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Italy, Sicily day 5 Villa Igiea, Palermo, and Cefalu

Today was a day full of changes. From modern to ancient, from parking anxiety to “no problem”, from pampered to “the rock”. The constant throughout? Sicily’s seashore and wonderful cuisine.

The View from Our Hotel Room, Villa Igiea

colazione

We leave today for Cefalu with mixed feelings. We would love to stay longer, but it is time to push on. We slept through the night again and awoke refreshed. The “cold” was still in my nasal passages and not too bad. We packed then went to breakfast, this time we took the elevator.

Breakfast is Served under the White Awnings

It was a moderately warm day; the patio was open and bustling. I walked to a table being setup. “No, this table is taken. I’ll set one up for you. Go to the buffet.” , which we did. I chose a croissant, wanting to eat a light breakfast. Ellen made a comment about eating healthy… Back to “our” table in the sun and it was taken. A fellow had placed a book on the table. “Mi dispace” and another table was setup, this time not in the sun. Bummer with an incipient cold. Still my croissant and macchiato doppio were excellent. Ellen had a more healthy breakfast of fruit and a cappuccino.

We took our bags down toward the front desk to ask about Ellen’s flat iron and to check out. She had left it with them to see if it could be resuscitated. The bellboy in the lobby came running to us to take our bags. It seems any time you try to do something for yourself, the staff puts an end to that immediately.

Palermo & Parking

Parking Palermo Style, Our Volvo is 2nd Car on the Right

Ellen’s flat iron was kaput. “Where could we buy a replacement?” “On via Ruggiero Settimo”, which Via della Liberta becomes just past Teatro Massimo. We knew exactly where that street was, we were there yesterday. I planned on getting a SIM card this morning, this time bringing my passport along. We asked about parking again, knowing there were two pay parking areas close to via Liberta. “No, only one is outsize the ZTL, you cannot use the other.” That was a crucial bit of information. Off we drove retracing yesterday’s steps at a rapid pace. Passing the farmacia, Ellen said, “Let’s get more vitamin C.” “Ok”, I said thinking, “crap, finding parking here is not going to be fun”. A right turn and a left and there was a spot on the corner below a parking sign that was open. Wow, we found parking in less than 4 minutes! Ellen was concerned, “Maybe this is not a valid parking spot. We could be towed.” It looked good to me, off we went for our vitamin. The car was there with no ticket on the windshield. One down.

Continuing on we next had to find parking nearer Via della Liberta. We needed to stop to check our map. This time two left turns took us to a cull de sac. Lots of cars were double parked, I pulled in behind one. While I was checking the map, Ellen said, “there’s some guy with a vest coming toward us. He’ll want us to move.” He walked past, motioned that we were ok where we were, and he moved a car so another could get out. We had found the parking area. I paid the attendant two euros, he moved some cars, and we had ourselves a primo parking spot. Ever concerned, Ellen wondered if we could park there until 14:00. “No problem” I said. Often that attitude gets me in trouble. Two down.

TIM, SIM, Torquemada

Valentina, TIM is Very Lucky to Have Her

It turns out we had parked three blocks from the TIM shop that has “my” SIM card. Ii took a number to wait my turn and Ellen went off to purchase the Italian handbag she saw the day before. She completed her purchase long before I was served. “il numero quarantotto,” “Parli Inglese?” “No” But the fellow handed us off to Valentina Cavara who did. It took an interminable time to sort out which of TIM’s special offers was best for us, then have the SIM car programmed and inserted in my iPhone. I had read that the 6 and 6S would work with international SIM cards and did not need to be unlocked. WRONG! The SIM card simply would not work. What to do? “I can purchase a phone. Do you have one that’s not expensive?”. “Yes. You would not want to buy an iPhone they are far to expensive.” We went through the whole SIM card configuration again, but this time for a new smart phone that Valentina sold with her employee discount (!!). Valentina also programmed a second SIM card which she said was a very special deal. For three months we would have unlimited cellular data on this SIM, but no calling. We left with a working local Italian phone number. Even with the new cell phone, our cost was far less than we would pay through ATT for two months. I am not happy with ATT’s pricing. Anyway; Three and Four down.

One of the Piazzas We “Discovered” on our Search

We still have Ellen’s flat iron and comfortable walking shoes for Ellen to go. We walked via Ruggiero Settimo and asked shopkeepers where we might find a flat iron. It was fun and funny, did we want a salon to have Ellen’s hair done? We were directed to Via Roma, Palermo’s third shopping area. We saw outstanding historic fountains, statues, churches, monuments but no flat iron and no sneakers to Ellen’s liking. On the bright side, it was early enough to have lunch at Torquemada. They had been closed yesterday, but they were open now. We ordered an appetizer of Five Diminutive Sicilian Sandwiches, think sliders done Sicilian style without the beef, and a mini pizza. The sandwiches were great, the pizza was just OK. Lunch: Five down.

