Driving In Italy

Even planning to limit driving to a few hours max,, there simply is not enough time in two days stopover to do “everything”.  Key to enjoying travel is choosing what to do wisely and not cramming too much into a series of whirlwind days.  Take the time to absorb a place and its memories will take root.

I had really wanted to visit Scopello and Castelmarre del Golfo, but realistically there just wasn’t enough time.  Similarly I had wanted to take the hydrofoil from Trapani to Levanzo and  Iisola Favignana, two of the Egadi Islands.  We would have been miserable with the weather that day.  Even walking the Segesta ruins, we agreed if it rained we would turn back.  It rained’’; we kept going.

The drive to Mondello took a bit over an hour.  I passed two cars along the way and was passed innumerable times.  The road and the car were screaming, “go faster”, which I did. Even so, I was one of the slower drivers; one eye on the road ahead and one eye on the upcoming traffic that appeared out of nowhere.

First Experience of Mondello

Driving into Mondello went from pristine highway to narrow streets, cars and motorbikes parked haphazardly, and extremely aggressive drivers (so I thought, then there’s Palermo).  Mondello’s traffic was a step up from Trapani.  I was prepared.

At the Waterfront, Mondello

To successfully negotiate Italian cities, the driver must forget courteously almost all toogether.  There are times when it makes sense, but give an inch and ten drivers will zip buy bumper to bumper.  Be aggressive, it’s safer than being timid!

Mondello

Mondello Waterfront

We rounded a bend and there was the bay with crystal clear water and the mountains dropping in to the sea to our right.  The town of Mondello sits on the left side of the bay.  It is a quaint small resort town.  It has the feel of an old fishing village that still fishes, but discovered that Italian vacationers then foreigners pays better.  Mondello is small with a smattering of trinket shops, supermercati, and restaurants.  In April the town was asleep waiting for tourists to arrive in May.

Local Mini-Market, no 7-11 here!

We walked the town looking for supplies, not finding anything for my developing cold (thanks to that coughing couple on the flight from San Francisco).  In Italy, the local minimarkets stock lots of inexpensive fruit and produce.  All Italians can choose to eat well.

Choosing a restaurant was not difficult as most were closed.  We went back to da Caiogero, the only restaurant that was busy.  Of course I ordered a large beer.  The menu said if an item on the menu is not fresh it is highest quality frozen.  That begs the question, is it fresh?  Our waiter stated unequivocally that the small clams that Ellen ordered and the calamaretti that I ordered were indeed fresh.  I love clams, and Ellen’s were fantastico.  I’ve never had calamaretti, but didn’t bother to ask.  Clearly they’re calamari and etti is an Italian diminutive.  Out came a plate of 1” baby calamari.  I don’t think they were breaded.  They were amazing.

Vongole

Calamaretti

 

We were both so pleased with our order, we re-ordered the appetizers and switched plates. Heaven.

The Water is Amazingly Clear.

Palermo is just around the near point.

For the most part the weather in Mondello was blustery and cloudy.  There was a massive downpour while we ate that cleared up sometime before we left.  There’s something about the way the mountains fall into the sea in Northern Sicily and the color of the water in the shallow bays.  Perhaps it’s my heritage (not Sicilian); I don’t know.  To me this is as good as life gets.

More on Driving

The Idyllic Road before Mistakenly Turning Right into City Traffic

Back at the Volvo, I punched in Villa Igiea’s address and we were off.  Driving in Palermo is like driving the Indianapolis 500 at 30 kph: exhilarating, intimidating, exhausting, frustrating, and big fun rolled up into a traffic jam.  If you like to drive, there’s nothing quite like it.  If you do not, don’t drive Palermo.   At one point, we were sitting in the right of two lanes.  The lane I was in could go right or join with the left lane into a single lane ahead.  I planned to go straight, merging with the car beside me (or beating it to the merge) when a horn sounded in annoyance at being held up.  Intimidation got the bests of me and I turned right to get out of the way.  As I turned I noticed the car behind me stop waiting for the light to change to go straight.  Crap, I missed my “turn”.  Now our Nav took us not down the tree-lined direct route to the hotel, ,but on a very busy circuitous (torturous) route. The Italians are very creative in their interpretation of a “lane”.  Sometimes you think you’re in your lane and oncoming traffic thinks you’re in their lane.  Things sort themselves out quickly.

It was a relief to see the entrance to the hotel on our right and I zipped in.

Villa Igiea, Sofitel

A Room with A (limited) View

The hotel was as I remembered it as we walked into the lobby.  A statuesque Italian woman asked, “Prego” and we checked in.  We had an upgrade into the main building, though on the first floor.  The last time we were here we were on the second in a huge bedroom with an equally huge bathroom, both in Italian marble.  Our room was much more modest.  I tried to have the room changed, but a Phillip Morris corporate event was taking place.  No rooms were available.  It would have been nice to be up another floor just for the memories. The next time we come, I’ll ask for “our” room.  The valet unloaded the car, took our bags to our room, and parked the Volvo.  We would not use the car until we left.

Villa Igiea, Palermo Sicily

Villa Igiea is a historic building built recently in 1908.  The hallways are adored with photographs of famous Europeans who have visited,

We walked the grounds.  What a view we had over the marina, across the Bay of Palermo, to the surrounding mountains, before we collapsed into the  comfort of our room.  It was well into dinner time when we walked back downstairs to the dining level.  The stairway, which we prefer to the elevator, opens into the back of the dining hall.  We walked past guests enjoying their dinner, past the maitre’D (ma no, grazie), and into the bar.  The bar is a classic Italian stone affair with an arched ceiling and arched doorways that lead to a glass enclosed patio.  With the blanks provided the unheated patio was comfortable.  We chose to have a light meal of carpaccio and spaghettino di grano duro alla trapanese  (spaghetti with tomato,, basil, pine nuts) at our patio table.

Villa Igiea’s Marina

The Bar, Villa Igiea

Not Your Typical Bar Food, Pasta Trapanese

Carpaccio Crudo di Carne

We fell into bed, happy for where we are and exhausted from what we had done.