Sorry, the links to the earlier trip reports are:

http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/sardinia-glorious-beaches-mountains-too.cfm?28

and

http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/corsica-one-giant-rock.cfm?35

Great start can't wait to hear more!

Loved returning to the Serpotta oratorios, the Capella Palatina, and more. Very engaging and entertaining--grazie mille!

After taking the city bus back to the airport, it took a bit to find the Europcar Rental Office...had to take another shuttle to get to the right terminal. (We actually booked it through the consolidater AutoEurope) This time we got a Fiat Grand Punto, a medium size car that only fit our two 26” bags in the trunk.

Our next destination was La Foresteria, the small inn associated with the winery La Planeta, although the actual winery is at a different location. It’s near Menfi and sits up high on a hill overlooking terraced grape fields with the sea in the distance.

The inn was a modern looking low-slung building, not particularly attractive from the outside, but the interiors were modest luxury. We had booked lunch for 1pm and they’d set this up outside on the terrace looking down to the sea. We were the only ones there for lunch (25E) each. They said it was going to be a casual lunch, so I wasn’t sure what we’d be getting. They first brought out a big bowl of delicious vegetable lentil soup and I only ate half because I expected more of a second course. Wrong decision. The second course was a salad, which was also very tasty with oranges, followed by fresh fruit for dessert. We also bought a bottle of their Cerasuola di Vittoria and saved half for later.

Now, it was pool time but the meager sunshine had dissipated into threatening clouds. I had chosen this as a day to relax from our now three week trip, hopefully using their infinity pool which overlooked the vineyards. Unfortunately, the weather gods didn’t get the message as it rained in the afternoon...oh well, a nap works too. I’d booked their Hamman (Steam Room) and it felt great to sweat in private. I was also thrilled to find they had hair conditioner, which I’d run out of and couldn’t find in stores...so, of course I took several bottles.

Our room was fine with a vine-covered terrace that overlooked the vineyards and sea....very comfortable and modern with a lovely bathroom.

The highlight of staying here is partaking in a group gourmet dinner complete with the appropriate wine. First we met in the upstairs lounge where we were served an aperitif...their light red wine, La Segreta. Then, they carved thin slices of the most delicious prosciutto that was made in the mountains. At 8:30pm, about twenty of us herded downstairs and were seated at a long communal table. Other than 6 of us, it seemed like the rest were all wine distributors from around the world who were there on business.

The first course was a delicious soup with baby octopuses....which I loathe. I tried a couple but mine seemed to be loaded with them. Next, we had some type of pasta, which was delicious, followed by a choice of either veal roast with the best sauce (but I found it was a little too rare for my taste) or a salt-crusted fish that was good but not excellent...followed by a basil sorbetto for dessert. You have a choice of how many wine pairings you want...we took the least cost option (15E for 3 glasses) so I got to try the Cometa (great white) the Merlot (OK) and the Syrah (again, OK) Then, we finished our dessert with buying an additional glass of their outstanding dessert wine “Passito di Noto”. I’ve never been a dessert wine fan before but now I’m a convert! This tasted like nectar from the Gods. The dinner itself lasted from 8:30-11:30, and the portions were not large...we won’t get fat here (which is a good thing).

A extended breakfast buffet included sweet pastries, yogurt, fruit, etc. We left our luggage at the desk so we wouldn’t have to worry about theft while we toured.

Today was sunny and warm as we drove to the beautifully sited Greek ruins, Selinunte, perched at the edge of the sea about 20 minutes away.

I’d say walking around the site is the main attraction here, as there is only one temple that’s been restored. It was interesting to see the huge boulders that were used in construction. A little granite cart offered a most refreshing lemon granite to cool us off.

Afterwards, we drove through the town to the end of the beach, where a great seafood restaurant sits...La Pinede.

Next: Agrigento

I forgot to mention that it was an easy drive from the airport to La Foresteria on the interstate. Only took a couple of hours.

Our most frustrating experience happened on the drive to our B&B near Agrigento. We had made reservations at Villa Diana, a B&B that’s about 3 miles outside of the city, because I had read how difficult it was to drive in the city. I originally wanted to stay at Villa Athena, which is right outside the ruins, but it was expensive and I’d read a bunch of mixed reviews which said it wasn’t worth the money.

It took several hours to reach the Agrigento area, and somehow we got lost and ended up in the city anyhow. With some difficulty, we managed to get out and onto the 640 expressway. Now, the real problems began. First, our country map didn’t have the numbers of the yellow roads, my map to the B&B showed a road number that wasn’t on our map or on “Angela”, our GPS, so we weren’t exactly sure what road we were looking for. Then, the 640 was closed due to construction right before we were supposed to exit. We stopped at a gas station and asked how to get to Villa Diana. The guy pointed across the closed expressway and said “it’s right over there”. When prodded for directions how to exactly reach it, he clearly was having trouble telling us and sent us off one way. After awhile, we ended up in what I later termed, ‘@!#$%!’ Favara, another hilltop city about 6 miles from Agrigento that was definitely not on the usual tourist circuit...it was ugly, dirty and even harder to escape. Three times my DH made me get out at cafes to ask scruffy looking men for directions to no avail. I felt like we were stuck in the Twilight Zone on a nightmare endless loop bouncing between Agrigento and ‘@!#$%!’ Favara for three hours! Now it’s 8pm, getting dark, and I’m having a meltdown. We finally decided to go someplace recognizable and call the owner to come get us. So, that was the Valley of the Temples entrance, right across from Villa Athena, and I”m cursing myself for not staying there in the first place. I was ready to lose the deposit for Diana and try to get in Athena no matter what the cost, but my frugal DH wanted to try to call. He went into the souvenir stand and found that the owner spoke English and was willing to call for us and tell him where we were located. It seemed like an awfully long and animated conversation for such a simple task, with a lot of “Pronto! Pronto’s” thrown in, but he finally hung up and said the guy would be here in 20 minutes. Luckily, there was a bar next door to handle some basic needs and I picked up some crummy snacks to take back because I knew we wouldn’t be venturing out for dinner again.

Dario finally arrived and we greeted him like a long lost brother. My DH cautioned him to go slow enough that we wouldn’t lose him, but he took it to heart and only went about 30mph causing a long line of cars to bunch up behind us. We couldn’t believe the convoluted route we followed to get to the B&B with countless twists and turns and the ‘piece de resistance’ was when we came to a barricaded closed road and he drove around the barricade to travel up the closed, unpaved road. There’s no way we would ever have figured that out. Finally, we arrive and are shown to a large room where we eat our cold bar food, thankfully with a great wine from Planeta Estate. I’m cursing myself for not staying at Villa Athena, where we’d now be looking at the illuminated ruins, but I’m also grateful we’re not sleeping in our car tonight, which earlier seemed like a definite possibility.

