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Trip Report: Sicily - Doin’ the Ruins (with a slice of Roma thrown in)
The Travelers
50’s something couple. We are reasonably well traveled. North America, Caribbean, Various Europe & China trips under our belts. I travel in NA for a living so travel planning is easy for me. Ditto with driving in strange cities/places etc. The Planning This trip actually started out as a trip to Africa. We thought it might be nice to completely change venues & my wife suggested a “no cobblestones” vacation. Since Asia only has mind interest for us & we have been to China for our ‘son’s wedding trip’, the wilds of Africa was appealing. I researched Kenya, Tanzania & Botswana for safaris but the expense & the seeming necessity to ‘do a tour’ was holding me back. Rant on. FWIW, I hate, hate, hate tours & tour groups in general. Spending a week or two with the same group of people makes my skin crawl. There would be the loud-mouth. The whiner(s). And the general complainers. The one that jokes ad nauseum. The little stick-together groups would form. The hotels would be typical tourist-type, in all of the typical tourist areas. The restaurants would all be tourist traps. The shopping stops would all be tourist traps. Follow the flag, just follow the flag. No, Thank You. That’s what we will do when we are decrepit & can’t travel independently. Rant off. Anyway . . . I discovered the self-drive option in Kruger Park in South Africa & that seemed like the way to go for independent animal wanderlust. I thought that we could fly into Johannesburg via Cairo (to spice it up Pharaoh-style with pyramids & museums in that crazed city). Then rent a car & drive to Kruger for some wild animal encounters & round it out with a deluxe camp resort stay. After a lot of research & debate, we started to get the heebie-jeebies due to the political unrest in that part of the world & the real or perceived threat of bodily harm. I know, I know, that this is probably a gross over-reaction, but it’s supposed to be a vacation after all, not a potentially life threatening exercise. So Africa was nixed for now. So where to go? Ah yes . . . Sicily. Sun, food, wine, mountains, the Med, some of the world’s best Greek & Roman ruins with cool Baroque towns thrown in for good measure. Now, there was the answer. So I dove into the internet. I read trip reports until I had them memorized. I looked at everybody’s pictures. I researched towns, cities & probably a thousand hotels. It was funny as we walked around on our actual trip because all of the hotels we passed were familiar . . . I prepared list of chosen restaurants for every stop to try to avoid the ‘misses’. Fodors, Frommers, Trip Advisor, Chow Hounds, TravelersToGo were all sources used. We had certain unmovable criteria for hotels. No box hotels. Wherever possible avoid the tourist ‘center’. While it is nice to be close to the sites & restaurants, we don’t like stepping out of the door into the madness. It must allow smoking (forget any sanctimonious comments – I will just ignore them) or have a balcony for us to feed our bad habit. And we like to sit out at night talking & consuming our duty free beverages anyway, so balconies are a biggie for us. I am also a Diamond Hilton Honors member, which makes Hilton hotels free, so we used their properties for two stays to ease the budget. We had visited Roma 9 years ago. And left very underwhelmed. It was too busy, too noisy, too many motorcycles & our hotel was less than inspired. Since the Air Canada gateway to Italy is Roma, we decided to give the city another chance & spend 3 days there to overcome jetlag & to hit some sites we missed on the 1st go. The Final Itinerary May 22 - Depart Toronto via Air Canada direct to FCO. May 23 - Arrive at FCO in Roma. - Hotel: Hilton Cavalieri. May 24, 25, 26 - Sites in Roma. May 27 - Air One flight to Catania. - Auto Europe car rental. - Drive to Taormina. - Hotel: Hotel Villa Ducale. May 28 - Sites in Taormina. May 29 - Drive to Ortygia in Siracusa. - Hotel: Residence Alla Guidecca. May 30 - Sites in Ortygia & Siracusa. May 31 - Drive to Modica. - Hotel: Le Magnolie Hotel. June 1, 2, 3 - Sites in Modica with sidetrips to Ragusa, Caltagirone & Piazza Armerina. June 4 - Drive to Menfi with midday stop in Agrigento. - Hotel: Baglio San Vincenzo. June 5 - Sites in & around Menfi. June 6 - Drive to Palermo with midday stop in Segesta. - Hotel: Hilton Villa Igiea. June 7, 8 - Sites in Palermo & relax. June 9 - Air One flight to FCO. - Air Canada flight direct to Toronto. Whew. Looking at that itinerary, it looks really busy, but it was a surprisingly laid back & relaxed trip. Sicily is really not that big & pretty easy to get around, although the driving might be challenging to some . . . Our route http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3.../our-route.jpg Driving In Sicily Speaking of driving, I might as well give you the details. We picked up our car at Catania. I rented through Auto Europe. They initially seemed high price-wise, so I looked elsewhere & got a solid quote from a competitor. Auto Europe bettered the quote by $30, so they got my business. It was rented through Avis which is in a combo office in the parking lot outside the small Catania terminal. As a general rule, you want a small car to thread through the small streets & to park in unbelievable tight spots. But . . . you also need a car with a real engine to surmount the hills & the guts to pass slow vehicles. We got a black VW Passat 2.0 TDI 4 dr intermediate sedan. Very comfy. 6 sp manual with lots of zip. Somewhat larger than the econoboxes but worth it in my mind. Easily held our suitcases securely in the locked trunk. It cruised nicely on the autostradas at 120 km/hr & fit down some very narrow streets. I turned it in without a scrape. Our Trusty Rental http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...rip/passat.jpg Autostradas are the 4 lane toll roads. We drove the Catania to Taormina hwy. South of Catania it drops to a slow two lane road. From Siracusa to near Modica there was a four lane freeway. The only other freeway we used was from Castelvetrano to Palermo. All of these were good 4 lane fast roads. All of the other roads we drove were 2 lane roads that were well-surfaced but often had multiple switchbacks, blind curves with minimal shoulders. More care & attention was required on these as expected. Signage was good in general & the traffic varied from very slow trucks & farm vehicles to high speed drivers that would pass anywhere/anytime. Tailgating is common as they watch for passing opportunities. Driving in towns was always an adventure. I will go into more detail as the trip report progresses. We used a TomTom for navigation. It was very, very helpful. It did crash & burn several times, however. In Siracusa, it directed me down a narrow alley that turned into a road that was too narrow for cars. I had to back out of this mess which was not a fun task. Another time in Modica, it directed me to turn right onto a 50 foot staircase leading downwards. Luckily, I ignored her. I called it her because of the pleasant English voice that I chose. She managed to mispronounce most Sicilian place names quite handily. And let the trip report begin . . . this will take several days so be patient . . . |
Your route looks very similar to what I want to do next spring so I'm looking forward to this report. Please give lots and lots of details, especially on restaurants. Thanks!
