justretired

My husband and I are palnning a trip to Sicily in September or October. In recent years, we have picked one destination and stayed there for 2-3 weeks. However, after much discussion ( here on the Forum and with friends), we now realize that we need to stay in probably 3 places. We want to see the sites and ruins, but also like to absorb the culture and atmosphere. We love the idea od spending time in the small fishing villages. Larry speaks Italain. We will probaly fly into Palermo and out of Catania.

Here are some of my thoughts. I am thinking of first staying in Palermo for 2-3 nights, and then, renting a car and traveling east and south, maybe staying in one or two places along the way. After about a week, would it make sense to rent an apartment in Syracusa or somewhere nearby. After that, we could travel north, see Etna and Taormina and then, fly out of Catania. We woudl be in sicily 2-3 weeks. Does this itinerary make sense? Any ideas?

I have a few questions to begin this planning. Is Septemeber too hot to visit Sicily? We are in our late 60's and I increasingly find extreme temperatures difficult. By that, I mean, over 85 or so. Would October be a better time to travel.

We would love recemmendations on places to stay in any of the areas mentioned. We love to rent small apartments or cottages, but if they are not available, we tend to prefer B&B's or atmospheric inns over large hotels. We prefer staying in places that either offer dinner or places in towns with restaurants that we can walk to. In the past, we have rented in Bonnieux, France, ouside of Montepulciano, Italy, and in Sarlat, Franc, all of which we loved.

Thanks for any help you can give us.
-Margie and Larry ( we are both justretired)

maggieb

You should also try to Trip Advisor forum on Sicily...you will get alot more feedback quickly.

adrienne

I would spend at least 3 full days in Palermo or more. You can visit the beach and Cefalu as a day trip. I really enjoyed Palermo, perhaps because it had more to offer than the other towns I visited.

My absolute favorite thing I did in Sicily was to see a puppet show in Palermo. I was on a group tour and I can't tell you how much all the seniors enjoyed the show. We all got into it and even though it was all in Italian it was easy to follow. We laughed and clapped throughout the show which was perhaps 20 minutes. It was a traditional puppet show based on the Song of Roland and courtly love. There was a knight, a princess, a dragon, and the bad guys.

I also enjoyed seeing an oratorio with a guide who explained the bas relief and the function of oratorios.

My second favorite thing was meeting Maria Grammatico, the subject of Mary Taylor Simeti's book Bitter Almonds. This was in Erice.

My third favorite thing was seeing the temples at Agrigento lit up at night.

Three weeks is a wonderful amount of time on Sicily. I had 12 days and didn't see everything I wanted to see.

I can't comment on September weather as I went in May which should have been quite warm and dry but wasn't. The second week (last week in May) was cold and rainy. There's no predicting the weather.

justretired

I just posted on Trip advisor and Slowtrav.com, but somehow, I feel more comfortable here.

Thanks, Adrienne, for your tips. Im starting a file and will keep your suggestions in it. My any chance, so you remember the puppet show's name?

bobthenavigator

Click on my name above to find my trip report from 2005. We spent 15 nites and stayed in 5 places. You will love Sicily.

justretired

Thanks Bob- any thoughts on the weather? It sounds like September might be hot.

adrienne

I have photos of the name of the family who runs it and the phone number. The sign indicates the shows are Sat and Sun at 6:30. Below is a link to my photos. The second row of the puppet section shows the phone number (1st photo) and the second photo is the name of the family (Cuticchio). It was behind the Opera house some place but your hotel can help find it for you or call for directions. It would be easy to miss if you don't have the street name or decent directions. This is not the only puppet show in Palermo but I thought this one was wonderful.

http://modigliani.shutterfly.com/sicily2011

I'd also recommend the art museum in the Palazzo Abatellis which houses (among other wonderful works) a spectacular Annunciation by da Messina.

I was not impressed with the Opera House tour. I've seen much more magnificent opera houses and the guide was extremely disinterested.

I have a huge file on Sicily which I can send you if you're interested. It's compiled from info from guide books and this forum and other internet sources. Click on my name for my email address.

bobthenavigator

We did May and it was perfect. I would make it late in Sep or early Oct.

