dodi66

We recently returned from a glorious 3 weeks+ in Italy. The plus being that after our 3 weeks in Sicily, my husband and I spent 2 weeks in the "other Italy", as one of our B&B owners called it. For this report, I'm concentrating on Sicily, hoping I can condense the trip report! I had so much help planning this trip...so many great suggestions and helpful advice from Fodorites and Tripadvisor (thank you again, Vagabonda!!). Thank you to all who contributed by doing trip reports and answering my questions! The group consisted of my husband, myself, and our friends Jim and Kathy....all of us were enthralled with this beautiful country. And, NO, 3 weeks was NOT too long, we considered it not long enough, and are already thinking of our next trip there!!! Our itinerary worked really well for us and we liked everywhere we stayed. I would change nothing about this first trip. Our itinerary and accommodations were:
PALERMO.....5 nights...Palazzo Pantaleo~~excellent location, comfortable rooms, helpful Giuseppe
ERICE...3 nights...Erice Pietre Antiche~~ fabulous, charming, perfect Massimo a gem
SELINUNTE...2 nights...Villa Sogno Charme E Relax~~ beautiful villa, Cinzia delightful, great breakfasts
AGRIGENTO...2 nights...Villa La Lumia~~wonderful view of temples, lovely family owned
PIAZZA ARMERINA...1 night~~La Casa Sulla Collina d'Oro~~wonderful rooms on terrace, Luciano so nice, great breakfast
NOTO...3 nights...Villa Ambra~~nice rooms, view of city, convenient for day trips, friendly Dino
ORTIGIA...Porta Marina~~excellent location, Simone delightful, fabulous breakfasts
TAORMINA...Villa Sara~~incredible view, private terrace, lovely Madame Elena, long walk up from town, but so worth it!!!
Usually we do longer stays of 5-6 nights with day trips, but Sicily didn't seem to lend itself well to that concept.
We had an uneventful flight from the west coast (U.S.) and landed in Rome mid morning. There had been some concern over whether we had enough time for our connection to Ryanair, since they had made a schedule change from departure at 13:15 to 11:45. Since we do only carry on, it worked with time to spare, but not sure if it would have been enough time if we had had to wait for luggage to go through customs. Also I had prepaid to do checked baggage on Ryanair since it appeared from their website, that our carry ons were a bit too large for them. That meant we had to get to Terminal 2, find the check in counter, then go up to the boarding area ( a very long walk from A-B-C). As it turned out, many people were boarding with carry ons bigger than the ones we had checked...could have saved ourselves some time and a bit of money. No worries, we made the flight!!

