Andre's long-delayed SICILY report
Oct 14th, 2003 | 01:30 PM
#1
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Andre's long-delayed SICILY report
Well, after the thread on hotels:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34431208
here's the detailed report - better late than never, right? My mom actually deserves some of the blame for this, as she hoarded the guidebook until a short while ago and I wanted to double-check the info before posting it. I'm doing the posting in episodes, because I stll haven't finished the whole darn thing...
1) ARRIVAL
We took a direct charter flight on Belair from Zurich to Catania. Pleasant flight, landed at around 5PM. Catania airport is VERY basic - it reminded me more of South America than Europe. Luggage took forever, the we had to put every piece through an x-ray at customs, what a pain. We then proceeded to pick up our rental car. The rental offices are located in a shack across the road from the terminal - look for the rotating Autonoleggio -. Rent a Car sign on the roof, it's not that obvious. Agent at Avis was very friendly and professional and handed me the keys to a diesel Alfa 147 - exactly the car I had been hoping for (hadn't specifically requested a diesel). Hiked over to it (why is my car always parked at the far end of the lot?) and just managed to fit our bags in the trunk, which is definitely smaller than average for its class - the only negative with the car. We were on our way!
The drive to Siracusa was not especially pleasant, as we got caught in the Friday evening rush-hour traffic. Made it to Siracusa and found the Grand Hotel quite easily: follow the signs to Ortygia and take the first right once you've crossed the bridge onto the island. The hotel has private parking right across the street. Details on the hotel: see the link above.
2) SIRACUSA
After settling in, we headed out to explore Ortygia and get some dinner. We strolled around a bit (the Piazza del Duomo is stunning at night), then headed for a restaurant. This was to be the only unpleasant dining experience of our stay: our first choice was a place called Don Camillo, recommended in many articles & guidebooks. When we arrived, the hostess kindly told us they were booked solid that evening (strange, it was after 9 PM and the place was by no means full...), so I asked if I could book a table for the next day (Saturday) - she told me they were unfortunately closed... but according to all the guidebooks, they weren't!! Plus, she recommended we try a place down the road which was just a touristy pizzeria!!I still cannot understand her attitude problem... we were well dressed and the whole conversation took place in italian - no language barriers or anything like that. So, we headed for Archimede, another recommended place. The main dining room was strangely dark, so we headed for the garden annex across the narrow street. At first, we only got the pizza menu, but requested the full menu which was then brought to us (must explain that I'm somewhat lactose intolerant, so a pizza on an empty stomach is NOT a good idea for me). When we asked to order, we were told that they were only serving pizza as the electricity was out in the main dining room - WHY didn't they tell us this before???!!! We were famished and headed back to the hotel where we finally had a pretty good meal. A rather inauspicious start to our stay though...
The next day, after enjoying breakfast with a great view on the rooftop terrace, we went back to the old town by day and had a great time just walking around. Around noon, we took a short but wonderful boat trip to the fort and back (there's a pier right near the hotel). It was so hot that we weren't hungry for lunch - we just had a delicious gelsi (mullberrry) granita at a bar right behind the duomo. In the late afternoon, we set off again by car towards the archeological park as we had reserved tickets for a play at the greek theater. Again due to the extreme heat, we decided to visit the museum (very worthwhile) rather than go to Dionysius' ear. After the museum, we headed to the theater. It was already quite full and the ticket pickup was a mob scene. There was no separate window for people who had reserved but not prepaid for their tickets, so we had to queue forever. We finally got our tickets and headed to our "seats"... The stone steps are covered with cushions (at least for the assigned seating) which are painted with your seat number. The problem is that they cram people in, so once the theater starts to fill up, you can't see where you're supposed to be seated anymore... anyway one of the friendly staff helped us out and squeezed us in (literally). The play - The Persians by Aeschylus - was very good. It was a modern production (by a theater company from the Veneto) and the italian was clear and quite easy to understand. Strangely, some of the chorus parts were sung, which didn't always work too well IMO. It was a special treat to see this play here knowing it had premiered in this very theater! Also, the subject matter (the dangers of hubris and unwarranted aggression) is still VERY current. Traffic back from the theater to our hotel was insane. Dinner, at a trattoria just down the street from Archimede, was OK but nothing great.
