8782 Sicily Grand Tour

Retired English couple living in Umbria took their young Springer Spaniel to places that accepted pets.
Michelin Guide’s top attractions we saw: Agrigento, Erice, Etna, Monreale, Segesta, Villa Romana Piazza Armerina, Cefalu, Noto, Ragus Ibla, Caltagirone, Castello di Nelson , the Madonie, Modica, Nebrodi, Randazzo, Salt Pans Trapani, San Vito Lo Capo, Castellammare del Golfo, Capo Orlando, Linguaglossa, Marina di Ragusa, Nicolosi, Sciacca. Amongst other places we liked Palazzo Adriano, Bonagia and Santo Stefano di Camastra.
Took Sunflower Guide, Landscapes of Sicily, (bought online, downloaded & printed).
Touring Club Italiano 1:200 000 Sicily map.
Crossing by car, Calabria to Messina, first mistake, ignored notices to buy tickets from autostrada autostop/bar. Port discourages vehicles from queuing for tickets, so add a surcharge.
CESARO’ To walk foothills of Etna and Nebrodi beech woods. Each walk about 3 hours. Hotel Mazzurco Tel 095 7732100 Family run hotel, easy going, superb homemade food in restaurant and pasticceria/bar. 3 nights B&B with dinner, plus 1 lunch 262 euros! Hotel expanding, hope it won’t be spoiled. Long to return (it’s positioned at over 1100mts, so not in winter!)
Following magical walk in foothills of Etna, near BRONTE, had lunch Albergo Ristorante Parco Dell’Etna . The bill not itemised, simply a total figure. We had been ripped off, but didn’t spoil the day.
Castello Nelson, Bronte, large shabby chic country house with garden.
NOTO (bassa). Where the sights are and 2 famous café’s. Hotel della Ferla [url=http://www.hoteldellaferla.it]Hotel Noto - HOTEL DELLA FERLA[/url] Immaculate modern hotel, with garage. Quiet area, short walk to town. Young owners speak English. Superb dinner at Le Ularie via S.La Rosa. Enjoyed Noto day and night. Ate mandarin gelato at Bar Costanza, diagonally across corso from Cattedrale di San Nicolo’ tucked away off Pz.Municipo. Sadly no cakes eaten at Caffé Sicilia.
Weather turned. Never experienced such torrential rain. On to MODICA. We marvelled at the countryside throughout Sicily. As we approached Modica farmland was picture book tidy. L’Antica Dolceria Bonajuto famous for chocolate was closed. Bar Rosy in Via Risorgimento 4, sold exquisite marzipan fruits. Regretted not buying reasonably priced presents here.
RAGUSA IBLA 2 nights Il Barocco. Room dark, stank of disinfectant. We made it clear we had a dog when booking dinner. Ristorante Il Barocco is a separate business. No dogs allowed! Ate “A taste of Sicilia” at pizzeria/trattoria in square. Yuk! We walked and spotted the chef who would mastermind tomorrow’s celebratory lunch. He admired Bella!
Sunday 4 November our 40th wedding anniversary. To the seaside, stopping at Scicli. Back to hotel, shampooed Bella in the bidet! All tidy…
Duomo [url=http://www.ristoranteduomo.it]Ristorante Duomo - Ragusa Ibla[/url], arguably Sicily’s finest restaurant. It feels like a comfortably furnished house owned by generous people. 3 hour gourmet lunch for two + tip 300 euros. Bella under the table good as gold. The owners talked to us before lunch got underway. Suggestions were made about the fish we were to eat, wine - Inzolia Cubia Cusumano. The meal was sublime. The owners and staff deserve coronets!
CALTAGIRONE it’s museums and gardens need full day. Not easy to park or to get around. Scala di Santa Maria del Monte steep to climb. Pottery everywhere. Ceramica di Caltagirone Mostra Mercato Permanente in V. Vittorio Emanuele, near centrally placed Banco di Scilia offers permanent display/sales of local ceramics.
Agriturismo [url=http://www.gigliotto.com]AGRITURISMO GIGLIOTTO SICILIA | Agriturismo, ristorante, ricevimenti, matrimoni, farm holidays in Sicily, ferienwohnungen Siziliens, agriturisme en Sicile, Sicily, Caltagirone Taormina, Piazza Armerina.[/url]. The family eat at 2pm in the baronial dinning room. 25 euros each.
PIAZZA ARMERINA Villa Romana. Stayed 1 night. Cheap room/ basic bathroom (no heating), part of restaurant la Ruota [url=http://www.trattorialaruota.it]Trattoria La Ruota - Piazza Armerina - Benvenuti ![/url]. Delicious lunch there after a morning viewing the exceptional mosaics. Avoid crowds, arrive 9 am out of season and before 9am in season. Web provides lots of info about V.Romana. Avoid stalls and bar at V.Romana, buy coffee, nicer/cheaper postcards at Hotel Mosaici nearby.
AGRIGENTO. Until San Leone, we thought Sicily affluent, quite different from what we had imagined. There seemed to be civic pride and considerable investment in improving the infrastructure of Sicily. The books, even those published in 2000 (N.Lewis In Sicily) could be read as history. Villa Amico [url=http://web.tiscali.it/amicogiuse/]'+'[/url] is a modern house in an ugly down market seaside area. Fine for 1 night. Ate superb fish lunch at Leon d’Oro viale Emporium. Valle dei Templi is actually on a ridge. To see it takes easy 2.5 hrs. Don’t miss small Villa garden once owned by archaeologist Hardcastle. Crossing to area where the “giant man” lays, also see Giardino della Kolymbetra.
