. Many churches have served many religions, and this is most obvious in Palermo, where churches with Byzantian domes, and Norman towers, and Gothics arches abound, like in Palermo's great Cathedral.
Take time to visit the Roman Villa, Villa del Casale, in Piazzia Armerina. Buried under a mud slide is was uncovered in the 19th century. While its size, layout, and signs of baths, furnaces, and latrines are a marvel it is in the mud-preserved mosaic tiled floor that it's richness lies.
Fertile valleys and the surrounding sea make Sicily a gourmands delight. The freshest ingredients simply prepared washed down with local wines are a treat. Try salt-crusted Orata, in Catania's Cafe Duomo, it will melt in your mouth and the salt comes from the windswept salt marshes near Trapani. In Palermo, try "IL Cambusone" tucked in behind the massive Teatro Massimo, its two fixed menus (one with pasta course one without) is a treat and their antipasti has to be seen and tasted to be believed.
Around Agrigento, take a trip to the coast at San Leone. Restaurants line the seashore along Viale Delle Dune, and jut out over the sand. Places like 'Oceanomare' provide live music, and there is nothing like having a drink after a day exploring and watching the sunset over the ocean before a meal made of the freshest ingredients. Venture out and I promise you will be seldom disappointed. Don't let lack of language stop you, the friendliness of the locals will soon make you laugh and relax. Just remember Sicilians eat late and most restaurants don't open until 8 pm and can be quite crowded. If in doubt ask your hotel receptionist where they would eat if they went out to dinner, and get them to book it for you.
The wines were a varied as their prices and tastes. For a top quality one expect to pay for it, if you want it shipped most producers will arrange it. We settled on the moderately priced Nero D'Avola from Noto for a red and found it palatable, as was Bianco d"Alcamo a white both found in most restaurants.
Snacking-on-the-go is a huge temptation. Shops are arrayed with the most tempting displays of pastries, nougats, marzipan fruits and gelato. Step inside at your own risk, hot and cold meals will tempt your appetite even if you ate the night before, and nothing beats fresh crusty bread with homemade cheese and home-cured prosciutto, or a thin crust pizza with fresh tomato plastered over it with mozzarella and salami. Save the diet until you get home. And for those of you who don't drink coffee - you are missing a treat. Italian's have perfected coffee.
No trip to Sicily is complete without a trip to the beautiful medieval town of Taormina and its neighbor seen towering in the distance, Mt. Etna.
Taormina once a capital, is high on the saddle between two mountains and overlooked by another. Once the stopping place on the Grand Tour it still retains its popularity today and is a retreat for the rich and famous. It has sweeping views of the Ionian Coastline and its Greek Amphitheatre also has Mt. Etna as it's backdrop. We caught the Good Friday Easter Parade in Taormina and it was worth the wait after a long day's sightseeing. At sunset the ancient Corso Umberto is plunged into darkness. The only light comes from the flares in the medieval scones on the buildings and the candles held by hundred of women dressed in black who line the street for the religious icons to be paraded from one ancient gate to the other.
Mt. Etna has dominated the lives of those who live under its shadow. Ash-stained Catania, Sicily's third largest city seem undaunted by a neighbor who has flooded it with lava and shaken its foundations over the centuries. A day's train trip will take you around its base, while a chair lift from Rifugio Sapienza will drop you of to climb its steaming lava slopes. Black and white in winter, yellow and black in summer, it is a sight to behold. Take water and wear sturdy footwear.
Whether you seek to climb an active volcano, ramble over ruins or through historic hill tops towns, maybe laze on a beach by Cefalu, or dip in the deep blue sea before sampling delicious food and wine, Sicily offers it all. The friendly people help make this beautiful island a worthy inclusion on your 'must see' list.