In Palermo, I had arranged transfers to B&B, settled in and off to get a feel for this city! Since it was late by this time, we settled for walking around the Piazza and dinner. We had 4 days to see all that Palermo had to offer...and that was a lot!! One of our highlights was a StrEat Palermo tour with Alessandra. We planned that for our first day...a great introduction to the culture, history, food, and charm of Palermo! We visited the Vucciria and Capo markets...loud, chaotic, fabulous,especially with Alessandra to steer us around and explain the intricacies and histories of various foods. We tasted Arancine (loved it!), Pane ca'Meusa (probably an acquired taste, but very traditional!), Marsala, Panelle (yum), Zibibbo....a very fun day. We also visited the Cathedral (beautiful, with parts of the former mosque retained), the Teatro Massimo,, and Palazzo Mirto, an 18th century palace with original furnishings. Next day we went, with Francesca to Monreale. Since it was Holy Week, she was not allowed to speak in the church, but explained much of the mosaics from a detailed book. In hindsight we probably would have done as well on our own. She was an excellent guide, but handicapped because of the restrictions for that week. Monreale is amazing...those stunning mosaics...simply breathtaking. In the afternoon we visited Cappella de Palentina (fabulous mosaics), Piazza Marina (watched Palermitani play cards very intensely!) and Palazzo Chiaramonte to visit the Inquisition Museum and the cells of the prisoners. The intricate, detailed drawings on the walls and the stories told by the guide were fascinating and horrifying, another prime example of "man's inhumanity to man"! We found the "Alley of the Painted Carts", but the museum was closed. We, did, however get to see several wonderful examples of this quaint traditional folk art displayed in the alley. This day, being Good Friday, was a special day of Easter processions. We saw 4 different processions from different parishes marching through the streets.....amazing pageantry, faith and tradition. They were incredible and one of my highlights of our time in Palermo. In the evening we went to the rooftop of the Rinascente Department store for a glass of wine and a great view of Palermo...saw another Easter procession, viewed from above! Dinner that night at Trattoria Biondi on Via Carducci, excellent food, charming atmosphere. Our last 2 days in Palermo were spent with more sights and many churches. Giuseppe said there were 520 churches in Palermo (not all active, of course) and I think we visited about 400 of them!! San Giovanni degli Eremiti, with its 5 Arab domes, the Chiesa del Carmine, with its majolica-tiled dome, Chiesa del Gesu, lavishly Baroque facade and interior, San Georgio de Genovea, ancient tombs, La Martorana, stuccos, enamels, frescoes, Oratorio del Rosario di Santa Cita, elaborate stucco Baroque decor, Oratorio del Rosario di San Domenico, one of my favorites with its beautiful majolica floors and an altarpiece by Van Dyck, Santa Caterina d'Alessandria, more lovely mosaics and a woman arranging flowers for Easter mass, San Giuseppe dei Teatini, frescoed ceilings, elaborate marble decor on walls, gold altar, Sant'Orsola, frescoes and wonderful paintings by Novelli. The Palazzo Abatellis was a good stop, housing the Galleria Regionale della Sicilia, with the exquisite painting of the Annunciation by Messina and the Laurana's sculpture of Eleanor of Aragon, in addition to many other noteworthy art pieces. The beautiful Quattro Canti, with its sculptures of the 4 seasons and Baroque facades was a landmark for us. Some areas of Palermo still showed heavy damage from WWII off some of the back narrow, winding streets with piles of rubble and walls collapsed. We enjoyed the nightly passeggiata (leisurely stroll) down the pedestrian streets, which a few hours before had been full of cars and motor bikes. Our last night Kathy and I took time for a bit of shopping and found some fun stores off Corso Vittorio Emanuele, one being handmade jewelry (Nana's). We were happy to have the 4 days in Palermo, enjoyed the chaos and grittiness of it, but by now we were ready to move on to our next stop, the small village of Erice!!

massimop

So glad you appreciated Palermo, especially its abundance of artistic treasure. I found the museums and churches of Palermo immensely rewarding. It's astounding you packed so much in to 4 days. I was there for about 6 and did not do all that you did. I don't know anyone else who has visited the Galleria Regionale della Sicilia, which is a remarkable window into Sicilian culture. Likewise, the unforgettable Palazzo Chiaramonte. I'm sure I could live in Palermo and never run out of things to enjoyy. I'm surprised you found it chaotic. I found it surprisingly laid back for a southern Italian city of its size.

patandhank

Looking forward to reading more. DH and I are thinking Sicily in a couple of years.

dodi66

Massimop, perhaps a better word than "chaotic" would have been "busy" and I meant with the cars and motorbikes and lots of crowds (some due to Easter timing, I am sure). You are correct..it is far more laid back than Naples, say. Yes, we did pack a lot in, but don't feel as though we were racing around there. There is an incredible amount of things and places to visit...we missed several places, like the Marionette Museum because of timing. And we did love Palermo, thought it a wonderful introduction to the amazing Sicily adventure!! Patandhank, keep thinking Sicily...it is a fabulous place with incredible sights and charming people. One of our favorite trips of many, many we have done!!

sundriedtopepo

Glad you enjoyed your trip, how could you not? Lol. Looking forward to more of your report.