Glad we opted for the Villa Athena! It sure was convenient. Our downfall was walking to the Trattoria dei Templi from Villa Athena on an unlit deserted road which branched unexpectedly. Google maps said a 15 minute walk but it took us more like 45 minutes. Thanks for writing about your trip.

I'm enjoying all the twists and turns, ups and downs. If it is any consolation, we stayed at the Collaverde Park (not charming; distant view of illuminated temples) and even though it is MUCH easier to find than your place, we drove around and around for what seemed like two hours before finding the turnoff to the hotel. I hope the Villa Diana was worth the effort!

Thanks for your remarks...
Marija, I'm jealous! One thing I learned from our trip to Sicily....you can't trust your maps or GPS!
ekscrunchy, no it was NOT worth the effort, despite the TA reviews.

If I have any recommendation for future travelers, pick convenience to where you want to go over charm, etc.

Everything looks better in the morning. After our worst driving experience, we slept like logs. Our large room, the Campo d’Fiori, with a king bed and two twins, had a wraparound covered terrace that overlooked the countryside...on a low mountain to the left... Favara and to the far right... Agrigento. The large bathroom had lovely linen towels and the room had a TV with an English speaking channel (uncommon). The home itself is a lovely hacienda style villa with heavy antiques that is much finer than the surrounding area. Turns out, Dario’s grandfather and father had been doctors in Favara.

Dario had set up breakfast outside on the terrace below...yogurt with cereal, toasted bread with pistachio and lemon honey, pear juice, coffee but no hot milk and some oranges, peaches and grapes. One other couple was there also. The next night, we were the only guests.

Fortified, we left for the Valley of the Temples, confident that ‘Angela” had traced our circuitous route of last night and could easily deliver us to the ruins. Wrong! At our first designated turn, we discover they’ve “interrupted” a new road. Once again, we’re detoured up to ‘@!#$%!’ Favara. A lady tried to help us, but ‘Angela’ finally came through and we made it to the Valley in about 30 minutes.

When we first pulled into the main parking lot and a guy approached, at first I thought he was just a wannabe guide, but he actually presented us with a valuable offer. For 2 E each, they offer a taxi service to drive us to the top of the Eastern Section (2 km up the hill) and then you walk down through the ruins. Best 4E I ever spent! Then, we spent 5E on an English-speaking audio guide that we shared, and 29E for two for the temples and the Museum of Archeology.

The Valley of the Temples is actually built on a ridge below and outside the modern town of Agrigento with many of the Greek Temples constructed in the 5th Century, B.C. We began with the highest and most east facing temple, the Temple of Juno (Hera)...still graceful with it’s Doric Greek architecture. You could stand on a huge slab of rock, the altar where common folk worshipped because only priests could go inside the Temple. The views were great from here.

Of course, we ran into an American women right away who really annoyed me because she raved on and on about how wonderful Villa Athena was and that she’d never seen a more impressive site than the Concordia temple lit up at night....sure, rub it in! I strongly considered losing the second night’s charge at Villa Diana and trying to book at Villa Athena tonight, but DH balked at moving the luggage ‘unnecessarily’. Oh well.

There was an amazing outdoor art exhibit going on with huge, green-patina bronze sculptures strategically placed at all the temples. Sometimes they were massive heads, other times warriors. I don’t know if it’s always there or not, but they really added to the ambiance of the site...there are examples in my photos which I’ll post at the end of the trip report.

We then carried on through the massive site, walking amid olive trees and dramatic rock walls studded with round openings for tombs....they think these were from the Roman years. It was truly a lovely experience...not too hot, a nice breeze, not too crowded, panoramic views from the hill-top setting, random huge boulders from the ruins and lovely vegetation.

We then reached the second, most completely restored and most beautiful of the Temples, Concordia...all examples of Doric architecture with columns rising directly from the stepped base, tapering toward the top with a round cap and a square abacus directly below the architrave....see, I was paying attention to the audio tape!

Then, on to what was a private “Villa Aurea”, built by Alexander Hardcastle, who was instrumental in the excavation and restoration of the Valley of the Temples. Now, you could walk through it’s gardens and tour an art exhibit inside.

From there, we came to the Temple of Hercules, built closest to the sea and the main entrance to the Eastern section. Walking further down, you enter the Eastern section and explore the vast remains of the Temple of Zeus, which had been the size of a football field and the height of a ten-story building. Most impressive were the huge male statues called “Telemons” in Greek or Atlas in Roman which supported part of the the roof. One copy was displayed lying down on it’s side, and the actual one was displayed in the Museum of Archeology. From there, we saw the Temple of Castor and Pollux, whose graphic is now used as the symbol of modern Agrigento.

By now it was after one, so we headed to Kolkonos, a restaurant recommended by Dario. It was lovely eating outside on the terrace with distant views of the ruins. The pasta was good but the gamberetti (tiny shrimp) were too small to eat...not as good as at La Pineda the day before. I had involtini di pesce spada, thin slices of swordfish rolled around a filling and wrapped in radicchio....very good and I ordered this often.

Followed by a catnap in the car, we toured the Museum of Archeology, which we enjoyed more than most museums of it’s type (e.g. the one in Cagliari, Sardinia).
We really loved seeing the huge Telemon and the sarcophagus of a boy who died young was touching with beautiful carved scenes of his life. There was a beautiful church next door that we peeked into since there was a wedding going on set on a panoramic terrace overlooking the Valley of the Temples.

We stopped at the lousy bar from last night to pick up some takeaway food for dinner because we knew we wouldn’t venture out at night again. Back at Villa Diana, sitting on our huge terrace with the sky turning inky black and the lights of ‘@!#$%!’ Favara turning on, it was almost, but not quite, easy to forget the trauma of last night. The villa is charming, but I couldn’t recommend it for it’s location.
Next: Modica

We also saw the unusual sculpture exhibit among the ruins. I don't think the ruins needed the "enhancement." Looking forward to reading about Modica, a town I wish we had stayed in.

Marija, maybe I should have turned that around and said the ruins really enhanced the sculptures! We had fun taking photos of them with the ruins in the background.

barefootbeach

a small correction....

Telamon was the brother or Peleus and both were friends of Heracles ( Hercules )

Atlas in the Greek mythology was a Titan....

Both names are Greek, Atlas is not the latin word for Telamon....

clauser,
you're probably right, but the excerpt below says that telemon is actually a Roman term....either way I misspoke.

