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Sampling Some of Sicily and Bits of Italy Beyond

Sampling Some of Sicily and Bits of Italy Beyond

Old Nov 5th, 2017, 06:33 AM
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Sampling Some of Sicily and Bits of Italy Beyond

Trip Planning:

Where to go and where to stay? What to see and what to do? When to go and how to get there? And why? Planning a trip involves answering all those questions and more. But the reward when, through all our research, we get the answers to those questions right, is a memorable trip what we can return to, in our hearts and minds, again and again.

Where to go? This would be our fourth trip to Italy. On our three previous visits, my husband and I had never traveled south of Rome, so we figured it was time for us to sample Italy from a different angle, starting in Sicily, then visiting the Amalfi Coast, plus Capri, Naples and Pompeii, before ending up in Rome.

Where to stay? We wanted to devote at least two weeks to Sicily, basing ourselves first in the western part of the island with at least 5 nights in a rental house before traveling to an eastern base for another 5 nights in an apartment. We had heard from several sources that Sicily does not lend itself to spoke-like travel from a base, so it was a challenge to figure out where we should locate ourselves for 5 nights at a time. However, we decided that it was worth it for us to try to do this. Our style of travel has changed over the years and as we get older we no longer feel it necessary to visit every site there is to see wherever we are going. For us now it is more satisfying to settle into an area, hit nearby highlights, but also spend time just wandering here and there, getting to know the village streets and country roads, visiting the markets and watching the people and just relaxing. Plus, we enjoy renting little houses or apartments where we can do some of our own cooking. We love creating meals using local ingredients purchased from markets and neighborhood shops. And we have discovered that we can save both money and calories by not relying on cafes and restaurants for every meal.

What to see and do? Because of our travel-style preferences, we knew we would have to eliminate some famous attractions and work out an itinerary that felt right for us not only in Sicily but in the week we had allowed for traveling north to Rome. The process of elimination was of course not an easy one. Pompeii must be included. We really wanted to see that special place. Also, Capri and Ravello. What about Naples? Some people seem to love it, but others not so much. Should we skip it?

When to go and how to get there? When it came down to it, the answers to the question "How to get there?" had a lot to do with how our itinerary developed. We wanted to keep the logistics of moving from place to place as simple as possible. And it turned out that the question "When to go?" should have carried more weight in our planning. Traveling in April, we carefully factored the Easter Holiday into our plans, but it turned out that Liberation Day (Italian Independence Day), which we unfortunately didn't pay much attention to, had a greater impact on us.

And why? Why do we travel? Because we love it. Simply love it. For so many reasons I won't go into here because I think if you are reading this, you probably love traveling too and know most of the reasons why.

OUR ITINERARY:

April 09 - Flight via Kennedy Airport to Palermo, Sicily

2 nights - Palermo

5 nights - Scopello

1 night - Agrigento

5 nights - Ortigia

1 night - Taormina

4 nights - Atrani on the Amalfi Coast

2 nights - Naples

3 nights - Rome

May 3rd - Flight home
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Old Nov 5th, 2017, 08:13 AM
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climbing aboard
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Old Nov 5th, 2017, 09:48 AM
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Great itinerary. Looking forward to reading more.
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Old Nov 5th, 2017, 11:08 AM
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Lucky you
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Old Nov 5th, 2017, 12:08 PM
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I like your writing and traveling style and can’t wait for more. Thank you for taking the time to share!
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Old Nov 5th, 2017, 12:17 PM
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Our Adventure Begins with a Few Mis-Adventures:
Our Flights to Palermo

At 9:00 am on a beautiful sunny morning, my sister and brother-in-law picked us up right on time and drove us to the airport. This morning was a huge contrast to the morning a year ago, when we left for the airport from our home in upstate New York on our way to Lisbon, Portugal. That morning the roads were covered with ice and slush and definitely hazardous, due to a late season snow event. This morning the sun even spread some warmth on us as we loaded up our suitcases and we had clear sailing as we started on our way.

Security at our small regional airport was a breeze with barely a line and we soon settled down at our gate with plenty of time before boarding our flight. Soon our flight was delayed, but only for 30 minutes, so no big deal. Then after boarding, we were delayed on the tarmac for maintenance issues, so it was another half hour before takeoff. Still, we thought we had plenty of time for our connection in New York. But then, we landed at JFK and things definitely began to get a little dicier.