dodi66

ERICE...We picked up our rental car (rented through Auto Europe) at Europcar at the Palermo airport. Location was quite confusing for our driver to find, but eventually he did. My husband (who did all the driving) was thrilled with the Alfa Romeo! The GPS (as reported by others) worked, sort of, sometimes, but we did find the way to Erice. Drove through beautiful countryside, green valleys, and millions of wildflowers...spectacular. Even more spectacular was our drive up to Erice!! The views were amazing, all along the twisting narrow road. We followed Massimo's directions, met him and the parking lot, and he drove us to our beautiful apartment in Erice!! He was raised in this house (now 4 apartments), it had been in his family for 5 generations. He and his wife and children now live in Trapani because Erice has no school or modern facilities, like grocery stores. This splendid little town was one of our favorite stops, and we would have stayed longer if we could have. The medieval feel is everywhere, the entire town is a museum, and ever so charming. It was cold and foggy by then, but we settled in, and then set off for exploration. We found the recommended pastry shop of Maria Grammatico (there's an equally delicious pastry shop next door!!) and walked along the ancient walls (from 800 BC). Near Porta Trapani there was a shop that sold arancine with several choices for the center...delicious!! We purchased the Erice Pass at the Real Duomo for 5 euro each that permitted entrance to 6 of the museums. The pass is valid for up to 7 days, I think. The Duomo is magnificent with its sculpted ceilings. It was easy to walk everywhere in Erice, although the many of the streets are steep and all are narrow, cobblestone and winding. We ate dinner that night at Monte San Giuliano, had our first taste of Busiate di Ericina, traditional Erice meal, and so fabulous!! Next day we drove to Segesta and visited the magnificent Greek ruins. It was especially spectacular with the hills and ruins covered with the beautiful wildflowers. The majestic Doric temple on the hill is the first thing you see coming into the area...such a greeting!! The amphitheatre is well preserved and the ruins of the village were well worth seeing. After Segesta we made the short drive to Scoppello and the Castellammare del Golfo area. Beautiful sea..very dark blue, and Scoppello is a sweet tiny village, with all white houses and a very small piazza. The weather was bright and sunny which made the setting on the sea glorious!! Back to Erice, where it was still cold and foggy!! We used our Erice pass to visit Ruins of San Salvatore (a monastery under renovation, but ancient walls are still standing) and San Martino, with its lovely wood sculptures. Next day (and last in wonderful Erice!), we spent using our Pass and wandering the streets. Visited San Giuliano, founded in 1006, very simple, but containing the "Misteri", the statuary groups that are carried through the village on Good Friday. Beautiful to see, and all made by local artisans. The Sacristy contains a collection of wax art works from the 19th century, magnificent in the details. The Castle of Venus, constructed in the 12th century, sits overlooking the ocean and the Trapani salt flats, and the Pepoli Tower adds more medieval charm. Also visited San Giovanni Battista with its marble sculptures and San Francesco d'Assisi with floors of beautiful majolica tiles. Kathy and I took time to do some pottery shopping in the many shops, all displaying different styles, most unique to Erice, and found nowhere else in Sicily, we discovered!. Cermica Ericina had beautiful things, and there are many other shops, many with a potter on site, working on wares. Dinner at Osteria di Venere...excellent and charming.
SELINUNTE...Midday we drove down the hill from Erice, one last time, and past the salt flats of Trapani. We decided not to stop except for a few photos, and continued on to Villa Sogno. The GPS got quite confused and misdirected us a few times, particularly in some of the small villages along the way (we were on SS115, along the coastline). Luckily we also had a "real paper" map and that helped us find the way. My husband (the driver) is also fairly unflappable, and that, too, was helpful!! Otherwise, so far, the driving in Sicily, doesn't seem bad at all, according to him. Eventually we arrived at the Villa Sogno....what a beautiful place. The villa itself is amazing, the grounds so perfect for relaxing, and Cinzia is the consummate hostess. She recommended Carbona for dinner, made reservations for us, and we enjoyed the villa grounds for the rest of the afternoon. Dinner at Carbona was excellent and a perfect setting. A beautiful agriturismo with olive trees, vineyards and cattle and a lovely house for dinner!! Next morning we headed for Selinunte and the Greek/Phoenician ruins. What a magnificent setting, overlooking the sea! We spent much of the day exploring the huge area with 2 fairly intact temples, the Acropolis, and the ruins of buildings and ancient walls, all a part of this once powerful city, now an important archaeological site from the 7th century BC. Good paths throughout the park as well as a small "train" for transport to more distant areas,if desired. Back to relax at the gardens of our villa and then to Marinella di Selinunte for dinner at Lido di Zabbara on the beach! A delicious and extensive salad bar with a wonderful eggplant dish and a beautiful view.
AGRIGENTO...

dgunbug

What a great report! I can't wait to get to Sicily - planning on trip next year. Bookmarking this to take notes. Thanks.

panecott

I'm enjoying your wonderful, informative report.

I'm heading back to Sicily in September and so far, my itinerary is the same as yours. I'm sorry I will miss the wildflowers.

