A week all around Sicily - May 2017

Old May 29th, 2017, 06:00 AM
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A week all around Sicily - May 2017

This is an 'espresso' trip report with highlights of Sicily in a week. By way of background we are late-30s Hong Kong expats from DC and travel 8 weeks/year, mainly in Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

ITINERARY
Segesta & Selinunte – Agrigento – Piazza Armerina – Ragusa & Noto – Siracusa - Taormina – Cefalu – Monreale – Palermo
(This was quite a lot to cover; 10 days would be better for a relaxed pace and to fit in Etna or Aeolian islands)

LOGISTICS
- We rented a small car for 50 euro for the week from Noleggiare
- Stayed at boutique B&Bs, usually 60-80 euro a night
- Weather in mid May was pleasant during the day, a bit colder in the evening
- Do not leave visible luggage/GPS in the car, our friends have had break-ins
- Contact B&B hosts for late-night check in (after 7pm) as most close early
- We used Blue Guide which focuses on art/architecture

HIGHLIGHTS
(city names in caps for to skip to where you need)

- Arriving late night at Palermo, a convenient stop to overnight was the seaside town of Castellamarre del Golfo, a half hour drive from the airport. The newly opened Curù B&B, run by a lovely designer couple, has elegant rooms and an superb breakfast.

- SEGESTA has a well preserved Greek Doric temple set in a stunningly secluded backdrop. An easy detour en route to the temple complexes in the south.

- SELINUNTE, an ancient Greek city, is spread across two sites which you can drive between, plus outlying minor sites that afford a pleasant walk along the coastline.
Surviving metopes are housed at Palermo’s archaeological museum (thankfully still on display, with free entry, as much of the museum is closed for renovation). We spent about 3 hours, circling back to the acropolis for sunset, which with the interaction of hilltop and sea was very pretty.

- AGRIGENTO is unmissable! The Valle dei Templi is postcard Sicily and the world’s largest archaeological park. Takes a full day to see properly, and as the ticket is single-entry we took a picnic lunch (baguettes & mozzarella) which we had on a large rock under the trees surrounding the Herakles temple. Highlights included: the Temple of Concordia, the second best preserved Greek temple after Hephaestus in Athens; the Kolymbetra Garden with lush orange groves; and the small archaeological museum built on the ruins of the ancient agora and a Cistercian monastery, displaying finds from the site including a full telamon and a rare white krater.

- Near the museum is the Villa Athena, a swanky hotel with a terrace bar that has a front and center view directly opposite the Temple of Concordia. Great for a wine pause – the staff let us re-enter the site through their adjacent gate.

- Dinner at il Re di Girgenti for a superb panoramic view of the Valle dei Templi lit up at night. A bit pricey but nontouristy, with good seafood.

- VILLA ROMANA DEL CASALE in the countryside of Piazza Armerina is another must. A luxurious Roman estate almost on par with Hadrian’s Villa, carpeted in exquisite mosaics. Lunch at Al Fogher.

- Driving from Agrigento to the Villa del Casale (90min) got us to Ragusa (90min) by late afternoon. We walked through the upper town, connected by steep steps to the delightful hillside village of Ragusa Ibla. A good way to earn your pasta!

- RAGUSA IBLA is super cute, all pink sandstone and winding alleys. The Inspector Montalbano detective series was filmed here. Walking through the public gardens at the edge of the village, we happened on a converted abbey concept hotel (http://www.anticoconventoibla.it/en/...onvento-hotel/). Rooms are basic but the building and grounds are the most atmospheric in Ibla, the rates reasonable (90 euro) and the breakfast the best we had in Sicily.

- On the way from Ragusa to Syracuse, we stopped at the Baroque town of Noto. Pleasant if you have time but can skip.

- SYRACUSE: main draws are the Duomo – a Sicilian Baroque cathedral built on a 5th century BC Temple of Athena – and the Teatro Greco. The National Institute of Ancient Drama stages open-air performances periodically; we bought same-day tickets at the site (32 euro for back row to overlook the entire amphitheatre). An unexpected treat to see an Aeschylus play in situ where it was performed 2500 years ago! Even though it was in Italian and we forgot to rent a translator headset 

- St. Lucia on the Piazza Duomo has an enchanting façade and a Caravaggio inside (open only until 4pm) depicting the burial of this patroness of the city.

- TAORMINA is the famed ‘pearl of the Ionian Sea’ set on the island’s dramatically beautiful cliffside riviera – described by Hemingway as “so pretty that it hurts to look at it.” Sadly, cordoned off for the G7 summit, with helicopters, army jeeps and fleets of carabinieri everywhere. We could not access the town but did have a swim in the Isola Bella, a tiny island at the foot of the town off the coastal road. Lined with resorts for beachside drinks.

- We took the longer route from Taormina to Cefalu through the Etna countryside. A secluded road with clear views of snowcapped Etna – just watch out for the cows, goats and horses!