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Day One – Arrival in Roma
Our flight from Toronto was uneventful. My Frequent Flier status & early booking earned us First Class seats with the new lay flat seats/beds/cubicles so it was a very painless 7 ½ hr flight. I had prearranged pickup from Rome Cabs for 45€ & the very affable & efficient driver was waiting outside the baggage area. See http://www.romecabs.com/ After a quick ½ hr drive we arrived at our hotel – the Hilton Cavalieri. The hotel had some convention underway so our room was not ready until 3 pm. We wandered the grounds & visited the new Coliseo Lounge which is free to Hilton Honors members. Cold drinks & niblets were available but it seems that free breakfast was going to be denied for our stay since the lounge didn’t open until 11. The hotel sits on a hill north of the Vatican with wonderful city views. I didn’t choose it for it’s location but it was free & as I mentioned, our last stay in Roma was at the Hotel Caravaggio which was a pretty subpar hotel. This time I wanted better, thinking that this was one of the reasons we left Roma tainted last time. Cavalieri View http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...lieri-view.jpg Cavalieri Pool http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...lieri-pool.jpg When we finally got into our room, it was spacious (for Europe) with a nice balcony with a view – of a TV tower & the residential side of Roma & the front entrance of the hotel. The good view was reserved for paying guests. But beggars can’t be choosers. Cavalieri Room http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...cavalieri1.jpg Cavalieri Room http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...cavalieri2.jpg Tower view http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...room-view1.jpg Entrance view http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...room-view2.jpg We put on our suits & wandered down to the pool for some sun. Our first big Cavalieri shock. Pool loungers rented for 16€ each! We bit the bullet & paid. We ordered espresso & cappuccino from the pool bar. Second big Calvalieri shock! 5€ & 6€ respectively. Hmm. After a swim & some lounging we went back to our room to figure out dinner. Third big Cavalieri shock! The restaurant prices were absolutely absurd. 28€ for a hamburger. 46€ for veal saltimbocca. 12€ for French fries. Hmm. The concierge had obviously experienced travelers like us before & had a sheet of walkable restaurant options. We wanted to find the closet bus stop anyway, so around 8 PM we headed down to the Ristorante Luciano – about a 15 minute walk from the hotel through an OK area. We had a nice meal for 65€ including a bottle of ’03 Traviglini Gattinara. (contorno mains were around 15€) End of Day One - we collapsed. |
Day 2 – Roma
We woke up refreshed but skipped breakfast in the hotel due to the extortion-level food prices. The breakfast buffet was around 30€ per person. I had booked tickets at the Villa Borghese for 11 am which meant a 10:30 am ticket pickup time anyway. We grabbed a cab to the Piazza Popolo (10€) & had espresso/cappuccino & pastries in some touristy café in the southwest corner of the piazza. Espresso was a relative bargain here at only 4€. The bus/subway option would have been cheaper for us but I was antsy about the timing which is why we cabbed. In fact, we ended up never using the subway because it was so difficult from our location since it always involved multiple transfers etc. Oh & I didn’t mention, but a heat wave had also hit Roma the day we arrived. The expected high for this day was in the low-30s C. Another taxi ensured that we made it to the Borghese in time for our ticket rescue. We got audio guides & started upstairs while the hordes started down, so we perused this fabulous collection with relative ease & peace. It was worth the effort! This reputed art thief certainly had good taste. http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...a-borghese.jpg We wandered back through the large Borghese park, picking up some ham & cheese paninis & water along the way for lunch under a shady tree. The heat was building. Then it was down through the Trident area to the Augustus mausoleum & the Ara Pacis. I was curious about this monument, so we dug deep for 8€ a piece & went in. Well, at least it was cool inside because it was pretty much a waste of euros. It is a newly restored monument of peace built & dedicated by Augustus. Some nice reliefs on the side, but not 8€s worth. In the wonderfully cool basement, we commiserated with a couple from South Africa who were holidaying with a $12 to 1€ rate. And we thought our rate was bad! Ara Pacis http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3.../ara-pacis.jpg Ara Pacis detail http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...ara-pacis2.jpg Triton's fountain by Bernini - Piazza Barberini http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...-barberini.jpg Outside on the scalding streets again, we walked to the Spanish Steps. Why are these a big deal? There were throngs of people in the Piazza. Tour groups. Hawkers. Literally thousands gazing at this non-event. I just don’t get it. We escaped down a side street & indulged in a limone gelato. Thank you to the woman who stepped on my foot here btw. Next time please look before you reverse your bulk. Can you tell that I was hot & annoyed by this time? We found the Piazza Barberini, Hilton hotel shuttle pickup spot (which was the free - can you believe it?). An espresso & cappuccino calmed our nerves until the shuttle appeared. We did see our 1st of several police motorcades while waiting here too. Sirens blaring, they screaming through the piazza with some politico or other in a sedan. Interestingly, the shuttle was stuffed with Hilton Honors members & we compared notes. We all had rooms facing the antenna. All of us but one were denied 7th floor lounge privileges. Normally, the executive lounge is a great freebie for HH members but this property only let us into their new cheapie Coliseo. They recently turned into a Waldorf & it appears that they changed the access rules the day before we arrived & this one man had checked in several days before the change. This was not a happy group. I know if you are not an HH member, that this is meaningless to you & you probably resent our indignation, but we spend a lot of time starring at Hilton & Hampton hotel room walls when we travel on business & this is a privilege that we look forward too. We collapsed back at the hotel & rested until dinner. At 8 pm, we headed out for dinner with a wild taxi driver who played chicken with a lady on a motorcycle for about 10 blocks. She had nerves of steel. For dinner, we chose Ambasciata D’Abruzzo which is in a residential area far removed from the tourist zone. We ate outside with good food, a friendly waiter surrounded by Roman families since it was Sunday night. 108€ but that included a splurge bottle of ’01 Prunotto Barbaresco for 50€. I highly recommend this restaurant if you want to get away from the tourist zone mania. |
Ian, I am really enjoying this as Rome is my favorite city, Sicily is my next trip, and your travel style is so different from mine. Do continue!
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Ian, I have wanted to go to Sicily for a number of years so I'm finding much of interest here. I also love Rome!
Off-topic and FWIW: I have been on safari in East Africa twice, neither time on a tour. It is possible, as well, to self-drive in countries other than SA. Also the "tourist" experience, even the most touristy, is a bit different than what you describe above. So if you ever rethink Africa, it is possible. But definitely expensive. |
Looking forward to your take on Sicily, which I loved.
"Our first big Cavalieri shock. Pool loungers rented for 16€ each! ... We ordered espresso & cappuccino from the pool bar. Second big Calvalieri shock! 5€ & 6€ respectively. ... Third big Cavalieri shock! The restaurant prices were absolutely absurd." That's a problem with staying in upmarket hotels - everything else costs more too. Often even taxis, not to mention ridiculous internet prices. |
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Thanks all. I am glad that you are enjoying this. This report will be blunt & I will pull no punches.
Leely2: Interesting. I will do more digging into Africa. thursdaysd: Funny you should mention taxi prices because they did vary the base start amount. Sunday night seemed to be a higher base amount than any other but we never paid over 10-12€. The gentleman mentioned above (the lucky HH member) also claimed he was ripped off heartily by a driver who started the meter at 4-5€. A 2€ start seemed to be about ‘normal’. Of course, taxi drivers – in any city including North America – never, ever speak English so it is impossible to argue. And they have your life in their hands to boot . . . Ian |
Day 3 – Roma (Part 1)
This was a big day (Monday) because I had not one, not 2 but 3 reservations. Scavi tour @ 11:15 am. Vatican Museum tour @ 2 pm. And dinner at Armando al Pantheon @ 8 pm. I don’t think we have ever been this organized for a holiday. We headed out early again for breakfast in the streets in front of San Pietro & the Vatican. This warren of ticky-tacky shops & restaurants is not known for value or quality but it was close to the ‘main event’. The usual was ordered in some anonymous cafeteria – espresso doppio, cappuccino & some bun things for breakfast. About 12€ for all. We wandered around San Pietro square watched the crowds build & feeling the heat of the day begin. The tour groups were out in full force following there respective leader. When you see one coming toward you, just stop & let them by. They will not give way. They will not stop. They will literally trample you because a mass of people is just like a mass of cows – stupid in their blind need to follow the leader. At least most groups have earphones now so you don’t have to endure the drone of their ‘expert’. As an aside, I haven’t mentioned the water fountains of Roma yet but they are an amazing resource for parched, baked tourists. Use them. It’s free (one of the rare things in Roma that is). At our appointed time, we entered the gates on the left side of the square. The Swiss Guards admitted us to the parking area & I was able to point out the plaque on the ground that marks the center of Nero’s Circus of old. Thanks to some YouTube video I perused in my research. Our tickets were waiting for us in the office – glass doors on the right in the archway. Booking the tour: As many have noted before, this is a tour you have to book months in advance due to the small groups admitted. Also due to