I just returned from my 22-day sojourn in Puglia and Sicily and needed to recount the experience to you all since it was epic! We owe so much to you wonderful people who went before us and guided our planning. Thank you! All went exceedingly well, though we made a few small mistakes and learned a few things along the way which I will share as we progress.

Our itinerary:

1 night Rome

3 nights Polignano a Mare

3 nights Martina Franca

2 nights Matera

1 night Reggio Calabria

3 nights Siracusa

3 nights Trapani

3 nights Palermo

2 nights Rome

For background, we are two sisters mid-60s and 70s adventurous, well-traveled and in good health. We like moving fast, outdoor exercise and biking, train travel and seeing the landscape, history and learning, comfort at good value, great food and drink, and meeting people from around the world. For convenience, we opted to obtain 300 Euros from our home banks a few days in advance at a decent but not great exchange rate. We did find and use a bank ATM once more during the trip in Siracusa for 200 more, but like most Europeans mostly used our phones to charge purchases other than taxis, tips for guides, etc. We have found that ubiquitous Euronet ATMs have high fees and bad exchange rates so we avoided them. We reserved well located 2 bedrooms, 2 bath apartments with washers on Booking and Airbnb whenever we could find them at reasonable prices as soon as our itinerary was set, and traveled with only a carry-on suitcase and small backpack for flexibility. We researched public transit and found that a car was really needed for part of our itinerary, and after comparing, decided to rent 2 different cars, one in Lecce for drop off in Reggio Calabria, and one in Siracusa for drop off in Palermo. This worked out fine, though consciously taking all the insurance despite coverage from our credit cards did prove expensive but gave great peace of mind particularly when we found ourselves lost in the rabbit warrens of Marsala and Monreale (more later). Our itinerary and plan around car rentals probably wasn’t the best; I will cover it later when I get to the part of the trip report that covers crossing the Strait of Messina.

Our weather was superb! Most of the time, temperatures were in the mid-70s with bright sunshine and a few wispy clouds, and then high 60s early morning and evening. We had 2 rainy afternoons and evenings, one in Martina Franca and Alberobello, and one in Matera, which we took advantage of, and negotiated cozily and happily in our handy plastic bag ponchos we brought with us. A note about this: at the start, we made the decision to begin in Bari and end in Palermo rather than the other way around. I’m not sure if our weather was a usual pattern, but this route served us well since the weather in Puglia seemed to worsen after we left for Sicily. And Sicily weather was glorious!

I met my sister in Rome on September 23 and we stayed overnight near the termini train station. This plan resulted from our very different arrival times, she from Florida at 7AM and me from Denver around 1pm. It was also a vestige of our original plan to train between Rome and Bari to relax and see the countryside. But a few weeks prior to our departure while searching for Trenitalia tickets, we discovered that our high speed 4-hour trip had become an 8-hour odyssey with at least one, if not two, connections due to track construction. We aborted the train scheme, and purchased Ryanair tickets to fly instead. Simultaneously, we made the conscious decision not to change our hotel, but instead just hop on the Leonardo Express back and forth to the airport, enjoying our first evening back in Rome in several years. In retrospect, flying directly to Bari and meeting up in Polignano a Mare may have been a better plan and saved some time.

Nevertheless, we hooked up easily at our Hotel Nord Nuova Roma, a short walk from the Termini. This hotel is quiet, clean and basic, nothing luxurious about it, yet entirely safe, convenient, and adequate. From here we walked through Rome marveling at how the crowds had grown since our last visit. We could barely elbow our way through the throngs around Trevi, but reveled in being back after so long. Rome just never gets old! Timing our arrival just right, we were second in line for the 6:30 opening of Quel Che C’e. This tiny, basic, family-run homemade pasta establishment was one of our best meals, and had a marvelously fresh rocket salad and Bolognese. This place is so small that it is imperative to arrive before opening in order to get a table without an exceedingly long wait in line. For restaurants, we relied on Tripadvisor and The Fork for most of our restaurant choices, and found our trust in them eroding. It seems harder nowadays to find what we consider fair and thoughtful reviews, so most restaurants while good, in our opinion, were rated higher than warranted. The Fork app was helpful for making easy reservations.



Next day we flew to Bari on Ryanair and all went according to plan. My sister met some nice kids on the plane who offered us a ride to the train station in their mom’s big car (a Hyundai Tucson! &#128522. We found all the Italians to be amazingly warm and helpful. Then, rather than spending the afternoon in Bari, we got train tickets online and went straight away to Polignano because it was a beautiful day. I was surprised to find that despite the 10 kg limit for carry on bags, Ryanair just waved everyone through without comment. We were glad we purchased seats and priority boarding. We did need to carry our luggage up and down and then up some steep steps to the tarmac and plane to board, but a wonderful Italian young man just picked up my bag for me on all three sets of steps. Just lovely!

