Gariem

I am planning on touring Sicily with a small group out of London during one of two periods:

March 8-19 or April 5-16.

Who's been to Sicily in the spring? Is one set of dates preferable to the other? I've checked climate stat but would like to hear first-hand experiences. The trip in April is about STLG 200 more expensive than the same trip in March. Thanks.

Eloise

I agree that climate statistics cannot be relied upon, for the simple reason that the weather almost everywhere that I am familiar with has become totally unpredictable. The city I live in normally has hot, humid summers; this 'summer' it has been pretty much cold and rainy.

A friend who lived in Rome for 35 years told me that, when she first arrived in Rome, she could count on March being a beautiful spring month; by the time she left Rome this year, April and even May could no longer be counted upon for good weather.

And as regards Sicily: I was in the southeastern part of the island from April 30 to May 15 this year. The Sicilian friend who met me at Catania airport told me that only the past two or three days had had seasonal temperatures; until then, it had been "wintry" (as defined by Sicilian standards, of course, not northern European ones). I was generally comfortable in middle-weight (not gauzy) summer clothes, but I often wore a wool shawl in the evening. The first two nights that I spent at an agriturismo near Siracusa, they lit a roaring fire in the hall adjoining the dining room because of the distinct nip in the air.

All of the above is, at best, anecdotal. I think I would choose April 5 to 16 rather than March 8 to 19, but in all fairness, I should add that there is an Almond Blossom Festival every February in Agrigento, and I haven't heard that they have had to cancel or postpone it.

JudyC

I was in western Sicily from mid-March for 2 weeks this year.

It was fairly warm(15-25C),bright blue sky except couple rainy days in the mountains.

The most impressive was millions of wild flowers everywhere.

Gariem

Thank you both for your replies. I am leaning towards April, and perhaps even traveling on my own, rather than with an archeological tour.

Dorgal

We went to Sicily in early March a few years ago and the weather was dreadful. It was cold and rainy and raw - I would never go in March again. I guess they do have some nice weather at times in March - but why take the chance!

AP6380

I went in late March - early April 2003. It rained a lot. I would say the later, the better.

Eloise

Sicily is not the easiest place in the world to get around by public transportation: train service is sketchy; buses do go almost everywhere, but the schedules are not always very convenient.

Unless you plan to drive, I would suggest that a well-organized archeological tour might be the most convenient introduction to Sicily.

Gariem

Eloise, you have read my mind. I have travelled extensively on the Italian mainland, both alone and with friends, and have an intermediate knowledge of the language, but I have never been to Sicily, and I do not drive a standard automobile. (I must learn. Automatic transmission rentals are so costly!)

So an archeological tour, while not inexpensive, might be the right "vehicle" for me. Martin Randall out of London runs an interesting one with small groups (10-22 people). Since I am not used to travelling in groups, this might be a good way to test the waters. Plus the history of Sicily is pretty complicated, from what I've read so far. The Randall group will be accompanied by a lecturer with excellent credentials.

Incidentally, I attended one of Martin Randall's Music Festivals in Vienna, Austria in 2003. They did a terrific job obtaining private venues, great performers, etc. The website is: www.martinrandall.com
if anyone is interested.

Thanks again for all the replies. March in Sicily is definitely out!

Eloise

For what it's worth, even here on the other side of the pond, we have heard that Martin Randall is tops for cultural tours.

If you can afford it (says she enviously...), I doubt that you will be disappointed. I normally prefer to travel alone rather than in a group, but I would think that a Martin Randall group would be one of people who shared the same interests (i.e., I think it's unlikely that anyone in the group would groan, "Oh no, not another Greek temple!&quot

And yes, Sicily has a very complicated past. Almost from the beginning of time, anyone who ever invaded anywhere in the Mediterranean invaded Sicily and left more or less permanent marks of their presence. It makes Sicily a uniquely fascinating place to discover.

Eloise

I've just read the itinerary of the Sicily tour and I am, if possible, even more envious: It certainly covers all the main points of interest -- including the Riace bronzes in Reggio di Calabria -- as well as a few smaller jewels that I would have loved to be able to see.

Gariem

Thanks, Eloise. You are a treasure trove of knowledge. I'm a Canadian living in the US, and believe it or not most cultural tours run out of here (like the Smithsonian Institute's) are even more expensive than Martin Randall's.

Eloise

You're still miles ahead of me: I'm a Canadian living in Canada and, what is worse, earning a salary in Canadian dollars! It makes paying for anything in Euros or in GBPs an awful lot harder...

I have, on occasion, looked longingly at tours organized by the Smithsonian, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and similar institutions. Not for me, alas!

But I don't want to sound too sorry for myself: as long as I can spend three weeks a year in Italy, living quite humbly but eating quite well and seeing new and wonderful things -- there are still areas of Italy that I have yet to discover -- I'm quite content.

Please enjoy Sicily -- as I'm sure you will!

Gariem

I feel your pain re: the Canadian dollar. The Canadian company I work for transferred me to the US many years ago, and I've been able to take advantage of the strength of the US dollar, that is until the past year or so, with the EURO and STLG climbing.

Three weeks a year in Italy is not shabby! I aim for the same, my motto being "Have work, will travel," and Italy being my favorite country to visit. Viva Italia!!