the complete lack of communication. I 1st tried to book this last fall. I sent email – no response. I tried again in March. I sent email – no response. Finally, with 3 weeks to go, I sent a curt email requesting a tour in English or Hungarian. (my wife speaks Hungarian) Bingo! We got a booking – in Hungarian! I figured my wife could translate the juicy bits for me. Booking info: http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/in...040112_en.html Our group consisted of 4 people plus our guide. The other couple was a young Hungarian woman & her Romanian or Czech boyfriend. Our young tour guide seemed to talk exclusively to her but he did relax the rules & let us take pictures! Bonus! Although when the guide of the Italian group that followed us saw us she hissed at us, but out of her sight, all was well. I must admit that I missed the commentary but my wife fed me snippets along the way. Some ‘pagan’ tombs. Note these are only ‘pagan’ if you are a Christian but I guess they own the place now . . . Please excuse the blurriness in some of these. The lighting was poor & I had to be quick & discreet as above. http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...oma/scavi1.jpg http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...oma/scavi2.jpg http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...oma/scavi6.jpg http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...oma/scavi3.jpg Some mosaics: http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...oma/scavi4.jpg http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...oma/scavi5.jpg An early Christian sarcophagus: http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...oma/scavi8.jpg The site of San Pietro’s grave (if I understood correctly): http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...oma/scavi7.jpg San Pietro’s bones. Center left in a glass box in a niche. http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...oma/scavi9.jpg The chapel at the end of the tour. This is directly under the center of San Pietro. There is a grate in the ceiling that opens into the church. http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...ma/scavi10.jpg After the tour, we exited back into San Pietro square to run for a hurried lunch . . . |
Day 3 – Roma (part 2)
We grabbed a hurried pizza lunch in a restaurant in front of the square. It was actually pretty good but we only had 10 minutes to enjoy it before we had to rush to the museum entrance for our 2 pm tour. And it’s a long hot walk to the entrance with construction along the way. Against my better judgment, I acquiesced to my wife’s request for a tour. The last time we were here, we lined up early in the morning & did the Sistine beeline. Then we doubled back to see the rest of the museum. I was inclined to just book entrance tickets to line jump but we opted for a tour in English. After a 10 minute lineup, we were in - only feeling mild pity for the throngs in the general lineup. Inside the entrance hall, confusion reigned supreme. There were hot, sweaty bodies everywhere. With difficulty, we found the tour ticket wicket. We found the audio guide distribution. Here 2 employees were having an intense conversation with each other & doing there best to ignore the mass of tourists demanding their audio guides. We stood with a group of English speaking tourist who were as confused as us. Finally, a tour guide made herself known & we were on our way. As were 20 other tour groups . . . This was not a fun experience. The mass of people blocked every object, every view & every single thing of interest. And did I mention that everyone was hot & sweaty? San Pietro Dome http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...ietro-dome.jpg The author – hot & sweaty & not amused http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...hot-sweaty.jpg Augustus – at least he wasn’t sweaty . . . http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...a/augustas.jpg The typical photo view . . . http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...eum-masses.jpg A nice small statue – with no one in the way! http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3.../statue-vm.jpg A little gaudy y’think? Note the extended hand with camera . . . http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...a/gaudy-vm.jpg By this time, we were getting seriously frustrated. The audio guides cut in & out & belched. The crowds were intense & making the whole experience miserable. About 5 groups appeared to be moving in the same mass. We gave up & left our group & walked ahead. The museum was full to bursting in every room & every hallway. We pushed & shoved our way following the signs to the Sistine. It was totally lunched. Inside, staff were waving the people through like cattle. This irritated my already irritated wife & she took off ahead into the crowd. Did someone say . . . oh no . . . ? Yep. She disappeared. Now earlier in San Pietro square, I had made a mild mention that the obelisk would be a good meeting area if we got separated. I must have been talking to myself. We also had heard (and I thought that I mentioned it to her) that the exit to the church was on the right from the Sistine. Well, she didn’t take note of this tidbit . . . I dumped my audio guide by the door to the church & waited. And waited. Hmm. She (unbeknownst to me) was waiting just outside the other door. Hmm. After 5 minutes I decided that she might have already gone ahead, so I slowly & watchfully made my way down & out through San Pietro to the obelisk in the square. She on the other hand reversed our route & went the long & circuitous route to the entrance to the museum. Just a bit of miscommunication here . . . I waited for about 45 minutes sitting in the weak shade of the fencing around the obelisk. I had a fountain nearby to stave off dying of thirst. She waited for about an hour in a crack of shade outside near the museum entrance. She had a water bottle in her purse. We were both at opposite ends of San Pietro. Not a fun time. We both assumed that the other party would be pretty upset. I finally grabbed a taxi back to the hotel. She did the same. So we met back in our room at our blissfully air-conditioned haven above Rome’s madness . . . And the moral of this tale? Always discuss a meeting point – before you need it. And always have your hotel name & address written down & make sure that everybody has it. After some recuperation, we taxied to the Pantheon for dinner at Armando al Pantheon. This cozy eatery has been recommended by just about everyone. We reserved a couple of weeks in advance because the restaurant is tiny. Dinner was superb. I had stracciatella & pig. I forget what my wife had but similar. The bill was 70€ (discount for cash) including a bottle of ’05 Dolchetto d’Alba. Very yum, yum. |
Sounds like the day was saved by dinner? Loving this, including the "not amused" photo!
I totally agree about the rampaging tour groups, one trip I decided there must be a new sub-species: "homo turisticus groupus". although even very small groups, two or three people, can be oblivious of the fact that they're supposed to be sharing the sidewalk. |
Day 4 – Last Day in Roma
Since I am a very amateur student of Roman history, I requested some time in the Roman Forum to poke around. The last time we were there, I stumbled around confused by the jumble of stones & columns, not quite understanding the way the imperial builders overlaid the Republic builders etc. This time, I had a couple of decent maps & the determination. My wife didn’t really want to see it again & preferred a slow start morning so I struck out alone & we arranged to meet on the steps of the Capitoline Museum at high noon. I arrived – but not before a mass of student groups – and spent an enjoyable couple of hours figuring it all out. I also went through the Palatine section to see the rubble of the various houses of Rome’s rich & famous. I hungered to see the new Domus Augustus underground site but that obviously must be pre-arranged. But I had fun anyway. The Via Sacra http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3.../via-sacra.jpg The rostra – go ahead & make a speech . . . “Friends, Romans, countryman . . .” http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...oma/rostra.jpg The well of Comita – the Pleb’s meeting place http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...oma/comita.jpg Inside the Curia – meeting place of the Senate http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...Roma/curia.jpg View from the Palatine http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...m-palatine.jpg Domus Livia http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...omus-livia.jpg Domitian’s Circus http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...ans-circus.jpg Our meeting point worked without major issue & we spent the rest of the day just wandering the area north to the Tiber – Pantheon, Trevi, Piazza Colonna (some protest was in swing near here) & the river walk. http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...eon-facade.jpg http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...a/castello.jpg We returned to the hotel for some much deserved R & R. For dinner, we ventured out to Sora Lella on the Isola Tiberina. Ponte Fabrico http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...ber-bridge.jpg Teatro Marcello area http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...o-marcello.jpg This restaurant was a crash & burn. My dinner was pretty mediocre (meatballs & veal roulade) & my wife disliked her food intensely (bean soup & a pig cheek & walnut pasta dish). They didn’t charge us for her pasta so dins was 50€ including some wine or other. I would give this restaurant a pass. Since grandma (pics in evidence everywhere) stopped running it, it has probably been going on reputation. To say we were less than impressed is an understatement. We were tired of Roma. We don’t like the city. There I said it. I know that many travelers do & might take offense to this, but we just don’t. We have given it two tries & it failed in numerous ways both times. We were tired of the noise, the traffic, the motorcycles, & the expense of virtually everything. We didn’t find the people friendly at all – just typical big city indifference. We might use it again as a gateway to Italy, but the only view we will have is in our rearview mirror as we drive away. Next up: Sicily |
I don't know what you were taking photos of in the Vatican, but I hope it wasn't paintings or tapestries and I hope you weren't using a flash. There's a reason why flash photography is not allowed; it damages the art. To go to Rome and (flash) photograph vulnerable art is the act of a vandal.