We checked into our well equipped apartment between the train station and the busy, beachy area of Polignano. The location, just a few blocks from each was wonderful, allowing us to live in a quieter area, walk to restaurants, etc, and easily hop on trains to see the Puglia coast. To boot, there was a small market underneath this modern building.

During our days in Polignano, we toured it our first afternoon, took the train to Bari for an afternoon street food tour, trained to Monopoli early for a nice long morning, then on to Ostuni for a great lunch and a beautiful afternoon, and ultimately the following day to Lecce to spend a few hours before picking up our car. We found Bari to be an old, gritty city and admittedly, we didn’t have a knowledgeable guide to share its history, or great food on our food tour. As a result, we swore off street food tours where we encountered a lot of bread and gelato. Though touristy, we did enjoy walking Orecchiette Street and seeing the pasta being made by the nimble hands of the Italian ladies. A morning walking in Monopoli was adequate for us, with its picturesque port and beach area being the main draw. Then we made a snap decision to train off to Ostuni for the afternoon.

Since we trained to Ostuni with no plans or research, upon our arrival we confronted a several km walk up hill to the town. To save our feet, we took one of the taxis waiting at the station up to the town for 5 Euros each. The driver gave us his number and offered to return us when ready requesting 45 minutes notice. Off we went to explore. What a lovely white town on a hill with remarkable views! In another trip, it might be a town I’d return to in order to see the sights, but instead we walked uphill until we found a gloriously situated restaurant perched at the top, and scarfed up two scrumptious antipasti boards while slurping a couple of beers and the incredible views. This town is definitely worth at least a few hours. Instead of calling our taxi driver for return to the station, we chatted with three Romanian women in the same boat, and flagged down a passing tuktuk driver. For 5 Euro each, we all six squashed into the tiny vehicle and bumped down the hill, drinking in the golden sunshine and grinning all the way.

A couple notes: We did find that restaurant reservations for a good dinner in Polignano were required at least a day in advance. This held true throughout our trip. Also, re: the Trenitalia site, we found it convenient to set up profiles for both of us so that when one purchased tickets, we could easily add the other without having to enter identifying info each time. Finally, experienced users of Airbnb and Booking may already know this, but upon arrival, be sure to inspect your rental lodging for any obvious damage, and note it in writing immediately to your host. I received a text after check-out that I would be charged an extra 250 Euros for damage to an intercom hanging out from the wall, that I’d never used. It took a while and a little stress to get it resolved, and ultimately, I wasn’t charged after all. But an ounce of prevention…

Finally, in Lecce, we did not do it justice. At the last minute, we changed our plan from renting our car in Brindisi, to arrive early by train in Lecce, store our luggage, tour around, and pick up our car in late afternoon to drive to Martina Franca after surveying the major Lecce sites. Unfortunately, we had difficulty finding luggage storage that did not close between 1 and 4pm, and then only saw the Roman theater before we received a call from the car rental that they were closing in 15 minutes but would wait for us. Since we were a 20-minute walk away, dragging our luggage over the ancient, cobbled streets of Lecce in a mad dash, curtailed our enjoyment of what looked to be a very interesting city. Lesson learned: always ask if businesses close between 1-4pm. Oh well, next time… On to Martina Franca.

sounds great, the Pausa can be a surprise for first time visitors

So happy to read of your adventuress! We are now into our third, and last, week in Puglia and agree with the kindness of the locals and the beauty of the towns and landscape. I have a heavy carry on bag and every time we land in Italy and I have to take it down from the overhead, at least one man steps in and offers to help.

I did find Bari to be a squeaky clean and lovely city, although the historic buildings were interspersed with ugly concrete blocks. But we stayed in a hotel in the Murat district, so perhaps saw a different part of the city than you did. Agree about the orechiette street--iinteresting for about 5 minutes, but Bari Vecchia was nice enough.

The weather has turned colder now (21 October) so good for you that you got warmer temperatures.

Yes, bilboburgler, we were concerned about the Pausa but mostly found ourselves touring during the afternoon so it wasn't too disruptive. It was only when we needed a late lunch or snack that it caused a small issue. We mostly learned to plan around it by filling up early. Thanks for the help your posts provided when we were planning.
Ekscruchy, I think I need to return to Bari someday to give it a fair try. And also the towns north. Loving your trip reports! They helped us a great deal.