Atlas (architecture)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In the classical European architectural tradition an atlas (also known as an atlant, or atlante [1] or atlantid; plural atlantes)[2] is a support sculpted in the form of a man, which may take the place of a column, a pier or a pilaster. The Roman term for such a sculptural support is telamon (plural telamones or telamons).[2]

barefootbeach

From wikipedia as well :

Telamon
In Greek mythology, Telamon (in Ancient Greek, Τελαμών), son of the king Aeacus of Aegina, and Endeis and brother of Peleus, accompanied Jason as one of his Argonauts.....
He and Peleus were also close friends with Heracles, assisting him on his expeditions against the Amazons and against Troy (see below).


Atlas

n Greek mythology, Atlas (English pronunciation: /ˈætləs/, Greek: Ἄτλας) was the primordial Titan who supported the heavens. Although associated with various places, he became commonly identified with the Atlas Mountains in northwest Africa (Modern-day Morocco and Algeria).[1] Atlas was the son of the Titan Iapetus and the Oceanid Asia[2] or Klyménē (Κλυμένη)3]

I liked the sculpture in the Valle die Templi. We also got lost and lost and lost attempting to get to Dario's place. I think the problem is that there is more than one road sign pointing to Favara, and only one of the signs will lead you to whichever road you need to take to get to Villa Diana. I didn't really think Favara was that bad, just not where we were headed and really nothing of interest there. We drove through so many times we made "friends" with the aimless youths we repeatedly passed.

You were smart not to go out to dinner from Villa Diana. We did and got lost again. This was after spending hours trying to get the he!! out of the center of Agrigento on a Saturday night, when every human soul from miles around apparently decides to drive into the city. We were actually just looking for a bank on the edge of town so we'd have cash for dinner and Dario, but every road we took led us into the tiny, throbbing streets of Agirgento Centro. I was the driver and during this neverending journey, I unleashed a torrent of profanity the likes of which my friends hadn't heard from me since we were in high school. So, I feel your pain.

Oh, Sicily.

Valle dei Templi. iPad silliness.

Enjoying your report, though now I'm afraid to read about your (misadventures?) in Modica.

I think Sicily is one of my all-time favorite vacations because I found it not only magnificent but challenging. I had to be tough to have fun!

Leely2....oh, I so enjoyed your remarks! Someone else who knows that "getting lost" in Sicily is not such a trivial pursuit! It's so incredible that it's so difficult to get out of a city...I don't think anyone who's not been in this situation can understand it. That second night I really wanted to just find a grocery where I could get some decent food...but we were too paranoid to go back into Agrigento Centro. And, yes, I reverted to the language of my college waitressing days....who says sailors have the lock on profanity!

I do have to disagree with you about Sicily being one of my favorite vacations...but challenging it was. Don't worry...Modica was a piece of cake after this....well, after we finally found our hotel! There's a theme here.

Barefoot

Your trip followed a route that we have blanket covered over 40 years.

I would fully agree about the demands of Sicily, it is beautiful and has good food but the same could be said of many, many places. The scruffy appearance, crazy road systems, lack of planning control, disregard to rules and insane driving probaby means it could never be our favourite destination.

Bonifacio is a different storey.

Our 'road warrior' experience in Sicily took place in Siracusa. After finding our B&B, my husband found parking on a nearby street, which was a one way street and blocked off partially because of road work. All was good until Monday morning when he went to fetch the car to leave, the street had become one of the main thoroughfares, and they had reversed the one way! My husband came into the B&B as white as a sheet, as he had had to drive the 'wrong' way half on the sidewalk for a good half block into oncoming traffic. What a hoot!
Still, I can hardly wait to go back one day to enjoy a glass of wine and enjoy the evening passegiata in Piazza del Duomo.

We had two of the tiny pick up trucks which use motor cycles as a drive train coming towards us in the road near Noto. They were side by side racing and each was driven by two old gents who must have had a combined age of 210 years. The one overtaking couldn't get enough speed and the other would not yield. I was driving towards them and had to drive into a field to avoid hitting them.

Typical Sicily.

I am loving your honesty barefoot! We are planning a two week (mis)adventure in Sicily June 2013...I may hide this report from bikerscott as he is nervous about driving as it is!! Haha

DickieG. sundriedpachinio and jamikins.....thanks for sharing your driving horror stories...all I can say is, I'm so glad I wasn't driving! Thankfully, we all escaped without bodily harm....and (spoiler alert!) was never so grateful to return the car to the rental agency without a scratch...well, one that they noticed anyway. Still, the misery endured is nothing compared to the agony I'd experience on a guided group BUS TRIP!!

barefoot
Since Sicily is on my list, and i think it is better toured with a car, after your experience, would you recommend renting a car and avoiding certain rural areas, or should i just forget about it?

clausar, we drove everywhere, and really, the episode above was the only mishap I can remember. I Google mapped every destination's accomodations plus my husband downloaded a gps app to his smartphone, and it was fine. I was nervous about driving there too, after reading reports, but would have no qualms about it after being there. With one qualifier; we only drove OUT of Palermo after picking up our rental. Traffic there is insane. But the highways were nearly empty in Oct.

clauser, I would still drive (but as sundried said, pick your car up at the Palermo airport and drive away from there)....but also consider where you're staying as to the ease of parking. The more detailed instructions you can get from your hotel or B&B the better. Our problem with Villa Diana was that we didn't have current conditions instructions....but being Sicily, anything can change at the drop of a hat. If you stick to driving major or secondary roads, you'll be OK. In rural areas, signage is often missing....or they'll tell you once what road you're on and never again. You do need a GPS and the best road map you can get. Many hotels/inns help you with parking....once you get there, you can hand the car over to them to park. The last place we went, Taormina, we dropped off our car before we entered the city, and then took a city bus up....and then later hired a driver service to take us to the Catania airport so we didn't have to deal with driving into that city while trying to catch a flight....one less hassle.

Yes, I agree Sicily is better seen with a car. Though you can cover some areas by bus or train. The train goes to Agrigento for example. But I'd drive and just roll with the punches. In terms of other drivers, Sicily is much like what I hear about Greece. Sicilian highways are generally very good. However, twice we encountered fences across a freeway, wooden fences like it's a field. We compliant Anglo-types didn't think of driving around the fence. So it's important to have a good map and/or a GPS that can find alternate routes.

And, of course, using public transportation takes more time since you have to adapt to their schedule.

Sicilian sights for which you need a car: Segesta, Selinunte, the Roman villa at Casale near Piazza Armerina. I'm sure there are others.

clausar, I did all the driving on my Sicily trip (control freak). I didn't find the driving itself at all difficult, just the getting lost. My itinerary was pretty tight, so getting lost was stressful.

We loved Modica. Hurry up, barefoot!