I think part of your problem with Rome is your hotels. And their location. But maybe it's just as well you don't like it. Hoping to hear better things about Sicily. |
Day 5 Taormina
We packed our bags & our Rome Cabs driver was waiting for us downstairs. I had checked with the concierge & taxis were 50 - 60€ & a private limo was 85€. I called Rome Cabs & they were very happy to do the transfer for 45€ again. We had a flight to Catania from FCO that departed at 12:50 pm. Well, it stretched to 2 pm but we did get off for this short hop. Catania has a small terminal that is under construction. Of course, what airport in the world isn’t under construction? You arrive in one section, walk out to the sidewalk & turn right to departures & there is a rental kiosk across the parking lot that is shared by a number of companies. No problems. As above, our steed was a Passat. With the TomTom suctioned to the windshield & programmed for our hotel in Taormina we hit the road at around 3:30 pm. The traffic was pretty light & the drive was quite nice on a good 4 lane Autostrade. Etna was very visible dominating the view to the northwest, then west & finally southwest as we approached Taormina. I thought I saw a plume to the north of the main rise, but it might have been cloud. There was incoming cloud with slight spits of rain & a bolt or 2 of lightening during the drive. To get into the town, you overshoot it by entering a long tunnel on the Autostrade & then you turn off immediately at the end – about 1 ½ hrs from the airport. Pay your minimal toll & start climbing. The road is slow & very twisty with great sea views to the east – since you are heading south by this time. All went well until we reached the main intersection of town where the traffic backed up. And we were on a serious incline. And we had a manual transmission with no handbrake – just an electronic emergency brake which I have never used before. So of course, I stalled the car. Then I rolled back a bit. Repeat 2 times. By now I was crazed & the driver behind me was getting pretty worried but at least the traffic had cleared in front. I did finally bolt forward with a nice tire squeal. At least I was good comical entertainment for the crowds milling around – and there were some crowds at that intersection. Later in the week, I learned that you simply engage the electronic brake & it will disengage as you move forward so hill stop & gos became much less stressful. The Villa Ducale is just on the borderline between Taormina & Castelmola & very easy to find with the TomTom, although another couple told us that his GPS had miscued on a turn & he had a nice tour of Taormina . . . The road to/from Taormina central was entertaining to put it mildly. My wife was terrified by the twists & turns & blind corners but I drove it quite calmly swerving in & around parked cars & oncoming traffic. This basically describes driving in much of Sicily btw. The Villa Ducale is beautifully located with spectacular views of the Ionian Sea & Etna & Taormina clustered down below. Alesia welcomed us warmly & insisted that we have a glass of wine. We didn’t say no. Our room (#30) was one of 3 at the lowest front part of the hotel with a sitting area with a table & 2 chairs. A smallish but well appointed room. We were quite pleased. I had originally booked the Hotel Taodomus but I upgraded to the Villa Ducale a month ago to remove ourselves from the action in town. The Villa Schuler was another option investigated, but they only allow 3 or more night bookings. The Ducale gave us everything. Free parking, free shuttle, views & a very, very helpful & friendly staff. (249€ including breakfast – our most expensive hotel of the trip) We both breathed a sigh of relief . . . ah . . . Sicily . . . Our room http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...la-ducale1.jpg http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...la-ducale2.jpg http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...la-ducale3.jpg The Dining Area http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...la-ducale4.jpg The view from our balcony http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...ucale-view.jpg Etna from our balcony http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...cale-view2.jpg We used the shuttle for the 10 minute ride to/from Taormina. For dinner we went to Licchio’s. We had troubles finding it – even some police dudes didn’t know where it was. But my map instinct kicked in & we found it eventually. The food was very good & the manager was very friendly & helpful. 76€ including a bottle of ’06 Don Pietro – Spadafora. Octopus http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3.../licchios1.jpg Tuna Burgers http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3.../licchios2.jpg Other guests went to Le Botte where they had the fish cooked in salt. They raved too. |
Great photos. Interested in hearing more about Sicily.
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Interesting. Anyone found anythg of historical importance in the town of Erice?
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Great Report. Bookmarking.
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Day 6 – Taormina
Up early the next morning, it was a real treat to actually be able to have breakfast in the hotel. The Hilton in Roma was certainly a deluxe hotel but it is obviously meant for people with the wallets to match. An affordable breakfast would have been nice though. The Ducale was a different kettle of fish. Small, friendly & intimate, the environment encouraged relaxation. But of course, there were sights to see. The only one on my must-do list here was the theater. We had seen it in pictures & on travel shows as I am sure many of you have. So, off we went into town . . . The shuttle dropped us opposite the beach cable car station. We headed up Corso Umberto (every single town we visited or traveled through had a Corso Umberto btw) & walked to the theater. Its location, perched above that wonderful view, certainly lived up to its billing. Judging from the modern add-ons, they use it for shows. The theater http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...a/theater1.jpg http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...a/theater2.jpg http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...a/theater3.jpg http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...a/theater4.jpg After the theater, we wandered down Corso Umberto. This is filled with restaurants & shops – both of the tourist variety & seemingly normal banks, clothing stores etc. There were lots of people milling around. There was a piazza/veranda with the typical band playing the typical touristy music further down. To be honest, not much of interest there . . . http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3.../taormina1.jpg http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3.../taormina2.jpg http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3.../taormina3.jpg http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3.../taormina4.jpg We hopped on the cable car for the 3 minute ride down to the beach for lunch. There is a slightly gritty staircase on the right at the end of the parking lot that pops out right on the beach. We had a panini in some beach front (stone beach btw) restaurant. It was just OK . . . http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...mina-beach.jpg Back in the hotel, we decided to take it easy & eat dinner in the Ducale’s restaurant. This was a good plan because the weather turned cool & some rain swept in. They have a limited menu but we had an antipasti & a pasta main with a bottle of wine – ’06 Lanzara San Vincenzo for 18€. The total meal was 40 - 50€ or so. Two funny tidbits about the wine. After our antipasti, we ducked out for a cigarette & the foursome at the table besides us (who we kept bumping into on the shuttle & in town) thought we had left & snagged our wine. Boy, were they embarrassed when we returned. They happily bought a replacement which we shared, of course. The whole dining room got a kick out of this. The second tidbit was, when I looked at the label, I realized that it was produced on the vineyard in Menfi where we were going to stay later in our trip. Off to bed, after a nice day. We decided to come to Taormina for the views – like everybody else. And they are stunning. The view from our balcony almost made us want to stay there all day. The trip reports & comments that I read on Fodors did warn about the touristy nature of the town, however - which is why I only devoted 2 nights. It was enough. |
Day 7 – Siracusa