Here's part 2 (of what will be 4, I think) of our trip report. It finishes Puglia.
From car pickup in mid-city Lecce, we set out for Martina Franca, first trying to locate a great restaurant in Ceglie Messapica as recommended by one poster, but alas, it was almost 3pm in the afternoon, and all were closed. As a result, we wended our way around scenic back roads arriving in Martina Franca about 45 minutes later. Though some roads were curvy and we encountered a few one lane bridges, traffic was relatively light and driving was easy.

In Martina Franca, we were met by our amazing host Michele, who showed us where to park a half block from the apartment and where to avoid. He then spent an hour showing us around his beautifully decorated apartment, describing all the milk, water, soaps, lotions, etc. that he provided. Finally, we sat down to discuss where we might like to go, what to see and where to eat, referencing the maps on his kitchen table. He not only made dinner reservations for us, but recommended how to visit Locorotondo, Alberobello, and other towns, as well as were to find easy and free parking. Wow! A real 10 out of 10 host.

That evening we walked 2 blocks to the central old town and ate a lovely dinner. Armed with Michele’s directions, the next morning we set out for Locorotondo another small, white, round town atop a hill. It was an easy drive, and we parked for free on the street. We then walked through a park and up the stairs about half a km to the town center, where we enjoyed a cappuccino, and a beautiful treed and gardened city park. It was flooded with serious cyclists of all ages touring together, some on eBikes that made us salivate. The park’s overlook was a smorgasbord of scenic views of trulli and bucolic countryside, and in the center, small children were seated quietly listening to a storyteller. Just charming! We surveyed the churches and shops, but as the skies darkened around noon, we finished our tasty lunch, and hightailed it back to our car just as a steady rain began to fall.

Eyeing our ponchos in our backpacks, and reasoning that crowds might be thinner in Alberobello due to the weather, we headed there next. Parking again on the street for free where Michele suggested, we walked another .5 Km up to the church, and began our walking tour that we found on Google. As we had expected, crowds were way down, and we thoroughly enjoyed our tour despite the rain. I was uncertain about visiting Alberobello due to the warnings of unpleasant throngs of tourists, but was so glad we took advantage of this opportunity to see it. It is “trulli” unique. (Sorry! &#128522.

The next morning, we walked about 1 km to the edge of Martina Franca to meet our bike tour guide. We had reserved with him because eBike Puglia had no vacancies even 2 weeks ahead, so were a bit nervous. But all turned out better than we could have expected! Only 4 of us went on adequate eBikes. Traffic was slightly heavy getting into and out of town, but that lasted only 10 minutes or so. As we were leaving town, we noticed another very large bicycle tour group of perhaps 12-15 people heading in the opposite direction, and were thankful for our small group. Our guide picked lovely low traffic, back roads and lanes out in the countryside, and tailored our tour to stay out there when we all explained we’d already visited Locorotondo and Alberobello. We saw the ubiquitous ancient dry rock walls, beautiful vineyards rife with heavy, dark grapes, loads of trulli, and native trees and plants. Idyllic! If you like eBike riding, take a bike tour in Val d’Isere.

Bidding a fond farewell to Michele, we drove next to Matera. OMG, what a place! Beyond my wildest expectations and unfortunately, for us, beyond Google map’s capabilities once we reached the Sassi. We easily located and found parking at Parcheggio Via Saragat. Because our hosts at our Airbnb in the Sassi required that we meet them by noon, rather than take the red bus which had just departed, we set out on foot dragging our luggage. Proceeding right past the bus stop in front of the parking structure, we hiked the 3 k through town and entered the Sassi. Here Google maps became totally flummoxed! It sent us straight down into the Sassi with no regard for the road (and the bus) that winds through it. Take the bus and follow the road at least until you gain a bit of understanding about the Sassi! You will be very glad you did.

