thursdaysd

zeppole - I was in Ortigia in late April, and there wasn't any scaffolding on the Duomo then. The street alongside was being relaid, but the building itself was in good shape. The museum, on the other hand, was partially shut down.

Erice is the target of some day tripper tour buses, but the day trippers seemed to largely confine themselves to the main street and main piazza, and some of them made it out to the castle. Very easy to avoid them (at least in May) if you just walked a few steps off the main street - and even easier in the evening!

zeppole

thanks, thursday. Good to know. It's a uninque site, and to my mind one of the main reasons to go to Ortygia. I also enjoyed the markets there, although I will say I found Ortygia a little more boutique-y than I had expected.

But all in all, Sicilia is much wealthier, tourism aside, than I had expected.

cmstraf

I agree with everyone who is suggesting Monreale; it is the most beautiful church I have ever seen anywhere. The mosaics are truly incredible. What I would recommend is going Sunday, getting there just as the first mass is ending (your hotel in Palermo can find out for you--by the way the Centrale Palace Hotel in Palermo is incredible, don't be deterred by its Best Western status, Best Western has bought up some incredible hotel properties in Italy), using the time between the masses to look in the courtyard with wonderful mosaic work) and a bit in the santuary. Then attend the second mass, where they shoe bus tours away and see the mosaics all lit up in peace and for free.

I second everyone else's hesitations about Taormina, Erice in contrast, is less overrun and very charming. Enna is truly inner Sicily, autere, with (if you speak Italian) a hint of the Mafiosa. The Piazza Armentina ruins that someone spoke of are quite spectacular.

Buon Viaggio!

DTrippin

You all have been wonderful. Thank you so much for your help.

mhyde1

What would you really do if you only had two and a half days in Sicily? I mean really important things to do? We will not have much extra time. Is it possible to get on a day tour to Mt. Etna from Palermo? Has anyone taken the ferry from Palermo to Salerno? Thanks. I enjoy reading your posts.

thursdaysd

mhyde - well, I personally wouldn't go to Sicily for just two and a half days - I'd add the time to Rome or Naples or Capri or the AC. But I would say that with a base in Palermo you must see Monreale, and I would be inclined to visit Segesta so you'd get in one of the Greek temples. You could day trip to Trapani and Erice, or to Cefalu.

zeppole

Sicily is not an easy place to move around without a car -- or even with a car. With only a short amount of time, finding out ahead of time what interests you in Palermo is really the way to go. It is quite culturally rich. I also recommend Monreale. But if you google up Palermo and what's new there, you'll come up with a lot recent news articles, trip reports, etc.