We got up raring to go. Well, one of us anyway. My wife got up dreading the curvy drive down to the Autostrade. She doesn’t do well on mountain drives, but I was really looking forward to it. I wanted to rent a convertible but she flatly refused to let me. Oh well. Anyway, after breakfast we packed & retrieved the car & hit the road. The Villa Ducale was a very nice stay btw . . . I highly recommend it. Villa Ducale’s Website: http://www.villaducale.com/en/home.html Since the heat wave in Roma, I haven’t really talked weather except for passing comments. It stayed warm in the high 20s C for most days during our entire stay in Sicily, dipping into the mid-high teens at night. Except for Taromina which was always mostly cloudy. For the rest of our stay, the sun was out more than in, but most days had some passing cloud at one time or other. When you were in the sun, it was hot. But when you hit shade or were near the sea, it was much cooler & tolerable. A jacket proved useful at night. Humidity was not an issue. Ideal traveling weather imho. Back to the drive to Siracusa . . . Once we descended to Taormina – a truly nail biting experience for my wife & a fun 2nd gear twisty arm exercise for me . . . I was surprised to wind down to the Autostrade on a totally different route & enter via an earlier (as in further south) exchange than the one mentioned above, thereby bypassing the long Taormina tunnel. Once on the Autostrade, it was a nice drive to Catania. The traffic started picking up just before the Enna/Palermo cutoff. Roads are always signed to their final destination, although you will usually see secondary signs at some point too. Therefore, if a road ends in Palermo on the other side of the island, it will be signed ‘Palermo.’ After Catania, the 4 lanes crapped out & dumped the southbound traffic onto a much slower 2 lane road well away from the sea. This is where your powerful engine comes in handy (you didn’t really rent a Punta did you?). Drivers have a habit of poking their noses out further into the road than most countries when turning onto a road, so it’s up to you to swerve around them safely. You go up & down hills & cars & slow trucks come & go. As for speed limits, the posted limits are suggestions only to Sicilians. Most traffic moves at 20 – 40km/hr faster than whatever is posted. Unless you want to be a mobile roadblock – and I am not kidding here - you should hustle too - but of course, never exceed your ‘comfort zone.' And for all of you net police, I am not condoning speeding, just stating the facts as I saw them . . . The scenery is pleasant & you pass some towns in the distance. The cutoff for Siracusa is quite undramatic. Follow this road in with its merges & turns & you will hit the rotary in the middle of town. Depending upon the traffic volume, rotaries display the true mettle of Sicilian drivers. In other European countries, there are reasonably well-respected rules for rotaries. You know when to yield & when to enter etc – it’s all quite politely done. In Sicily (and Napoli too for that matter), the rule is: that there are no rules. You launch your car in & pick your way thru the maze of conflicting traffic whirling around you to the exit of your choice. Just think of it as a hundred cars, motorbikes, trucks & buses all engaged in some crazed choreographed dance. It’s terrifying the 1st time you experience it in a busy rotary but use kindly aggression & you will get the hang of it. I missed the correct road at this one & had to re-circle the rotary - which was great fun. Since my hotel was in Ortygia/Ortigia (and yours should be too if you booked correctly imho), I was over the bridge & zooming up the main shopping street Corso Giacomo Matteotti in no time. And then my GPS led me into the maze that makes up much of the island. Do you sense imminent disaster approaching here? I faithfully followed her directions until she led me down a narrow car-lined street that ended abruptly in a dead end around a curve. The road she expected me to turn onto to get to my hotel was merely an alleyway & too narrow for cars. Meanwhile she was cheerfully telling me that once I made that turn I will have “reached my destination.” With no parking possible, I gingerly backed out of this street (no easy task btw) onto another & pulled over. My wife jumped out & said she would have a look & off she went. Then a truck came up behind me & sounded his horn. Hmm. Lost in a maze with no wife & no option but to drive ahead. I went about a half a block around a corner & pulled over again allowing just enough room for traffic to get by. Luckily my wife had the wherewithal to follow me on foot or we would have had a much bigger problem. I finally made it to the road that encircles the island on the outer edges & found a parking spot. Yes, I swear a beam of light came from the heavens & illuminated that spot as I approached. GPS & inadequate map in hand we walked to the hotel – the Residence Alla Guidecca which we found after erroneously inquiring in the Pension Guidecca. They kindly supplied a better map with my destination circled on it. Grazie, grazie. It was right where the GPS had told me, but the one-way street it was on was blocked with construction. The pleasant girl at check-in outlined the designated areas where parking was possible on the outer ring road. You have to supply your car details on a master sheet that mystically appears to keep the police from booting your car. We moved the car to one of these areas & parked it for the next 2 days. We had to haul our bags (bless the little baggage wheelies) about 2 cobblestoned blocks to get to the hotel. We later discovered that there is a larger parking area on the north end of the island that costs 1€ a day so this is the lot any day-trippers should use. The Residence Alla Guidecca was a dice roll. I researched every hotel on & around Ortygia to find one that met our criteria. There were numerous hotel options in a range of prices & some good Fodor’s suggestions in posts but the balcony necessity was a tough one. As it turned out, the RAG was a perfect choice. It is a 3 story building with rooms that are clustered around a central staircase – no elevator here folks. We had room # 12 – right at the top of the stairs which had a large living area, a nicely sized bedroom with a largish balcony that sported a great rooftop view to the sea. More of an apartment than a hotel room. All for 120€ per night including breakfast. We were very pleased. I think this place is a real ‘find’ so I am including a bunch of pictures . . . Residence Alla Guidecca’s Website: http://www.allagiudecca.it/ Outside http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3.../guidecca4.jpg Inside entrance http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3.../guidecca5.jpg Main desk with breakfast room in the next room http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3.../guidecca6.jpg Stairs in courtyard – me playing pee-a-boo http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3.../guidecca7.jpg Living room - #12 http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3.../guidecca2.jpg Bedroom http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3.../guidecca1.jpg Patio http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3.../guidecca3.jpg Part 2 to follow . . . |
Thanks for the continuing detailed report. Word of warning for those considering the Alla Guidecca - not all rooms are created equal! If you want one with a balcony and sea view, insist on that when you book. My rooms, while large, were dark and faced a back alley, and were in a second building, just down the street from the main one.
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Day 7 – Siracusa (Part 2)
After the drive & eventual success at finding our hotel & baggage hauling (3 flights of stairs was not the funnest part of this hotel btw so be forewarned) we hit the street for a late lunch. We found the Piazza Archimedes that we had driven through & it had a couple of café options. We choose one – sorry no name here. Service was semi-cafeteria style. You go in & chose your food & the waiter brings the food & beverage to your outside table. We had some yummy fried bready thing with meat & red sauce inside. And a glass of wine . . . I forget the price but it wasn’t expensive. Ahh . . . I knew sitting there that we were going to really like Ortygia. Me looking very relaxed – note the near empty glass of wine . . . http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...archimedes.jpg Fontana di Diana that dominates the piazza & faces the restaurant http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...cusa/diana.jpg After the repast, we just bummed around the streets a bit & crashed at the hotel for a siesta. Piazza Duomo http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...zza-duomo1.jpg http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...zza-duomo2.jpg http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...zza-duomo4.jpg A large artwork in the Piazza Duomo http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...zza-duomo3.jpg A courtyard http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...gainvillea.jpg A street http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...a/ortygia2.jpg The sea http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...a/ortygia1.jpg After a rest, I tried to call our chosen restaurant (L’Ancora - Via Guglielmo Perno, 7 - 0931462369) for reservations but there was no answer. We decided to walk over for a look even though it was far too early for dinner – it was only 6:30 pm. The restaurant wasn’t open but staff was milling around so we reserved a table outside in the ‘tent’ area for 8 pm. Reserving was a very wise decision since it was Friday night & the restaurant was turning people away by 9:30 pm. And the ‘tent’ area seats were the primo ones & they disappeared very quickly. To kill time we walked the streets & viewed the Tempio di Appolo that dominates the main piazza nearby. http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...a/ortygia3.jpg Dinner was great. This is an all fish restaurant that is very popular with locals. Make reservations. We split a clam spaghetti primi & we each had some whole fish as a main. We are not big seafood eaters but it was very good. 88€ with some 22€ Nero D’Avola wine that I forgot to write down. http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...sa/lancoro.jpg The Tempio di Appolo after dark. http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...a/ortygia4.jpg Some night shots I took in the serious cool & spooky laneways in the old Arab quarter on the walk back. Please excuse the blurriness – but these are ‘art’ shots anyway . . . http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...a/ortygia5.jpg http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...a/ortygia6.jpg http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...sa/kittens.jpg |
Good point, thursdaysd
Our balcony hovered over a small inner courtyard that was another room's outside area. This hotel is 'eclectic' shall we say? Ian |
Oh btw Mimar
You may breathe easy, I didn't harm the kittens with a flash. Ian |
The "fried bready thing" is an arancino di riso, a breaded and fried rice ball with a filling, which is not always meat and red sauce.