Exhausted and sweaty, we finally located our Airbnb, a remodeled, caved apartment with a lovely balcony. We were so glad we chose to stay in the Sassi. Not only is it convenient (except for water and groceries), but it is magical particularly at night when you imagine what this place might have been like hundreds or a thousand years ago. It is necessary to be in good shape to really hike these ancient paths and experience all on offer there. We made reservations ahead for dinner each evening, and again, were so glad we did. It rained one evening, but we had a cozy dinner nearby and retired early. The next morning, we met our very good guide, Anthony, who took us into a whole new area of the Sassi below and behind the Duomo, recounting the history and showing us some of the unrestored caves, explaining how the residents lived in these dark, dank, underground habitats with their animals. What a unique treasure this place is! We also considered hiking down into the valley below, across the Tibetan bridge which is really not very high or scary, and up the other side to the overlook. It is perhaps 3-4 km long, albeit with steep downs and ups plus return. But instead, we opted to drive to the overlook in the afternoon. We were glad we did it that way. Leaving Matera, a lot smarter and wearier now, we had our hosts call a taxi to take us back to the parking structure. The driver actually drove into the parking structure and right to our car! Again, amazing Italian kindness. We experienced it again, when the poor lady behind us, patiently instructed us how to pay at the machine near the exit in order to get out of the structure and out of her way.

We drove 4-5 hours that day all through Calabria mostly on the autostrada, stopping occasionally at the well located servizios for bathrooms, gas, and lunch. Who knew gas station food in Italy is really nutritious and appetizing? We also appreciated the Full Service Island and the capable and reassuring young man who filled up the tires on our rental car when our TPMS light came on. Finally arriving in Reggio Calabria, trying to find the Avis car return near the airport south of town was quite a challenge. Google maps was again very confused and took us straight through town; thank goodness for CarPlay which at least helped offset Google’s circular instructions. At one point, we were stopped mid-city behind an idling truck while 2 men wrestled an enormous 7-foot swordfish into a restaurant! But all ended successfully, and we taxied to our apartment in the center of town.

Here we met our host who expressed surprise that we thought we had rented a 2 bedroom, 2 bath apartment. She reasoned that because we were 2 people, we only needed one of each; she would need to charge for the second bed and bath. Naturally, we were dismayed, and protested but agreed to pay more if she persisted. In the end, she relented and unlocked the second bedroom with ensuite bath without charging more, and all was well. Lesson learned: communicate often and clearly your expectations in advance particularly if you are not a couple together. That evening, we set out on foot in search of a cocktail at an establishment with a view of the sunset across the Strait of Messina. We never did find a suitable cocktail bar, but did discover the Reggio Calabria ferry terminal just a few blocks from our apartment. It turned out that ferries crossed from there to Messina multiple times each day. We had thought we’d need to travel to Villa San Giovanni, about 15 minutes north of RC to catch the ferry. As a result, we initially engaged our host’s husband to drive us to San Giovanni for 20 Euro. But after finding we could cross from RC, we paid our host the promised 20 Euro to drive us four blocks to the Reggio Calabria ferry dock, recompense, we figured, for renting us the second bedroom at no additional charge. We arrived there early to ensure we’d get on the boat since there are many who commute daily from RC to Messina to work there. We crossed smoothly despite high winds, and then walked about 200 meters from the Messina ferry dock to the Messina train station, where we caught our train to Siracusa using tickets purchased the night before on the Trenitalia website.

Later reflecting on our itinerary, we concluded that we might well have instead rented and returned our rental car in Bari, flown to Siracusa, and skipped the drive and overnight in Reggio Calabria saving ourselves a whole day and the added expense. Still, I satisfied my crazy wish to cross the Strait of Messina on a ferry, and it was interesting to see the countryside in the toe of Italy’s boot, the rocky steep Calabrian coast with tiny Scilla, and gritty RC. Oh well, onward to our next destination. Buon Giorno Sicily!

Here is Part 3: Having found the Messina train station a short distance from the ferry dock, we boarded our train to Siracusa on time figuring on a 2PM arrival. Others have probably covered this, but just as a reminder, we found that Regionale trains had more stops, and were mostly 2nd class unassigned seats. Intercity trains, by contrast, had both 1rst and 2nd class assigned seats and fewer stops.

About an hour into our 2.5-hour trip, the conductor announced that the train would need to sit in the Giarre station because of protesters on the tracks up ahead. We sat still for over 1.5 hours, updating our Siracuse hosts and wondering if we’d reach Siracusa by evening. Finally, we got going and arrived about 2 hours late. Our host picked us up and drove us 15 minutes to our apartment in Ortigia. After check-in, we set out on foot for the sea and the lungomare. We were not disappointed; the Ortigia sea fronts are wonderfully picturesque, particularly on the west! There are restaurants and bars where you can comfortably kick back, have a cocktail, and watch people and admire the boats. We made a habit of visiting each evening for the beautiful sunsets before heading to dinner.

Our host had recommended pizza at Era Ora describing it as the best pizza in Italy. Since we’d only been eating focaccia but not pizza so far, we walked by early and secured a late table on our first night to try it out. It was mobbed! We found their thin crust pizza with arugula olives prosciutto and yellow tomatoes to be quite tasty. So tasty, in fact, that we reserved a table for 2 nights hence that we figured we could always cancel if necessary.

