Discovering Sicily

Sicily is an elongated shaped island running east and west located south of Italy. We took the ferry from Cagliari, Sardinia to Palermo and then drove to Erice, a hilltop town near Trapani. We were there 10 days and took day trips to the Greek ruins of Segesta and Selenunte. We also toured the salt pans and island of Mozia and experienced a delish salt tasting! We had a gorgeous boat trip to the Egadi Islands where we stopped at Favignana and Levanzo.

We drove back to Palermo for a few days and saw an opera at the Massimo Opera House. We then took a long drive to the eastern part of the island for our Godfather pilgrimage in Savoca.  None of these spots should be missed!

  
  

Pulling into the Palermo harbor

   

Views on our way up to Erice  

The Trapani peninsula with their salt pans to the left

    

Castle in Erice.

 

Clouds and mist blowing through 

   
Castle in the morning fog

 

 Tower and church in the morning fog

  
Above the clouds sunset

  
Main church in Erice around the corner from our apartment

   
Old style painted cart and horse in Erice. Later the man sang us some Sicilian songs!

  

Cool terracotta pot in  Erice

Nuns in Erice  There are over 200 churches in Erice

We took a day trip to Segesta

   
     

Greek temple and amphitheater at Segesta. 

   

The salt pans of Mozia, south of Trapani and north of Marsala

    

These salt pans produce tons of sea salt every year

The mountain where Erice sits on top in the distance

   

   
 

   

  

  

  

These are artifacts from the Phoenician museum on Mozia which is within the salt flats. These beads remind me of the Turkish evil eye glass which keeps evil spirits away

 
We experienced a lovely salt tasting with fruit in the Windmill Museum 

See more pics at my post What’s to Eat in Sicily

  
  

  We took an all day boat trip to the Egadi Islands from Trapani and stopped at 2 of the 3. Here is the Island of Farignana:

  
  

The old tuna fishing museum

    

The caves of the Egadi Islands

   

  
 

This the Island of Levanzo:

    

   
   

Elite Island Travel is located in Trapani right at the port. They booked our tickets to the salt pans and islands.  Giacomo Incarbona also arranged a tour of a sheep farm during milking and a cheese factory and shop that produces sheeps milk ricotta! Unforgettable experiences! Thank you Giacomo and staff! Thank you also to Mario and Maria at Caseificio Ingardia in Paceco located outside Trapani. They produce Sicilian cheese.

    

 

  
  

  

Fresh ricotta made from sheeps milk 

Castellammare del Golfo is an old tuna fishing village we visited near Scopello.

   
  

  

Boat anchor collection
 

Watch tower on top of a cliff

  

   

 

,Greek ruins of Selinunte

   

    

We drove back to Palermo for a few days and stayed at the Massimo Hotel located across from the Massimo Opera House, the third largest in the world after Paris and Vienna.  Beautiful hotel with superb service and assistance!

  
We played paparazzi and watched the opening night red carpet!

   
    
   

  

  

  

   
      

We took a tour of the opera house and also went on a walking tasting tour of old Palermo. You can see more pics from that at my post What’s To Eat in Sicily? 

  
   
       

Beautiful churches in Palermo. 

   
      

A chapel within  the Norman palace. Christian, Greek Orthodox, Jewish and Muslim combined

     

We crossed Sicily to the east and made our stop at Savoca for The Godfather pilgrimage. We stayed at a superb resort called Borgo San Rocco. The staff were so friendly! Rosemary was especially welcoming. It was so nice we stayed 2 nights instead of one. Creative food with a fresh lighter slant! See my post on eating in Sicily!

   
   
Bar Vitelli was The Godfather place to go. It hasn’t changed much since the scene was filmed there. They are adding on a wine bar in back though! 

   
  

Francis Ford Coppola had a home here. He was friends with the original owner of Bar Vitelli.

  

The wedding scene between Michael Corleone and Apalonia was also filmed in Savoca at this church. We saw a wedding here too, plus another one that day!

   

    
        

Beautiful walks in Savoca, a hill top town.

  

 Thanks to the new friends we meet in our travels! It’s made all the difference!

From here we drove to Messina and took a 1 hour ferry trip with our car to mainland Italy. On to Puglia located in the heel of Italy.