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34431208
here's the detailed report - better late than never, right? My mom actually deserves some of the blame for this, as she hoarded the guidebook until a short while ago and I wanted to double-check the info before posting it. I'm doing the posting in episodes, because I stll haven't finished the whole darn thing...
1) ARRIVAL
We took a direct charter flight on Belair from Zurich to Catania. Pleasant flight, landed at around 5PM. Catania airport is VERY basic - it reminded me more of South America than Europe. Luggage took forever, the we had to put every piece through an x-ray at customs, what a pain. We then proceeded to pick up our rental car. The rental offices are located in a shack across the road from the terminal - look for the rotating Autonoleggio -. Rent a Car sign on the roof, it's not that obvious. Agent at Avis was very friendly and professional and handed me the keys to a diesel Alfa 147 - exactly the car I had been hoping for (hadn't specifically requested a diesel). Hiked over to it (why is my car always parked at the far end of the lot?) and just managed to fit our bags in the trunk, which is definitely smaller than average for its class - the only negative with the car. We were on our way!
The drive to Siracusa was not especially pleasant, as we got caught in the Friday evening rush-hour traffic. Made it to Siracusa and found the Grand Hotel quite easily: follow the signs to Ortygia and take the first right once you've crossed the bridge onto the island. The hotel has private parking right across the street. Details on the hotel: see the link above.
2) SIRACUSA
After settling in, we headed out to explore Ortygia and get some dinner. We strolled around a bit (the Piazza del Duomo is stunning at night), then headed for a restaurant. This was to be the only unpleasant dining experience of our stay: our first choice was a place called Don Camillo, recommended in many articles & guidebooks. When we arrived, the hostess kindly told us they were booked solid that evening (strange, it was after 9 PM and the place was by no means full...), so I asked if I could book a table for the next day (Saturday) - she told me they were unfortunately closed... but according to all the guidebooks, they weren't!! Plus, she recommended we try a place down the road which was just a touristy pizzeria!!I still cannot understand her attitude problem... we were well dressed and the whole conversation took place in italian - no language barriers or anything like that. So, we headed for Archimede, another recommended place. The main dining room was strangely dark, so we headed for the garden annex across the narrow street. At first, we only got the pizza menu, but requested the full menu which was then brought to us (must explain that I'm somewhat lactose intolerant, so a pizza on an empty stomach is NOT a good idea for me). When we asked to order, we were told that they were only serving pizza as the electricity was out in the main dining room - WHY didn't they tell us this before???!!! We were famished and headed back to the hotel where we finally had a pretty good meal. A rather inauspicious start to our stay though...
The next day, after enjoying breakfast with a great view on the rooftop terrace, we went back to the old town by day and had a great time just walking around. Around noon, we took a short but wonderful boat trip to the fort and back (there's a pier right near the hotel). It was so hot that we weren't hungry for lunch - we just had a delicious gelsi (mullberrry) granita at a bar right behind the duomo. In the late afternoon, we set off again by car towards the archeological park as we had reserved tickets for a play at the greek theater. Again due to the extreme heat, we decided to visit the museum (very worthwhile) rather than go to Dionysius' ear. After the museum, we headed to the theater. It was already quite full and the ticket pickup was a mob scene. There was no separate window for people who had reserved but not prepaid for their tickets, so we had to queue forever. We finally got our tickets and headed to our "seats"... The stone steps are covered with cushions (at least for the assigned seating) which are painted with your seat number. The problem is that they cram people in, so once the theater starts to fill up, you can't see where you're supposed to be seated anymore... anyway one of the friendly staff helped us out and squeezed us in (literally). The play - The Persians by Aeschylus - was very good. It was a modern production (by a theater company from the Veneto) and the italian was clear and quite easy to understand. Strangely, some of the chorus parts were sung, which didn't always work too well IMO. It was a special treat to see this play here knowing it had premiered in this very theater! Also, the subject matter (the dangers of hubris and unwarranted aggression) is still VERY current. Traffic back from the theater to our hotel was insane. Dinner, at a trattoria just down the street from Archimede, was OK but nothing great.