The next day we met our guide Letitzia at Café Apollo for our lunchtime food, market and history tour. She was wonderful but a little hard to find since her tour offering was buried online. As a native who grew up in Ortigia and also an accomplished cook who comes from a family of guides, she is professional and knowledgeable about the history and food, and speaks English very well. The highlight was the market where we saw and chowed down on amazing assortments of fish, spices, meats and cheeses that were just delightful. (Try the quince with pecorino). Be sure to visit and grab a sandwich at Garibaldi’s (closed Sunday unfortunately). It’s a feast for the eyes! Unfortunately, I am prevented by the Forums from posting her tour URL , but you can find Letitzia’s tour if you search on Tripadvisor for " Food and Culture Tour of Ortigia". Note that she books up fast in August, September, and October. No need for dinner that night!

On Sunday at Letitzia’s urging, we walked across the bridge from Ortigia to Siracusa and boarded the bus for the Archeological Gardens at the Neapolis. It turned out that the place was mobbed since it offers free admission on the first Sunday of each month. Nevertheless, we had a very good visit relying on Google and Wikipedia, but a guide surely would have enriched our experience. Mid-way we ran into a Florida acquaintance who had just come from Trapani, a future stop on our itinerary. She recommended ferrying to the island of Favignana for an eBike ride. Noted!

We returned by bus, rested up, and kept our reservation at Era Ora for another wonderful pizza, this time with sausage, arugula, red tomatoes and I can’t remember what else. This time we tried the Sicilian crust which was thicker particularly around the edges. We vote for the thin version.

Next morning, our host picked us up and took us to the train station where we rented our second car at the Avis place right across the street. Just a note that we specified that we needed a trunk or luggage area cover and CarPlay on both our cars and were very glad we did. We think it resulted in our getting larger cars that we really needed but CarPlay was worth it in our estimation, and the only time the larger car was a concern was when we were lost in the bowels of Masala and Monreale.

Originally, we had hoped to visit Noto, or Modica, or Ragusa on our way to Piazza Armerina to see the Villa Romana Casale. Letitzia counseled instead that we should take the easier northern route through Catania because of better roads and a shorter trip. In the end, we decided to take her advice, and leave these three towns for a future trip. Too bad!

Before we left Siracusa, we downloaded the EasyPark app. It was a little confusing at first to understand how to locate the zone we wanted to park in, but we soon figured out that we just needed to look at the pay stations for a zone name or number. It works great and you can add time remotely, if necessary, a handy benefit. We were advised to put a note on our dash saying EasyPark since some places aren’t great at checking. This worked very well; just look for the blue lines on the street and a close-by pay station if your zone doesn’t immediately pop up in the app.

We spent our afternoon exploring the small town of Piazza Armerina before checking into our hotel Villa Trigona. It was a lovely property, and we booked a suite with a huge balcony. But it was in the old wing, and some had suggested we ask for the newer one. Not sure if that would have been better but it was convenient for one night and the bed in the bedroom very comfortable; the cot in the living area was just adequate. The swimming pool is wonderful, and we spent an hour luxuriating on their lounges in the late day golden sunlight. They serve dinner there and request a reservation by 3pm when they post the prix fixe menu. It looked pretty tasty, but we went off to town to explore more and had one of our least favorite meals. :--(

Next day, we were sad to find that breakfast did not open until 8am, and we had to meet our Villa Romana guide at 9am. So unfortunately, we had to rush through what was a very good breakfast with cappuccino, pastries, meats, cheeses, yogurts, and fruit. Afterward, we easily navigated our way through PA in 20 minutes to Villa Romana and their large convenient parking lot. There we met our guide which the hotel had recommended. We were so glad we hired him. This villa and its mosaics are not to be missed! Our guide brought life to the history, structures, baths, customs, and scenes and myths in the mosaics that we would definitely not have appreciated without him. Once again, when we tried to exit the parking lot, we got tripped up. We had missed the parking shack where we needed to pay, and had to go back. Okay, I think we finally got it that Italians pay before heading to the parcheggio exit.

Although we had initially intended to take the southern route to Trapani, stopping at Valley of the Temples and the Turchi steps, we were counseled against it since we needed to arrive in Trapani that afternoon for our apartment reservation. Folks on this site had offered that with the windy roads, it was too much to do both VR and Valley of the Temples in the same day, so we opted again to save Valley of the Temples for a next trip. We took the northern route to Trapani on the E90 through the outskirts of Palermo. Traffic and road were fine until we got to Palermo where the traffic became pretty heavy. In the end though, it was no problem, and after cruising along the beautiful western coast of Sicily, we found ourselves in Trapani.