It was not late enough that we could not possible check-in with Laura in Cefalu. No Problem, I dialed her on my new phone and rescheduled. It worked! Heading back to the car, Ellen stopped into a shop that had sneakers that she liked, that fit, and that were comfortable. In the space of five minutes (literally) she had her sneakers. Six down!

Palermo, Driving Again

We found the car parked just where we left it and (luckily) not parked in. Driving out of Palermo, heck driving anywhere in Palermo, is a challenge. It can be fun, if you adopt “the right” and rather strange attitude toward driving. It’s a Dr Jekyll & Mr. Hyde kind of thing. Following the GPS out of the city was no problem. Negotiating the traffic is the problem. It took us the better part of an hour. Again I called Laura and pushed our meet out another hour.

Even the autostrada was packed getting out of town. About an hour into our drive, I noticed the NAV displaying Messina 17km. WHAT? That cannot be right, Messina cannot possibly be 17km away. I pulled off the autostrada to check our location, parked, and verified that we could not possibly have passed Cefalu. Pulling out to turn around, I noticed a car pulling out behind me. No problem, there’s plenty of room, then BEEEEEEEEP. I stopped as a car stopped just to my left then pulled past. The rear passenger, a man, made the typical Italian gesture of “you stupido”: holding his hand, fingers together and pointed up, while raisin and lowering the hand at the wrist. So, around and back on the autostrada we went. We found Cefalu, but the Nav system guided us uphill and away from the town!

Between Sky and Sea & Laura

Sweet Laura

“This can’t be right,” Ellen said flatly. She was correct. We switched to my new phone and Google maps to save us. And it did to a point. Google maps doesn’t know from pedestrian areas or ZTL’s and repeatedly guided us up streets inaccessible to us. We went round and round a few times until I just parked and we walked.

Laura was waiting for us outside the building when we arrived late; very late. “Where’s your car?” I explained how we went round and round then parked. She was gracious about it. We all agreed GPS can be crazy.

From the Top looking Down

The Living Room is Small and Cozy

I like booking properties with a view when I can. In Italy this often means on the top floor and usually without an elevator. Our Cefalu rental is no exception. There are 64 steep steps from the doorway to the apartment. We get our exercise that way. (aside, I just heard the frutta e verdura monger outside. Every morning in Cefalu he calls out about the wonderful fruit or vegetables he has for sale. He sells to local merchants. We can buy directly from him at his price. It’s quintessential Italy)

Looking East

Driving Cefalu, a Lighthearted Challenge

I asked Laura about local coffee shops and restaurants that she would recommend, she gave us the keys, and off she went. She had shown us how to drive to the apartment. We decided to schlep our bags and keep the car where it was, a ten minute walk away. We dropped our bags and headed out to find a bite and explore Cefalu.

Duomo Pizzeria & Ristorante

Just around the corner is the Duomo and its piazza. We were famished and settled on Pizzeria Ristorante Duomo Serio not knowing what to expect. Cefalu is very much like Taormina. It has the same feel, though it lacks the open air Greek Amphitheater that is Taormina’s hallmark. Not surprisingly, the Germans like Cefalu almost as much as they like Taormina. German is the third most common language among the restaurants. The maitre D asked if we spoke German, “Ma no”, then were were from. We were seated and as often happens we chose the same entre for dinner, freshly made cheese ravioli with a tomato sauce, fresh basil, and hazel nuts. Our waiter suggested I switch to fresh cheese ravioli with porcini mushrooms. That was fine with me! I don’t know how the Italians do it, but each pasta dish we have had was cooked perfectly with a perfect combination of flavors and seasoning. The ravioli was outstanding.

A Typical Narrow Street and Yes, Locals Drive It

We strolled down the narrow street from the piazza to #9, our “home”, climbed the 64 steps, and figured out how to use the heater. The apartment was cool and with my illness, some warmth was called for. The bedroom heater worked great. I couldn’t figure out how to work the kitchen/dining room heater. (later I found a separate control for that unit = problem solved.) We both slept through the night.

Cefalu

Cefalu is an ancient city located at the base of “the rock”. The rock is a round stone outcropping that stands many meters high with impressive cliffs all the way around. After the fall of the Roman empire, the people relocated to the top of the rock to avoid marauding pirates and Turks (and Turkish pirates too). The fortifications atop The Rock are impressive and include massive walls nearly two meters thick, a crenelated wall atop the rock,, a castle, and huge cisterns. With food and water the rock withstood many sieges. Eventually the population moved back down to the sea and Storico Cefalu was built over time.

