Kim writing: So we got a little ahead of ourselves because we forgot to write about Erice, which is very close to my uncle's house, before writing about driving to the other side of Sicily.
You have probably guessed that we had email difficulties once we left Sicily. We tried several times in Rome, Pisa, and Germany but to no avail. I am finally going back and writing about each place before we forget what we did!
Ok, Erice. This was our favorite place in Sicily and one of the favorites of the whole trip. Like most old towns, it was built on top of a hill and you can see it from my uncle's house. They didn't bother to flatten out the top of the hill before building on it, so all of the streets are crazy steep! And the cobblestones are worn smooth so it is quite difficult to walk on them without shoes that have lots of traction. The main attraction is a castle from the middle ages that now houses a fancy resort, so we couldn't go in, but we could take lots of pictures from all the way around the outside.
We visited the city two times. Once we went in the late afternoon and had dinner at a wonderful restaurant then walked around in the dark. Dinner was at Hotel Elimeo because my mom went there last year with my aunt and uncle and they absolutely loved the food. It was a little of a splurge, but really worth it. There are pictures of some appetizers we ordered that were just different cheeses with tomatoes. Look here The spots on the one cheese are peppercorns and all of them were delicious, expecially the tomatoes! (I don't even like tomatoes!)
After dinner we went walking to see what we could even though all of the shops were closed. We made it to the main piazza and were going to turn around but all of a sudden realized that Uncle Bruce was taking off in the other direction looking for the castle. We all decided to follow and that is how we got all of the amazing night pictures with the castle and the view. Like this one.
Some of us were so enthralled by the city that we went back the next day. We took a gondola to the top this time and took many pictures of the city of Trapani where we boarded the gondola. In the background you will see three islands, and the one farthest away is Marettimo where we went for a boat ride and swim. Once at the top we enjoyed looking at all the buildings in the daylight and wanted to take a picture of every courtyard and side street! I was especially facinated with the gutters and downspouts on the buildings because they used small pieces of terre cotta and nested them inside each other to direct the water. How inventive! In addition to wandering around town poking in and out of shops and checking out the castle we were awed by the view. You could even see the town where Uncle Bruce lives in this picture. It is off in the distance right on the coast.
Across Sicily
Nathan writing: So, a lot has happened in the last few days. So, we'll try to get caught up. Although we have neglected to blog, the photos on Flickr are up to date.
So here is what happened. After the day touring Marretimeo Island we had a day off of seeing the sites to recoup and pack for leaving Kim's Aunt and Uncles. We were headed from there to the Eastern part of Sicily to stay on a military base called Sigonela. On the way, we got to make two stops that were absolutely spectacular. The hilltop town of Enna with "Castello di Lombardia" and an archaeological dig site of a Roman Villa.
After driving for the morning, we drove up to Enna. We decided to head directly to the castle and skip the town. Castello di Lombardia was built on the hill due to it being extremely defensible against invading forces. During that time, it was a group of Africans that were trying to take the castle. It took 30 years to finally breach the walls. Turns out sewer lines are great for night time infiltration. The majority of the castle is still intact and we were able to hike to the top of the tower. From here we could look out across the Sicilian country side and were once again awed by the site we could see. Mt. Etna stood ominously off in the distance.
After Enna, we got a local tip to check out a local Roman Villa near Enna and eat lunch there. As we were approaching the site, I looked across the valley to see another Roman looking house that was kept up and had to have someone living in it (see pic "Someone's House"). We entered the site through a large archway, in the exact Roman style that was common during the time. Walking around we were able to see these incredible mosaics on the floors. They had them all protected and we walked above them on scaffolding. From there we could look down on scenes of chariot races and what is believed to be one of the earliest depictions of organized sports with women playing something looking like Volleyball. In the courtyard, stood about 15 foot tall pillars and what looked to be giant bathtubs.
So here is what happened. After the day touring Marretimeo Island we had a day off of seeing the sites to recoup and pack for leaving Kim's Aunt and Uncles. We were headed from there to the Eastern part of Sicily to stay on a military base called Sigonela. On the way, we got to make two stops that were absolutely spectacular. The hilltop town of Enna with "Castello di Lombardia" and an archaeological dig site of a Roman Villa.
After driving for the morning, we drove up to Enna. We decided to head directly to the castle and skip the town. Castello di Lombardia was built on the hill due to it being extremely defensible against invading forces. During that time, it was a group of Africans that were trying to take the castle. It took 30 years to finally breach the walls. Turns out sewer lines are great for night time infiltration. The majority of the castle is still intact and we were able to hike to the top of the tower. From here we could look out across the Sicilian country side and were once again awed by the site we could see. Mt. Etna stood ominously off in the distance.
