The following was a 2 week trip by car in Sicily in March, 2009. We like Italy in March & October as it is not the height of tourist season & most times need not make a hotel reservation in advance so can arrive in a town & check out a hotel & stay 1, 2 , 3 days etc. if we like the town, restaurants, hotel etc. Prices are more reasonable, there are no lines at tourist attractions & the weather is pleasant, about 50-60 F. I take the Celsius of 10-15 & double it and add 30 & you get a very close accurate Farenheit. On the days when it rains, go to the museums. An Italian dialect is spoken in Sicily but I recommend you do try and speak a little Italian, bring a dictionary at least, as English is not spoken as much as in the big cities of Rome, Florence, Venice etc. as these are the principal tourist destinations in Italy and I believe it's not only due to the Americans but mostly the heavy influx of British tourists that influenced the hotels/restaurants etc. in these cities to have some Italian personnel speak English. Needless to say, non-native English speaking tourists, French, German, Chinese, Japanese etc. are spoken to in English.

Like much of Southern Italy, my roots are the sole (father born in Calabria) & the heel( La Puglia) of the boot, many ethnic groups once had control of this island as they did in the Southern mainland. My maternal Grandparents & many Aunts & Uncles were born in Castellanetta, La Puglia, which was the birthplace of Rudolph Valentino. Humorously and partly true, many people who come from this small village claim to be relatives of this famous lover and I delight in telling friends that my good looks are evidence of this(HA!). From my study of history I've learned that the Phoenicians/ Cathaginains sailed to Sicily from Carthage(100 miles away or so in North Africa). The Greeks too colonized the island leaving some of the most beautiful & best preserved temples at Agrigento, Selinunte and Segesta and also planted the island's first olive trees and grape vines. Roman amphitheaters can be found in Taormina & Siracusa along with Christain Catacombs in the latter city. The Arabs have not left much structurally as the Normans tore down practically everything of Arab culture but they did introduce carobs, date-palms, citrus trees, jasmines and melons. The Swabians, a Germanic people, built castles. The French briefly were in control but were replaced by the Spanish(Aragonese) who built magnificent homes and Palazzi(main squares of towns) scattered all over the island. The Normans really are most responsible for some of Sicily's most spectacular architectural treasures, Cathedrals & Churches. In later years, perhaps Rome's most infamous contribution came in fostering great land ownership that was held by very few which repressed and impoverished the populace which ultimately led to the creation of secret societies aimed at destroying the few privileged wealthy landlords. These groups were called Maffia !!!

We had been in Sicily already 2 time before this recent trip. One time on a cruise, in one day we toured Messina(most heavily bombed city in Sicily in WW2 & Taormina). On another trip we intended to do the 2 week itinerary we just did but after only 3 days in Palermo the truck drivers called a strike protesting high taxes on Gasoline & they blocked the Benzina stations. "Sebbene ho accentato che ero soltanto un turista ed ho avuto pietà per la loro causa ", although I stressed I was only a tourist and had compassion for their cause, they tended to get violent inhibiting me from continuing my pleading sales pitch for a tank of gas-they did have gas and I managed as I speak Italian but I believe it was more the 20 Euro that enabled me to get a small container, maybe 1/2 Gallon, so fortunately, still with maybe 1/8 of a tank we got to the port and took the ferry to Naples.

You will need a car after Palermo so I wish to give some driving advice. We go to Italy yearly and have experience driving there & we find Palermo, perhaps, the most hazzardous but my description that follows applies to most big cities in Italy. There do not seem to be any marked lanes-it is an enigma to me why there are not more accidents-there seems to be sensors on cars avoiding collisions. I'm reminded of my childhood with small/toy electric cars going helter skelter every which way & drivers scamper to any open spot. On the rotaries is really an experience as there are sometimes 4-5 unmarked lanes and you finally see a directional sign(among 20+ signs each about 2 feet wide and 6 inches deep)and find it was located exactly at the turn I was to take but was in the middle lane thus we needed circle many times to get over to the correct turning lane. The driver & passenger both need to be working hard on directions but mostly the passenger as the driver needs be very alert. Sometimes if you miss a turn you need go many blocks/ miles out of the way to return so despite cars honking, slow down to read the signs-yup, I know, risking rear end collision too ! Many times too the signs were covered by tree branches and I've wondered why the Carabinieri, one of many law enforcement organizations, usually traveling in pairs in very decorative uniforms with many medals-hmmm what was the military campaign-whose only function I felt was to answer tourist questions didn't go out and cut the branches. When you are on the autostrada, pickup and speed is essential. One thing the Italians do which I like and it's the way my Father taught me to drive and that is only to pass in the left lane whereas here in the States especially California, drivers pass in any lane. The problem in Italy is that it seems there are more Trailer trucks than cars on the highways and sometimes there's a string of 5+ of them some 2-3 feet apart( no tail gating law I assume) and you albeit traveling about(120-130 kilometers) 85-90 miles per hour look in rearview mirror and see no car approaching so pass and at about the 3rd truck, an Alfa Romeo probably at 100miles+ is blinking lights as it wants to pass but it's a 2 lane highway and your foot is to the floor yet the idiot continues to bright light you 2-3 feet from your fender which becomes very annoying and dangerous. Does it only seem so to me that the highway lanes seem narrower in Italy than in the states ? Not once did I every see a Police vehicle stop a car for speeding & I felt it was because they couldn't catch them.