Oct 14th, 2003 | 01:33 PM
#2
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Joined: Jan 2003
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3) RAGUSA
After breakfast, we headed off to Ragusa. The drive took longer than I expected (about 90 min), so we arrived just after the cathedral closed - bummer. However, we were still absolutely charmed by Ragusa Ibla (don't be put off by the ugly new part of town). The setting and architecture of the Duomo are phenomenal! We sat down for yummy Panini & salad at the bar right at the foot of the Duomo and just drank in the scene - we were really on vacation! After lunch, we walked up past the duomo to admire the great balconies of the Palazzo La Rocca, then walked down to the park and enjoyed the shade and views. After a delicious almond granita (the first of many), we headed back down to the car. BTW, we parked at the base of the ramparts and walked up, but I think we could have continued along the road and ended up in the old town.
4) Roman Villa at CASALE
We headed on towards Piazza Armerina, while the sky kept getting darker. Then it started to POUR! We pulled off the road into a gas station and waited till the rain, thunder and lightning quieted down a bit... the first few kms were still pretty spooky as it was still raining very hard and the road was flooded in parts, but after a little while, we were out of the cloudburst and it appeared that it had been a very local storm. BTW, we passed through Caltagirone which looked like a nice place to stop - too bad we were pressed for time. Piazza Armerina on the other hand seemed downright unwelcoming. If you come in from the South, you need to make a sharp almost 180? left turn of the main road through town to get to the villa. We arrived at the Roman Villa very much behind schedule and were all set to rush through, as our guidebook (Michelin Green Guide) said it would close at 5PM. We were pleasantly surprised to discover that it's now open till 7PM. As for the mosaics: WOW!! Forget about the tacky one with the bikini girls you see on all the postcards (I personally think it's a fake/prank - you can see a corner of another beautiful mosaic right beneath it). The two hunting scenes, along with many others are just amazing! Also, I had never been in such a well preserved roman villa - it was fascinating to actually experience the floor plan. Didn't find the plexiglass "roofs" offensive at all - I think it's a special material which filters out the UV rays. It does get very hot in there though - take a large botle of water and drink regularly!
After our visit, we headed for Enna along the scenic route (S 117b & S 561) and followed the clear signs to the Grand Hotel Sicilia.
5) ENNA
After Ragusa, Enna was a bit of a letdown. Yes, the views of Calasciabetta across the valley are amazing, but the town itself isn't particularly attractive. Still, a worthwhile stop, but not one I'd go far out of my way for.
Had a nice dinner at Ristorante Centrale. Took the menu, which was a massive amount of food. Great antipasti and pasta (2 different kinds). Mixed grill (meat) main course was nothing special, desert was just a peach... all in all a good deal, but could have stopped after the primi.
The next morning, we walked around Enna, visiting the cathedral and the adjacent Alessi museum, which is famous for 2 pieces of 17th century goldsmithing: the madonna's crown and the pelican jewel. Very fine work indeed.
We didn't explore the fort.
6) AGRIGENTO
Afterwards, we headed for Agrigento. I must admit that I got somewhat lost twice. First, I missed the sign for the bypass road around Caltanisseta and headed right into town, then once on the S640, I took the turnoff to Agrigento. Actually, I should have just continued on the S 640, as it goes straight to the Valle dei Templi.
Since it was unbelievably hot, we decided to hang out by the pool at the Villa Athena for a while and go to the temples in the late afternoon. Unfortunately the pool was dirty and after getting stung by one of the insects floating at the surface, I decided to give up on swimming.
When we finally headed to the temples, we were extremely impressed by the perfect proportions of structures themselves and their dramatic setting overlooking the coastline. The encroaching urbanity of the surroundings somehow made the temples seem even more otherwordly.
Aside from my involuntary detour, we didn't see the town of Agrigento itself.