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Thanks Zerlina
I knew someone would help. We had them with rice in Modica. They are always quite tasty. Ian |
Day 8 Siracusa
After breakfasting at our hotel, we made our way over to the Parco Archeologico. This is the area over in Siracusa that sports the major ruins. I didn’t want to lose our prime parking spot near the hotel & so we taxied over & back for minimal cost. It is a tourist zoo with buses & tour groups galore. To get tickets, you have to ‘run the gauntlet’ of ticky-tacky vendors & the ticket office is way down at the end. Across the road in the park, you enter left to see the Roman amphitheater or go straight to get to the other ruins. The amphitheater lies in an unkempt field & could use a good grooming. http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...a/siracusa.jpg The Greek theater was a big disappointment. My Michelin Guide calls it “one of the most impressive theaters to survive from Antiquity.” Well, it looks like the local arts community has made sure that it is almost unrecognizable. They are obviously staging a major production in it this summer & they had some awful silver backdrop installed as well as some humped platform in the theater bed. They overlaid many of the seats with wooden ones. While I am a supporter of using these old venues today – if fact I have been to the Roman theater in Vienne, France for the jazz festival on 2 separate occasions – they surely have spoiled this from a touristic standpoint. I assume that it is all reversible but it certainly killed our photo opps. http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3.../siracusa2.jpg Other pics from this site: http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3.../siracusa3.jpg http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3.../siracusa4.jpg http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3.../siracusa5.jpg We went back to Ortygia for lunch in one of the tourist restaurants in the Piazza Duomo. We had a cheap pizza & cold drinks for 10€. After that we wandered the town & discovered a Saturday market over on Via de Benedictis. We picked up some spices & goodies to bring home. I wish we could buy tomatoes like that here. Market pics: http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...sa/market1.jpg http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...sa/market2.jpg http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...sa/market3.jpg http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...sa/market4.jpg Ortygia is a maze of twisty streets with many wonderful old decrepit buildings. It yields the best feel of medieval/baroque city that we have ever visited – especially at night. Many of the buildings are peeling & crumbling but there is scaffolding on a lot of the streets as renewal takes place. Palazzos are everywhere, with the sea never more than a few blocks away. It is wonderfully walkable although you are constantly dodging cars & motorcycles on the busier streets. It is touristed but not crushingly so. We loved it. We found that 2 nights was enough for us. More general Ortygia pics: http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...a/ortygia9.jpg http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...a/ortygia8.jpg http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...a/ortygia7.jpg http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3.../ortygia13.jpg http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3.../ortygia11.jpg http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3.../ortygia10.jpg For dinner, we followed someone’s internet recommendation & we booked the Osteria da Mariano (Vicolo Zuccola, 9 – 093167444). This small restaurant spills out into an alleyway. The owner greets you & seats you & takes your wine & appetizer order. We opted for red ‘jug’ wine & some meat dishes & had a great meal sitting in the alley for 50€. People were lined up waiting for tables when we left so reservations would be advisable. Recommended. |
Day 9 Modica
Up until this point of the trip, we had visited places that are very common destinations. Taormina & Ortygia are ancient & they were touristed in Roman times let alone by the cruise ship visitors of today. When I was planning the trip, we decided that it would be a good idea to base ourselves in one place for 4 nights after the initial flurry of activity to visit those ‘must see’ spots. After playing with the itinerary in many ways, it finally made sense to rest a bit around the baroque towns in the south east part of Sicily. So the decision was Nota, Modica or Ragusa or one of the agritourism places in the countryside. All of the options offered charm with seemingly easy access to each other & to other nearby towns as well as a beach area if the temps hit the searing level (like they did in Roma). I eliminated the agri option because we didn’t want to be trapped for that long without easy restaurant options. Nota didn’t appeal either as a base for one reason or another. After a lot of reading & studying, I decided that Modica was the best option for us. It was. I will explain as this unfolds. We packed & left Ortygia easily Sunday morning. Traffic was light – except when I pulled over in Siracusa to adjust my GPS. Why is that? The roads can be absolutely empty, but as soon as you do something different – turn around, pull over etc – there will be an endless parade of cars for the next 5 minutes? I know, Murphy at work . . . Anyway, even Siracusa’s rotary was vacant of mania so the drive to the highway was fine. We jumped on the nice 4 lane freeway (E45) that looped southwest heading towards Modica. No traffic. Beautiful scenery. The sun was shining. I wasn’t really minding the map since my English honey was telling me what to do. I knew the freeway ended just past Nota. We skipped Nota btw because we planned to side trip to Ragusa & just how many Baroque towns can you handle in 4 days anyway? The highway ends & throws you off at Rosolini. This is where SHE decides to take us on a scenic route. Note to self: always review the GPS route before you start. SHE took us north through the streets of Rosolini & then on to a narrow 2 lane road heading towards the Cava d’Ispica in the hinterlands. I am sure that SHE calculated that it was 100 meters closer via this route versus staying on the 2 lane version of E45 all the way to Modica. It was actually a great drive with nice ups & downs as we dove into the hills & vales of this farmland area. A really nice side benefit of a GPS is that you can eliminate 90% of the map arguments that you have with your spouse aka your navigator. Now you have an anonymous, inanimate object that you both can swear at. Ahh . . . togetherness . . . So around noon on Sunday, we approached Modica from the east. And entered into mayhem. Geographically, Modica’s main drag with several forks lays in the bottom of a valley in the old riverbed of connecting rivers. The rivers are now underground & the town climbs up from these ‘riverbeds’ on all sides. So it’s actually easy to drive through except on Sunday at noon when every resident in town is parked on this main drag & or circling looking for parking. The road was a zoo. People, cars, buses everywhere. My GPS – yes, HER again – kept insisting that I turn up alleyways that dead-ended with stairs or were blocked by parked cars or were seemingly too narrow for a car. I knew the hotel was on a street that ran parallel & only one block west. After driving up & down this street (Corso Umberto of course) I spiked up a side street thinking there might be a back way in. But in Modica, a side street takes you up. And up fast. After a couple of hairpin turns we were high above Modica when SHE tells me to turn right – and down a 50 ft staircase. No, I don’t think so. I parked the car to calm my nerves. Then it was down into the fray on Corso U again – which sports not 1 but 2 rotaries smack dab in the middle of things. I finally located a spot at the north end of the lower town near the bus stop. We locked the car & walked to the hotel – again. Corso Umberto I in Modica http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...so-umberto.jpg The alley to the hotel (last door on left) http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3.../magnolie1.jpg And yes, the hotel was exactly where I thought & that SHE said it was. But there was only one narrow laneway in. I deduced that it was a ‘no way’ road for me. There were also several staircases that led up to this street from the Corso U. We immediately christened the closest one bird s**t stairs for obvious reasons. The lady at check-in was great & calmed us down. She told us to wait an hour or so until siesta time & there would be lots of parking on the Corso U much closer to the hotel. And she told us that parking was free on Sundays but come Monday morning at 8:30 am, we would need a parking ticket that she could supply for 1.60€ for ½ day parking in blue areas. They were the scratch & win type of tickets but you didn’t win anything. We went for a coffee & a Panini across the road at a corner café. At 1€ it was the cheapest espresso we had seen in Italy. This trend was to continue in Modica. As the hotel girl had told us, there were lots of parking spots by the time we finished & the whole town quieted down. We moved the car & hauled our bags up to our room in La Magnolie Hotel. Website http://www.lemagnoliehotel.it/ This hotel was also a roll of the dice. It was a new boutique hotel with only 7 rooms & very few reviews anywhere. Once again it proved a perfect spot for us. Our room had a large living room, a large bedroom & a bath with a Jacuzzi tub. Very modern décor & as needed - a balcony – a small one looking over the alley in front & the rooftops but big enough to feed our habit. The hotel also had a rooftop terrace that looked over to the main part of the town that no one used but us. They also had a breakfast room – with a modest breakfast every morning & a wine tasting room that we never used. Room: La Calle http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3.../magnolie2.jpg The flower on the ceiling reflects the name of the room . . . http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3.../magnolie3.jpg http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3.../magnolie4.jpg The view from our ‘personal’ balcony http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3.../magnolie5.jpg The view from the hotel’s rooftop terrace http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3.../magnolie6.jpg Closeup of the same http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3.../magnolie7.jpg We moved in & walked a bit more of the town. For dinner, I handed my recommended list to the girl at reception to make a reservation. She nixed most of the list as over priced & suggested the Osteria dei Sapori Perduti (Cosro Umberto I, 228 – 0932944247). We arrived at 8 pm as the 1st customers – as usual. We sat in a sidewalk table. This restaurant was a treat. The menu was in Sicilian but they had a translation book with English, Italian & German & pictures of the dishes. We ordered jug red wine & split an antipasti. We also split a wonderful meatball pasta soup. I had pork & my wife had mixed meats. The whole bill was only 28.70€! And the food was great! We also got into a lengthy talk with our table neighbors who were vacationing from Stuttgart. A great evening. A definite recommendation. http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...ca/osteria.jpg After dinner we took our mobile bar up to the hotel's terrace for after dinner drinks. Very, very nice. |
This is such a great trip report. I'm heading to Sicily this week, and was just about to rent a car. We're starting in Trapani, and driving along the north coast, west to Agrigento, and back up to Trapani. I'm a 28 year old female, and though many people might jump on me for throwing my gender under the bus, I just don't know if I am a good enough driver for this!! Husband can't drive stick, so it would be all me. Thanks for the food for thought.
