Travelling Sicily in 2016, over a few weeks, I enjoyed my days in villages and towns including Polizzi, Caltagirone, Palermo, Trapani and Segesta with some side trips to lovely places like Castellammare del Golfo, Cefalu and Terrasini.
They were days filled with quiet moments and wonder, good food, the discovery of new sights, rediscovery of some old favourites and lots of sunshine.
The 2016 highlights will be posted in two blogs; the first appears this week and the second, later in February.
Travelling Sicily 2016 included:
Rediscovering Polizzi, drives in the country. eating local foods and staying in new places
Enjoying the silence and charm of Polizzi Generosa once again; spending nights in silent places like Segesta, and the interior pottery town of Caltagirone; country drives; eating Polizzi's delicious badda bean with pasta and having a refreshing fico d' India peeled.
Candelabras, sunsets, coastlines, beautiful faces, village markets, Sicilian pottery and granita
Finding a pair of old Sicilian candelabras at a street antique market in Palermo; holding a dinner at Palazzo Notar Nicchi for a relaxed group of keen travellers discovering Sicily with Putia Food,Wine and Cooking Tours; meeting the passionate Caltagirone potter Besnik Harizi; and enjoying Giacomo Alessi's pottery studio in Caltagirone.
Walking along the sea front in Trapani; strolling the public gardens in Taormina and Caltagirone and discovering more beautiful art at Palermo’s Palazzo Abatellis; sleeping before the solitary Greek temple at Segesta; watching a performance at dusk, at Segesta's Greek theatre; enjoying sunsets, granita and a little more.
Looking through my snapshots I have tried to narrow it down.
I hope you enjoy them.
The Snapshots:
Coastline, Trapani
Sunset, Polizzi Generosa
Palazzo Abatellis, Palermo, Antonello da Messina's Annunication
The temple of Segesta, looking from the road up to my room for the night at B&B Villa Palmeri. The silence was wonderful.
The dirt road up to B&B Villa Palmeri
Detail from the fresco, The Triumph of Death, Palazzo Abatellis, Palermo
Fruit and vegetables, Polizzi's weekly market
Coastline from Erice, looking to Monte Cofano
'The Leopard' inspired dinner, held at Palazzo Notar Nicchi in Polizzi, for a very enthusiastic group discovering Sicily with Putia Food, Wine Tours and Cooking Tours
Fishing boats, Castellammare del Golfo
Sicilian pottery head from the Alessi pottery studio in Caltagirone, now in the sitting room of the Sant'Orsola apartment in Palazzo Notar Nicchi, Polizzi Generosa
Chiesa Matrice, Erice
Fico d' India, from the fruiterer Giovanni, Polizzi Generosa
Looking to the steps of Caltagirone from the balconcy of my room for the night
Francesco Laurana's Eleonora d' Aragona, Palazzo Abatellis, Palermo
One of Sicily' s most beautiful faces, in side view
The little brown door on Via Carlo V, Polizzi
Sunset along the sea wall, Trapani
The Chiesa Madre, Polizzi Generosa
Public gardens, Taormina looking to the Ionian Sea
Driving the mountain road to Piano Battaglia outside Polizzi Generosa
I look forward to sharing more Sicilian travel notes and stories with you in 2017.
Salve
Suzanne
A Note: The dinner snapshot is courtesy of Putia Food, Wine and Cooking Tours and the header image is taken on the TreMonzelli Road heading to the A19 Autostrada from Polizzi Generosa.