7) SELINUNTE & PORTO PALO
The next day, we headed out for Selinunte. I decided to take the S 115 main road past Sciacca to save time instead of the coastal route via Menfi... bad decision. A portion of the road was totally closed due to major construction work, forcing traffic to take a major detour inland and thereby probably negating any time savings. Oh well.
Selinunte was quite impressive, but found the structures of the Valle dei Templi (as well as those of Segesta) more spectacular. That said, the first temple (E) you visit is in great shape and it's a treat to be able to walk inside it.
The second zone of the site has a beautiful setting overlooking the sea and it's very interesting to see the grid pattern of the town streets. Note that there are golf carts for hire at the entrance to the first zone and the hawkers give you the impression that if you don't use them, you need to walk to the other excavations. This is not true - after exploring temples E,F & G, you go back to the parking lot and drive on to the second area.
After the ruins, we headed back along the coast to Porto Palo. Elizabeth's recommendation of Da Vittorio's was right on - the place is just FANTASTIC. The settting right on the water is awesome - plus the weather was cooperating so we could see all the way to Tunisia! They serve you the menu of the day (you did seem to be able to request some changes if you wanted to). For us it was: hot & cold antipasti, thick spaghetti with sea urchin sauce (SO GOOD) and a mixed fish/shellfish grill so fresh it was a religious experience. Then watermelon for dessert. All this for 30 EUR pp with mineral water & wine. One of the best meals I've had in a long time! It was impossible to finish the huge portions though - it broke my heart. Afterwards, we went for a long walk along the nice beach and had fun watching the cows(!) grazing just behind it.
After breakfast, we headed off to Ragusa. The drive took longer than I expected (about 90 min), so we arrived just after the cathedral closed - bummer. However, we were still absolutely charmed by Ragusa Ibla (don't be put off by the ugly new part of town). The setting and architecture of the Duomo are phenomenal! We sat down for yummy Panini & salad at the bar right at the foot of the Duomo and just drank in the scene - we were really on vacation! After lunch, we walked up past the duomo to admire the great balconies of the Palazzo La Rocca, then walked down to the park and enjoyed the shade and views. After a delicious almond granita (the first of many), we headed back down to the car. BTW, we parked at the base of the ramparts and walked up, but I think we could have continued along the road and ended up in the old town.
4) Roman Villa at CASALE
We headed on towards Piazza Armerina, while the sky kept getting darker. Then it started to POUR! We pulled off the road into a gas station and waited till the rain, thunder and lightning quieted down a bit... the first few kms were still pretty spooky as it was still raining very hard and the road was flooded in parts, but after a little while, we were out of the cloudburst and it appeared that it had been a very local storm. BTW, we passed through Caltagirone which looked like a nice place to stop - too bad we were pressed for time. Piazza Armerina on the other hand seemed downright unwelcoming. If you come in from the South, you need to make a sharp almost 180? left turn of the main road through town to get to the villa. We arrived at the Roman Villa very much behind schedule and were all set to rush through, as our guidebook (Michelin Green Guide) said it would close at 5PM. We were pleasantly surprised to discover that it's now open till 7PM. As for the mosaics: WOW!! Forget about the tacky one with the bikini girls you see on all the postcards (I personally think it's a fake/prank - you can see a corner of another beautiful mosaic right beneath it). The two hunting scenes, along with many others are just amazing! Also, I had never been in such a well preserved roman villa - it was fascinating to actually experience the floor plan. Didn't find the plexiglass "roofs" offensive at all - I think it's a special material which filters out the UV rays. It does get very hot in there though - take a large botle of water and drink regularly!
After our visit, we headed for Enna along the scenic route (S 117b & S 561) and followed the clear signs to the Grand Hotel Sicilia.
5) ENNA
After Ragusa, Enna was a bit of a letdown. Yes, the views of Calasciabetta across the valley are amazing, but the town itself isn't particularly attractive. Still, a worthwhile stop, but not one I'd go far out of my way for.
Had a nice dinner at Ristorante Centrale. Took the menu, which was a massive amount of food. Great antipasti and pasta (2 different kinds). Mixed grill (meat) main course was nothing special, desert was just a peach... all in all a good deal, but could have stopped after the primi.