SCIACCA. [url=http://www.alvivaio.it]Apartments rental Sicily, holidays apartments Sciacca[/url] Nice owners, apartment OK. Regretted not packing scented candle to subdue damp smells. Bathroom uninviting (no heat) but radiators elsewhere and washing machine. Town has variety of things to see and buy + ceramics. Bar Olimpia on corner of V. Giuseppe Licata (opp shop Perugina) for divine cakes! Beaches have fine sands and clear waters, particularly between Torre Salsa and Capo Bianco. We explored inland. Countryside unspoilt. Olive groves, ploughed fields and low vineyards. Distant hilltop villages pink in the sunlight. Visited magical Palazzo Adriano where Cinema Paradiso was filmed.
BUSETO PALIZZOLO Well positioned for Segesta, Erice, Trapani, Monreale and western Sicily. [url=http://www.casecolomba.com]Trapani Agriturismo bed and breakfast B&B camere baglio case colomba[/url] Farm buildings, restored to high standard in natural gardens. Rented bedroom/bathroom + kitchen. Reasonable price. Self contained and warm. Loved it. Sicilian bread is cream coloured and tasty. Grocers (Alimentari) anywhere will make a loaf into a picnic lunch; just choose a filling from their deli.
SEGESTA Magnificent. 2 sites, Temple and Theatre & Castle ruins. Shuttle bus between the two or walk 2 km. Temple surrounded by unspoilt agricultural land. Sunflower book details walk along nearby gorge. We found wild narcissi and iris.
ERICE 800mts up into clouds. 5 euro combined tickets to view all churches etc. No lunch time closure. Best almond pastries, incredibly delicious and inexpensive from Pasticceria San Carlo, owned by the elderly Caterina Silvestro. Opp. the arch by San Pietro. There is also Pasticceria Grammatico. Bought a souvenir from Ceramica Ericina whose factory is just out of town in the direction of Trapani.
TRAPANI hunting back streets worth it, to eat lunch at Cantina Siciliana via Giudecca - 50 euros for 2. Classic trattoria with a commitment to local dishes. A blue tiled room displaying the Slow Food logo. Try fish couscous.
Near Trapani along the beach by the Tonnara at Bonagia there are abandoned wooden tuna fishing boats. Majestic relics of the Mattanza.
Magnificent fish lunch and white Colomba Platina from Casteldaccia at Ristorante Sirena, Lungomare Bonagia.
Visit the Saltpans outside Trapani if only to see flamingos.
Out of season San Vito lo Capo quiet. Castellammare del Golfo livelier. Bought new olive oil but Castelvetrano has the reputation for the best oil.
MONREALE CATHEDRAL High above Palermo. Built by Normans in 11th century. Breathtaking! Free, buy tickets for Cloisters and to climb to the roof outside. Closed 12.30 to 15.30 & Sun morning. Private car park; sign says Parking for the Duomo, in a side road before you reach Duomo square. Worth it, secure and has an easy exit out to the main road, SS186.
Bosco di Ficuzza near Corleone [url=http://www.anticastazione.it]Antica Stazione di Ficuzza[/url] Days of torrential rain, no escaping from constant loud pop music. We left. Effort is put into the catering, rather than accommodation. Only eat there.
Final stop MISTRETTA.950 mts between the Madonie and Nebrodi mountains. Late Nov. mistake. Our blanket, hot water bottle and brandy were invaluable! Wanted to walk in the Madonie as well as enjoy the seaside. Generous grants have been given to Sicilians restoring their ancient homes on the understanding that for a limited period, homes are open to paying guests. Agriturismo Santa Sofia is such a place. Solid stone guest rooms are offered to those happy to freeze inside whilst snow falls outside. How could we have got it so wrong? We trusted the website. Bella had a winter wonderland walk.
CEFALU Good beach and Corso Ruggero has lots of appeal. For chocolates and good Sicilian wine, try Torre Fazione no.120. Tourists recommended Hotel Santa Lucia above town. Visited Duomo of San Salvatore and cloisters. Path to La Rocca & Tempio di Diana closed Nov. Lunch at Kentia Via N.Botta excellent.
SANTO STEFANO DI CAMASTRA Small, friendly town. Wandered through the museum walking across painted tiled floors. Bought some beautiful, finely painted ceramics and as you approach from the autostrada there are 3 factories off the roundabout, recommend Frantantoni.
Capo Orlando Soaking wet after walking Bella, found warm bar and fell into conversation with Benedetto. Speaking Italian made such a difference to our holiday. We wanted lunch. He led the way to simple restaurant L’Ambasciata dei Nebrodi.
To Messina and the ferry. We did not see signs but should have left autostrada at Bocchetta exit for the terminal. Costly error. It’s a toll road and we went to Tremestri, signs for commercial vehicles to ferry. Driving suburbs of Messina takes nerve!
Crossed to the mainland, sad to leave, hoping to return. Without Bella we would not have explored “the other Sicily” nor would we have chatted to old men remembering their days out hunting with such a dog. Goethe was right “To have seen Italy without having seen Sicily is not to have seen Italy at all, for Sicily is the clue to everything.”