One of our first nights on the island of Sicily we stayed in the car, and we woke up to this beautiful sunny beach. Our explorations began!
There are many, many towns along the coast of Sicily that are worth visiting. Cefalu is one of them.
In Palermo we stayed with two girls from Lithuania. They were hardcore fanatics for architectural design and were in Palermo to study. We stayed in their large apartment in the center of the city. They were young and much more interested in partying than we are. One night they invited us to a party among their school friends in a suburb outside the city. We were not entirely sure what to expect, but it turned out to be an extremely classy affair with delicious Lithuanian cepelinai (potato dumplings).
Further along the coast we visited San Vito lo Capo. The landscape on this thumb of the island was dry, rocky, and desolate.
High above the city of Trapani, on the western coast, is the old city of Erice. This city is perched upon an isolated mountain far above the valley below. It is a labyrinth of dusty stone buildings packed tightly together on the small mountain top. We had one of the most luxurious stays in this town. A man who lived down in Trapani let us stay in his summer house in the center of the old town. The house was interesting in that it was only 2.5-3 meters wide and three levels high. It was like the place had been squeezed between two existing buildings.
Inland from Trapani is an archaeological site including the Temple of Segesta. It was a rainy day when we visited, but we enjoyed walking through the countryside between the different sites.
On the southern coast near Agrigento we visited the Scala dei Turchi - Steps of Turkey. These "steps" are a short section of blazing white sedimentary cliff. The rock is smooth and polished from the wind and water. We walked out onto its terraced ledges.
Also near Agrigento is the Valle dei Templi - Valley of Temples. These Doric temples are some of the most impressive I have seen anywhere in Europe. Their structure is very well preserved.
Siracusa, the birthplace of the famous mathematician Archimedes. It is a simple town. There are some ruins, though not the best preserved. The city center is unremarkable, but still fun to walk around. I mostly remember Siracusa as the place where we learned how to make the delicious Sicilian dish arancini.
As we began to drive north up the eastern coast, we began to notice the smoking Etna volcano. In the evenings when it got dark, you could see the lava and sparks of the erupting mountain.
North past Etna volcano is the popular town of Taormina. We visited this small winding town two times. It is a great place to walk around.
Finally, one of our last hosts in Sicily - this winking cat!