Michael

You might be interested in my trip report; click on my name to find it.

thursdaysd

I loved Sicily, but it is true that you need to move around some. My two favorite places, Erice and Ortigia, were on opposite coasts. My TR from 2008, including places to stay, is here: http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...ing-sicily.cfm

I went in the spring and loved the wildflowers. I'd check http://www.wunderground.com/ for historical weather patterns, but if you don't like heat (me either!) I'd probably go later rather than earlier.

Don't short change the west, besides Erice I really liked Trapani. And if I were going back I'd think about visiting the Aeolian Islands.

annhig

JR - i too am interested in sicily - actually I'm interested in most places in Italy, but Sicily is quickly working its way to the top!

something that has recently piqued my interest is a terrific series by an italian chef called Georgio locatelli and an art historian called andrew Graham-Dixon. the programme is called "Sicily unpacked" in the UK, and is really excellent, with plenty of food, art , and human interest. straight afterwards we get an italian-made police drama called "Inspector Montalbano" which is also set in Sicily, and also shows a lot of the island.

i recommend both, if you can get them.


there are also a number of trip reports and threads about sicily on this forum.

zeppole

I think that unless you are absolutely urban-allergic, you might want to spend just a few more days in Palermo.

I would expect it to be quite hot in Sicily until the end of summer (Sept 21) and a bit beyond. The more you can edge your trip into October, the better.

Sicily's historic fishing area is generally around Trapani/Erice.

Sicily has developed a number of highly regarded agriturismi that serve dinners to their guests, and that is the experience I would want of Sicilian eating.

If your husband speaks italian, it is really worthwhile to seek out smaller Sicilian cities and towns as your place to stay. These places are largely untouched by tourism and getting a chance to interact with Sicilian culture is fascinating. If you have not read up on the "baroque" towns of south-eastern Sicily, they can be a very rewarding destination. Here's some interesting links:

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1024

http://www.peregrineadventures.com/h...baroque-cities

http://baroquesicily.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sicilian_Baroque

justretired

It sounds like the recommendation is to book in October if possible. An additional question would be, then, when does it start getting colder in Sicily and do any of the sites, restaurants, etc., close and, if so, when?

Aduchamp1

We love Sicily as well. We stayed outside of Palermo when we were on the western side of the Island and in Taormina when we were on the eastern side.

The antiquities are sensational.

Here is one shot of the amphitheater at Segesta
https://picasaweb.google.com/1135238...555/March42012

adrienne

Adu - your photo link doesn't work.

Marija

We were in Sicily at the beginning of November last year. The weather was fine but I think October would be better. By November Taormina was shutting down but that's not a place to spend much time in. Both Palermo and Catania were worth visiting.

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...n-november.cfm

valtor

Justretired, as you we also are 60+, do not like hot weather and visited Sicily in October (2009). We had there 2 weeks, we did not rent car but use public transportation and enjoy every minute in Sicily.

You can find our trip report at http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-and-malta.cfm

justretired

Thanks, everyone for your expereinces and suggestins. We are planning on traveling for about 2-3 weeks, leaving around September 22- I haven't booked the flights yet.

If anyone has suggestions on agriturismi, B&B's, or other lodging suggestions, I would appreciate hearing about them. I hope to stay a few days in Palermo, some time on the east coast, a few days in Agrigento, and then east. I haven't decided whether it is doable to base oursleves in Syracusa (Ortyga) and make day trips to the baroque towns and Toarmina or move north to Taormino and Etna before leaving from Catania. Any thoughts?

I understand that we are moving around more than usual, but it seems like staying in at least 3-5 places will be necessary.

adrienne

I would stay in one of the Baroque towns even though the distance is not far from Syracusa. That way you can tour a couple of them leisurely and don't have to rush to get back before dark (I hate driving in the dark in unfamiliar places).

I didn't get to the Baroque towns during my trip but had planned to so booked a small, spartan B&B. I had planned to drive from Taormina, spend one night, and drive back to Taormina the next day so I wanted a place in Piazza Armerina to be at the villa casale first thing in the morning. Here's the place I booked.

http://www.ostellodelborgo.it/

bobthenavigator

We liked this rural B&B near Siracusa.
http://www.limoneto.it/open.asp?pag=home&lang=eng

Best limoncello I have had.