We don't regret our decision not to rent a car. Public transportation was convenient and easy.
http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/bruce-and-marija-carless-in-sicily-in-november.cfm

Enjoying this, thank you. Agree about the beauty of Capella Palatina. Monreale of course is more of the same and bigger.

More, please!

Another beautiful sunny, warm day, and we decided to see the Scala dei Turchi before driving to Modica, which was a bit of backtracking. Theyʼre about 15km west of the Valley of the Temples on SP68, accessed through the beach at Realmonte. Theyʼre not very well known and I believe I heard about them on Fodorʼs Forums. The name translates into Turkish Steps and apparently this is where the Arab Pirates (“Turks”) used to anchor their boats out of the wind while they pillaged the coast. Unfortunately, this turned out to be a big waste of time for us because you couldnʼt get to them without a bit of a hike from the beach, and I didnʼt want to leave all our luggage in the car (our two roll-aboards were visible in the back seat). So, I left DH in the car while I hiked along the beach until I could see them back in a cove. They are a beautiful blinding white series of huge, wide soft chalky limestone steps, sinuously terraced by the wind from the top of the cliff to the sea. People sunbathe on the flat surface at the sea or hike down on the curving steps. Itʼs as if the normal brown cliffs on either side got bleached out in the middle somehow. They were still pretty far away, so I just got some photos and hiked back to the car. Then, we drove along the road to see if we could see it from there, and we could from a bit of a distance so I was able to get another photograph. It looked like a fun thing to do if you had time and no luggage with you.

Next, we decided to drive the coastal road to Modica and eat lunch along the way. I have to say this was another “not worth it” experience....it was a long, torturous drive, mostly through commercial agriculture fields covered by white cloths to protect the fields of tomatoes, grapes, etc....couldnʼt actually see much coast, and the coastal towns we did see werenʼt great. I kept delaying lunch until I saw something that looked good, until it was 2:40pm, we were starving and reached Ristorante Al Molo, across from the wharf in Donnalucata. At first, the snippy hostess didnʼt want to serve us...”Too late, too late”, despite a good crowd of locals still eating. Finally, she relented and we hurriedly ordered. I couldnʼt catch what she said about the “daily catch”...it sounded like spigola, (sea bass) which Iʼve had before and loved...no, she said it was “spatola” (paddlefish), which Iʼve never heard of, but I tried it. Delicious prepared with honey, almonds and capers. DH had a wonderful spaghetti with mussels, garlic and olive oil. Tried a new wine, Herea Nero d”Avola ʼ07...excellent. We were finished and out the door before several other “local” tables left.

Now, weʼre ready to attempt our drive north to Modica. Getting there is not the problem...finding your hotel is. I knew our hotel, Palazzo de Failla is in the upper town, not the lower town. So, we logically got off at what looked like the upper town. It looks way too modern (i.e. not charming) and cruised hopelessly around asking various non- English speaking people for directions. Finally, we come across a woman who speaks English and find out that weʼre too high....we have to go back down and enter through the lower town and then drive up to the more historic upper town. By now, weʼre getting real tired of Sicilian driving....and Angela, our GPS, doesnʼt seem to be a lot of help.

When we reach Palazzo Failla, at the highest point of the old upper town, we gratefully turn over the car to be parked and luggage upacked by the bellman. Itʼs a lovely old Sicilian style mansion filled with antiques, majolica, frescoes, wrought iron, etc. So, Iʼm disappointed when weʼre shown our “Superior” room on the top floor. By now I should realize that often top floors were the servants quarters tucked under the eaves. We took the small elevator up, so I didnʼt notice the difference in how the stairs and hallways between the second and third floor were furnished, which wouldʼve been a clue. The room was tight and dark, as there was just the small windowed door to the small terrace (framed by two massive a/c compressors partially hidden with plants), and another small bathroom shower. The only thing I liked about it were the ancient tile floors....and the color blue. So, DH gallantly went down to complain...this couldnʼt be a “Superior” room! Turns out, it was, and that was what I booked. The “Deluxe” rooms were on the second floor but were already taken....we would have to stay here for two nights but on the third we could change. Another frustration. The only thing that helped get me out of my foul mood was a text message that our good friends, whoʼd been
visiting family in Calabria, were going to be able to meet us in Siracusa for a couple of nights.

Next, dinner would be a challenge because we had to walk down (but then back up!) about 250 stone steps to the main shopping/restaurant street. Itʼs dark out, not a lot of lights, but it feels safe. We arrive at Osteria Sapporo de Perduti at 8pm, which means itʼs still pretty empty, and sit outside on their narrow terrace. Thereʼs a very old man sitting on the steps next to us, playing his flute all evening...accepting donations. He keeps playing the SAME vaguely familiar song all night...very badly....so we laughingly said (to ourselves) that weʼd pay him to stop! Part of Sicilian ambience. This is a casual, local kind of restaurant and the food is pretty good. DH loves his Ravioli in tomato sauce and I love the Cavatini with broccoli and ricotta. Tonightʼs wine is Principi di Butera by Riesi....very good. We decide to slowly walk back up the steps, rather than taking a taxi. Itʼs such a lovely night with a large moon and itʼs really not that bad. The Church of San Giorgio, about half-way up, is magnificent lit up in all itʼs baroque glory. We sleep very well. All the beds and pillows seem very hard in Sicily (and the other islands), but we havenʼt had any aches or pains at all on this trip, which is unusual.
Next: Ragusa day trip

Did you try some Modica chocolate?

sundried, I forgot to mention we did make it to Antica Dolceria Bonajuto, the famous Modica chocolate shop, before dinner. Modica chocolate is famous for being made straight from the cocoa bean without any fillers or dairy, but it tastes grainy because the sugar doesn't melt. I'm a chocoholic, but I have to admit I wasn't a fan of this chocolate. I kept trying to like it though!

Just a few more observations from my last report. When I said that going to Scala dei Turchi and taking the coastal road was a waste of time, I meant it would have been better if we'd beelined right to Modica so we could've explored the town more. It looked so charming with it's intricate alleyways and steps going up and down the mountain on both sides of the valley.

Earlier, when we were trying to find a lunch restaurant (which was no longer in business) in one of the coastal towns, my husband stopped to ask a burly, 'enforcer' looking guy in shorts for directions. As he was talking to my husband through the car window, another car behind us laid on the horn, and the guy stood up and gave him "the finger". Pure Sicily.

Also, that elusive song that the old man kept playing on his flute...it came to DH the next day that it was "The Mexican Hat Dance"...surreal.

Barefoot

The coast between Argrigento and Marina di Ragusa is a complete enigma.

I have covered well over half the Southern European coast over 40 years and never seen such a good beach, with a gentle shelve of sea bed covered in ..... well tomato sheds. In Spain there would be multi million pound apartment developments. In Sicily, tomato sheds prevent you from getting onto the beach.