After Enna, we got a local tip to check out a local Roman Villa near Enna and eat lunch there. As we were approaching the site, I looked across the valley to see another Roman looking house that was kept up and had to have someone living in it (see pic "Someone's House"). We entered the site through a large archway, in the exact Roman style that was common during the time. Walking around we were able to see these incredible mosaics on the floors. They had them all protected and we walked above them on scaffolding. From there we could look down on scenes of chariot races and what is believed to be one of the earliest depictions of organized sports with women playing something looking like Volleyball. In the courtyard, stood about 15 foot tall pillars and what looked to be giant bathtubs.
Marettimo Island
Kim writing: Marettimo is one of the Edagi Island that are off the western coast of Sicily. We can see the islands from my uncle's house. On Wednesday we went for a boat tour of the caves around Marettimo. To get to the island we took a ferry that turned out to be a large hydrofoil. For those of you like me who don't know what that is, the boat starts in the water then using jets, the boat lifts out of the water and rides on four large skis. It goes really fast!!!
Once on the island we got on two small boats and rode around looking at caves. We saw eight different caves and each one had a name like Camel Cave because there was a rock that looked like a camel head and Bomb Cave because when the sea got rough it sounded like a bomb inside. We were lucky to have Tatiana on this trip too because neither of the captains spoke any English and she was able to tell us about the caves as we went.
There was a Spanish castle on one of the outcroppings that was way up high and had only one small trail leading to it. It was amazing to think about how they lived way up there!!
We also stopped at two different spots to go swimming. The water was so clear and teal in color. It was beautiful!!! Unfortunately the jellies also like the clear warm water and we all got out when Sydney (my sister) and Bryan (my cousin) got stung at the second stop. Fortunately the captain had medicine to make it not sting as bad, so they were feeling better soon after.
After a nice lunch on the boats we finished traveling all the way around Marettimo and docked at a port on the other side of the one small town that was on the island. We had some really good lemon granitas (lemon flavored icee, but WAY better) and espresso then walked through the quaint little town that is mostly a tourist destination. There are only 200 people that live there in the winter, but many people from Trapani rent out apartments in August and enjoy the relaxed atmosphere. It was very fun, but we all came home a little crispy from the hot sun that went through our sunscreen!
Once on the island we got on two small boats and rode around looking at caves. We saw eight different caves and each one had a name like Camel Cave because there was a rock that looked like a camel head and Bomb Cave because when the sea got rough it sounded like a bomb inside. We were lucky to have Tatiana on this trip too because neither of the captains spoke any English and she was able to tell us about the caves as we went.
There was a Spanish castle on one of the outcroppings that was way up high and had only one small trail leading to it. It was amazing to think about how they lived way up there!!
We also stopped at two different spots to go swimming. The water was so clear and teal in color. It was beautiful!!! Unfortunately the jellies also like the clear warm water and we all got out when Sydney (my sister) and Bryan (my cousin) got stung at the second stop. Fortunately the captain had medicine to make it not sting as bad, so they were feeling better soon after.
After a nice lunch on the boats we finished traveling all the way around Marettimo and docked at a port on the other side of the one small town that was on the island. We had some really good lemon granitas (lemon flavored icee, but WAY better) and espresso then walked through the quaint little town that is mostly a tourist destination. There are only 200 people that live there in the winter, but many people from Trapani rent out apartments in August and enjoy the relaxed atmosphere. It was very fun, but we all came home a little crispy from the hot sun that went through our sunscreen!
Marsala
Kim writing: My aunt and uncle live very close to a town called Marsala. Marsala is actually a section of Trapani, kinda like our suburbs only it isn't younger than Trapani like a suburb would be in the states.
Before Nate, Sydney, and Rick got here to Italy we went to an old section of Marsala. It had a very grand entrance and little streets with lots of people walking everywhere. The streets are shiny because they are the original stones that have been worn smooth over the many years. The big attraction was the church which they started building in 1100 AD and was destroyed and rebuilt several times, including during WWII.
My aunt took us to a butcher shop where we saw our first huge fish! There was one large swordfish and a huge tuna head and body. I made sure there were people in each picture so you could see how gigantic everything was!!
We went out for our first meal in Italy after looking around, and I got daring and ordered a pasta dish with anchovies and a tomato sauce. The pasta was long like spaghetti but they were tubes so they looked like worms. It was really, really good!! I was quite suprised! When you are eating in a restaurant, you buy water (aqua) and coke (coke :) ) by the bottle and pour it into your own glasses. The coke came in huge old-fashioned glass bottles. We had some fun with the pictures. At the end of a meal Italians usually have a coffee (espresso). They come in tiny little cups and you can either get them with milk (macchiato) or without (cafe). In the states, caffeine makes me very jittery, but here I'm totally fine. The coffee is increadibly smooth and the little bit is just enough to satisfy.
