Karibien
Reged: 04/23/05
Posts: 951
Loc: Sweden
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Hi all
This fall I am thinking of taking my family to Sicily for a week, and would love to hear everything about that little gem café/church/resto/hotel/winery/alley/viewpoint you stumbled on last visit :)
Yes, I have read the previous Sicily-thread, but since it's quite dated I figured it's about time to refresh the subject and maybe hear about new discoveries.
We have a fixed week, Oct 28 to Nov 3 2007. Considering Alitalias itinerary we will have to stay on/very close to the airport of Catania at both arrival and departure - that leaves five nights and six days to spend elsewhere.
What to do, what to see, and in what villages/towns to stay?
We will have a rental car, and are prepared to move around. We are thinking of leaving out the whole western half of the island (Agrigento, Marsala, Palermo) to minimize time in the car and have more time exploring old churches, walk beatiful alleys and have long dinners. Will we miss out on anything crucial?
Any thoughts on driving and chosing roads?
What little I have so far been reading have turned my attention to the three towns Ragusa, Modica and Noto, wich are supposed to be beautiful examples of the baroque-era. Anyone been there? One better than the others for dinner and overnight stay?
Taormina is inevitable, touristy or not. It has a personal romantic connection for us. 30 years ago two sicilian chefs moved to Sweden and started a restaurant in my hometown, where my to-be-husband and I had our first dinner together. Of course we have to visit the original Pizzeria Ristorante Taormina :) Is there any little village or town in that area that will not be crowded with tourists yet have a b & b/hotel/boarding house with an apartment/room for three?
And then there is the matter of communication - will we be able to get by even in smaller villages on English and some Boun giorno, perdoneme, scuzi, no parlo italiano, grazie etc and a pocket Italian-English dictionary? I guess what I am really asking is how friendly and eager to help are the locals? In late Oct/early Nov they might be fed up with busloads of tourists ordering "milk"...
Anyway, I am excited about this trip that hopefully will be planned, booked, confirmed and executed to celebrate my upcoming 40th birthday, so as long as I get a decent pasta or risotto at night, I will be happy :)
/K
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Back in reality, cherishing memories of a dream that came true!
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andynap
Reged: 10/24/02
Posts: 11698
Loc: Philadelphia
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I would PM MikeR in case he misses this thread. I have not been to Sicily- but I will. Please remember to post a long report upon your return.
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Andy -
St. Barts- where no day is ever the same and one day is not enough
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Mike R
Reged: 05/26/03
Posts: 15257
Loc: Stinson Lake - New Hampshire
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Karibien.....Taormina is not all that touristy compared to other touristy towns in other countries...and you know how I feel about that sort of thing so if I like it...it cant be that bad..LOL...and I love Taormina...lots of great little places ot eat off the beaten path...ride the cable car from the beach up into town....it is a gem of a town...and nearby is Mt Etna which must be seen and hiked...you are going during the height of the chestnut harvest....I was there for that one year and it was great....so fresh and tasty.....the temples of Agregento must be seen....the town of Alcamo ( which is my namesake ) is a beautiful fishing village which also has a Norman castle ...Catantia is a great place to see..wonderful fountains and marble work...Syracuse is terrific..the Messina Straits in Reggio Di Calabria is wonderful.....I have been to Ragusa and Modica and you are correct about the baroque architecture but I think Catania has more of it then anywhere else and Catania also has the Ursino Castle which you should see as well.....English is not spoken all that much as you get away from Palermo...I know my information is dated since we have not returned since 9/11......but really not much changes in Sicly....I thought I was close to restarting the annual trip over routine and was going to take my Mom for her 80th, but she is getting cold feet about it....those damn religous zealot fundamentalists!!!
enjoy..it is a wonderful country...simplistic... incredible natural beauty.....a step back in time......food so good like you will never taste ( St Barts included )
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Karibien
Reged: 04/23/05
Posts: 951
Loc: Sweden
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Thanks MikeR,
well, if you love Taormina it can't be bad ;)
I've been trying to find Alcamo on the map, but can't find it. Where should I look? - edit - found it, far west so it seems we will miss out on it if we decide to skip the western half.
Any thoughts on the subject of driving and chosing roads/route? Condition? Traffic?
I figured English was not common. And since I don't have time to learn Italian (let alone Sicilian), we will have to smile a lot and put our trust in the locals. I am not overly worried about the communication issue, I figure we will get whereever we are going by asking and pointing at a map :)
I appriciate any and all input!
/K
Edited by Karibien (07/28/07 09:28 AM)
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andynap
Reged: 10/24/02
Posts: 11698
Loc: Philadelphia
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You can get a small dictionary with the basics. If you are going to be asking directions you need to learn the word
"Dove"- pronounced "dovay"-- it means "where is". And after that "Grazie" (gratsee)- thank you. You will be fine. There is always someone who speaks English in any small town especially restaurants.
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Andy -
St. Barts- where no day is ever the same and one day is not enough
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Mike R
Reged: 05/26/03
Posts: 15257
Loc: Stinson Lake - New Hampshire
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Karibien...Alcamo is on the north coast just a little west of Palermo
there really is only one main road which basically does a loop around the island...and traffic is not bad at all..almost non existent outside of Palermo and the other smaller towns
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Karibien
Reged: 04/23/05
Posts: 951
Loc: Sweden
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Thanks for your help. Next I'll be off to the library and browse the guide books, check up on a firm arranging vacation rentals, make sure I'll get time off from work, and then it's booking time...
In the mean time, if anyone remembers any gems to visit, please let me know
/K
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Back in reality, cherishing memories of a dream that came true!
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Theresa
Reged: 03/23/04
Posts: 403
Loc: Philadelphia, PA
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Hi Karibien,
I second MikeR's suggestion that you include Agrigento. The Valley of the Temples is a "must." We also enjoyed Segesta and Selinute. We wandered through many small towns and at times encountered people who spoke no English at all. We were armed with only basic Italian greetings/words/phrases and a pocket sized Italian/English dictionary and we were fine. The food is truly amazing.
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Karibien
Reged: 04/23/05
Posts: 951
Loc: Sweden
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Now there, reservations have been made!
I found a decent 3 star hotel near Piazza Duomo in the city center Hotel Savona wich I hope will be perfect for the first and last night of the trip.
Also decided to make Siracuse our main base, five nights in a 2-room apartment at Aretusa Vacanzes, making daytrips to Etna, Taormina etc.
Just as I booked the Alitalia-flights, I was treated a should-have-been-a-four-hour-flight-got-there-36-hours-later-story... I do hope that was some very rare course of events ;)
Anyway, won't let that mar my delight of having this birtday-trip to look forward to :)
Will let you know how it all plays out
/K
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Back in reality, cherishing memories of a dream that came true!
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