PALERMO , and other parts of Italy too, have an astonishing graffiti problem. In US we are quite used to seeing graffiti, but not on elegant buildings hundreds or even thousands of years old. As a tourist, I found it hard to grasp how such beautiful architecture and historic landmarks can be taken for granted in such a casual way as to think nothing of defacing them. Don't know why they don't make the penalty so severe as to at least mitigate this disgraceful practice? I asked why and was told it gives the young people a chance to express themselves. Don't see this so much in France...wonder what the teenagers do there to express themselves. Much of the art/design is really quite unsightly. Also, there must not be a "Pooper Scooper Law "as excrement was a hindrance especially at night on dimly lighted streets as one strolled needing to look down frequently and I wanted to look up at the stars & moon ! There are many pickpockets in Palermo, as in any large city, so the risks and dangers of theft made us become very careful with our money and documents. Even saw the warning sign in Italian & English at some churches to be aware of pickpockets.

You should, of course, put into Google the following towns & sites of interest for more info:

MESSINA

...although it's only about 1/2 hour from Taormina, I don't recommend going to this quagmire of a city but if you do, the main attraction & really only one of interest is the Bell Tower and Astronomical Clock.


TAORMINA

...Volcanic Mount Etna and the Ionian Sea provide the cinema-worthy backdrop for Taormina, Sicily's legendary resort town claiming to be its most attractive. Twisting medieval streets and a second-century Greek theater add to its romantic air, which inspired the writings of D.H. Lawrence and Truman Capote. Take a cable-car to the nearby beaches or while away an afternoon on the car-free Corso Umberto I, the main shopping street. Panoramic views await those who stroll uphill behind the Church of St. Joseph to the village of Castelmola. I don't know if one needs spend more than 2-3 nights here but if hotel reservations are made then use it as a base. It's a lovely hill town but as we've been to others, Positano, Capri etc., we are a bit jaded and the pedestrian walk way is loaded with Armani, Gucci, Gelato, Pasticeria facilities as are they all. The view of Mt. Etna is awesome & sort of like Mt. Shasta(California) and Mt. Hood(Oregon), it can be seen 100 miles away. We stayed in the San Domenico Palace & it's worth a visit to walk through the old monastery & cloisters. Also, have a drink there & watch the sunset. Many restaurants but a nice upscale one is La Capinera (chef Pietro D'Agostino). We, personally, found there were too many other sights to see in Sicily so 2 days here for us was enough.

Catania

...as per Messina no need to drive into this industrial port city but if you do, the "Centro Storico" (historic center) maybe of interest.

Siracusa

...at least maybe a full day but main attraction is walking around the "centro storico", historic center, of Ortygia Island which fits into Greek mythology. This was once one of ancient Greece’s most important cities. Today Syracuse (Siracusa in Italian) is a lively town of about 125,000 on Sicily’s southeast coast. The city overflows with amazing remnants from its long history. Romans, Vandals and Normans are but a few of those who ruled here after the Greeks. In Syracuse’s harbor, Ortygia Island (also called Città Vecchia or Old City) is the site of many of the main attractions-GOOGLE for specifics !!! This island figures into Greek mythology. Syracuse is such an important sight, you could even schedule even another full day here and not see everything.

There are 2 one way bridges going to this island, one goes in, the other goes out. Good Restaurants: Jonico at Riviera Dioisio il Grande 194 & L'Ancora via Perno 7 on the Island . Going in, the first street on the right facing boats & the harbor is a nice not fancy inexpensive seafood restaurant, Ristorante La Rambla.


If you do stay in Siracusa for 2-3 days, it's a good base to visit on a one day swing these 3 towns:

Ragusa

...about 50 miles from Siracusa. It's located in a Ravine but the main attraction is its historic core.

Noto

...about 40 miles from Siracusa but only about 30 from Ragusa is Sicily's grandest Baroque town & you must see Palazzo Villadorata on the Via Corrado Nicolaci with its iron balconies and cerubs.

