Sunday, September 10, 2023; JFK So we’re off on another adventure, a couple of weeks in Sicily with our traveling comrades Patti and David B. Stay tuned! We started our evening at JFK with a bit of lounge hopping. We wondered why the Turkish Airlines lounge was so uncrowded; it was only when we wentContinue reading “When it’s midnight in Sicily…”
Category Archives: Sicily 2023
Ajutimacristo Domus
Monday, September 11, 2023; Palermo Modern miracle: we arrived in Zurich in plenty of time to make our connecting flight to Palermo! As we landed, we had our first glimpse of the mountainous landscape northwest of Palermo: rocky peaks devoid of vegetation rise steeply from the coast. As you approach the city, the landscape isContinue reading “Ajutimacristo Domus”
Out and About in Palermo
Tuesday, September 12, 2023; Palermo Restored after a good night’s sleep, we had a nice breakfast at a little bar across the street from the Palazzo. Our plan for the day included the great Norman Palace and Cathedral and a few other things that we would pass on the way. Google Maps led us throughContinue reading “Out and About in Palermo”
The golden majesty of Monreale
Wednesday, September 13, 2023; Palermo and Monreale We started the day by climbing into an Uber and heading up the mountain to the town of Monreale, home to one of the most unusual cathedrals in the world. It was built by William II beginning in 1174 as a counterweight to the growing secular power ofContinue reading “The golden majesty of Monreale”
From the Baroque to the Classical
Thursday, September 14, 2023; Segesta and Palma di Montechiaro After reluctantly turning over the keys to the apartment, we jumped in a cab to the airport. Things looked chaotic at the car rental area, but the wait wasn’t too long and our no-name rental agency was quite efficient. We were soon in our snazzy FiatContinue reading “From the Baroque to the Classical”
When a valley is actually a ridge
Friday, September 15, 2023; Agrigento and Palma di Montechiaro Breakfast at Mandranova is as good as dinner: fresh peaches and cassava melon, various breads and tarts baked at the farm, homemade jams and honey, and delicious coffee. Thus fortified, we headed for what is called the Valley of the Temples. This was actually just theContinue reading “When a valley is actually a ridge”
From the Greeks to the Romans…and back to the Baroque
Saturday, September 16, 2023; Villa Romana di Casale; Ragusa Morning saw us on the road into the interior of the island, bound for the Roman Villa of Casale. Our GPS led us astray once again and we found ourselves on a rutted, potholed road. As we rounded a bend, we found our way blocked byContinue reading “From the Greeks to the Romans…and back to the Baroque”
Now that’s a harbor!
Sunday, September 17, 2023; Noto and Siracusa We managed to navigate the streets back up into Ragusa Ibla to pick companions and luggage up at the hotel, and make our way safely down out of the gorges toward yet another Baroque city, Modica; we had decided, though, to spend more time in fewer places andContinue reading “Now that’s a harbor!”
Island to Mainland
Monday, September 18, 2023; Siracusa We kind of made up for the 25 euro spritz prices at the hotel’s splendid breakfast buffet. Then it was off to explore the island. The fish market was pretty great, with several varieties that we didn’t recognize. Near the market is the oldest Greek temple in Sicily, The TempleContinue reading “Island to Mainland”
A Vinous Education
Tuesday, September 19, 2023; Riposto and Radazzo It was a short hop from Siracusa to our next stop, the oddly named but really lovely Zash Country Hotel on the eastern slopes of Mount Etna. The hotel sits in a huge citrus grove. The main building houses the restaurant and reception. The nicer rooms are inContinue reading “A Vinous Education”