A View Past the Duomo to The Rock and Crenelated Wall

Cefalu is isolated on the north shore of Sicily about an hour’s drive from Palermo, perhaps two hours from Messina. It is the only Tourist draw on this stretch of the north shore. It is overlooked as a tourist destination, which saves it. The locals live their lives in and around the tourists, many of whom are Italian too. There are some trinket shops and a few sea side vendors selling their ware, but nobody is pushy. We were only accosted once. A woman carrying a child asked for money, I said, “ma no” (but no) and that was that. Cefalu has maintained Its Italian roots. The endless sea of poorly made souvenir crap so prevalent in Rome or Venice is missing here. You get the sense that people are enjoying living in Cefalu and that tourism, while important, is not what Cefalu is about.

The view from Top of the Rock

So what is Cefalu “all about”? It depends. Come find out for yourself.

Italy, Sicily day 3 Segesta, Mondello, Villa Igiea, PART 2.

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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.

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.

Italy, Sicily day 3 Segesta, Mondello, Villa Igiea, PART 1.

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Ellen enjoyed our meal at Serisso 47. She enjoyed the John Dory and thought the desert was fabulous. Here are a few photos of Serisso 47. The owner/chef did greet us and present the specials of the day and presented us with a “fish cart” describing the various fish we could select that night.

Serisso 47 is quite appealing inside with its vaulted ceilings

Which Fish would you like, Bream? John Dory?

Ellen liked the appetizer so much she asked for another! 2 more arrived

Desert mango cream custard with caramelized pistachio nuts

Corso Vittoreo Emanuele at 12:30 AM.

Note Lun-Gio 05:30-08:00 and the tow sign!

Viale Regina Elena is the road that runs along the marina and ferry buildings in Trapani. It has ample pay parking. It is where we parked Sunday for free. However, the street has restricted parking between 5:30am and 8:00am. Monday – Thursday the “land” side of the street restricts parking for street cleaning. The “sea” side restricts parking Wednesdays – Fridays. Signs state that cars will be towed even if they have a valid parking ticket.

Last night I moved our car from the land side to the sea side so that it would not be towed today, Monday. This morning I had to purchase a parking ticket before 8:00 am that was good through 10:00, our checkout time. It is no problem purchasing a ticket at a kiosk. 2 euros is good for three hours. Getting out of bed and out of the apartment was the problem.

The marina esplanade,

Today was cold and blustery as I exited the apartment. The car was just as I had left it. Finding parking on the other side of the street at 7:30 AM was a breeze. This morning was magnificent. There were gray storm clouds over the mountains, white billowing clouds closer in, and sun streaming through the clouds where it could. Did I bring a camera or smart phone? No.

Leaving for Segesta. Where did everybody go?

I hustled back, grabbed my camera, and hurried back to find the lighting had changed. I took some photos and walked back a circuitous route. Today, Monday, all the local cafes were open and overflowing with early morning customers on their way to work. In fact the streets that yesterday seemed deserted were hard to cross with the cars zooming around, carving a lane wherever they could.

Not packing for the airport makes checking out simpler. Checkout was as simple as leaving the keys in a hopper by the door and leaving. We left a tip for the cleaners and 10 euros for the two bottles of surprisingly good wine Alessandra left in the apartment for us.

By now working the Volvo’s Italian Nav system had become “easy”, we sort of. Most of the directions (all in Italian) are direct enough. Prepare to turn left. Take the 3rd exit in the roundabout. But every now and then at a crucial juncture out pops a stream of words that to me are indecypherable.

I dialed in “points of interest” Segesta, and off we went. Italian roads are very well maintained, well designed, and have excellent signage, “mostly”. It is extremely easy to speed, most Italian’s do and it is not just the guys! Probably the worst cases of rude drivers cutting me off or getting creative with lanes in the city are women.

On the Road to Segesta at 120 kph.

Driving to Segesta (SE JEST-a) was fun. Whether it was the exhilaration of speed, the beauty of the countryside, the ruins of old hilltop villas, or keeping an eye out for the occasional very high speed driver, the drive went by quickly. There was one instance where the Nav system went “bonkers” spewing out a bunch of Italian words. I was tooling along at 120 kph when the road head branched. The lane I was in turned right to who knows where. The left lane headed on to Palermo and Segesta. II would have turned into the left lane, but a car behind me and in the left lane was closing fast. I braked well ahead of decision time and noticed that the car behind was making room so I zipped right and off toward Segesta I went. I only which I knew what the Nav system was “saying” to warn me about that!

We took the turnoff for Segesta (SE JES ta) came up, I took it. Ellen and I agreed that if it was raining, we wouldn’t “do it”. The road to the parking lot is twisty, but short. At the end there were three huge tourist busses parked and a small open gate to get into the parking lot. In we went and we parked. The rain that had been off and on, was off. We popped out, put on our rain gear, and cameras in hand we headed to the biglietteria. The walk to the temple is up a short trail. It is a feat of ancient engineering. The temple is more worn and I think it is smaller than Agrigento’s. The Greek city states and later the Roman Empire were the foundations for modern civilization. For me visiting these relics of antiquity is akin to coming home (strange, but true). It stirs my imagination.