Modica

---within a 1/2-3/4 hour from either Ragusa or Noto and another wonderful Baroque town & it's famous for CHOCOLATES.

From your base either in Taormina or Siracusa, you must see the following:

Piazza Armerina (probably 50-75 miles from Taormina or Siracusa)


...Villa Romana del Casale ( UNESCO World Heritage Site) one of the greatest and best preserved of all the Villas to have survived from the days of Imperial Rome & Piazza Amerina, reknowned for its richest, largest and most complex collection of Roman mosaics in the world. Google this for more info.

Another must and can probably be done while based in Palermo(by car):

Agrigento & the Valley of The Temples (probably under 100 miles from Palermo driving from North to South but I would recommend an overnight in Agrigento). Wonderful hotel, Best Western Hotel Kaos. Google for info:

This area has the best Greek Temples we've seen outside of Athens. Valle dei Templi is one of the greatest sights left of the ancient world. The most majestic temples are the Temple of Juno, the Temple of Concord, and the Temple of Hercules. I suggest a return visit at night when these temples are lit, one of the most evocative sights of Sicily. If you have the time, two minor sights include the 13th-century church, Abbazia di Santo Spirito, and the Museo Regionale Archeologico.

Right south is Porto Empedocle, where Patton first landed in WW2 but east about 5-10 miles is the quaint beach town of San Leone with many seafood restaurants. One we liked was Il Pescatore, Lungomare falcone e borsellino, 20 - San leone

Other Greek Ruins sites are Selununte(about 70 miles from Agrigento) and Segesta(about 50 miles from Palermo).

I would not concern yourselves with the 2 west coast towns of Sicily, Marsala & Trapani-unless you have family roots there-as there are very few historical attractions & towns are ports & industrial.

South of Palermo about 50-75 miles is the town of Corleone, as per Don Corleone in the Godfather Movies.
Not a lot to see in this town but we went into a Cafe & thought there'd be a stigma but they had movie posters very proudly all over the walls. We did this drive again but as it's rainy season all is green(terrain like Ireland/Scotland) but we did it one time in October and the countryside was deserty & all was brown like in the movie.

PALERMO
... we stayed at the Excelsior Hilton which was a good location to walk the Via Della Liberta, sort of like the Champs Elysee, Via Veneto or 5th Avenue in NY with its upscale shops, cafes & restaurants. Before I forget, BAR ALUIA was one of our favorite spots for Cappuchinos, Gelatos & even lunch where we visted frequently.
http://www.aluia.it/. Nearby we loved BYBLO's DrinkEmotion on Via Simione Corleo 2 for dinner. Owner & his family very nice, Giovanni Bevilacqua & Emanuela Guccione. http://www.byblosdrinkemotion.com/

One cannot be in Palermo without visiting the magnificent Monreale Duomo, or cathedral, 10km (6 miles) southwest of Palermo. Dating from 1174, the cathedral in this hilltop town of Monreale represents the zenith of art and architecture from the Arab-Norman school. A Taxi will be probably 40-50 Euro each way but worth it. Just the views from this hilltop are worth it. Entrance to the cloisters has a fee but to the Church there are none. Make sure you find out when it is open before you go. Rather than listing sites, you can naturally use Google but I recommend as I do when people visit SF, Barcelona, Paris, Rome, NY City etc. taking a open air bus tour(hop on & off). We usually do the whole tour as a reconnaissance & then go again & stop & see sights & then get on again as they run every 20-30 minutes. It's a lot cheaper than taking taxis and avoiding your own car, traffic, parking etc. They have audios in English. Also, the tour starts at Piazza Teatro Politeama Garibaldi which is also on the Via Della Liberta. There are 2 tours and we took only one, the one which covered most of the city sites. I especially wanted to visit the Royal Palace and its chapel, claimed to be the most magnificent example of medieval art in this city. Its grandeur impressed General Patton so much that in 1943 he installed his headquarters in this Palace.

http://www.palermo.city-sightseeing.it/eng/index.htm


Cefalù

It is about a hour drive on the autostrada east of Palermo and is a picturesque seaside town beneath a steep mountain & does have winding, narrow, medieval streets. We spent only an afternoon here so no restaurant recommendations & as sunset was about 5pm enjoyed an awesome one. But the real only historical attraction is the must see Norman-Arab-Byzantine twin towered Cathedral on Piazza Duomo. There are ruins of a large fortress & the view from the summit is inspiring. I guess if one has hotel reservations an overnight is OK as there are many seafood restaurants in the Harbor Piazza Marina and see the Fishermens' Quarter with old houses on Via Emanuele.