The next morning, we walked around Enna, visiting the cathedral and the adjacent Alessi museum, which is famous for 2 pieces of 17th century goldsmithing: the madonna's crown and the pelican jewel. Very fine work indeed.
We didn't explore the fort.
6) AGRIGENTO
Afterwards, we headed for Agrigento. I must admit that I got somewhat lost twice. First, I missed the sign for the bypass road around Caltanisseta and headed right into town, then once on the S640, I took the turnoff to Agrigento. Actually, I should have just continued on the S 640, as it goes straight to the Valle dei Templi.
Since it was unbelievably hot, we decided to hang out by the pool at the Villa Athena for a while and go to the temples in the late afternoon. Unfortunately the pool was dirty and after getting stung by one of the insects floating at the surface, I decided to give up on swimming.
When we finally headed to the temples, we were extremely impressed by the perfect proportions of structures themselves and their dramatic setting overlooking the coastline. The encroaching urbanity of the surroundings somehow made the temples seem even more otherwordly.
Aside from my involuntary detour, we didn't see the town of Agrigento itself.
7) SELINUNTE & PORTO PALO
The next day, we headed out for Selinunte. I decided to take the S 115 main road past Sciacca to save time instead of the coastal route via Menfi... bad decision. A portion of the road was totally closed due to major construction work, forcing traffic to take a major detour inland and thereby probably negating any time savings. Oh well.
Selinunte was quite impressive, but found the structures of the Valle dei Templi (as well as those of Segesta) more spectacular. That said, the first temple (E) you visit is in great shape and it's a treat to be able to walk inside it.
The second zone of the site has a beautiful setting overlooking the sea and it's very interesting to see the grid pattern of the town streets. Note that there are golf carts for hire at the entrance to the first zone and the hawkers give you the impression that if you don't use them, you need to walk to the other excavations. This is not true - after exploring temples E,F & G, you go back to the parking lot and drive on to the second area.
After the ruins, we headed back along the coast to Porto Palo. Elizabeth's recommendation of Da Vittorio's was right on - the place is just FANTASTIC. The settting right on the water is awesome - plus the weather was cooperating so we could see all the way to Tunisia! They serve you the menu of the day (you did seem to be able to request some changes if you wanted to). For us it was: hot & cold antipasti, thick spaghetti with sea urchin sauce (SO GOOD) and a mixed fish/shellfish grill so fresh it was a religious experience. Then watermelon for dessert. All this for 30 EUR pp with mineral water & wine. One of the best meals I've had in a long time! It was impossible to finish the huge portions though - it broke my heart. Afterwards, we went for a long walk along the nice beach and had fun watching the cows(!) grazing just behind it.
Oct 14th, 2003 | 01:38 PM
#3
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,558
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8) ERICE
We headed for the autostrada, which we followed to Trapani, then started the long, beautiful climb to Erice.
After checking in, we explored the town in the late afternoon. What a beautiful place! The setting of the Giardino del Balio and Castello di Venere is amazing. We also stopped for some pastries think marzipan at the pastry shop on Via Vittorio Emmanuele 14 - wonderful products and the most adorable saleslady - the way she treated the little kids was just fabulous, right out of a movie. Still basking in the afterglow from our lunch at Vittorio's, we noshed on some pastries and settled in for the night..
The next morning, we strolled down to the Chiesa Matrice, which has a beautiful exterior but was unfortunately not open yet. We then headed back down to Trapani and got on the autostrada bound for Segesta.
9) SEGESTA
This might be my favourite archeological site of all four that we visited - both the temple and theater are amazing structures and their respective settings are spectacular. I would love to see a performance in the theater (much smaller than the one in Siracusa, which I think is in use periodically.
Another bonus is that it's very conveniently reached from the Palermo-Trapani autostrada. After visiting, we zoomed towards Palermo, our next stop.