We hadn't flown through JFK in a while. Usually, because we used American Airline miles, we would connect through Chicago O'Hare to Europe. It seemed to us like we were going backwards to go ahead but it always worked out pretty well. Soon we were missing the familiarity of O'Hare and feeling definitely out of our comfort zone at JFK.

When we deplaned from our Delta flight at JFK, we had to find our way from Terminal 3 to Terminal 1 so we could board our Alitalia flight to Rome. Asking for help, we were told to take the bus to Terminal 2 and walk to Terminal 1 and were pointed in the right direction, we thought. Anxiously heading that way, we looked for signs for buses or signs for Term 2 but we never saw any. Ultimately, we asked again and were directed down a pair of unmarked stairs to catch the bus, which let us off in front of Terminal 2, a crowded area teeming with activity. We found someone there who then pointed us in the direction of Terminal 1. Again, no signs that we could see. Soon it seemed to us as if the sidewalk disappeared into the road. Sure we were not on the right path, we almost turned around. It was then when we spied a British couple we had noticed earlier asking for similar directions. They forged ahead so we did too. A narrow cinder path led us by some dumpsters and finally onto a real sidewalk. Ahead was the entrance portal (one of two) to Terminal 1. We let out sighs of relief as we made our way through the doorway.

The relief we felt was premature. The departure area was swarming with travelers milling every which way. We had boarding passes and seat assignments for Palermo via Rome. We pulled them out as we got in line for security, which was obviously needed as we had exited the secure zone in the airport in order to find our way to Terminal 1. But for some reason, our boarding passes were not sufficient for security. We were directed to the Alitalia counter to have them reissued. The line at the Alitalia check in was huge and when we joined it, we were stunned to realize that it never seemed to move. Very disconcerting. But finally, someone in charge decided to open more counters and we eventually received new boarding passes (with the same seat assignments, etc.) and headed again to the lines making their way through security screening . Hope against hope, maybe our TSA precheck status would help us here and it did a little bit as we didn't have to remove shoes and iPads. The whole process was still chaotic as it almost seemed like prechecked passengers were intermingled with those without TSA clearance. Who knows? Finally, security behind us, we continued the trek to our gate. Because we were famished, we stopped briefly for a shared ham and cheese wrap and a bottle of water from a food-to-go place and when at last we arrived at the gate, airline personnel were getting ready to orchestrate boarding. But we had made it and were soon settled into our seats on the plane headed to Rome, where we landed just 15 minutes behind schedule.

We can only fault ourselves for our next misadventure. And we have to thank our guardian angels (travel version) for helping us through it. After deplaning, we saw the sign for passport control, then another one for connecting flights. Jet lagged and not thinking straight we headed for passport control. The line was not too bad and moved swiftly. Fortunately, Steve thought to ask the passport control agent where we should go to access our flight to Palermo. With an expression that said "You are kidding me, right?", he gave us a long look but then took control of our situation. Writing something on both our passports, he called someone to take us back in the right direction. Feeling stupid, we nonetheless felt like we were breezing through on the way to our gate on time. Wrong. The security check roadblock wasn't too bad and we were soon winding our way through the aromatic aisles of the duty free shops, making good speed toward our gate. And then, dead stop. Ahead of us, a long and seemingly snail paced line wound along the corridor on the way to the gates. Passport control. Okay. Our passports had been stamped and verified by the kind agent who figured out we were not where we should be. But what now? If we stood in this line to be reverified we would certainly miss our flight. Another angel came to our rescue when we got the attention of a very busy young customs official who was shepherding the lines. We explained our situation and after an eye roll that clearly said "How could you be so stupid?" she took us in hand, lead us to another official and outlined our plight. That agent led us upfront to another person in charge who again examined our stamped passports and let us through to the gates. I want to say here how much we appreciated the each of the officials at the airport who treated us so kindly and so patiently. They truly were angels.

Our particular gate was at the very end of the terminal and by the time we got there, passengers were in line to board. Completely stressed, we joined the line, headed down a stairway to board a bus on our way to the plane. This was the point where we encountered our next misadventure.

As we were boarding the bus, the wheel on my roller carryon jammed. Not realizing right away what was wrong with my bag and pretty frazzled, I jerked it off the bus and it landed full force on my foot. Big ouch! "Have I broken my foot?" I thought. I could still walk, so maybe not. A steep set of narrow metal stairs provided access to the plane and I hobbled up them, not wanting Steve to know my predicament. It was tricky, but I gratefully made it to my seat.

