Sicily

Time to drop our bags off and look back at the amazing trip we did last week! For once it was in my homeland and we picked the very South of the country, the Island of Sicily, the biggest in the Mediterranean. As usual, I am keen to jot down a few notes about our trip, first of all to help other travellers like us who may find some of the tips useful and secondly, as I always look back at my blog a few years on and cherish the beautiful memories of the time spent away, exploring new landscapes, eating local foods and meeting new people.

We had quite a detailed plan of our trip before setting off. This changed, however, the very first day we got there: by talking to people we were told that we could not skip the beautiful island of Favignana, a few miles off the coast of Trapani and opted for a visit there, instead of a full day in Trapani. In hindsight, that was a good choice: Favignana is now amongst the very highlights of our trip!

 Here is a breakdown of the trip. If you decide to do a similar tour, bear in mind that you (obviously) need to rent a car and that the trip from Cefalu’ to Agrigento (day 5) took quite a while, despite the relatively short distance. Reason being, the roads in the interior part of the Island are not very good and easy to drive on!

One last thing…Go to Sicily! You won’t be disappointed… Three key words: food, seaside landscapes and culture. I don’t generally want to go back to the same place but in the case of Sicily, I would definitely want to explore another corner of the island any time soon!

Day 0: We flew from Parma, arrived in Trapani late in the evening and stayed in an Airbnb not far from the city centre. I would not particularly recommend it, though and that is why I am not going to write its name here.

Day 1: After a quick visit of the city of Trapani in the morning, we took a ferry to the island of Favignana (ensure you book them early in the morning, we had to wait a couple before getting on one). We had a stroll there and rented a bike in the afternoon, I think it's the best way to visit and see all the corners of the island. The beauty of this place is truly remarkable, with some of the most pictoresque, white-sand beaches of the whole country, according to the 'Turisti per Caso' magazine. We spent the night in a B&B (La Pergola) in a small town called Custonaci, not far from San Vito Lo Capo. We wanted to avoid the high prices of a touristy destination such as San Vito Lo Capo and that turned out to be a good idea. We stayed in the same place two nights in a row and would definitely recommend this place, where we had really yummy breakfasts and very generous portions if it!

Day 2: First thing we went to San Vito lo Capo and basically lay in the shade of an umbrella on the beach the whole morning. We visited the beautiful town of Erice in the afternoon, where we had an unforgettable view of the whole bay from up there (as you can see below). We went back to Custonaci for the night but did not miss the chance to have aperitif and dinner in Erice. You could spend hours wandering about in this tiny, medieval town perched on the mountain. I would recommend to be there at sunset.

Day 3: We walked and swam at the Riserva della Zingaro. Technically, you could walk as far as Scopello, I think that would be a three-hour walk. However, we set off at 11 am, and the heat was simply unbearable, even for a Southerner like me. After an hour walk and a swim in the first 'valetta', we headed back to the car and visited Borgo di Scopello in the afternoon. The first 'caletta' is worth a mention for its beauty and ,presumably, peacefulness, as long as you're not there at peak season. In hindsight, I would say that August was not the best choice, as everywhere is very packed. For the night, we opted for Alcamo, we stayed in a really welcoming hostel called Cielo d'Alcamo, the cheapest night of the entire trip and one of the best ones at the same time (if you don't mind the hostel-like, laid-back atmosphere).

Day 4: The day was dedicated to the visit of the temple and amphitheatre of Segesta in the morning and the town of Salemi in the afternoon (the latter is strongly linked with the history of our country, as this is the very first place where Garibaldi stopped after its arrival in Marsala, and proclaimed the annexation of the Island to the newly formed State of Italy in 1860). We also did a Go Ape experience in Alcamo and headed to Castellammare in the evening. We had dinner there but we struggled to find relatively cheap accommodation in Castellamare and decided to head to Palermo fairly late at night, knowing we would visit the city the following day.

Day 5: Visit of Palermo in the morning (a two-hour walk, by no means an exhaustive visit of the city) had lunch at our friend’s place on the coast not far from Palermo, and drove as far as Cefalu’, where we had aperitif and no dinner (for once) as that is where we finally realised that we had put on at least a couple of kilos in Sicily and some fasting was definitely needed!) Long long drive Agrigento-bound and accommodation in a small town called Grotte. This was by far the cheapest but not the most convenient and nice one.

Day 6: Going to Sicily and not visiting the 'Valle dei Templi' would be like going to Rome and neglect Vatican city. Time for some relax in the deserted beach of Eraclea Minoa in the afternoon, where sandy beaches stretch for at least five kilometres, giving the traveller a true sense of freedom, hardly ever to be found on Italian seaside places. We drove to  Mazara del Vallo to spend the night there. Definetely recommend the B&B we stayed at, its name is Nosteon and it is located right in front of the Satiro Danzante Museum. The city centre of Mazara is very small and pretty. When we were there, we thought this could be a very good place to stay and do daily trips to the areas around (especially if you are travelling with children or people who are not too keen on itinerant trips).

Day 7: After a visit of Mazara del Vallo in the morning, we drove to Marsala. We were extremely pleased with the visit of  the little island of Mozia and  the Saline- the salt pans. I reckon a visit to the Museum of Salt would be worthwhile, but unfortunately we did not have the time as we had to return our rented car. However, what you can't absolutely miss is cocktails or  aperitif by the salt pans at dusk in the big bar in front of the Museum. Spectacular view and very chilled atmosphere! Spent the night in Marsala, B&B called 'Colomba bianca', 10 minute-walk to the town centre. Fairly happy with it, we would recommend it.

Day 8: should have been visit of Marsala, but it ended up being a lie-in and a trip to the airport!

A couple of culinary remarks before I finish writing. Here are some specialities you absolutely can't miss if you are in Sicily:

- Arancini: fried rice balls with anything from meat ragu to mozzarella to aubergine hidden within.

- Caponata: Like many Sicilian dishes, this one is based on aubergines. Aubergines are chopped and fried, and then seasoned with sweet balsamic vinegar, capers, and sometimes pine nuts and raisins.

- Parmigiana di melanzane: aubergine is sliced, fried, and layered with cheese and tomato.

- Pasta alla Norma in Catania made with fried aubergine, tomatoes, basil, and ricotta salata.

Pasta con le sarde: Sardines are popular in Sicily, so it’s common to see them as a topping for pasta. One common variety is bucatini or busiate with sardines, fennel, saffron, pine nuts, and raisins.

- Cassata siciliana: A sponge cake is soaked in liqueur, its slices layered with sweetened ricotta, and the whole thing covered in almond paste, then icing and candied fruits.

- Cannoli: A tube of fried dough gets filled with sweetened ricotta—and often topped off with candied fruit, pistachios, or chocolate chips.

- Granita: The perfect summer refreshment, it’s ground ice with sugar and fresh fruit… but it’s every bit as refreshing as it is simple.

That's it! Hope this is a good starting point if you plan a visit to Sicily.