Gloria and MarkSep 29, 20191 minCefalu - beach paradise with a pastCefalu, once a fishing village and now a vacation paradise, has a historical past dating to the 1100s which makes it an ideal stopping point for either ending or starting a Sicily trip. Just an hour-and-a-half drive from Palermo's airport, Cefalu sits below the magnificent rock that looms over its cathedral. We decided to stay just outside town at the very comfortable Hotel Kalura,which offers rooms with spectacular sea views, tennis courts, swimming pool and scuba trips. The
Gloria and MarkSep 24, 20192 minErice - settled by Trojan expatsAs our tour guide acknowledged, much of what is taken for fact in the remote mountaintop village of Erice is actually a mix of history and mythology. Visitors willing to suspend belief will love living in the fantasy that envelops this very unique hilltop village in western Sicily. Its location makes it a perfect combination to sightseeing the Greek ruins at Segesta or the Egadi Islands from Trapani. When access to the town was unexpectedly cut off during our visit due to a t
Gloria and MarkSep 23, 20191 minSegesta's Greek and Roman remainsLegend says that the ancient city of Segesta was settled on Mount Barbaro in Western Sicily by the Elimi people, the survivors who fled Troy when it was conquered by the Greeks. On the same site, the Greeks built a a temple that is almost completely intact today. The Romans later built a theater just up the mountainside. Today a visit to the archaeological complex is simplified by bus service for the half-mile trip up from the temple to the theater. The inexpensive shuttle is
Gloria and MarkSep 21, 20192 minAgrigento - Greece in ItalyThe Temple of Concordia is one of the best-preserved Greek buildings in the world. Like most of Sicily, Agrigento has seen its share of invaders and inhabitants over the centuries. Inhabited since pre-historic times, in the mid 500s BC settlers arrived from the eastern Mediterranean and by the mid-5th Century BC a temple complex arose. The Valley of the Temples was built along a mile-long acropolis stretching east to west and looking out at the sea. Today visitors can wander
Gloria and MarkSep 19, 20192 minCastellammare del Golfo, a Mafia town transformedThe sleepy nature of Castellamare del Golfo belies its Mafia past. Fishing boats line the harbor. Some offer excursions to learn about the trade. The streets are full of shops and al fresco seafood restaurants. The Scalinata Porta Marina (Porta Marina Steps) connects the Piazza Castello to the port. We decided to ease our way into our Sicily adventure by spending two days in the sleepy fishing village of Castellammare del Golfo, less than an hour's drive from the Palermo airp