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emeraldgreen
You should be fine. Just take care. Be forewarned that Palermo is pretty chaotic. And driving in hilltop towns can be a challenge - especially near the central piazza. Parking is a big problem in them too so park on the edge & walk in if you can. Your mostly northerly route has the most 4 lane roads which are a breeze. The ruins in Agrigento are south of the town with easy access. Ian |
Day 10 Modica
After breakfast we decided to head to Ragusa for a day trip. I had read enough to know that the town – the old town - is car challenged so we inquired about bus options. Sure enough there was a regular direct bus that left from the lot at the north end of Corso Umberto to Ragusa. It ran several times per day so we decided that this might be the best. We bought tickets in the small eatery across the road – east side – from the stop. 3.70€ roundtrip per person. The bus trip offered stunning views for this short ride (only 14 kms or so but much of it up & down). There are 2 stops in Ragusa Alta. One on a main retail street in the upper (new) town & a major bus stop (with ticket kiosk) further along in the new town. We got off at the latter. The new town is exactly that. All of the tourist goodies are in Ragusa Ibla – the older one - the lower one. Except its not really lower. Think of Ragusa as being divided into 3 parts. All on hills with valleys in between. The new town is further south & has no real appeal. Ibla is split in the middle with a valley in between - albeit a smaller one than the surrounding valleys. Bridges connect the new with the western Ibla but it is the eastern part which has tourist appeal. A circuitous road connects the 2 parts of Ibla – there are stairs too for the physically fit according to my Michelin guide. We were not that adventurous. There also appears (on our photos & on the map) to be a newer road on the north side that allows access – think tourist buses. The bus stop where we started was 4 kms from the touristed center of the ‘eastern’ Ibla. Are you understanding the problem here? It was hot & 2 passerbys who we asked independently told us not to walk, it was too far. They both suggested the ‘autobus’. Easier said then done when you don’t know which bus or bus stop or where to get tickets or schedule. We walked for 45 minutes or so in the blazing sun & ended up hailing a taxi. 10€ well spent. The driver left us in the main piazza by San Giorgio. The road connecting the 2 Iblas was narrow & twisty & descended down & then headed back up circuitously. This part of Ragusa Ibla is the Unesco part – and it showed. All of the buildings were nicely cleaned & ‘prettified’ - this place was geared for tourists. Pretty shops & pretty streets etc. Not like the grittier Siracusa or Modica at all. We stopped for lunch in a ristorante at the east end of the piazza & had an OK, albeit expensive meal (my wife said rip-off). We walked out to the beautiful park – the Giardino Ibleo - at the eastern end for some photo opps & it didn’t disappoint. But overall, Ragusa Ibla just felt slightly unreal somehow. We taxied back to the bus stop in the new town. We were too hot & tired for any other options. The ride back to Modica offered spectacular views of Ragusa Ibla as we left the town. We discovered that this bus also drops people in the center of Modica. Bus stop in new town (Note: the bizarre stairs on that building) http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...sa/ragusa6.jpg San Giorgio & the main piazza http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...sa/ragusa1.jpg Architecture http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...sa/ragusa5.jpg View northeast (Note: the train tracks below) http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...sa/ragusa3.jpg View southeast http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...sa/ragusa4.jpg Park walkway http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...sa/ragusa2.jpg By far, the best views of Ragusa Ibla were from the bus. Maybe that is my problem with Ragusa. You can only be awed by it when you are out looking in. And that’s what we liked about Modica is you are always being awed by the geography of the town. These were shot by my wife through a bus window hurtling around corners. You can see the dip between the 2 Ragusa Iblas at the left of the 1st picture http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...sa/ragusa7.jpg http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...sa/ragusa9.jpg http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...sa/ragusa8.jpg Part 2 to follow |
Day 10 Modica (Part 2)
Back in Modica, we wander across Corso U to a café for espresso. I forget the name but it was the one with black awnings directly across from the BS stairs if it matters. A couple near us got ice creams . . . so, of course . . . we ordered one too. Yummy. The waiter disappeared inside so I went in to pay. Three ladies were buying these fried flat thingies (filled with meats, sauces, tomatoes, cheese etc – help me here Zerlina . . .). Anyways, the process of paying took 15 minutes. This is something that I commonly experienced in Sicily. The clerk & the customer often engage in long ‘discussions’ about . . . who knows? It wasn’t idle chit-chat from the tone. Are they negotiating? Talking about the gov’t? Berlusconi & his girlfiends? It happened in shops & at sites many times. I don’t know. As an ignorant fast-paced North American, I had to remember to keep my fuse turned down & wait it out. Have patience, my son . . . Once again we asked the girl at reception in our hotel for dining choices – there were actually 3 different girls but one of them was the best with restaurant suggestions it seemed. She suggested a restaurant in Modica Alta (yeah, that’s right - the high part) for dinner – at the La Locanda del Colonnello. This restaurant is across the street in an alleyway from its partner hotel, the Palazzo Failla - which was out of our budget. Since the restaurant was in Modica Alta, we decided that this was our opportunity to walk up. This would allow us to see the Church of San Giorgio with it’s 300 steps which is ½ way up the hill. Boy, are we out of shape. It was a long, long walk up that came close to slaying both of us. It was nice to see the architecture of the church & to wind through the streets & stairways but it was much, much more fun coming town ½ drunk after dinner. That was a lot of steps. We arrived at the restaurant at 8 pm & we were the 1st ones there by 25 minutes. We had the server’s full attention. And the chef’s too. Dinner was very, very good. Almost high-end type of presentation & atmosphere in either the outdoor patio (with cat) or inside in 3 dining areas. Shared antipasti, ravioli, a bean soup with a shared cortorno which was a meat stuffed pepper that was too large to finish. 47€ with a bottle of ’06 Morgante Nero d’Avola. The service did slide a bit as more customers arrived. Only one waiter was serving & he needed help. And he had seated everybody in different sections of the restaurant. Highly recommended with that proviso. San Giorgio (please excuse the lens distortion) http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...an-giorgio.jpg Looking towards the west side of Corso U (where the hotel was) http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...dica-alto2.jpg Modica Alta http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...odica-alto.jpg http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...dica-alto3.jpg http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...dica-alto4.jpg |
"fried flat thingies" - calzoni (sing. calzone).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYWgO3vSD6M The discussion might have been about any or all of those things. Or just about the merits/quality of one calzone vis-a-vis another. Italians discuss food with a passion most other nations reserve for topics like politics and religion. |
Zerlina
I know calzoni but they were more of a thin flaky pastry batter rather then a thicker bread-type batter. Ian |
"But overall, Ragusa Ibla just felt slightly unreal somehow." - I had the exact same feeling on the main street in Noto.
Great report - I'm starting to think I should go back to Sicily! |
Ummmm, I dunno what they're called when they're made with puff-pastry dough (pasta sfoglia). It's pretty unusual, I think. Maybe a specialty of that particular bar/cafe?