Look forward to reading more.

dodi66

Dgunbug...you will love it...so much to see, such charming people.
Glad if I can help. Panecott..."heading back"? Lucky you!! We are wishing we had had more time there, and would love a return trip soon!!! The wildflowers were stunning, everywhere in profusion. But the ones that impacted me the most were the ones growing among the ruins...such a contrast! But if you are going to Erice, Massimo (our landlord) assured us that the best weather there was in September/October! Thank you, sundriedtopepo....you contributed to the planning process for me!!! You personally are the one who suggessted staying another night in Taormina and skipping Catania (except for flight!)...which was spot on...we loved Taormina and even could have added 1 more night there!!

dodi66

AGRIGENTO...Cinzia at the Villa Sogno made reservations for us for a wine tasting/tour at Planeta Winery for a stop on our way to Agrigento so we headed there. Lovely countryside along the way.
The winery is in a beautiful setting with a farmhouse from the 16th century as the main building. It has been in the family for many centuries. A large photo on the wall in the main house depicts the workers celebrating at the Liberation of Sicily. The tour was informative and the tasting nice, some good choices. We are not connoisseurs, but we do like wine!! We hadn't reserved for lunch so we asked for recommendations from the friendly guide..she suggested Antico Mulino in Sambuca di Sicilia, about 10 minutes away. It's at the top of the hill, after driving through the quaint town of Sambuca. Excellent, traditional, full of locals...our kind of place!! There was a family party going on..seemed to be a birthday or graduation, with all ages of family members. So fun to watch the interaction between them. No one spoke any English, but we muddled through ordering and all of us thought it was the best meal so far!! Plus with the great ambiance, it was quite perfect, and a very fun memory, besides!!!
We drove on to Scala di Turchia to see the beautiful, white limestone cliffs rising from the dark blue sea. Impressive, but crawling with people so we viewed it from the overlook, took some photos, and moved on. Arrived at our B&B, settled in, and took advantage of the lovely garden with its great view of the temples as a setting for some wine purchased from Planeta. Luigi, the son of the house, offered us some homemade limoncello from their lemons. It was extraordinary..creamy and so smooth, he called it "cream limoncello". Never found this type any other place, luckily we purchased a few bottles from him to take with us!! Next day, we meet with our guide, Laura, from Uncovered Sicily, highly recommended by Vagabonda from Tripadvisor (thanks again, Vagabonda!) Laura was amazing, so knowledgeable, so friendly and so informative.The archeological park area is huge and there is so much to see and to understand. Having Laura with us to explain it all greatly enriched our experience and made it much more meaningful. I was ever so glad that we had her with us!! It's an incredible area, full of Greek ruins in various states of "ruin".
The temples are impressive and 2 are well preserved. There are fragments of others, and catacombs, and the Museo Archeologico, all fascinating. We spent most of the day here, with Laura interpreting and explaining, just an incredible place. I simply can not imagine that we would have enjoyed it nearly as much without her to sort it out for us. (Sounds like an advertisement for Laura..but really I'm just trying to encourage obtaining a trained guide for Agrigento and Laura was the best!!) We ate dinner at Expanificio in town, recommended by Laura, great, delicious, traditional. We didn't have a chance to visit the town of Agrigento...everything was closed when we finished at the Valley of the Temples. Would have liked a few hours there at least, so maybe another night at Agrigento?
PIAZZA ARMERINA...Left B&B in morning, drove through several unremarkable villages to reach our B&B in PA. I had scheduled a tour of the Villa Casale for that afternoon at 2pm. This next B&B was quite a gem, with great terraces overlooking the town and outstanding hosts. One of our favorites. Luciano recommended a restaurant right by Villa Casale so we stopped there on our way to meet Rosella, our guide ([email protected]). Can't remember name of restaurant but it is right next to entrance to Villa Casale and was wonderful, with meals being served on a lovely terrace, hung with flowers, looked very "Sicilian" to me!! Rossella was a superb guide through the magnificent Villa Casale.
The mosaics are everywhere...floors, walls, and so detailed.
Not all are well preserved, there is an issue with funding and, of course, deterioration. But what was visible was stunning and elaborate, and so beautiful. Again, this is a place where having Rossella (or another guide) was extremely helpful and greatly enriched the experience. The background of the Villa and the mosaics (which tell a story in most cases) are incredible, but so much would be overlooked without someone knowledgeable to point it out. Back to B&B for a pleasant evening with some of the other guests there. This is another place where I wished for another day..no time to visit the town. In the morning we left, heading for Caltagirone and the famous steps AND the pottery shops!! No problem finding parking (the GPS was working today!), and we, for the first time on the trip, left our luggage in the car (nothing visible,however). We had some trepidation about that, but the shops, and the stairs were calling, and there was no other way to manage it!! It did all work out...the car, and the luggage was intact, when we returned, luckily!! The steps of Caltagirone to Santa Maria del Monte were amazing and so beautiful!! Every riser on every step of the 142 steps is decorated with different majolica tiles. And all the way up the stairs on both sides, there are pottery shops and workshops, with different styles of pottery. Some of it very intricate and busy, others very simple. I loved it....a fun place for a ceramic lover like me, and like Kathy!! We spent a few hours here, had lunch, then drove on. Could have used a bit more time, but we were worried about the luggage (unnecessarily, thankfully)and wanted to get to Noto.

