Sicily; Gastro Tour Part 4: Erice and Palermo

We left San Vito Lo Cappo and headed off for a day at Erice which is an unforgettable medieval hilltown with ancient origins in Sicily, close to the port city of Trapani on the island's western coast. The historic town is surrounded by defensive town walls, crowned by a castle, and dominates the surrounding area from its mountainous height of approximately 800 metres above sea level

Main sights

In the northeastern portion of the city there are the remains of ancient Elymian and Phoenician walls indicating different stages of settlement and occupation in antiquity.

There are two castles that remain in the city: Pepoli Castle, which dates from Saracen times, and the Venus Castle, dating from the Norman period, built on top of the ancient Temple of Venus, where Venus Ericina was worshipped. There was a temple of Venus here which outlasted the different civilisions holding sway in the area. The female divinity to which the shrine was dedicated changed slightly with each culture: Astarte for the Phoenicians, Aphrodite for the Greeks and Venus for the Romans. Fertility rites would probably have taken place on or around the temple site, at the highest point of the town.

Erice has a remarkable number of churches, many of which are interesting enough to visit. There is a combined ticket available for a selection of these sights, which are kept open for tourists - an admirable initiative which helps with the costs of upkeep. The combined ticket includes the bell-tower adjacent to the Chiesa Madre, a campanile which is known as the Torre di Re Federico Secondo after the king who built it. This is a steep climb with many steps, but the view is good.

Other particularly interesting churches include the attractive Chiesa di San Giuliano, home to a charming painted wood statue of San Giuliano, and the Chiesa di San Martino, a church complex with eighteenth and nineteenth-century paintings, more painted wood sculptures and a crypt. This religious site belonged to the Congregazione del Purgatorio - look out for the carvings of Purgatory over the church's external portal, depicting a nude torso being consumed by flames - you'll see similar images around Sicily

The best place to rest after climbing around Erice's steep streets is in Piazza Umberto I, the hub of the small town. This steeply-sloping little square makes a lively central spot to relax at a cafe table or to get your bearings after explorations. If you want to learn more about Erice, there is a small town museum here (with limited opening hours).

Erice is famous for its almond biscuits and pastries, proudly stacked up in the windows of several pasticcerie. There are also plenty of snack and souvenir shops aimed at the tourists who arrive each day to explore the medieval lanes. The best places to enjoy a sit-down and a drink are the cafe-bars in Piazza Umberto, and the panoramic cafe in the park by the Castello di Venere.

Erice is often lost in swirls of mist and cloud, so a view isn't guaranteed. Locally these clouds are called "kisses of Venus" - a notion whose romance perhaps goes some way to compensating for the lost panorama. The town does get visited by coach parties, but these can be avoided by heading off down side streets and exploring the winding little lanes away from the main shops, or by lingering into the evening. It's good to allow plenty of time to explore the maze of streets. A map is useful, as the geography can confuse visitors, but Erice is small enough that you won't be lost for long.

Erice is a pretty town, in a sombre, grey kind of way, and it is very atmospheric. Its streets are handsomely paved with a characteristic pattern of differently-sized shiny stones. Only about 300 people now live in the historic centre, though there are other settlements around the slopes below. The town is busy in summer though, and on Good Friday, when Erice's wooden sculptures of the misteri - crucifixion scenes - are carried around town in a solemn Easter procession.

The most exciting way to get to Erice is by taking the cable-car which climbs from the outskirts of Trapani to the town wall of Erice, its station just outside Porta Trapani, the gateway into the old town. The ten-minute journey is wonderfully panoramic, with views back over Trapani, the sea and the Egadi Islands. The funivia runs every day from morning to night, except Mondays when it generally opens only at 2pm.

There are also buses from Trapani up to Erice operated by AST, which run about eight times a day at irregular intervals - check the timetable in advance. The bus journey takes around 45 minutes. On Sundays and public holidays there are fewer services.

There is car parking outside the town wall by Porta Trapani, and a car park by the funivia station in Trapani, if you prefer to leave your car below and enjoy the panoramic cable-car ride up to Erice.

PALERMO

What to do and See.

