September 29, 2010: It's a bird, it's a plane, its...

We took a day off from Palermo and went to visit two cities on the western coast of Sicily - Trapani and Erice. We took a bus from Palermo to Trapani and were able to see some of inland Sicily on the way - lots of vineyards, orchards, and melon groves. One interesting observation we made: even though we were traveling in the midst of rush hour, the freeways were practically empty. Traffic in the city was horrific, but once we got on the on-ramp, it was smooth sailing.

Once we arrived in Trapani, we walked through town to get to a funicular that took us up a mountain (750 m) where Erice is located. Erice is an old medieval city with narrow windy streets, castle ruins, and a great duomo. We walked around for a while, soaking in the amazing views from all sides and visiting some of the major sites. The rock outcrops and sheer cliffs were incredible, and on our way down to Trapani via the funicular we saw a herd of sheep hanging out on the hillside.

Back in Trapani, which is located at sea level, we walked through the new part of the city to reach the historical center. On the way I am pretty sure we saw some medjoul date palms. The historical center of the city is a maze of narrow streets filled with churches and impressive palaces. Unlike most places we've visited, the streets of Trapani were pretty empty and there were not many places to visit. We spent much of time here enjoying the sea walls, which embrace the city, since the city is essentially a peninsula. From the perimeter of the city there were, naturally, beautiful views of the sea and also the Egadi Islands, just off shore.

We then took the bus back to Palermo and both napped most of the way. We got off the bus about a mile from our hotel and walked back through the new city, stopping off in Giardino Inglese, a public park. On the way back to the hotel, we saw none other than Superman wandering the streets. You just never know who you're going to run into in this town!

We had dinner tonight at a vegetarian restaurant recommended by our guidebook, and it was a great meal. Since Sicily is relatively close to Africa (Tunisia), some places do offer food with African influences. Mike had some really tasty couscous and we finally had a meal with a healthy portion of vegetables.

Gelato Gusti per il Giorno:

Mike - Amarena e Mandorla Tostada (cherry and toasted almond) and Banane e Stracciatella

Aviva - Cocco e Banane (coconut and banana)

To view pictures of our day, click here.