We didn't make it Scala dei Turchi which is a shame, as I love geological features like that.

I agree about Modica chocolate, far too high quality for my taste buds. I was brought up on Cadburys Dairy Milk.

DickieG,
Glad you felt the same way about that coastline. Should mention for others that Donnalucata and other areas around there were used in the filming of the BBC series, "Inspector Montalbano" based on the detective novels. We bought the first DVD, with 3 or 4 episodes on it, from Amazon, and I'd highly recommend watching this if you're going to Sicily. It really gives you a sense of the quirkiness.
I guess that Modica chocolate is high quality, but it just tasted too sweet and not rich and creamy....I do love dark chocolate but that was more of a sugary, gritty taste.

The character development in Montalbano is the best I have seen in years, English language or otherwise.

Loved the way an investigation would take a different turn when Salvo discovered food was involved.

We found it a scream, in view of the fact that his girlfriend was played by an Austrain who couldn't speak Italian. They obviously wanted a blond with a nice body regardless of acting ability. We watched our version with her first dubbed from German into Italian then with English subtitles.

Only in Italy.

I know you are coming to it next but did you make it the Vendicari Nature Reserve? Again, this coast sums up Sicily. We travelled through Marina di Avola. It was the worst residential coastal district that I have seen in Europe with no concept of communal living, building regulations or planning control.

Then 5 miles away we found Vendicari.

One of my favourite pieces of coast in Europe, flamingos and all.

I think your OP said it all, the two Fs.

We had a relaxing, delicious lunch at La Gazza Lladra, the restaurant in your hotel. It was a long, hot sweaty walk from our hotel, Casa Talia, on the other high-but-old side of town, to Palazzo Failla. But what a great walk. I run hills daily in my normal life, but my traveling companions do not and found walking around Modica a bit more challenging.

Looking forward to reading about Ragusa. We ended up enjoying poking around Modica so much that we never made it there.

We also bought chocolate at Bonajuto, and felt the same way about the texture, not what we are accustomed to. Unfortunately Modica was our last stop of the day, and we found out too late that we would have loved to spend more time there. It was Friday night and all the local people were coming down for the evening so it was packed with 'real' Sicilians, not tourists.
Dougie, you are making me so regret that we never made it to Vendicari. Next trip, we will get there, along with Piazza Armerina, which was closed. We did stop at Enna, fantastic views of the moonscape of central Sicily, as well as a really good lunch at Centrale in Enna.
Barefoot, we also enjoyed Cucina Papoff in Palermo.

Dickie,
No, we didn't get to Vendicari but we should have. Leely2, I'll have to look up your review because I originally planned on staying at Casa Talia...it looked so intriguing. That was a long up and down walk for you. We never at in La Gazza Lladra (except for a wonderful breakfast) because the dinner menu was very expensive....those Michelin stars really jack up the price!
sundried, Enna sounds great...wish we could've fit that it.

I probably should back up a moment and discuss Modica for those not familiar. This town (as was Ragusa and Noto) was completely destroyed in the 1693 earthquake and rebuilt in the overly decorative baroque style. The charming Modica Alta, is built down the slope of a very steep hill...the low town, Modica Bassa, originally was a river at the bottom of the valley which was damned after flooding and is now the main street Corso Umberto. The town also rises along the opposite hill with dense, small buildings. We didn’t see that part of town but it looks poorer and there are many cave dwellings there. Modica is also known as the town of 100 bells and churches.

We were lucky again with another warm and sunny day. The breakfast buffet is served in Palazzo Failla’s lovely all-white dining room with vaulted ceilings. Best we’ve had with great salamis, ham, cheeses, fresh fruit, yogurt, breads, and three kinds of tortes, including delicious sacher torte....for breakfast! But, WHY can’t anyone serve a cappuccino that isn’t lukewarm? Everywhere we’ve been for breakfast it’s the same...they must use cold milk.

Today we’re off to explore Ragusa, another baroque town thirty minutes away. Ragusa is almost the opposite of Modica....the old town is on the bottom and the modern new town is across a ravine and on the top. We parked outside the city walls in the lower old town and climbed some stairs to enter. This part is probably prettier than Modica, but people have said it seems less authentic...that locals coexist with the tourists in Modica. There were a couple of beautiful churches but we couldn’t go inside. We walked around the pretty squares and then took a city bus up to the upper, modern town. I didn’t really know where to get off, so we overshot the Duomo and ended up in a conventional downtown shopping area. We starting walking down again and managed to get a quick look inside the Cathedral before it closed for the noon hour. We enjoyed just looking at the pretty facades, and even came upon a brick-laying competition. We eventually found the stairs that take you down from the upper to the lower town, and the views were beautiful from up there. Back in the lower town, we ate lunch at Cucina & Vino, which was great, but only one other couple was there. Then, we toured the large public park that overlooked the countryside below and watched rain clouds blow in from the opposite mountains. My favorite juxtaposition was the cannon from a war memorial pointing right at the cartoon face of a colorful kiddie train engine that was opposite. We finished our day in Ragusa trying the famous DiVini gelato, which features various wine and unusual flavors...the Muscat flavor was delicious. While there, it was fun to run into a couple from Noto we’d met at the wine dinner at Planeta Estate.

Then, we hurried back to Modica to join a complementary English speaking tour of Modica 5-7pm that was offered by our hotel. We met up at the town’s star attraction,
the San Giorgio church, and our guide was very good, but she took way too much time (30 minutes) just standing outside the church talking. When we finally went in, a wedding was in process, and it was perfectly OK to walk around and take photos during the ceremony....bizarre. The interior was blue, white and gilded....very pretty, and I loved the contrast of an escaped red balloon that was hovering in a ceiling alcove. My favorite part of the tour was just walking through the maze of narrow alleys with picturesque stone houses that I might not have felt welcome doing alone. One of the most interesting visits was going down underground into the cave church of San Nicolo Inferiore (St. Nicholas) with it’s byzantine frescoes partially restored. This was just discovered by chance in 1987. We also passed the home of Salvatore Quasimodo, Modica’s famous Nobel Prize author. By now, it started to rain as we finished up at the rival cathedral of San Pietro, where we saw another bride being sheltered by an umbrella. A car was waiting to whisk us back up to the hotel,

We had avoided eating at the hotel’s Michelin starred dining room because it had seem very expensive, so instead we booked another highly regarded restaurant, Fattoria delle Torre. Because it was raining, we had to take a taxi each way (20E total). The restaurant looked promising in a trendy kind of way but there was only one other couple there at 8:30 on a Saturday night. It was very expensive, miniscule portions and mediocre...meanwhile the owner and waiter just hovered in the background. Very uncomfortable. Worst rip-off meal of the trip. Should’ve eaten at La Gazza Ladra in the hotel.