10) PALERMO
Since we hadn't had lunch yet and figured it would take quite a while to check in & return the car, we spontaneously decided to stop off in Mondello, which turned out to be a great idea. First of all, it's a beautiful beach area, with a great old wooden structure on stilts dominating the small bay. We ate at Trattoria Fortuni, another one of the great recommendations on Elizabeth's list. Don't be put off by the downstairs - the small main dining room is upstairs and everyone is friendly and in a good mood. Superb meal of little fried fish and pasta con le sarde with watermelon for dessert.
After our meal, we headed into Palermo. Unlike some other posters, I found the drivers there to be better-mannered than on country roads. This could be because I'm more used to city driving - I have no problem dealing with going headfirst into crazy gridlocked intersections (used to "do" the Etoile twice a day at rush hour) but do have issues with people who tailgate me at 100 km/h then pass on a blind corner. That said, if your planned itinerary involves driving through Piazza - you'll get lost, trust me on this. Heck, I couldn't orient myself on that square when I was WALKING. Anyway, we finally found our hotel, checked in and returned the car (the Avis office was actually very easy to locate, right on the coastal road).
From there, we walked inland to the shopping area around via Ruggiero Settimo. It was prime passegiata time and we snagged an outside table at Café Spinnato in the pedestrian zone. Right in the middle of the street, they had a good pianist playing a white baby grand and the people watching was 1A. Even before the excellent gelsi granita arrived I had made up my mind - Palermo is my kind of town. We strolled back to the hotel and turned in early, still filled by the our great lunch (and by some leftover marzipan from Erice).
Next: three days of culture, food and shopping in Palermo and Monreale (thanks to Maitaitom for letting me use his patented teasers
).
We headed for the autostrada, which we followed to Trapani, then started the long, beautiful climb to Erice.
After checking in, we explored the town in the late afternoon. What a beautiful place! The setting of the Giardino del Balio and Castello di Venere is amazing. We also stopped for some pastries think marzipan at the pastry shop on Via Vittorio Emmanuele 14 - wonderful products and the most adorable saleslady - the way she treated the little kids was just fabulous, right out of a movie. Still basking in the afterglow from our lunch at Vittorio's, we noshed on some pastries and settled in for the night..
The next morning, we strolled down to the Chiesa Matrice, which has a beautiful exterior but was unfortunately not open yet. We then headed back down to Trapani and got on the autostrada bound for Segesta.
9) SEGESTA
This might be my favourite archeological site of all four that we visited - both the temple and theater are amazing structures and their respective settings are spectacular. I would love to see a performance in the theater (much smaller than the one in Siracusa, which I think is in use periodically.
Another bonus is that it's very conveniently reached from the Palermo-Trapani autostrada. After visiting, we zoomed towards Palermo, our next stop.
10) PALERMO
Since we hadn't had lunch yet and figured it would take quite a while to check in & return the car, we spontaneously decided to stop off in Mondello, which turned out to be a great idea. First of all, it's a beautiful beach area, with a great old wooden structure on stilts dominating the small bay. We ate at Trattoria Fortuni, another one of the great recommendations on Elizabeth's list. Don't be put off by the downstairs - the small main dining room is upstairs and everyone is friendly and in a good mood. Superb meal of little fried fish and pasta con le sarde with watermelon for dessert.
After our meal, we headed into Palermo. Unlike some other posters, I found the drivers there to be better-mannered than on country roads. This could be because I'm more used to city driving - I have no problem dealing with going headfirst into crazy gridlocked intersections (used to "do" the Etoile twice a day at rush hour) but do have issues with people who tailgate me at 100 km/h then pass on a blind corner. That said, if your planned itinerary involves driving through Piazza - you'll get lost, trust me on this. Heck, I couldn't orient myself on that square when I was WALKING. Anyway, we finally found our hotel, checked in and returned the car (the Avis office was actually very easy to locate, right on the coastal road).
From there, we walked inland to the shopping area around via Ruggiero Settimo. It was prime passegiata time and we snagged an outside table at Café Spinnato in the pedestrian zone. Right in the middle of the street, they had a good pianist playing a white baby grand and the people watching was 1A. Even before the excellent gelsi granita arrived I had made up my mind - Palermo is my kind of town. We strolled back to the hotel and turned in early, still filled by the our great lunch (and by some leftover marzipan from Erice).