Siracusa sunset

My sister, niece and I spent 23 days between Sicily and Naples and the Amalfi Coast in April/May 2022, also using only public transportation and traveling with just a carry-on. So I’m along for the ride, we loved Sicily and want to go back to visit parts we didn’t get to see last time.

Hi, Geetika and welcome. Hope our trip can provide you with some ideas.


Marsala salt pans
This is part 4, the last for this trip report. The drive to Trapani took us about 3.5 hours and was easy until we hit the outskirts of Palermo. Here the autostrada passes right through the southern outskirts of the city. It was very busy but my sister negotiated it ably while I hugged the door handle with my eyes closed. After that, we spent some time driving along the beautiful coast until we reached Trapani and easily found our apartment on Piazza Garibaldi right across the square from the marinas and ferry docks. This was a wonderful location within easy walking distance of shops, restaurants, churches, and ferries. Some reviewers of our apartment minded the noise of cafes below, but since we visited late in the season and during the week, the noise was not a big problem. Parking around the seaside, however, can be a challenge depending on the weekly street cleaning schedule and time of day. Again, we used EasyPark, and daytime parking was a non-issue. When we returned to Trapani late on a Thursday evening from our day in Erice and Marsala, however, it the eve of 5AM seaside street cleaning and there was nothing to be found. We located and paid extravagantly we thought, for a private garage.

We walked the area around our apartment and the seaside close by first thing, again looking for a cocktail bar where we could enjoy a lovely western sea view of the sunset, and came up empty-handed. So instead, we consoled ourselves with large gin and tonics, and some of the best caponata and garlic bread we’d encountered at a restaurant on Via Cassaretto one block north of our apartment.

The next day we boarded the ferry to the island of Favignana for our eBiking excursion. We had bought our tickets online the previous night since these early ferries are popular. We learned to line up early to get seats on the upper seating level of the ferries, since they are preferable in our opinion to those on the lower level which are lower-ceilinged and a bit stuffier just a bit above water line.

On Favignana, we found many shops, restaurants, and bike rentals right at the end of the dock. Some are more expensive and rent nicer bikes and eBikes, and some rent just adequate ones. Since the majority of roads and biking lanes on Favignana are unpaved, we were happy with our just adequate eBikes for only 20 Euro for the day. They came with large handlebar baskets and a rear rack. Some just put their backpacks in the basket up front, but I found this unwieldy for my heavier daypack, and was glad I was prepared with Velcro straps to secure it to the rear rack. Armed with Google maps and a paper one from the bike shop, and with a throng of other bikers, we dispersed to the island’s various beaches. We headed first southeast, and visited Cala Rossa, Blue Marino, and Cala Azzurra, all nestled below rocky cliffs, before we decided to return to town for lunch. We’d purchased our return tickets for 3pm, and in retrospect, I could have gone back later. We were hungry and ran out of time for the whole north side of the island. So, if you do this, my recommendation is to take water, a panini, gorp, and snacks, and have a drink and light eats later at a restaurant in town or at the ferry dock while waiting for your return boat. Speaking of waiting for our return boat, it proved to be a most delightful and interesting experience. The dock area is small and teeming with tourists on foot, cars leaving the ferries on a narrow road up from the piers, and fish mongers hawking their catch out of the back of their trucks. Don’t miss it!

Upon our return, we rested up, and then went out for unremarkable pizza while planning our next day in Erice and Marsala. We researched the gondola up to Erice and decided to board early to try to avoid the cruise ship tour groups. (Driving up the hill is possible but parking is limited). Google maps led us easily by car to the gondola parking lot, and the ticket booth where we purchased both our going and return trips. The views on the way up, and the views from the duomo and castello, in particular, were breathtaking. At the duomo, we bought the ticket for all the town sights for 12 euros each but ended up using only 1 or 2. If saving some euros matters, you may want to research ahead the sights you find interesting and buy tickets accordingly. We hiked the steps of the duomo bell tower early, visited the duomo, and began our survey of the town about an hour before the cruise groups engulfed the town. It was crowded, but not unbearably so, and a visit here is required, I think, for any visitor.