Temple of Segesta built ~420 BC by the Elymian people.

Those busses were not for your typical tourist. They took busloads of middle school children on an outing. One fellow was giving a lecture to his students in French. Most others were Italian. In fact nearly all the tourists were Italians. There were a few German speakers; a few English speakers, but the dominant language was Italian. It felt good to know that the significance of these monuments to Italy’s greatness will not be lost. Often you will see graffiti scrawled on derelict historic buildings. It is hard for me to comprehend, though I recognize the teen aged rebellion of my youth.

Segesta, the View Walking Back from the Amphitheater

The wild flowers around the temple were in full bloom. Spring has arrived in northern Sicily. Did we want to walk to the amphitheater? It was a 1200+ meter walk. The Greeks build their amphitheaters high up in hills to be close to the Gods. I think they were performing for the Gods. I knew the “walk” to the amphitheater would be a slog, and in the rain as well. The wind blew hard over the ridge sometimes driving the rain hard too. In some places there were rivers of water flowing down the road and mud to contend with on the trail. It took a while to reach the theater, which was nestled in a bowl out of the wind. The French teacher stood center stage and spoke to his students who stood at the top row of the amphitheater. We could hear every word he spoke, the acoustics are that good in the ancient Greek theaters. We left him talking to his shivering students as we began our walk down to the car. The view of the temple from high up in the hill is remarkable.

Spring in Segesta, Sicily

Happy Wife!

The Old and the New.

At the car I dialed in Mondello in the Nav system. Mondello is roughly 6 km north of Palermo. Our friend whom we met on the flight into Palermo recommended that we stop there. We chose to skip Castellammare del Golfo and Scopello, which are off the autostrade and a bit out of the way.

Planning for Spring in Italy

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Today Rick Steves, ” A Pocket Guide to Florence” arrived in the mail.

Last year we visited Rome ahead of a Seabourn cruise of the Greek Islands. The cruise landed in Venice, where we met our friends, Markus and Alexandra, before moving on to Florence for four days. We absolutely loved the Greek Islands and Italy. We vowed to return to Italy for an extended stay. We also hope to do some island hopping in Greece, but on another trip. For us, a return trip to Italy came first.

Today, thinking back on our last Italian sojourn, Florence stands out as the place to stay for an extended time. Rome and Venice are outstanding. We had a wonderful time learning how to live in both cities; walking the streets seeing the piazzas, seeing world renound art in museums and discovering lesser known ones. We both enjoy taking chances on trattorias with an occasional forgettable experience. Rome and Venice are perhaps the most stunning cities in the world. In spite of all that, for us, Florence felt like home.

I remembered vividly two Florentine restaurants where we had lunch.Unfortunately I did not remember their names and couldn’t locate them on a detailed map. But… looking back over our Florence blog, I found one is “Il Barroccio”. I remember that the other is closer to the Giardino della Gherardesca and the Four Seasons Hotel. There it was in our blog: Trattoria Cibreo. Many other restaurants were memorable for service or for their location. These two restaurants were unassuming and served the most wonderful dishes.

This trip first lands us in Palermo, Sicily where we rent a car and drive the north shore of Sicily to Messina. From Messina we take a ferry and train to Salerno. From Salerno we self-tour Capri, Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi, and Ravello before renting a car for a month at Salerno. From Salerno we drive the coast visiting Paestum, Pompeii, Torre del Greco, Erculo, Bacoli, Gaeta, and Sperlonga before turning inland toward Tivoli. We will visit some of the castle towns of Velletri, Genzano, Ariccia, Albano, Laziale, Castel Gandolfo, or Frascati then stop in Tivoli. The road from Tivoli to Orvieto runs near Calcata and Bagnoregio. From Orvieto we drive to Florence. All our lodging for this eighteen day trip as well as our six weeks in Florence is now booked and confirmed.

Booking accommodations was amusing if sometimes frustrating. I used bookings.com, homeaway.com, tripadvisor.com, and hotels.com. Often a listing was common to all with different prices. Sometimes one site would have a listing the others did not. Where prices differed, some included the taxes and fees in the price, some included just fees or just taxes, some included neither. The least expensive listing often was acutally the most expensive after fees and taxes. We booked six stays through bookings.com, four through homeaway.com, three through TripAdvisor, and two through hotels.com. We booked our stay at the Villa Igiea, Palermo directly.

We would book our connections now, but it is not possible to do so online. Train tickets can only be booked 120 days in advance and the 2017 ferry schedules are not yet avaiable online. Then too, it may be better not to book ahead to avoid missing a connection.

What a marvelous adventure awaits.

Here are some stock photos that present the scope of our travels from Palermo to Florence.

Lavenzo