The flight to Palermo was smooth and even landed a few minutes early. As we neared the airport, I saw beautiful tan and buff mountains edging a brilliant blue sea. After a few misadventures, we had finally arrived in Sicily, so ready to begin our travels through Italy.
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Old Nov 5th, 2017, 03:09 PM
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Ah yes. The joys of modern travel.....
Cant wait for the rest!
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Old Nov 5th, 2017, 03:53 PM
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Thanks, all, for your kind and encouraging words. I know my reports are sometimes way too wordy, but I love our travel experiences so much it is hard to cut much out. And Dayle, I enjoyed your trip report on Sicily and referenced it often.
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Old Nov 5th, 2017, 10:52 PM
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Probably the longest trip report I've ever read that focused on the confusion that I normally feel on International flights (the sort I used to take most months when I worked). Fantastic!
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Old Nov 6th, 2017, 05:10 AM
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Nice, Candace, looking forward to more.

A question: when we land at FCO on our way to Palermo, should we proceed to connecting flights? Will there be another passport control there? Any help appreciated.
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Old Nov 6th, 2017, 06:47 AM
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Tuscanlifeedit, we totally screwed up when we followed the signs to "Passport Control" instead of "Connecting Flights" after we landed in Rome. If we had proceeded to "Connecting Flights", we would have encountered the correct passport control line. Then those very kind officials we appealed to for help would not have had to personally escort us through the line on our way to our gate.

That being said, the passport control line on the way to connecting flights was really long the morning we arrived in Rome, so be sure you allow plenty of time to navigate your way to your gate.

Enjoy Palermo. We loved it.
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Old Nov 6th, 2017, 09:50 AM
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On for the duration!
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Old Nov 6th, 2017, 11:07 AM
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Andiamo!
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Old Nov 6th, 2017, 01:42 PM
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We loved Palermo - A Stay of Two Nights There Was Not Long Enough!

Outside our balcony window at the Massimo Plaza Hotel, the square gray paving stones of the piazza reached across to the imposing Teatro Massimo, the opera house. With its domes, columns and broad sweeping stairway, shining blond and beautiful in the sun or lit up dramatically at night, the Teatro provided the perfect backdrop for the passage of daily life in Palermo. Waking up on our first morning, we looked out the window to see a full moon, pale in the early light, hung next to the Opera House like an ornament in the sky. After breakfast, as the sun warmed the piazza, a few big dogs took up residence against the iron balustrade and were soon greeted by passersby with pats on the head and scratches to the ears in what seemed to be a morning ritual. Businessmen and stylish women hurried past and soon the street right in front of the hotel was closed to traffic for the day, becoming pedestrian-only as students with backpacks, mothers with strollers, and a varied array of bicyclists took the place of cars and small trucks. Occasionally, a police car would roll up and briefly survey the scene. Once or twice, for reasons we couldn't guess, two or three young soldiers would arrive to stand guard on the corner or in the street in front of us. Kitty corner from the hotel a few cafes would begin setting up tables and chairs in the morning. By late afternoon, the chairs would all be taken. Evenings brought strolling couples and lots of dog walkers. That first morning after breakfast, I opened the balcony door to the sweet haunting music of an accordion, played by a man in the street below. Enjoying the music, a group of elders lounged under a tree. One grandpa among them was happily entertaining a small boy. The boy was having a fine time being the center of all that attention. Another child, practicing on a scooter, received enthusiastic encouragement from the elderly onlookers, as did the accordion player as he paused between tunes. I sat close to the opened window and watched it all. And I have to say that Palermo captured my heart from that balcony.

The afternoon we arrived at the hotel from the airport (via a taxi arranged for us by the hotel) the piazza was full of activity as an elaborate ceremony was underway celebrating the achievements of various police agencies in the city. As we made our way from the taxis stop to the hotel, bands were playing martial music while policemen and women in full dress uniform, some on horseback, others in tight formation, filled the square. Different speakers took turns at a microphone and a huge tv screen was set up on scaffolding so everyone could see and hear the speakers. Overhead a helicopter circled. Lots of pomp and circumstance, but fun to watch as we scurried past.

Because our room was not quite ready, we found our way around the corner to a little bakery for a puffy little pizza type snack and some bottled water before finally checking in. Opening the balcony door in our room, we could see all the activity was still underway on the piazza below us.