Since the town and restaurants seemed to be very busy, we opted to make our way down and head south to Marsala to see the town and the salt pans. For our route, we chose the coastal small road over the highway, and though it may have been slower, we saw some of the back streets of Marsala’s “metro area”. Arriving in town, we easily found street parking near the Centro, again using EasyPark. We surveyed the town and the seaside quickly and took the small, winding, beachy road out to the Salt Pans. There we found a scenic vista of the lagoon, the pans, and the windmills. There was also a booth offering 45-minute boat tours of the lagoon, and we decided to hop on. The tour was a recorded one in both Italian and then English explaining the history of the salt trade in the area, and the civilization of the tiny island of Mozia. Unfortunately for us, it covered only a tiny portion of the process of making the salt which we were most interest in.

It was getting dark by the time we headed back to Trapani, and this is when we discovered the lack of parking due to the next day’s street cleaning. After situating our car in what seemed an impossibly narrow street and garage entrance, the attendant adeptly backed our car in for us, and we made a beeline for our favorite caponata and large gin and tonic.

Unfortunately, the next morning, our time in Trapani was over. There was a lot we missed here, and I would gladly return, not only to see more of the town, its sights and beaches, but maybe more islands. But with reservations in Palermo, we set off on a road-trip day. We had originally expected to spend several hours exploring Riserva Zingaro, but checking their website revealed that it was still closed due to a fire in July. We decided instead to wing it with only a loose plan, and very little research. Pretty quickly, we ran into Segesta, and stopped for an hour or two. Although once again we relied on Google, etc. for the history of this unfinished temple, we probably missed a lot, including the theater which we declined to walk to uphill for over 1km. But it was worth an interesting easy stop; parking was free, easy, busy, and safe.

Next, we headed for Castellamarre del Golfo, a pretty coastal town a friend had recommended. The drive was quick, and again we used EasyPark to leave our car near a beach, and walked into town. What a gorgeous place! Like many Italian seacoast towns, it rings a beautiful aquamarine bay and offers upscale shopping and views to die for. It was really the first time on our whole trip that we actually shopped and purchased a few things other than food. But the town being small, we were quickly on our way again, choosing to exit by retracing our entry route on the modern road the winds up from the seafront, rather than negotiating the small streets of the town.

With most of the afternoon awaiting, and not needing to return our car at PMO until 5PM, we set out for Monreale, entering the town from the southwest. Arriving at the outskirts, we noticed that many people were parking on the streets in blue-lined spaces, but decided to try to get closer to the cathedral because it was still a couple km away. Big mistake! We were quickly ensnared by the narrow, winding streets, and Google was as perplexed as we were about how to escape. After a couple ZTL signs and stressful 3-point lefts, with no parking evident, we decided to abort and head to Palermo. Here Google was a bit more helpful and we plotted our exit. But lo and behold! We’d barely begun our departure, when someone pulled out of a street parking space right in front of us. Oh, happy day! We pulled in and paid, and then checked the Monreale website only to find it was closed for the Pausa until 2PM. With our usual resourcefulness and equanimity, we found a place to have a couple beers, and sat down to wait a few minutes and do some research on the cathedral. After a quick walk, we arrived and waited in a 15-minute-long line for tickets. We bought the 20 Euro everything ticket, and entered. OMG! The resplendence of the place is breathtaking. And the exquisite wonders just keep coming as you wander from chapel to chapel. I wish we had hired a guide so I would appreciate more the magnificence of this place. The Byzantine mosaics of bible stories, the marble craftmanship, and the… Well, suffice to say, if you find yourself in Sicily, be sure to include this place.

After close to 2 hours, with much, including the museum, still to go, we decided we needed to leave in order to return our car at PMO. Leaving by the northeast route into Palermo, the road was so much easier, and once again, we followed the E90 through the outskirts to the airport. From there, we caught the Prestia e Commande bus (out the door to the right of the terminal) after buying our 6 Euro ticket at the booth close by. After about a 45-minute ride, we exited at the stop suggested by our hosts, and walked a few blocks down Via Roma to our well located, lovely apartment. Since it had been a long day, we ate an early dinner nearby and retired.

The next day, we hired a guide to walk us through Palermo. Interestingly, she mentioned that central Palermo has a big traffic problem and poor drainage; thus, after a big rainstorm, gridlock prevails, and many Palermo residents simply stay at home until the water recedes. Fortunately, sunshine reigned for our visit. Unfortunately though, our guide proved only adequate, and after a couple hours of seeing the major sights, we gladly left her behind. Starving and thirsty, we opted to have a beer and an antipasti board at a nearby restaurant on Via Vittorio Emanuele. Refreshed, we set off to explore the port on the way back to our apartment, but were happily waylaid at a lovely café whose name I have sadly forgotten, and enjoyed a scrumptious gelato—vanilla, swirled with fresh raspberries, blueberries, and red currants. After a rest, we enjoyed an unremarkable dinner, and purchased online next-day train tickets for Cefalu.