Marsala has a market that happens every Tuesday morning, so we went this last Tuesday. There are all sorts of vendors, from personal hygiene to clothes to fabric to vegetables. You can get just about anything here!! The most offered item? Shoes!! More specifically, women's sandals. We had tons of fun walking around, listening to the vendors yelling, and buying clothes and jewelry.
Palermo - the city of "OMG it's HOT!!!"
Nathan writing: Monday we headed out to the largest city in Sicily, Palermo. We had the goal of seeing as much as we could. We had help though. A good friend of Kim's aunt and uncle, Tatiana, was awesome to be our translator and tour guide. Thank you so much Tatiana.
We first drove up to Monreale, a cathedral the overlooks the city. Inside we could see the grand architecture that you would expect in many cathedrals. The coolest part of this one was the tile work on the floors, and actually seeing a Sicilian hand-cutting new tile for restoration. We also hiked (yes, hiked) up the stairs to the upper levels of Monreale. (See pictures)
After Monreale, we went to downtown Palermo for lunch. We found this little place which didn't look much from the outside, but inside it was exactly what you would expect to see in a little Italian Restaurant. Our food was just as expected, Excellent!!! Luckily, Tatiana was there to make the ordering process a bit easier. Being that there were 16 of us there and no one in the restaurant spoke English.
After lunch we headed to The Capuchin Catacombes where many (probably 1,000) Sicilians from as far back as 1599 were hanging from the walls, yes, hanging. Most of them were no more than skeletons and clothes, but some of them had been preserved so well they still had skin and hair. It was quite disgusting and a little creepy, but facinating at the same time. No pictures were allowed so you will need to ask us to see the pamphlet we bought if you are interested.
Heading out of the Catacombs, we ventured to see some of the sites in Palermo. We had to find parking first, and everywhere in Sicily it is a nightmare for two large vans. We finally were guided to a spot by a Sicilian "Parking Attendant" (basically this guy was getting people parked on the street and making sure no one else could park there unless they paid him). We then walked to San Domenico church and were able to get out of the heat and see some more incredible architecture.
We then began walking, and came to the place known as Quattro Canti (Four Corner). This is the place where the four major districts of Palermo meet. A crazy intersection where a flood of cars and mopeds cross.
Less then a block down from that, we come to Piazza Vergogna (Square of Shame). Here there is a fountain with statues depicting unclothed figures showing it all to the world. I found it funny that a group of Politizia (Police) were standing right next to the fountain. Then I found out that they were protecting a dignitary who was inside.
We then continued walking down the streets and were able to see two theaters. One of them was the largest one in Europe. Then we stopped for some much needed Gelato before walking back to the vans and coming home.
We first drove up to Monreale, a cathedral the overlooks the city. Inside we could see the grand architecture that you would expect in many cathedrals. The coolest part of this one was the tile work on the floors, and actually seeing a Sicilian hand-cutting new tile for restoration. We also hiked (yes, hiked) up the stairs to the upper levels of Monreale. (See pictures)
After Monreale, we went to downtown Palermo for lunch. We found this little place which didn't look much from the outside, but inside it was exactly what you would expect to see in a little Italian Restaurant. Our food was just as expected, Excellent!!! Luckily, Tatiana was there to make the ordering process a bit easier. Being that there were 16 of us there and no one in the restaurant spoke English.
After lunch we headed to The Capuchin Catacombes where many (probably 1,000) Sicilians from as far back as 1599 were hanging from the walls, yes, hanging. Most of them were no more than skeletons and clothes, but some of them had been preserved so well they still had skin and hair. It was quite disgusting and a little creepy, but facinating at the same time. No pictures were allowed so you will need to ask us to see the pamphlet we bought if you are interested.
Heading out of the Catacombs, we ventured to see some of the sites in Palermo. We had to find parking first, and everywhere in Sicily it is a nightmare for two large vans. We finally were guided to a spot by a Sicilian "Parking Attendant" (basically this guy was getting people parked on the street and making sure no one else could park there unless they paid him). We then walked to San Domenico church and were able to get out of the heat and see some more incredible architecture.
We then began walking, and came to the place known as Quattro Canti (Four Corner). This is the place where the four major districts of Palermo meet. A crazy intersection where a flood of cars and mopeds cross.