Next: Caltagirone and Villa Romana dei Casale

I love ceramics so we’re off to see Caltagirone, the baroque hill town best known for Sicilian ceramics. I really wanted to walk up the 142 steps of the Santa Maria del Monte, where every riser was made of hand-painted ceramic tiles of a different pattern. Shops lined each side of the staircase, but I was disappointed in them. They were expensive...looked too similar, and dare I say, junky? Perhaps, old-fashioned is a better term. We went into a church that displayed a huge nativity scene depicting peasant homes and countryside with animated figures engaged in various crafts. Very interesting. Not much more of interest in the city.

On our way to Villa Romana dei Casale, we stopped for lunch at Trattoria La Ruota, a very pleasant restaurant just down the road that was the site of a former waterwheel. Dining casually on the outdoor terrace, I had a good salad and DH Pasta alla Norma, which he liked but I didn’t because it was made with macaroni, which didn’t seem right.
I had heard that a lot of Villa Romana was closed for restoration, but we found that the archeology site provided enough to see. Villa Romana, was believed to be an old Roman Emperor hunting lodge from the early 4th century, AD. that was buried in a landslide in the 12th Century. Not until 1960, were the first mosaics excavated, and now this is one of 44 Unesco World Heritage sites in Italy with the largest, most complex collection of Roman mosaics in the world. The most famous are the “Bikini Girls”, which depict girls in two-piece bathing suits engaging in athletic events with dumbbells, running, discus throwing and ball games. Also, there a detailed hunt scenes featuring tigers, elephants and leopards. You walk around on raised metal platforms, under plastic scaffolding, and observe the mosaics on the floors below. The mosaics appear
dusty and muted, so in full disclosure, if you view my photos when I post them at the end of this report, enhancing them resulted in much clearer, vibrant scenes than witnessed by the naked eye. We enjoyed the experience, but really, I would’ve preferred just walking around Modica more.
The drive back through the mountain countryside was scenic and we returned to Modica about 5pm and were happy to be in our upgraded room, which the management had graciously comped us. Now, we entered our bedroom through huge wooden doors, with 20’ ceilings, and a balcony overlooking the street (but at another building). Our room was larger with a beautiful carved antique wood bed and wardrobe and a larger, nicer bathroom. So, if you book at Palazzo Failla, be sure to book a Deluxe not a Superior room!

Dinner tonight was just down the street at the hotel’s Locanda delle Colonnello, a more casual trattoria style. We loved it! It was one of our best meals and reasonably priced. We had the best Antipasti with grilled cheese, capers, red onion and salad, DH had a bluefish that he loved, I had a rolled Spatola, this time prepared agrodolce ( sweet & sour) with cipollini onions, and raisins...wonderful! And, an excellent home made ravioli. Normally, we’re not white wine drinkers, but we had the best white wine ever....a COS Rami 2010. To finish it all, I had to drink the nectar of the Gods again...Passito dessert wine....this one was a type of Marsala. Dinner tonight was 60E...compared to just a meager first course and one second course yesterday at Fattoria del Torre for 90E! No comparison! Now, we go to bed happy...great dinner, great bedroom.

Next: Siracusa (via Noto)

Mmm, sounds delicious.

On the way to Siracusa, we stop at yet another baroque hill-town, Noto. We do a quick look around the town....admire the beautiful Duomo and take a tour of the lavishly decorated private Palazzo Nicolai di Villadocata. The ornamentation of the city’s balconies is particularly charming. Because this is a Monday, unfortunately the town’s acclaimed pastry/gelateria shop, Caffe Sicilia, is closed.

The autostrada makes quick work of the drive into Siracusa. One oddity, which we’d been told about earlier, is that at the unmanned toll ticket stands, a person is standing there, punches the button, and hands you the ticket and requests 1E. It appears that they are official toll workers, but no...they’re just panhandling...or you could say providing a service in that you don’t need to push the button yourself.

Our B&B, L’Approdo Delle Sirena, is nicely sited on the island of Ortigia, Siracusa’s historical center, overlooking the water with parking directly in front. We meet up with our friends and go up to the rooftop terrace to enjoy several bottles of Cerasuolo di Vittoria while admiring the harbor views, which included the four-masted sailing yacht Sea Cloud II, that we’d earlier seen in Bonifacio, Corsica, docked right outside the inn. Our corner room has two balconies overlooking water on two sides, and is decorated in a spartan, nautical style with another tiny shower.

For the rest of the afternoon, we explore the ancient alleyways and crumbling architecture of Siracusa. There were a lot of excited young and old women because they’re shooting some movie and everyone’s yelling and screaming “Gabri!!” Don’t know who that is, but later I found out he’s Gabriel Garko, shooting Honor and Respect 3, a popular TV drama.

Today, dinner was chosen just because it was an outdoor setting, Kalliope, but it wasn’t very good.


The next morning dawned cloudy and drizzly but we were able to eat breakfast up on the rooftop terrace. The owner runs a cooking school, which I probably would’ve attended if our friends weren’t here. So, the breakfast was very good including ham and cheese focaccia sandwiches that could be heated up in a panini press, several tortes, and yogurt.

Despite the light rain, the morning market beckons. Fishmongers sure yell a lot. I’m dismayed to see Spatola (paddlefish), which I’ve enjoyed twice, up close and personal...it looks like a big eel....yuk! Sometimes, it’s better not to see what you’re eating. I'd planned to buy some passito wine, but it’s expensive...30-35E a bottle so skip it.

We had planned on spending three nights here, but decided that we’d leave when our friends do after two nights, if I could cancel and get another night in Taormina. Our hostess at first said we’d have to pay the full price for the room, but after gently reminding her that we brought another couple last minute for two nights, she agreed to take half of the room cost as a penalty.

Our friends weren't interested in sightseeing so just enjoyed the ambiance of walking around the island. For lunch, we found a cozy restaurant to escape the cool rain, La Tavernetta, which was excellent and authentic. I loved their Pasta alla Norma and they had a great antipasti buffet. For the first time, we witnessed a Canoa Polo game...water polo played from kayaks...the guys looked like they were having a great time but I wonder how often they capsize. Overall, I’ve been disappointed in Sicilian shopping and haven’t been tempted despite looking in many shops.

A beautiful sunset from the rooftop terrace set the stage for our last night here. For dinner, our hostess recommended a great seafood restaurant, Al Mazzara that was very atmospheric.

just found this, barefoot - what a terrific trip report.

i've so enjoyed reading it, especially as it reminds me of the wonderful commissario montelbano. if you haven't seen it yet, beg borrow or steal it!

