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Day 7: More Country Roads
We made plans this day to see three places, Piazza Armerina, Villa Roma del Casale, and Caltagirone. The rural roads on the way there brought us through some rich fertile agricultural lands.
From the south, we passed numerous greenhouses, most dedicated to Sicily’s best and supposedly sweetest tomatoes. (We ate a lot of tomatoes on the trip, none like the cardboard ones we often get at home.) As the landscape changed, we saw many fields of artichokes looking ready for harvest. All over Sicily, we saw wild cactus plants, full of early prickly pears, and their beautiful yellow flowers. Here, we saw neat rows of prickly pears being cultivated on numerous farms. (Side Note: We went through one little town that had a JFK highway, not the only place we saw honoring the former president. Of course, the American-Sicilian connection is strong, with so many Sicilians, including my grandfather, welcomed into Ellis Island 100 or more years ago. And, then all the American sacrifices in WWII. We have been to the Sicily-Rome American Cemetery in Nettuno on the Italian mainland and did a trip report in 2018: https://www.fodors.com/community/eur...-trip-1653882/ When encountering Sicilians speaking to us in Italian, we often say English (meaning language); and it is sometimes interpreted that we are English (as from UK). We get a modest reaction to that, until we elaborate with “Americano”, and, wow, do they warm up. Especially with older Italians. Although the younger ones, as I will mention in a later post, are clearly enamored with American culture. And, yes I am aware of the British WWII contributions, but just passing on observations). As I wrote earlier, the countryside in Sicily has so many different looks, and it certainly stopped our car many times. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...82fd8dc94.jpeg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...cc210db69.jpeg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a82f127c7.jpeg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...85cd8130c.jpeg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...96ddbf533.jpeg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...1b8d15a84.jpeg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...3d35e961f.jpeg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ab24f1a92.jpeg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...336d27cec.jpeg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...63acfb892.jpeg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...3ddefb101.jpeg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...48d186d9d.jpeg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...19ed5d35a.jpeg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...5f6998ee3.jpeg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...59c0f4fbb.jpeg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ecc92b5dc.jpeg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...9d0e0e5bc.jpeg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f8efc56dc.jpeg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...19eb826e1.jpeg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...25c2d3c25.jpeg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a05ac2f32.jpeg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...06555e808.jpeg |
Day 7: Piazza Armerina
This is a pretty village and extremely quiet. Most visitors to this town are not going to the historic center but to Villa Romana del Casale, a few miles down the road. We also were on our way there, but stopped for a quick walk through the ancient town. Tourists were in such short supply, one local man spotted us and pointed the way for us to go into an old church. Both the cathedral and the theater, two of the most prominent buildings here, were covered in scaffolding.
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That town looks so interesting! I’d love to wander those streets.
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Great photos. Looks like they got rid of the horrible plastic roof?
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Originally Posted by thursdaysd
(Post 17372805)
Great photos. Looks like they got rid of the horrible plastic roof?
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Yes, they were doing renovations when I was there. The plastic roof was all of that, plus it made for lousy photos. Yours are so much better than mine.
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Day 7: Caltagirone
It’s mostly about the ceramics in Caltagirone, but it is also a vibrant city brimming with tourists. This is Sicily’s production center for ceramics, and you see them on bridges, buildings and spilling out onto sidewalks from the many shops selling them. There are many beautiful churches, one with a sacristy with an unusual “Vespa for Peace” display amidst a WWII backdrop . And, some of the finest looking commercial buildings we have seen here.
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Day 8 Scicli
Here is one of those off the radar places in Sicily, surprising Scicli. Abandoned hilltop cathedral, magnificent baroque churches, caves, nice shops, palazzos, and an old drug store. Within sight of the sea.
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Day 8: Scicli’s Palazzo Bonelli-Patane
There are so many palaces (palazzos) in Italy. There were several in Scicli, and a couple that offered tours. We are always curious about what is behind the doors and walls of these many private palazzos. So, we paid for what amounted to a private tour of Palazzo Bonelli-Patane. The late 1800’s building was decorated and furnished by a noted Italian artist in the early 20th century. It is move-in ready. And, we were very impressed.
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okay, you've convinced me we need to visit Scicli (and I do love Montalbano) :~). is there someplace you would recommend for lunch?
fantastic photos. |
Originally Posted by adlmllr
(Post 17373153)
okay, you've convinced me we need to visit Scicli (and I do love Montalbano) :~). is there someplace you would recommend for lunch?
fantastic photos. |
Really enjoying this report and the photos. It's almost a personal guide to the island!
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Originally Posted by Fra_Diavolo
(Post 17373177)
Really enjoying this report and the photos. It's almost a personal guide to the island!
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Day 8: Donnalucata
We decided to take a peek at three beach towns, since we arrived with the first beach weather of the season. Donnalucata is a very quiet old fishing village with a decent size golden sand beach, a couple of seafood spots, and a nice promenade. And, no one at the beach, and it looked like we were the only visitors on this gorgeous day.
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Day 8: Marina di Modica
There were more golden sands, some sand dunes and a seaside promenade in the very small community of Marina di Modica. And this time, there were beach-goers.
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Day 8: Marina di Ragusa
Of the three beach towns, Marina di Ragusa looks like the place to be. Wide sand beaches, shallow waters and lots of shops and restaurants. And, a parking lot big enough to give us an idea what summer must be like. We enjoyed a whole red snapper for lunch.
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Day 9: Donnafugata Castle
Donnafugata Castle is about 10 miles from Ragusa. Except for one school group, we virtually had the place to ourselves on a warm, sunny Thursday. Some parts of the castle can be traced to the 1300’s, but much of what you see now belongs to the 1800’s. The castle currently features a fashion exhibit, including items worn by the Baron and others who lived here in the late 1800’s. The massive 122-room castle has many furnished rooms. Some added restoration is needed as some of the decorations are in tatters.The grounds include 20 acres of gardens and out buildings, a huge stone maze with lots of dead-ends, and signs of practical jokes by an obvious fun-loving baron.
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we are hoping to spend some time walking the promenade between Marina di Ragusa and Punta Sec, with a stop for lunch. what glorious weather you've been enjoying!
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Originally Posted by adlmllr
(Post 17373382)
we are hoping to spend some time walking the promenade between Marina di Ragusa and Punta Sec, with a stop for lunch. what glorious weather you've been enjoying!
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