Less then a block down from that, we come to Piazza Vergogna (Square of Shame). Here there is a fountain with statues depicting unclothed figures showing it all to the world. I found it funny that a group of Politizia (Police) were standing right next to the fountain. Then I found out that they were protecting a dignitary who was inside.
We then continued walking down the streets and were able to see two theaters. One of them was the largest one in Europe. Then we stopped for some much needed Gelato before walking back to the vans and coming home.
Segesta
Nathan writing: After the grueling 17 hours of flight, we finally arrived in the city of Trapani. Most of the family was already here and were ichy to get out and see some of the sites.
We settled on heading to the ruins of Segesta. It was built by the Elymian people, probably around 430-420 BC, but it was never completed. Although, the temple still stands today. It was incredible to stand inside the middle and look outward through the colossal pillers accross the Sicilian countryside. All of the farmland looked remarkably like the Palousse, so it was kinda weird to see the huge ruins in the middle of it.
After being in the temple, we took a bus up the hillside to the small town that the inhabitants lived in where there is also a Greek style theater overlooking an amazing view. Check out the pictures on our Flickr page. Click Here. It was fun to have the family down in front acting out the scenes to the Sound of Music. Although it wasn't something you would expect in a Greek theater, it was very funny. You could talk in a normal voice and it could be heard all the way in the back.
We settled on heading to the ruins of Segesta. It was built by the Elymian people, probably around 430-420 BC, but it was never completed. Although, the temple still stands today. It was incredible to stand inside the middle and look outward through the colossal pillers accross the Sicilian countryside. All of the farmland looked remarkably like the Palousse, so it was kinda weird to see the huge ruins in the middle of it.
After being in the temple, we took a bus up the hillside to the small town that the inhabitants lived in where there is also a Greek style theater overlooking an amazing view. Check out the pictures on our Flickr page. Click Here. It was fun to have the family down in front acting out the scenes to the Sound of Music. Although it wasn't something you would expect in a Greek theater, it was very funny. You could talk in a normal voice and it could be heard all the way in the back.
Welcome to Sicily
Kim writing: I got here before Nate, and we didn't do a ton of sightseeing before he came but I want to tell you about where my uncle lives.
My uncle and aunt live in Marausa, which is part of a town called Trapani. We are on the west coast of Sicily. The area is more in the country and there are lots of fields of grapes, tomatoes, and melons. We like to stop at roadside stands and get the fruit straight from the farmer. The melons area amazing!!! I'm told the tomatoes are too but I don't like them fresh and the one I tried wasn't good enough to make me like them. :) It is quite windy here and some days the wind blows lots of Egyptian dust into the air. It has made for some amazing sunsets that we can see from my uncle's balcony. Yes, that is the water and the sun falling behind an island...from his balcony!!! I also took several shots of his whole view. You will see some lights on top of the hill and that is a town called Erice (A-ree-chA). You can even see the lights along the road going up the hill. We will be going there later this week, so we will write more then.
There are so many of us that we rented two 9-passenger vans that we will drive all over the place. It is pretty incredible that they make it through all the tight streets without hitting any cars. Lots of cars here are have side mirrors that are damaged or missing because the streets are so small and people drive so fast!!! It is all pretty amazing.
One thing we have done lots of is go to the beach. We drive about 5 minutes to a military beach where we pay 3 euro per person and get a changing closet, lots of chairs and umbrellas to sit under. By the way, don't take your rings off to put on sunscreen, they are very difficult to find in the sand!!
My uncle and aunt live in Marausa, which is part of a town called Trapani. We are on the west coast of Sicily. The area is more in the country and there are lots of fields of grapes, tomatoes, and melons. We like to stop at roadside stands and get the fruit straight from the farmer. The melons area amazing!!! I'm told the tomatoes are too but I don't like them fresh and the one I tried wasn't good enough to make me like them. :) It is quite windy here and some days the wind blows lots of Egyptian dust into the air. It has made for some amazing sunsets that we can see from my uncle's balcony. Yes, that is the water and the sun falling behind an island...from his balcony!!! I also took several shots of his whole view. You will see some lights on top of the hill and that is a town called Erice (A-ree-chA). You can even see the lights along the road going up the hill. We will be going there later this week, so we will write more then.
There are so many of us that we rented two 9-passenger vans that we will drive all over the place. It is pretty incredible that they make it through all the tight streets without hitting any cars. Lots of cars here are have side mirrors that are damaged or missing because the streets are so small and people drive so fast!!! It is all pretty amazing.
One thing we have done lots of is go to the beach. We drive about 5 minutes to a military beach where we pay 3 euro per person and get a changing closet, lots of chairs and umbrellas to sit under. By the way, don't take your rings off to put on sunscreen, they are very difficult to find in the sand!!
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