Palermo is Sicily's cultural, economic and touristic capital. It is a city rich in history, culture, art, music and food. Numerous tourists are attracted to the city for its good Mediterranean weather, its renowned gastronomy and restaurants, its Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque churches, palaces and buildings, and its nightlife and music. Here you can visit Palazzo dei Normanni, Cappella Palatina, Martorana, Catacombe dei Cappuccini, Teatro Massimo, Palermo Cathedral, Zisa, Mount Pellegrino, Quattro Canti, and Mondello beach.

As the Hop-on Hop Off Bus stopped right outside our hotel it seemed silly not to take advantage of it in order to see a lot of Palermo in one day.

Starting from the terminal outside the Politeama Theatre, overlooking the square of the same name, you will drive in front of the Massimo Theatre one of the most capacious and famous opera house in Italy. Up until the beginning of 20th century there were hundreds of small opera theaters known as magazzeni in the city of Palermo. The Teatro Massimo ("Greatest Theatre") was opened in 1897. It is the biggest in Italy, and one of the largest of Europe, renowned for its perfect acoustics. Closed for renovation from 1974 until 1997, it is now carefully restored and has an active schedule. The familiarity of the Teatro Massimo stems from it’s role in The Godfather: Part III, where at the climax of the movie trilogy, Anthony Corleone sings in a production of Cavelleria Rusticana and his sister is shot on the steps outside, after the performance.

While the Teatro Massimo may get all the glory and the movie roles, the Politeama Garibaldi is no slouch either. Three decades older than its rival, loyalists insist that the Garibaldi has superior acoustics. As the two opera houses are just a few minutes walk from each other, it’s only fair to visit both to see which is really the best acoustically. The Teatro Politeama was built between 1867 and 1874. Not only is this beautiful building home to many great music shows, but the area around it is also a vibrating social centre of the city.

Your Palermo tour continues towards the botanical gardens, passing near Quattro Canti. After a quick glance of the central station, you will find yourselves in the vicinity of the Royal Palace was built by the Arab emirs around the IXth century.

Your Palermo City Hop-on Hop-off Tour will take you just next to the wonderful, historical palace called Pallazo Steri, which is famous for the beauty of its wooden ceiling. Discover the fascinating city at your own pace and visit the marvelous Arabian castle Castello Della Zisa with magnificent gardens and fountains. It is one of the most interesting places to visit in Palermo.

Dive into a world where ancient and modern ruins stand side-by-side. You can hop-on and off as many times as you like aboard this open-top double-decker bus. The two tour routes are inter-connected so you can hop easily between them. All of the stops are listed in the itinerary section.

Fontana Pretoria - This huge and ornate fountain, with tiered basins and sculptures rippling in concentric circles, forms the centrepiece of Piazza Pretoria , a spacious square just south of the Quattro Canti. The city bought the fountain in 1573; however, the flagrant nudity of the provocative nymphs proved too much for Sicilian church-goers attending Mass next door, and they prudishly dubbed it the Fountain of Shame.

Markets & Shopping

One of the legacies of Palermo’s past as a commercial center and port that continues to manifest itself in the present day is the Palermo market culture. In particular, Palermo’s muslim history has made an imprint on the bazaars and markets of the town. Bustling, crowded, and full of all kinds of treasures, a day at the markets is a unique way to connect with the real lifestyle of the Palermo locals Monday through Saturday. La Vucciria is

the most famous Palermo market . In the local dialect, Vicciria means “voices” or “hubbub” which is certainly one way to find the market – just listen for the noise as everyone haggles back and forth! It flows through the side streets around the Piazza San Domenico. The Vucciria market is open Monday through Saturday from around dawn until 2 pm (like most of the markets in the city). All kinds of fresh seafood, herbs, and local produce are on offer, but you’ll need to go before 10 am to get the best options on those goods. Souvenirs and local handcrafts are also offered at the Vicciria market. Mercato di Capo market sells a variety of goods, but locals bypass them in favor of the food. In a concentrated section on the Via Volturno, street vendors have all the local delicacies. Ballaro market combine the two Italian greats, food and clothes. Primarily a food market, the Ballaro market is a street eaters delight. It is also home to large numbers of discount clothes sellers, making vintage clothes shopping easy and finding Italian fashions cheaply possible. Look for its vendors in the streets around the Piazza Carmine.