MONDELLO

...as I was born in Maine I love beach towns and this one, as opposed to Cefalu, is only about 15 minutes west of Palermo. It's a fishing village, and you can still see rainbow-colored fishing boats bobbing in the harbor. A good sandy beach stretches for about 2km (1 1/4 miles). We had a wonderful seafood lunch here, many places, and I forgot the name.


ERICE
...west of Palermo about 50-60 miles is this medieval hilltop town. Google it for sites & see if of interest. Also, we drove out to SAN VITO lo CAPO, a penninsula on the NW corner of Sicily-scenic drive, mountains, water & cute little town.

Buon Viaggio !!!


http://www.palermo.city-sightseeing.it/eng/index.htm

We were greeted on both trips by two very nice gentlemen who took the time to tell us about sicily and recommended places to go. We took some of their advice and left very satisifed. Unfortunately on our return trip one of the babies felt sick in the car and cried all the way and he didnt complain at all and gave us time to sort ourselves out with no hurry. We will definately use your dervices again on our next trip to sicily.

We have just returned from a wonderful visit to San Fratello, Sicily, a small village in the Nebrodi Mountains. This was our first non-tour visit, so we had to make all arrangements for transfer from the airport to San Fratello and for any sightseeing we wanted to do. I stumbled across sicilytravel.net searching for airport transfers, and booked our transfers, hoping that everything would work smoothly. I am delighted to be able to say that the service was exceptional; I had a great deal of correspondence with Michele Gallo prior to our arrival in Sicily, and he took care of everything for us; our driver was at the airport when we stepped off the plane, was polite, professional, and spoke excellent English. We arranged a day tour to Tindari, and had the great good fortune of Paolo, who is also a tour director, so we had essentially a private tour of the Greek ruins and the cathedral. On our last day, our driver was Salvo, also a tour director, who gave us an incredible amount of history on our drive back to Palermo, plus checked with the airlines to see if we would be able to bring the gifts of homemade cheese, salami, and pancetta on our flight to Budapest (yes, we could!). I would highly recommend Sicily Travel for those like myself who are not interested in driving in Sicily; we hope to return next year, and will definitely book with Sicily Travel again.

October is an excellent time to visit Sicily, throughout our week we had great weather, clear motorways and the beaches and archaeological sites were uncrowded.

The Mahara Hotel is an easy hour’s drive on the well-maintained motorway from Palermo, and the signposting from the off-ramp takes you right to the front door of the hotel. The staff were very friendly and helpful. Our room was ‘Spartan-chic’ but acceptable. When we asked to move to a room with a balcony the next morning the receptionist was very obliging (We should have read previous reviews, second floor rooms, despite a better view, do not have a balcony)

The hotel is modern, quite spartan but well laid out. The rooms are clean, the staff are great, it’s well located, the breakfast isn’t too inspiring.

The hotel seemed at best quarter full, so we had the pool to ourselves. Likewise, unfortunately, the bar. We had to search out staff to man the bar on the two occasions we wanted a drink in the hotel. They always left after they had served us, once even locking the outer door as if to prevent further customers.

The downside of this was that the few guests there were often entertained in their rooms, which was noisy on a couple of occasions as the walls are thin. Footsteps and chair-scraping on the stone floors became quite grating.

We only saw diners in the restaurant on one occasion.

The town is an easy 10 minute stroll away, great restaurants (try the Squirrel, on the sea front, just beyond the gardens, for superb local food.) The times when the locals eat varies a lot. Sunday is a very popular evening, Wednesday seemed very quiet. If you want fine dining, Sicilian style, go to Il Pescatore, the receptionist at the hotel will book it for you, it’s not far. There is a modern restaurant called Siqillya on the right hand side of Corso Umberto 1, which had just opened but shows promise.

You need a car. Don’t even think about taxis, the receptionist just laughed when I enquired.

For days out, - A short drive off the motorway toward Palermo, turn off at Castelvetrano and follow signs to Selinunte. The Greek ruins are brilliant and the beach and restaurants close by at Marinella are great.

Erice, the 750m high hilltop town is further up the motorway, but worth it. Again, this time of year the traffic is light. Incidentally, the A roads are not as stress-free as the motorways – you have been warned.

In the same direction as Erice, the Greek temple and ampitheatre at Segesta are really worth a visit.

Sicily is a lovely country, the people are friendly although few speak English. The one downside is they have little civic pride, especially near the towns. We watched people tip waste straight on to the beach. It looked as if the town council plough the rubbish in every so often. In consequence you would definitely not go onto the beach opposite the hotel (we also suspected there was a sewage outlet close by.) Although there was work going on to suggest improvement of the beach area.

That having been said, the Hotel is a great centre for a holiday at this time of year. If we went to this part of Sicily again we would definitely stay there, although I might invest in a better pair of earplugs next time.