We are headed to Italy. We are not new to traveling all over Italy and always manage to get a visit into Sicily but this time we are flying into Palermo and staying mostly in Sicily for 2 months. We plan to find Airbnb's mostly. We do have family there who we'll visit of course but not take up the master bedroom which they insist on us having while they sleep on the couch. This time we plan being mostly on our own. We hope to get to Sardinia also on this trip. We know southern Italy really well and had once planned to do tour packages before 911. After that it didn't seem to be practical idea. Now we are more retired and don't have the energy to take people around but we are still learning new places and do appreciate guidance form others who know hidden must see places.

How nice to have that much time in Sicily!

I thought the Rough Guide and Michelin Green Guide provided particularly good coverage, including things that don't normally end up on shorter itineraries.

Little corners of Sicily?

Vendicari nature reserve

The Belize valley with very varied grape variety wines and huge olives
Poggioreale (old and new) - fascinating view of social history, the beautiful old town was ruined during an earthquake in 1968, it’s current haunting state is pretty much as it was after the earth quake. the Italian central government spent billions building a new village down the hill with the best Italian architects of the time all contributing. The Mafia had their input in the contracts.

The old Sicilian families weren’t consulted and they hated it, one family moved to Houston, Texas , loved it and phoned Sicily. The rest of the village followed them. The village now has housing for 10,000 but only 1,000 live in it. As a result, there are now two Poggioreale ghost towns and it illustrates the triangular relationship between Sicily, Rome and the Mafia.

The Church of Trinita di Delia just outside Castelvetrao. It’s 900 years old, tiny but stunningly beautiful.

The other various Norman and crusader churches of Palermo.

The stucco figures of Oratario del Santissimo Rosario in Palermo. Formed by one man over his lifetime in the c18th. Stunning sight.

The town of Castelvetrano : one of the few remaining examples of what happens when social structure breaks down. The police have little power, other than traffic tickets. 70% of the town’s large population pay no civil taxes, the town is controlled by the last “great” Mafia boss, who has been in the run for 40 years but (apparently) drives a silver £150k Porsche which we saw on the road. He boasts to have filled a cemetery with his victims. The town is draped in projects which make no sense to the outside world - shopping centres, restaurants, factories all empty as they are just money laundering operations. Very odd feel.

https://www.google.com/search?q=corleone+italy+images&tbm=isch&tbo=u&sour ce=univ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiP8ffxoKLdAhUQOK0KHZCdDSEQ sAR6BAgAEAE&biw=1269&bih=611&dpr=1.5

Few folks seem to visit Corleone - birthplace of a Mafia faction and famous from being home of Corleone group from Godfather movies. But looks like a nice hilltown anyway.