As we always do after an overseas flight, we pulled the drapes and settled down for a nap. The noise outside was at full volume but we slept through it for an hour or two of needed rest. Then, after a shower, we set out, relaxed and eager, to explore Palermo. Right outside our hotel's entry door, we turned left on the Via Maqueda, a pedestrian street that ran straight to the Quattro Canti, Palermo's four corners. It is there that the Via Maqueda crosses the Via Vittorio and that important spot is impressive, with four angled Baroque buildings on each corner, decorated with dramatic statuary and elaborate fountains. At this point, looking up at the those elegant buildings displaying all that finely carved stone ornamentation, we knew we were once again far from home, somewhere old, enticing, and beautiful in Europe.

After turning right onto the Via Vittorio Emanuele, we made our way down to the Cathedral and strolled around the Piazza Cattedrale for some good pictures of the impressive edifice. The sun was shining, the sky was blue, and we didn't go inside the Cathedral but instead took advantage of the beautiful day and walked around the right side, thinking to find a different way back to the hotel. Tucked around this relatively lonely corner, we stumbled across some traditional painted carts, very colorful but sadly worn out and broken down. Great photo-op however.

We got a bit lost on our way back to the hotel, but we enjoyed our ramble. On one street corner, we were stopped short. One car was trying to turn around in the tight space, disrupting the progress of two or three other vehicles whose drivers were all yelling and gesturing out the windows or laying on their horns. At the back of the line was a motor scooter, the father driving, the mother on the back and a small boy standing in between - a family unit ready to roll. Eventually, after a lot of noise from all involved, the traffic tangle untangled and all went on their way. But we have to say we were fascinated by the traffic patterns in this city. There seemed to be unwritten rules about how to merge, how to pass, etc. At the airport when we were renting our car after our stay in Palermo, we met a woman from Atlanta, gray haired like me, who was driving with her husband as a passenger into Palermo to a hotel. I hope they made it okay. I can't imagine the stress involved in that drive.

We wandered by chance through a street market (Il Capo, I think). Vendors were just starting to tear down their stalls for the day, but plenty of colorful tables of fruits and vegetables remained. Again, an opportunity for some colorful pictures.

The young man on duty at our hotel gave us a good recommendation for dinner, Trattoria Del Massimo, which was just a short walk across the piazza. And although we were the first diners seated that evening, we were warmly welcomed. Steve chose pasta with baby clams and I had rolled swordfish with prawns. Starters were marinated artichokes and eggplant carbonate. All delicious, but too much food for us and we hated to waste it. Anyway, we passed up dessert and didn't even think about a gelato on the way back to our room.

Tomorrow, our first first and only full day in Palermo with a trip to Monreale.
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Old Nov 6th, 2017, 03:04 PM
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Thanks Candace. Looking forward to more.
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Old Nov 6th, 2017, 03:15 PM
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Loving my return to Sicily through your eyes.
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Old Nov 6th, 2017, 05:46 PM
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So enjoying your TR Candace! Im glad my TR was helpful to you. The greatest thing I have liked about Fodors all these years are the Fodorites who take the time to do long and detailed TRs complete with opinions. Those TR help me determine what I would or would not enjoy and are so helpful in planning.

Looking forward to the rest.
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Old Nov 6th, 2017, 06:35 PM
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It sounds so magical. I am really enjoying your report.
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Old Nov 7th, 2017, 01:15 AM
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I think I would like Palermo, too, it sounds fascinating.
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Old Nov 7th, 2017, 10:59 AM
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Thanks, everyone, for the encouragement. This will be, I guess, a fairly long trip report and it is good to be cheered along the way. Trip reports complete with opinions, as Dayle put it so well, can be really helpful for others in the planning process. They certainly have been for me and I hope to return the favor.

Yes, Adelaidean, Palermo is fascinating because it feels so authentic. There are many beautiful and historic sites to attract tourists, of course, but maybe because outsiders, conquerors, and others from someplace else, have ebbed and flowed through this place for a few thousand years, tourism is part of the fabric of the city and just taken for granted, not overly emphasized as it sometimes is elsewhere. Not that the people of Palermo weren't welcoming. They were, and their welcome felt genuine, as if they were happy to have us there and hoped we enjoyed ourselves. We did enjoy ourselves and found that watching the everyday street life of Palermo, people's interactions, the comings and goings throughout the day, was definitely a highlight of our visit there.
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