<<We found it a scream, in view of the fact that his girlfriend was played by an Austrain who couldn't speak Italian. >>

Dickie - i thought she was swedish! but her biog says that she was born in Lugano, so it's s surprise she didn't speak italian!

annhig,
thanks so much for your kind remarks. Yes, we LOVED the Inspector Montalbano series on BBC...but I'm chagrined to say, while i thought it was strange his girlfriend was Austrian or German (altho a convenient device to get her out of the way most of the time) I didn't realize she didn't speak Italian....since we were reading English subtitles anyway!

actually, barefooot, in the books, and indeed in the TV series, Livia lives in/near Milan and I've no idea why they cast a non-italian actress for the part, except that it was a co-production with somewhere or other.

I was reading the subtitles too, most of the time, [my italian isn't good enough for me not to] but I could tell that they had dubbed her voice into decent italian, as she sounded the same as the rest, unlike the actress playing the swedish girl, Ingrid, who spoke italian with what I assume is a swedish accent.

I'd been thinking about a tour of Umbria/Le Marche next spring, [i want to go back to Orbetello where I did my language course] but after seeing Montalbano and reading your trip report, I'm seriously considering Sicily.

PS - yes, i know that Orbetello is in southern Tuscany, but it's more on a par with Umbria, really, and Umbria would be our focus.

annhig - we are planning a trip to Sicily at the end of June 2013, maybe we can do a meet-up!

ttt

annhig, I think it's funny that what I thought was a sort of negative report might interest you in Sicily...probably more of Montalbano's influence! Now, if you could just find out what restaurants he frequented! I'd bet Al Molo in Donnalucato was one of them!

We had lunch at Trattoria La Rusticana in Ragusa which is a favorite spot for Salvo.

http://www.theflorentine.net/articles/article-view.asp?issuetocId=6842

"When Salvo leaves his desk in search of a long lunch, he passes ornately sculpted balconies, high-arched doorways and the similarly tiered wedding cake of the San Giorgio cathedral. His usual destination is the Trattoria San Calogero, ably played by the real Trattoria La Rusticana in Corso XXV Aprile. As the name suggests, it specialises in flavoursome, regional dishes. If you are eating outside under the vine arbour, be sure to peek inside, where you'll find the unmistakable patterned arches that appear in the TV episodes, as well as photographs of the cast and crew."

Looking forward to Taormina! It's always interesting to hear other people's impressions of places we have visited. I am enjoying all your details, thank you.

marija - grazie mille! what a great website! did you know you can even stay at the commissario's house? €80 per night B&B!

barefoot - I aim to learn from your experience!

jamikins - love to, but i think we'd be going earlier than that - early May probably - as I would find it too hot later on.

BTW, I've recently found this website which although written by a cookery school, has a load of very useful information:

http://www.lovesicily.com

annhig, I also looked at that site...I would've loved to spend a week in a cooking school, but not with DH.

The following link references "Dream of Italy", a cooking newsletter, and on page 4 talks about the owner of our Siracusa B&B, L'Approdo delle Sirene, and the cooking classes she offers.

http://www.siciliandemocooking.com/dreanOfItaly.pdf

Marija, I sure wish I'd known about that Trattoria when we were in Ragusa.

Sundried, Taormina's coming...I loved it the best!

thanks for the link, barefoot. very interesting stuff.

I think our DHs must be similar - not only would I not like to spend a week cooking with mine, i know he wouldn't do it - would yours?

a day might be good though!

annhig,
He was a good sport when we went to SE Asia and I got him to take THREE cooking classes! One in Bangkok, one in Hoi An, Vietnam and one in Hanoi. And, he actually enjoyed them...and there were other men who also participated. He's my sous chef when we have our dinner parties based on where we've just traveled...he loves to chop!

But, no, he wouldn't do a week of cooking classes...fishing, yes.

I do wish we'd taken one cooking class on this trip but it just didn't work out. We've had our first dinner party and I (we) made , Insalata di Arance, Pasta Alla Norma, Involtini di Pesce Spada, and Pistaccio Torta... great reviews by our guests!

barefoot, I'd love to do a day or two - though I'm not sure i could rival your culinary exploits. the dinner party sounds fab!

just been reading the most recent Montalbano book that they had in my local library, in which he talks about the temples at Agrigento, and a "new discovery of a Greek monument"

...perfetto!

The drive up from Siracusa was easy but navigating inside the town is always tricky. Luckily, our hotel had a vacant parking spot. Hotel Villa Schuler is a lovely, salmon-pink villa in the heart of Taormina with panoramic views of the bay. You can access the main street by walking through the hotel’s verdant park and then up a block.
Because we arrived a day early, we couldn’t get the requested corner room with two balconies, but we still got a top floor room, with a small balcony with it’s million-dollar views of the sea. It was very small though and simply decorated. We would change rooms tomorrow.

I think Taormina’s best for wandering it’s streets and soaking up the ambiance. It looks like an operetta set...handsome stone or pastel stucco palazzos decorated with filigreed balconies and a profusion of bougainvillea, geraniums and other flowers, ceramic plaques, cobblestoned pathways, evocative churches with belltowers, stone arched portals..and of course, beckoning shops with attractive wares. It wasn’t too crowded, perhaps since it’s early October, but the weather was divine....warm and sunny
.
The main square, Piazza IX Aprile, at sunset was breathtaking as the San Giuseppe Church and bell tower turned a warm pink and then lavender as the skies darkened. Children played soccer, ate gelato and rode their bikes on the black and white checkerboard stone surface of the piazza. As it got dark, the two cruise ships moored down below (Crystal and Silversea) were bedecked in white lights and with the twinkling lights winding around the coast, they added to the enchantment. We were so glad we’d traded the night in Siracusa for this.

Breakfast was served on a pebbled terrace surrounded by black wrought iron railings overlooking the Bay. This morning, we were treated to a clear view of Mt. Etna and she was puffing white smoke. Exciting! A first in five weeks, we were presented with a menu to order whatever we wanted for breakfast. So, we feasted on omelets, crepes, fresh fruit, blood orange juice, cornettos, local cheeses including fresh ricotta, ham, etc....but again, cool cappuccino.

We had the dreaded car return business to attend to this morning which was no simple task. I mentioned earlier that we’d rented through AutoEurope, a consolidator who used Europcar in this case. There’s a bit of discrepancy between where they claim the Taormina office is located...it’s really down on the coast in Giardini-Naxos, almost a half hour away. And, the address given turned out to be incorrect and we had to drive farther. The good news is that we returned it without incident or additional cost so we breathed a big sigh of relief. Then, we found the city bus stop about a block away and took the bus back up to Taormina. This lets you off at a large city bus parking area, which was a half hour walk away from the hotel. So, basically, returning the car took a half of a day. Originally, we had planned to drop the car on the way to Taormina from Siracusa, which would’ve saved the trip down. But, we were glad we didn’t now have to pull two suitcases each through the cobblestoned streets to our hotel.

