Terri and Drew, Excellent Sicilian Road Trip

Drew and I were met by Branko and Maggie at Comiso airport on a sunny Saturday afternoon. We quickly got caught up on our way drive to Marina di Ragusa, stopping to provision on the way.

We had planned to make this trip a combined visit on the boat plus side trips around the island, so we settled in on Water Hobo, where we started making plans over a dinner of delicious pizzas from the local pizzeria.

Starting out in Ragusa

The next day, we took a day trip out to Modica, a Unesco heritage town, rich with beautiful colour and architecture. It was a beautiful sunny Sunday, and lots of people and families were taking in the day, walking around. We saw several groups of young men (soccer players perhaps?), dressed in identical team-like sweaters, and a playful group of 4 allowed me to take their picture against the beautiful backdrop of the city rising into the hills. We wandered around, taking in views of the churches and the history, and sampled some chocolate along the way. We continued on to Ragusa Ibla, admiring the baroque style of architecture that had been meticulously restored after a devastating earthquake.

Modica, everyone loves a pic

Modica 

Ibla di Ragusa

Ibla di Ragusa

Back at the boat, we finalized our plans for the next part of our stay – 2 days out to the west coast of Sicily, with Marsala and Erice as our proposed destinations. Driving on the Sicilian roads can be tricky at times, and it takes longer to get around, as most roads are only 2 lanes. We had booked a small apartment through Airbnb, so had a place to stay once we got there.

Sciacca

Sicilian pottery

Entrance to Marsala

On the drive out, we caught some great views of the ancient ruins of Agrigento, but decided that there was not enough time to take them in on this trip. After a brief stop in Sciacca we continued on to the beautiful seaside town of Marsala. We were early for our arrival at our accommodation, so took in a cappuccino and the views of the sea. Our initial attempt to locate the apartment using GPS was futile, but our host Vito was very quick to meet and guide us in. We were thrilled with the lovely setting of the apartment, with orange trees, pretty gardens, and Italian marble completing the scene. We had the use of the owner’s charcoal barbeque, so settled in for an evening of a delicious meal, wine, music (Branko’s guitar), and an ongoing euchre tournament. Maggie and I are in fierce competition against Branko and Drew, and were determined to defend our title….more on this later.

We set out in the morning, with several towns to visit throughout the day. We entered the gates of the old town of Marsala, where the pedestrian-friendly street took us through mainly baroque-style buildings. While I was in the post office, Drew found and photographed a very cool display of vintage WWII motorcycles.

Trapani Windmills

Marsala small boat harbour

On the way to Erice, we made a stop near the Trapani salt flats, where we took some photos of the old still-working windmills. Storm clouds chased us up the winding climb to Erice, and on our arrival were briefly blasted with cold wind and rain. That, of course, provided the perfect opportunity for a stop for a cappuccino and a sweet treat. We had heard so much about the delicious food and sweets of Sicily, and have not been disappointed. The rain cleared away, and we wandered around this pretty town, the cobblestone brick roads adding to the charming atmosphere. There were many displays of local crafts and ceramics along the way.

Branko and Erice cat

Erice Castle

View from Erice castle

A local cat that had been out basking in the sun enjoyed a friendly scratch behind the ears from Branko. As we kept walking, we looked back a few times, and found Branko’s new buddy following along a few steps behind, apparently looking for more, and was happily obliged.

The highlight of Erice came when Branko walked ahead and found an ancient Norman castle. We followed up and were treated to dramatic views of the sea and coastline below. By this time, the clouds had cleared, making the scene even more picturesque.

We wound our way down from Erice and headed to Salemi, our final destination of the day. Salemi is a small working town, and Maggie and I walked and explored a little, while Drew and Branko took a rest stop in the car. During the walk, we found some interesting architecture and ruins. After a brief stop, we went back to the car, bound for another night in our Marsala villa.

In the morning, we started our journey back to the marina, and had decided to take in a couple of the mafia towns on the way back. We stopped first in Corleone, where we had lunch in a park near the city centre. There was a group of Sicilian men sitting together in the park and enjoying the day, and they allowed me to take a photo of them. We also stopped by the town of Prizzi, before heading back to the boat.

Corleone Men

Modica street scene

Trapani harbour

The inland roads were quite challenging at times, and avoiding the “white” roads on the maps was generally the course that we took, since those roads could be rough and unpredictable. That was the case until we met an impassable roadblock on the main road. Rather than double back, Drew ran ahead to check the path of a narrow white road, and other than a significant bump about halfway down, we found our way safely back to a main road…..whew!

Back at the boat, the weather suddenly took centre stage, as steady high winds swooped in. We hunkered down for the duration, making sure that all was secure. The surf that was churned up as a result was quite spectacular. The weather settled down enough after a day or so, allowing for our last road trip of this visit.

Our destinations this time were north and east to Taormina and Catania. Taormina is another Sicilian gem, high on a hill and full of panoramic views. We wandered around the streets, admiring the well-restored buildings and architecture, and the many local shops.

The weather started to turn nasty again, so we headed down to Catania where we would be staying the night. Torrents of rain began to fall, and as it turned out, continued through the night and into the next morning. We settled into our apartment, and continued the euchre tournament, hoping for a decent enough break in the rain to go out for dinner. By now, Branko and Drew had caught and passed us, and were winning by a few games.

Taormina plaza

Terri & Drew, Taormina

Entering Taormina

The rain was not letting up, and hunger prevailed so we finally decided to just go for it. We raced to a quaint little family run restaurant, where the mom (Maria), seated us. Her son Eduardo came and introduced himself to us, and after chatting about his style of cuisine (Roman cooking versus Sicilian), treated us to several delicious homemade pasta dishes.

The next morning, it was still raining, but we decided to swing by the Catania market anyway. A number of vendors were open for business, but many of the market stalls were vacant due to the conditions. Maggie and I were able to get a few photos, and bought some sandwiches and treats for the ride home. We headed back to Ragusa, where there had been a severe storm advisory the evening before It was a relief to find on our return that all was safe.

Terri in Catania

Catania fish market

Our final time back on the boat wound down as we readied for the journey back to Rome and then home. The euchre tournament that night ended with a tie between the boys and the girls…a nice way to end until the next time! Thanks again Maggie and Branko!

Terri and Drew