Next: three days of culture, food and shopping in Palermo and Monreale (thanks to Maitaitom for letting me use his patented teasers
).
Oct 14th, 2003 | 02:16 PM
#6
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,558
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Oops - another typo: my sentence on driving through Palermo should have read:
"That said, if your planned itinerary involves driving through Piazza <b>Independenza</b> - you'll get lost, trust me on this."
Andre
"That said, if your planned itinerary involves driving through Piazza <b>Independenza</b> - you'll get lost, trust me on this."
Andre
Oct 14th, 2003 | 05:20 PM
#7
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 330
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Thank you, Andre. I just finished reading your trip report and it was terrific... fun to read and informative.
I have searched for Elizabeth's restaurant list and cannot find it. I tried putting "Da Vittorio" as the topic, but without success. Any suggestions as to how I could find it?
I have searched for Elizabeth's restaurant list and cannot find it. I tried putting "Da Vittorio" as the topic, but without success. Any suggestions as to how I could find it?
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Oct 15th, 2003 | 06:14 AM
#10
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 6,941
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Hi evelyntrav - e-mail me at the above address and I'll send you my messy Sicily restaurant file.
Hi Andre - I've been waiting for your report -it's great. Still sorry about your experience at Carasco as it was the polar opposite to ours (maybe somewhat due to as Canadians we aren't familar with the specifics of the 2/3 star ratings so our expectations were different?) Looking forward to more!
Hi AP6380: Regarding your comment on the other thread re commissions from Uncle Vittorio....oops, I mean Vittorio
- I'm so pleased everyone has enjoyed the restaurant.....now if I could just convince someone to drive 20 km out of Palermo to Mulinazzo - it was exceptional!
Hi Andre - I've been waiting for your report -it's great. Still sorry about your experience at Carasco as it was the polar opposite to ours (maybe somewhat due to as Canadians we aren't familar with the specifics of the 2/3 star ratings so our expectations were different?) Looking forward to more!
Hi AP6380: Regarding your comment on the other thread re commissions from Uncle Vittorio....oops, I mean Vittorio
- I'm so pleased everyone has enjoyed the restaurant.....now if I could just convince someone to drive 20 km out of Palermo to Mulinazzo - it was exceptional!
Oct 15th, 2003 | 06:25 AM
#11
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,558
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Thanks for the kudos! There's quite a bit more of that report coming... eventually.
Elizabeth,
I made the (mistaken) assumption that it would be easy to reach Mulinazzo by cab/car service, but when I called up the restaurant, the super friendly french owner/wife told me that it was extremely expensive & inconvenient, so had to miss out on that one
Had I known, I would definitely have kept the car an extra day! Will definitely go there next time I'm in the area
Re: the Carasco - there was a recent thread on the board where someone went to almost all the larger properties on Lipari and was disappointed by all of them... so perhaps we didn't do that badly after all. My point was really that GAC basically called it a four star caliber property and this is absolutely not the case. One place which looked amazing was Raya on Panarea, but I wonder if it's too small an island to use as a base.
Andre
Elizabeth,
I made the (mistaken) assumption that it would be easy to reach Mulinazzo by cab/car service, but when I called up the restaurant, the super friendly french owner/wife told me that it was extremely expensive & inconvenient, so had to miss out on that one
Had I known, I would definitely have kept the car an extra day! Will definitely go there next time I'm in the area Re: the Carasco - there was a recent thread on the board where someone went to almost all the larger properties on Lipari and was disappointed by all of them... so perhaps we didn't do that badly after all. My point was really that GAC basically called it a four star caliber property and this is absolutely not the case. One place which looked amazing was Raya on Panarea, but I wonder if it's too small an island to use as a base.
Andre
Oct 15th, 2003 | 06:39 AM
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Oh yes, The theater in Segesta is still very much in use - here's the program:
http://www.calatafimisegesta.com/seg...gesta_eng.html
Definitely on my to-do list.
Andre
http://www.calatafimisegesta.com/seg...gesta_eng.html
Definitely on my to-do list.
Andre
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