Hotel Garibaldi - we stayed here when we were in Palermo and found it a very reasonable priced hotel and centrally located for all sightseeing. Hotel Garibaldi is a luxurious 4-star hotel, and takes its name from Palermo's well-known theatre, situated directly opposite. Contemporary and chic, it is one of the only city’s hotels to offer free indoor parking. The Garibaldi’s interior has modern design. All the rooms are superbly decorated and have free internet access and satellite television. Junior Suites also boasts their own Jacuzzi bathtubs.Hotel Garibaldi features a business centre, an internet point on site, conference rooms and a stylish American Bar. The area outside Hotel Garibaldi is great too. You can step out of your hotel directly onto streets lined with boutiques and designer stores. Hotel Garibaldi is close to all the city's cultural sights and the city's vivacious port area is just 500m away.

Eating out

The Italians take their coffee seriously, and cafes are the centre of social life - establishments where you can eat and drink, socialise and do business. They are considered so important they are rated like restaurants, and one of the best is the 145-year-old Caffè Spinnato in Palermo. On a warm day in late autumn, customers are sitting under shady blue umbrellas sipping aperitivi or eating rich Sicilian pastries while a pianist plays in the background.

"Coffee is at the heart of our business," says Mario Spinnato, the fifth generation of his family to run the cafe. "It is our calling card because it reflects the quality of everything we offer. There is always someone from the family on duty," says Mario, whose wife Assunta and sons Carlo and Roberto are also in the business. "We never relax, even if there aren't many customers around. You have to have a passion for coffee and for serving people."

Sicilians like their coffee strong. Caffè Spinnato's is a blend of 70% arabica and 30% robusta - the average blend in Italy is 49% and 51% respectively - and it is served 7am-2am every day, 365 days of the year. Cappuccinos, espressos, macchiatos and correttos are brought out by waiters in smart uniforms.

The cafe also serves hot and cold snacks, 40 flavours of ice-cream and traditional pastries made with almonds from Avola and pistachios from Bronte. In summer, granitas made with shaved ice and espresso are consumed by the bucketload. The cocktails are spectacular, too - the barmen are all old hands who can whip up delicious drinks made with Sicilian liqueurs. Thirty types of bread, rich chocolate cakes and two types of cassata - the famous Sicilian dessert - are on sale in the shop next door.

Caffè Spinnato is still relatively undiscovered by tourists - Mario estimates only 20% of their clientele are foreigners - so it is a true meeting place for Palermitani. "We are very lucky to have a climate where we can live outside for most of the year and so many people come here to relax, to sit in the sun and just watch the world go by," he says.

On Saturdays, there is the added bonus of watching the teenage passeggiata, which starts at 4.30pm. Hundreds of Sicilian girls and boys in their best clothes stroll past the cafe, taking part in the social highlight of their week, and providing hours of entertainment for customers.

Of an evening it is the perfect place to stop for a pre-dinner glass of prosecco and some nibbles on your way out. Just sit back, enjoy the music, and watch the beautiful people on any weekend.

Ristorante Giada - We ate here twice as the quality of the food and the high standard of service was really good. It was only a few minutes walk from our hotel, and we discovered it by accident! The waiting staff were really friendly and helpful on both evenings.

Vino e Pomodoro - We ate here once and enjoyed the food and complimentary Prosecco. It can be a bit of a tourist trap but on the whole our service was good and so was the food.

After a wonderful week and a half travelling around Sicily our trip was rounded up by us witnessing a special memorial ceremony for a young Sicilian police Officer who had been killed in the line of duty, outside our hotel, some years back. We mnaged to film some of the dignitaries and the "Last Post" as they laid a wreath in commemoration. After a trip that had connections with locations for filming The Godfather and took in a visit to Corleone, this showed us the other side of the effect of the Cosa Nostra and was deeply moving.

We enjoyed all the food and had a fantastic time travelling around all the different regions tasting the subtle differences in flavour. We had the contract of simple pasta and superb fresh fish at Vittorio's against fine dinning on the rooftops in Ragusa. Sicily has so much to offer foodwise, you'll not want to come home.

WATCH OUR FINAL VIDEO REPORT FROM PALERMO......ARRIVIDERCI SICILLIA!