On the walk back, we ducked into the Botanical Gardens ...very lovely and refreshing with it’s sea views, luxuriant vegetation and architectural follies.
Now, we switched rooms and were very pleased with the larger corner room on the second floor with it’s high ceilings and balconies on two sides of the villa. One was exceptionally large and pretty with balustraded railings and a tiled floor. The bathroom was still small, but prettily tiled floor to ceiling, and featured a small jacuzzi shower enclosure, with a multitude of jets, that I’d never seen before. The wooden furnishings, headboard, wardrobe and desk were again simple with neutral colors.

It was now hot and sunny so we took the cable car down to Mazzaro Beach. The curving beach was small and sheltered by the attractive Isola Bella but didn’t appeal to us as it was crowded with sun beds for rent. We should’ve taken advantage of the shuttle to the private beach club just up the coast offered by the hotel. We continued wandering the streets and checked out a local museum.

Tonight we were ready for a great dinner and found one nearby at A’Zammara. You dine outside in an orange grove sheltered by stone walls with faded painted frescoes, lit by the sparkling lights wrapped around tree trunks and flickering candles....very romantic. The food matched the ambiance and we enjoyed eggplant parmesan, sea bream A’Zammara with a lemon, almond sauce, and linquini with large clams.

Next: More Taormina

what a fabulous looking place, barefoot. i had a look at the website; I think i'd need to book early to be able to afford it though.

looking fwd to more, and more and...

You got to Taormina in time, barefoot. By the second week of November many restaurants were closed and the town was deserted at night. We stayed at the Villa Schuler too but I messed up, based on a tripadvisor recommendation, and got us a room with a sun porch instead of a balcony. Loved Villa Schuler's breakfasts and the warm hospitality of the family. Waiting to read more!

annhig,
Villa Schüler was actually a "bargain" by some of Taormina's prices...not cheap, by any means though, but reasonable considering the location.

Marija,
Sorry to hear what it was like in November. I don't know if we hit it just right, or got lucky, but the weather and crowd level was ideal in early Oct. I know TA can trip you up...it's mostly helpful but one review can stick with you and change your way of thinking. I agree the service at Villa Schuler was most helpful.

We stayed at the Villa Schuler too but I messed up, based on a tripadvisor recommendation, and got us a room with a sun porch instead of a balcony.>>

can i ask what the difference is? we might just splash out!

Hotel Villa Schuler looks wonderful. Taormina sounds lovely. We stayed in Siracusa and went directly to Naples from there so missed getting to Taormina--rats! Another reason to return.

More please!

Marija,
you'll have to answer about the sun porch because I don't know what that is. If you get a seafacing room with a balcony, you can request the corner units with two balconies (one is small) for no extra charge.

Another warm and sunny day beckons us to explore Castelmola after breakfast on the terrace. Today, Etna is hidden in clouds...the norm, I think. We take the city bus up to Castelmola (all the various buses leave from the central bus parking area about a 30 minute walk from the hotel), about a 15 minute winding ride up to the top of the mountain. We get out at a picturesque square with even more amazing views of the surrounding mountains and the sea far below. We putter about the various shops, I buy some inexpensive Mt. Etna lava stone bracelets for gifts, walk up to the highest ramparts and have a drink at the cafe in the square before walking back down. Castelmola is known for their almond wine, and if hadn’t been morning, I would’ve tried some. We thought it would be obvious how to walk down on the path to Taormina but it wasn’t. We ended up taking the wrong fork and I think we took the less scenic route down and ended up outside the village gates. Should have inquired at the tourist office before heading down. While walking, we heard two loud and strong “Boom! Boom!s” and a local woman walking near us pointed and said “Etna”. That was fun, but thankfully there was no eruption.

Next, we finally made it Teatro Greco-Romano and I was surprised how much I enjoyed it. It’s larger than I expected, well restored and enjoys a gorgeous site with stupendous views.

Finally, we stopped for a much-needed break for our hot and tired feet and had a pizza lunch at Mama Rosa’s, sitting outside on the terrace at a confluence of several cobblestoned shopping streets. We picked up some decadent pastries from one of the main street pastry shoppes, went back to our room and enjoyed them on our balcony.

My gosh, it’s our last night in Sicily! We’ve been traveling for five weeks (including Corsica and Sardinia) and, truthfully, travel fatigue has set in. Luckily, we’d saved the best of Sicily for last. So, we celebrated our last Sicilian dinner on the rooftop terrace of Viccolo Stretta with the lit-up church bell tower and twinkly coastal lights in the background. The restaurant is accessed off the main street through the narrowest alley I’ve ever seen...basically wide enough for one person. It was pricey, but the food was good...a Mediterranean Tuna for DH (very rare but a delicious sauce) and a creamy, cheesy seafood dish for me...and a delicious wine from the Mt. Etna area, Barone Sergio, 2007, Eloro Nero d’Avola.

The next morning, we’d arranged for the hotel’s private transfer service to drive us to the Catania airport. 75 E but money well spent for peace of mind. There’d been a lot of construction delays heading that direction earlier in the week, but maybe because it was Saturday, we breezed there in 45 minutes! We were heading to Rome for three night before returning to the States. I'll post a trip report for Rome in a few weeks.

Here’s the link to my Sicily photos:

http://barefootbeach.smugmug.com/photos/swfpopup.mg?AlbumID=21237710&AlbumKey=J7Z9Kb

Arrivederci, Sicilia!

I enjoyed revisiting Sicily with you, bb. Thanks!

@annhig Our room at Villa Schuler was called a "sunrise junior suite". There was a bedroom, a sitting room in front of it and then a veranda with lounge chairs. The veranda had a low wall so if you sat on the lounges you couldn't get a good view of the sea. You couldn't really see the sea from the bedroom either because of the sitting room and veranda. There are photos on the website. There was nothing wrong with the room. I just think you can see the sea better from a balcony! If you want to sun yourself in privacy the veranda may appeal to you.

Glorious photos and a wonderful report that will come in handy when I plan my return to Sicily!

Thanks so much!!

If you want to sun yourself in privacy the veranda may appeal to you.>>

lol, marija, if i wanted to sun myself, we'd all want me to do it in private!

i do understand now what you meant about the balcony though.

Prego! I'm glad I've finally finished it!

Wonderful, evocative report. Thank you!