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Day 11 Modica
Excursion Day! It’s Excursion Day! Yes, we got an early start because we were heading to Caltigirone for ceramics shopping & on to Piazza Armerina for the Villa Romana del Casale & its mosaics. We hopped on E45 which is a fast 2 lane road. After the Ragusa exits, the hwy changed into SS514, the traffic tapered off & it was clear sailing with stunning, stunning vistas everywhere on a good road. Beautiful. Impossible to capture with photos so we didn’t even try. But believe me, its gorgeous countryside. Arriving in Caltergirone, we had no idea where to go. We looped around the north part to the west & parked so I could GPS something. I ended up picking the town center & we looped to the south. Rather than entering the city center – it was going up - oh no – I spied a parking spot that looked promising. The GPS said we were 1 km away, so we hoofed it. It was actually closer since we could go up wrong-way one-way streets which would have distressed HER. It was easy. We just aimed up & we popped around a corner & there were the steps – the Scala di Santa Maria del Monte. Here they are: http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...alagirone1.jpg Now this was Tuesday June 2 which is Republic Day & a national holiday. Only about 1/3 of the ceramics shops - which are on either side of these stairs all the way up - were open. But we visited every . . . single . . . one. I had my patience generator on high. I had been promising this shopping opp for months so I had to follow through. The advantage to Republic Day was that the tourist body count was way, way down both here & at the Villa later which eased the pain somewhat. Much of the ceramics were touristy ticky-tacky but some of it was very good. We did discover a store at the bottom & the other side of the square which was much, more high-end & the quality & prices reflected this. Always in our mind was: you got to get it home intact – so we (or she) bought accordingly. I finally wrestled her away with a panini lunch (actually not bad from some cafeteria style place at the bottom west side of the street) – although a surge in police & crowd activity played a part. I had read that there would probably be a parade & we wanted to get on to Piazza Armerina. Seeing the parade would have been cool but places to see, things to do . . . http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...alagirone2.jpg http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...alagirone3.jpg http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...alagirone4.jpg We retraced our steps & rescued the car quite handily & hit the road north aiming towards the Villa Romana. Now, there are 2 basic ways to get there from Caltagirone. You take the easy way with good 2 lane hwy all the way SS147 towards Gela & then north on SS117 toward Enna - or – you opt for the scenic route which is SS124 & then SS117. SHE chose SS124 (much to my secret delight). SS124 was another one of those drop dead view roads that test & delight the good driver & terrorize the passenger. After that fun, the blast north on SS117 was a breeze. And then . . . SHE kicked in again & demanded that we exit just before Piazza Armerina. Silly me, I listened & 2 turns later I was heading down a narrow paved one lane road through a forest. Hmm. This can’t be right. I backed up until I could turn around. Then ignoring HER squeals, I got back on SS117 & SHE came to HER senses & directed us through lower Piazza Armerina, back under the hwy & on to the Villa Romana del Casale. From the entry road there is a parking area to the left for 1€. You then run the gauntlet of ticky-tacky to the entrance. This site is a Roman villa that they are gradually excavating. Most of the site is covered with aluminum scaffolding suspending a light-reducing ‘tarpaulin’. You view from walkways built well above the ground to preserve the site but let you get inside. It spoils your photos though because of the crosshatching of the roof supports. Other parts are exposed. http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...sa/casale5.jpg http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...sa/casale1.jpg http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...sa/casale2.jpg http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...sa/casale3.jpg http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...sa/casale4.jpg http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...sa/casale6.jpg http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...sa/casale7.jpg The mosaics were very, very good but you can see everything in ½ hr or so. We chatted with some elderly retired doctors from Westchester, CT. Overall, my wife thought it wasn’t worth the drive. But then, the drive was a big chunk of the adventure for me. Except starting back . . . We left the Villa & SHE kicked in directing us into Piazza Armerina. I was wary after HER forest trek so when SHE told me turn right, I turned left in the southern outskirts of PA. Bad move. We went up. And up. Into the narrow abyss of upper Piazza Armerina. I met a woman in a Fiat on a narrow one lane car-lined incline & she refused to give way. Both I & the truck behind me had to back up & dive to the side to let this bimbette through (my wife’s term btw or close to it . . . the driver was young & blonde). This is where I needed my electronic emergency brake trick again. I scorched the clutch nicely here. After another block, I bailed on that route & tried another. This time, I followed a car ahead of me. I figured that he knew where he was going (northerly) & if he fit through the street, then I should be able to also. This was not fun. Some of the streets were really narrow & some of the turns were . . . well . . . tight. We reached a main piazza & a sign pointed towards Caltagirone so I went for it. It spit us out of town onto an extension of SS124 . . . yeah, the twisty one. By this time, my wife was in near-hysterics & just wanted back onto the nice calm highway that we had arrived on. But we were heading in a different direction & I refused to go back through PA in case I got into the maze of narrow streets again. After about 15 kms of twisting roads & a near miss on another hill town, I saw a sign for Gela & went for it. After more twisties (but very little traffic thankfully) we got back on the highway heading south & marital bliss returned to our car. But at least we could blame HER. This time I took the calmer route to Caltagirone & on down to Modica. It certainly was an adventure! My wife got her ceramics. And I got to see the mosaics. And my wife even complimented me on my car piloting, and this is an extremely rare occurrence. Back in the warm cocoon of Modica, we opted for another suggestion from the hotel girl: the Ristorante Torre d'Oriente (Via Posteria, 29 – 0932948160)which was up again but only part way. It had gotten windy so we couldn’t eat on their terrace – which has a great view. Dinner was superb. The food & presentation was at least 2 Star Michelin category but once again, they slipped a bit on service as the restaurant got busier. They gave us teasers & we split a beef carpaccio. Then we split an incredible ravioli – stuffed with eggplant, ricotta etc. Then we both a had a pork contorno. All wonderful. All local produce. With a bottle of local ’06 Serasuolo di Vitoria – Valle dell’Acate. This was our best meal of the trip. 89€. The pork dish http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...usa/torre3.jpg The view from the Torre L’Oriente area. http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...usa/torre1.jpg Looking up from the Torre d’Oriente’s terrace to the giant painted clock. I never did figure out what the time signified. http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...usa/torre2.jpg |
Ian-
I'm really enjoying your report. While I don't share your opinion on Rome, I appreciate your candor and the attempt you made to enjoy it to the fullest. I agree that you might like it more if you stayed in the center, but it's hard to beat a free room. I haven't been to Sicily in over 5 years. Now I want to go back. |
Bookmarking.
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[Errata: Please note in the previous post that I spelled Caltagirone three different ways.]
Day 12 Modica Since we arrived in Roma, we had been on the go doing something, going somewhere - every single day we were in motion. This day was our holiday within our holiday. We didn’t get in a car, a bus, a taxi or a plane all day. So we did nothing on Day 12. Well, not completely nothing but close. We visited several of the local chocolate shops & bought some giveaways. Modica’s chocolate is quite different than any I have had. It has a grainy texture & shops sell it in a variety of cocoa percentages & flavors. My wife saw a blouse she liked & went back without me later to try things on & she bought one. We replenished our dwindling duty-free liquor supply. We had lunch at the café with the black awnings & ate one of those "fried flat thingies" for 1.50€. They looked much better than they tasted btw. We had some gelato. You get the drift. We needed a no-pressure day. For dinner, we repeated at Osteria dei Sapori Perduti. This time we blew the budget & had a great meat for 34€. A litre of jug red wine. That great meatball soup again. An appetizer with a mix of goodies - arancino di riso (thanks Zerlina), cheese, olives . . . Veal with eggplant for contorno. Good food. We really liked Modica. Every corner, every turn offered a different view of the city. The people were very friendly. They tolerated our nearly complete lack of Italian & helped us perfectly wherever we went. The Corso Umberto had a wonderful mix of modern shops, palazzos, schools, chocolate shops, cafes . . . small town Sicilan life. Everything you need was closely at hand but a café was never more than 50 meters away. Step a block up the hill & you stepped back 300 years. Every time you looked around, you were surrounded by amazing vistas of stone houses, piled on stone houses with a splattering of churches. And yet you could be on the hwy in 10 minutes. It was a good base. The La Magnolie was also a great choice. The staff was very nice & very helpful with rock solid restaurant suggestions, transportation questions etc etc. We had the biggest room in the house (La Calle) for 110€ per night including breakfast – albeit pretty basic - but she did make outstanding espresso doppio & cappuccino every morning. And not to forget, the view from the terrace is stunning – day or night. Highly recommended. The La Magnolie terrace http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3.../magnolie8.jpg To keep you entertained until I write Day 13, here are some random Modica pics. Day 13 will be our drive to Agrigento, site visit & drive to our vineyard stay. Speaking of entertainment this old man played a flute outside the restaurant. http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...a/modica10.jpg Misc Modica: http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...ca/modica1.jpg http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...ca/modica3.jpg http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...ca/modica2.jpg http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...ca/modica4.jpg |
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