We had a small issue the next day taking the city bus to the train station. Checking the signs at the bus stop we got on the 102 and got off at A train station but quickly realized our mistake, when we did not see our train on the board. Googling, we quickly ascertained that Palermo has two train stations, and we were at the wrong one across town from Palermo Centrale. (Despite the sign, for a shorter, less confusing trip, we should have caught the 101 on the other side of Via Roma). Not to worry though: we’d left plenty of time for cappuccino and a pastry at the train station, so we boarded the same 102 bus again, and rode 20 minutes back to the correct place. After that, we ate, drank, and boarded the correct train. An hour later, we arrived in Cefalu and followed the crowd the heart of town. We toured the lovely duomo, and since it was Sunday, purchased a lovely panini and dessert to serve as dinner that night. We were surprised to find that many shops were open, though, probably due to it being such a vacation place. Heading for the beach, we encountered a crowd of sunbathers and swimmers, and parked ourselves at a charming, beachfront overlook restaurant, and enjoyed giant, delicious tuna salads and a couple beers. It was a gorgeous, golden, delicious way to while away an afternoon, after going so hard for so long. Late that afternoon, we journeyed back to our apartment, amused by an interesting conversation with Russian-Canadians on the way, and enjoyed our picnic. What a lazy, indulgent day; we agreed we needed it. On the way, we investigated the whereabouts of the bus stop to the airport since we’d be leaving early to catch our flight to Rome. Lucky we did! Prestia e Commande posts an employee at popular stops to sell and check tickets since the buses are popular and most often fill up. Said employee recommended that we purchase tickets right then for the next morning’s bus to ensure we got on. Done! Note that usually you cannot board an earlier bus than reserved, since mostly they are full.

Our Ryan Air flight to Rome was on time and uneventful. Two for two! Weren’t we lucky? From FCO, we again took the Leonardo Express to the Termini where we opted for a taxi to our apartment near the Spanish Steps since our host was waiting for us. Once again, our apartment was well located, small but comfortable. After a rest, we set out on foot to meet our group for the Trastevere Food Tour with Free-flowing Wine. It was wonderful, and so was the diverse group of about 12 from Germany, Netherlands, Israel, California, etc. Martha, our guide, introduced us to traditional Roman foods, educated us about the process of making good olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and other traditional foods, and poured wine until we said “No more”. In each of the four restaurants we visited, we had private rooms so we could hear and discuss Martha’s remarks about history, culture, and food. Since it ended around 9:30 PM, we taxied back to our apartment.

Next morning, again after a leisurely couple of cappuccinos and pastries, we walked up the hill from the Spanish Steps, pausing to snap some selfies with St. Peter’s in the background, through the verdant and quiet parks and Borghese Gardens for our noontime Borghese Gallery Guided Tour with Priority Entrance. Our guide, Dmitri, was fantastic, leaving us satisfied that what seemed like an expensive price was money well spent. And as most of you who have visited Rome probably know, the Borghese gallery does not disappoint! Dmitri, was knowledgeable, interesting, funny, and spoke English well. He concentrated on the history of the collection and building, as well as the art of Bernini, Caravaggio, and Titian, stressing the movement, light, and colors of each respectively. We have both been to Rome a number of times, but crazily never visited this gallery. What were we thinking? I was blown away by the artistry, sensuousness, and history of the place—and we only saw a portion of the treasures. Afterward, we had a nice lunch, rested up, and then met our Denver friends who also happened to be visiting at Rosina’s recommended by Martha, our food tour guide. It turned out to be a very good, small restaurant near Campo de Fiori.

The next morning in the dark, we took an expensive 6:30 AM taxi to the airport to catch a 9AM flight back to the states. Both our flights were pretty much on time, and we agreed, that though our trip was a bit too long, we always managed to find interesting, fun, enlightening, inspiring, and delicious ways to spend our time. I count it as one of the best of my many trips, with Matera, Siracusa, Trapani, Monreale, and the Borghese Gallery being the unforgettable highlights. Arrivederci Italia!

Fish monger on Favignana

Favignana Cala Azzurra

Ostuni Appetizers

Great report!

Thanks, SusanP! Glad you enjoyed it. Your posts were a big help to us. Thank you.

Glad I could help!