panecott

Another great installment, dodi66! I was planning to stop in Caltagirone on my way to Siracusa but didn't even know about the steps! I'll definitely put them in my plans. Unfortunately, I will be there on a Sunday so perhaps the shops will be closed - or maybe that's for the best!!

Just a question -- how long was your tour with Laura? Vagabonda recommended her to me as well and I was just wondering how much time to allot. I've been to Agrigento twice before but never did an "in depth" tour.

Also, when were you in Sicily, exactly, for the wildflowers? I've always been there in August or September (this will be trip # 5 for me), but I might have to go back another time to see the wildflowers!

sundriedtopepo

panecott We were there the last half of last May, and saw fields of poppies, and the rolling hills were covered in soft green rather than the brown of later on in the summer. It was very pretty! The best though, was the scent of orange blossoms everywhere we went, wafting in the breeze. Delightful!

dodi66

Panecott..thank you for the kind words!! We were there from April 13-May 3 and the wildflowers were profuse everywhere in the countryside!! Our tour with Laura was about 4 hours as I recall..we meet her at 9am and I believe we finished about 1 or 1:30. We then hung around after she left and visited some areas again. If you have been to Agrigento 2x already, perhaps the tour would be a bit different. When contacting Laura, you might mention that you have been there. She's has a PhD in archeology so is extremely knowledgeable, in addition to being very personable. Trip #5...you lucky person!! I don't know if Caltagirone shops are closed on Sunday, but based on our experience in other places, there was more open on Sunday than we expected. You may want to take an extra bag for purchases!!!! The shops on the steps seemed to be more varied in style and more to my taste than the several I went to "not on the steps". Yes, as sundriedtopepo says, the hills were green, covered with flowers, and the smell of orange blossoms was wafting through the air!! Just delightful and made us happy we had chosen several B&Bs that had their own gardens...pure bliss at the end of the day!!!

dodi66

NOTO...Arrived Noto in the late afternoon so just settled into B&B, enjoyed a glass of wine on the lovely terrace that overlooked the city,and walked to town for dinner at Dammuso, recommended by Dino, with fabulous swordfish. Excellent!! Next day we spent exploring Noto and its fairytale buildings. The Cathedral de San Nicolo, very ornate and beautiful, Chiesa Santa Chiara, with its magnificent altar piece and San Domenico with its lovely facade The Palazzo Nicolaci, home of a former tuna baron, was beautiful. Most interesting were the Baroque balconies on the building, with figures of horses,mermaids, fairies, tigers, lions, and gargoyles as the supports! Very fanciful and unique! Chiesa di San Carlo has a campanile of many steps, twisting, narrow, steep, which we climbed for amazing views over the city. Noto was most beautiful as the sun was going down...it rather glowed in the twilight. Next day we left for our day trip to Ragusa, Modica, and perhaps Cava d'Ispica, if time permitted. A scenic drive past olive and lemon groves, cactus, vineyards and beyond Modica (our plan was to visit the furthest town first and work our way back), on to Ragusa. A convenient car park at entrance to town and a walk up lots of stair and we were there in Ragusa Ibla. Lots of churches, all closed...this was a Wednesday, and there were no signs indicating when they were open. We found the Piazza del Duomo, which was very charming and the Duomo was due to open in an hour.
Lots of little shops around the piazza needed exploring so we did!
Also went to Giardino Ibleo which was delightful, with many palms and flowers and 3 churches, all closed! (no, it wasn't the 1-5 usual closing time, this was about 11am). The Duomo was stunning, with its magnificent Baroque interior...glad we waited for opening. Ragusa also had the balconies with the fanciful figures on a few buildings, particularly Palazzo Constantini on main street. Ragusa was lovely...I would consider staying here, if we are ever lucky enough for a return trip to this area!! It was later than we had planned for, with no time for Modica, but we headed for Ispica to find the cave dwellings. This is one place where a guide would have been very helpful. We found the caves, after the GPS had several meltdowns, but weren't sure what we were looking at. Even the museum was closed.The guidebook was sketchy and the signage was all in Italian. The caves are fascinating to look at and some appear to be still occupied...it would have been interesting to find out the story and hear the history of this area. Next time...a guide for here!! Back to Noto for dinner. We liked Dammuso, so headed there. The waiter recognized us, and said they were totally booked up, but if we promised to be finished by 9:30, he could seat us. This being only 7:00pm, and us being Americans, we promised, and were seated!! Another amazing swordfish dinner, and we were out of there by 9:00!!!