- ETNA: No time but we would have loved to visit Planeta winery
(http://planeta.it/en/ospitalita-plan...tality-at-etna)

- CEFALU: the Norman cathedral and a hike up Rocca di Cefalu for sweeping views.

- MONREALE: the cathedral makes our top ten most stunning churches in Europe. Simply unmissable.

- And finally, PALERMO: we stayed at B&B Dietro il Teatro (‘behind the theatre’) a block away from Teatro Massimo. Opened just this week, stylish and wonderful (https://www.bedandbreakfast.eu/bed-a...eatro/2520729/)

- Since it was so close, checked at the box office and an opera was on (Werther by Jules Massenet). Gallery tickets were 25 euro and this time we had subtitles.

- A great place for drinks is SciùRum. Recently opened concept store/bar with a crowd of all locals from the artsy to the gucci-loafered. In a courtyard off the Via Maqueda, a main artery of the city recently pedestrianized.

- Top sight is the Paletine Chapel at the Palazzo Reale. A miniature version of the Monreale catherdral. We went on a Saturday so the palace salons were open, and the ground floor had an exhibit of modern Italian art (included in admission)

- Archaeological museum as mentioned was partially closed but still enough to fill an hour, and it has a lovely courtyard garden.

- Museo d’Arte Comtemporanea at the Palazzo Riso on Via Vittorio Emmanuele is gorgeous, and open until midnight Thurs-Sat: https://www.poloartecontemporanea.it/

- Cheap and tasty lunch on the go: arancini (fried risotto balls with fillings) at the Bar Touring on Via Lincoln, across the botanical gardens.

- Overall, the best Sicilian dishes we had were:

o Spaghetti alla Palermitana (sardines, fennel, pinenuts, sultanas, breadcrumbs)
o Pasta con sarda (anchovies)
o Swordfish everything (carpaccio, grilled, rolled with aubergine)
o Pistachio everything (both savory and sweet)
o Cassata and cannoli
o Local wine and cheese

This TR turned out to be more an americano than an espresso …

Happy travelling in Bella Sicilia!
Mila2017 is offline  
Old May 29th, 2017, 06:37 AM
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Nice report. Thanks for posting.
Holly_uncasdewar is offline  
Old May 29th, 2017, 07:43 AM
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Nice report. You covered a lot of territory in a week!

I'm heading back to Sicily in September for my 5th visit. I can't wait.
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Old May 29th, 2017, 07:55 AM
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Thanks for this, Mila2017. Great info.

For those visiting Siracusa, try to include the papyrus museum:

http://museodelpapiro.it/

The process was very interesting and much more complex than I had thought.
TDudette is offline  
Old May 29th, 2017, 10:53 AM
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You covered a lot of ground--and I thought my trip to Sicily was fast. Great report, whether Americano or espresso.

Agree about the spaghetti alla Palermitana.
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Old May 29th, 2017, 07:50 PM
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Hi Mila 2017, I am planning on going to Sicily for 6 nights in July and I just wanted to ask you what was your favourite place?
I have booked 3 nights in Ortigia, do you think that is enough there? I would love some advice on where you think I should stay .
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Old May 29th, 2017, 09:19 PM
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Wow I didn't think you could fit all that in a week! Sure would be nice to have 30 something energy, but I do like to hang out a bit more than what you did. Love Sicily, and pretty much loved the same highlights as yours. Thanks for the americano report!
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Old May 30th, 2017, 02:27 PM
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Lovely report. Sicily is on the radar - perhaps next year.
dgunbug is offline  
Old May 30th, 2017, 03:46 PM
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Milo,

Great to see trip reports about Sicily as we are going in September for the first time. Did you book your hotels before you arrived as you reported to "happen" on Antico Convento Hotel in Ragusa?


Thanks for sharing!
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Old May 30th, 2017, 10:06 PM
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femkej, hard to choose but for 'top three' I would say Agrigento for temples, Taormina for the sea, and Palermo for city life and the quality of museums/cathedrals.

Ortigia is tiny so 3 nights is more than enough, or will you use it as a base? For example, the Noto wine region nearby could be a nice excursion, the Planeta winery linked above has a location also in Noto.

We did not stay overnight so I can't recommend a place, but generally we found the newly-opened B&Bs to be comfortable, good value, and eager to please.

Have a fantastic time there!
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Old May 30th, 2017, 10:12 PM
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plufmud, we booked on the go, same day as our route was in flux. For Antico Covento, we initially stopped there for a glass of wine (their cafe is at the end of the public gardens) at 6pm and liked it so much we booked the night. Of course, if you have a fixed itinerary it is safer to book in advance, especially as May and September are shoulder season and busier than off-season. e.g. Palermo was '86% booked' on Booking.com when we booked same-day!
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Old Jun 1st, 2017, 02:18 AM
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Hi Mila2017, thanks for your advice. Maybe I should go to Agrigento for a few days.
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Old Feb 27th, 2018, 11:17 PM
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Great report thanks
goldbaer is offline  
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