panecott

Thank you, sundried and dodi, for the info.

I thought this might be my last trip to Sicily but it looks like I will have to go back in the spring to see the wildflowers. Oh well, we have to do what we have to do!

Still enjoying your report, dodi. I fell in love with Sicily on my first trip there many years ago and I so enjoy reading the experiences of others who find it as enchanting as I always have.

Leely2

Great report, dodi. I am enjoying it immensely. I loved Sicily--including (especially?) Palermo. I would love to return, and you are visiting some places I've never been, so it's very interesting to read about them.

panecott, when you travel to Sicily have you ever gone solo or always with a significant other/DH/DW/friend/relation? Asking b/c if/when I return to Sicily it will likely be solo (practical reasons), and I wonder how difficult it is to navigate solo. I know I got lost driving with two other people in the car ostensibly directing me.

panecott

Hi, Leely,

My first three trips to Sicily were consecutive years when I was in my 20's, and I was with a friend each time.

My fourth trip was solo, but I spent two weeks at a hotel in Cefalu, taking an Italian course. I hung out with a couple of other students who had a car and we took a couple of excursions together. I then went to Taormina on my own for a week. I've always taken trains.

My upcoming trip in September will be solo and I'll be renting a car for the first 10 days only, when I will be exploring western Sicily. After that I'll be using trains.

I'll be able to give you info on my driving experiences when I get back, which I hope will help, but I think another solo female Fodorite has said she had no problems driving in Sicily. Sorry, I can't recall who it is but I think she posted on some of the recent Sicily threads.

I will say that I've driven solo in the Dolomites and in Puglia. No problem at all in the Dolomites, but in Puglia the drivers were pretty aggressive and I got lost a couple of times b/c I couldn't read the signs fast enough before their honking forced me to move. But it's all part of the experience and if you get lost, you can always turn back and find your way.

I'm careful to always arrive at my destination during daylight hours and I usually map out each day's route in advance, with written directions and a really good road map. You might be better off doing that on your own without other "navigators". I know that has been my experience in the US a couple of times! Just b/c they're not driving doesn't mean they can read a map or even directions.

sundriedtopepo

"Just b/c they're not driving doesn't mean they can read a map or even directions."

Lol panecott, being a good navigator is a real skill. I think it's more stressful than driving!

Leely2

panecott, thanks for your answers! I also agree that "Just b/c they're not driving doesn't mean they can read a map or even directions."

dodi66

Panecott...the solo traveler you are thinking of is Dayle. She wrote a trip report about her solo travels in Sicily and she had no problems (major) of driving, either with the drivers or directions, at I remember reading about. I'm sure her report will be helpful for you. Sounds like you will do fine, if you have driven in Puglia!! And, yes, sundriedtopepo and Leely2 (BTW, you were both very helpful for me in planning our trip, thank you!!), that is SO true..."Just b/c they're not driving doesn't mean they can read a map or directions"!! My husband swears that is the case and each time that we got "confused" in Sicily was because the navigator (Jim, our friend traveling with us and designated navigator) had misread map or missed signage or looked at GPS wrong. It got to be a joke!!