Having checked several European countries my bucket list, when comes the time to choose a new destination to discover, it’s a little more tricky. Last spring, I had the chance to visit a friend in England, and we thought “Let’s trade England’s weather for a sunny destination for a few days”. After going around Google Maps, we bought our plane tickets. Direction Sicily!
One never goes wrong with Italy. Just think about all the gelato, the History, the gelato, the pizza, the gelato, fresh pasta, Rome and Cinque Terre (go there ASAP if you’ve never been). Did I mention gelato? Yes, I eat a lot when travelling but in my defence, I walk a lot too. What’s better than Italy, you might ask? The answer is Sicily: an Italian island located in the Mediterranean sea. Of course, we made sure to fill our mind with beautiful scenery and our stomachs with the best Italian food around.
Palermo — Discover Sicily
Palermo is the capital of Sicily. We had our very nice Airbnb, which allowed us to do everything by foot. The Norman Palace, which dates back to the 11th century, and its Palatine Chapel, decorated entirely with tiny gilded mosaics, are splendid. The Palermo Cathedral is majestic, and if you ever have the opportunity, take the time to get on the rooftop. I didn’t really count how many winding steps there is to access, but the look up is totally worth it.
The city has this typical look that we imagine from Italy, palm trees and cactus are everywhere, and the beach that is a little further (we must go by bus) is very nice. Oh and do not miss the cannoli either.
Agrigento — Discover Sicily
Agrigento is a city in the south of the island, where you’ll find a vast archaeological site. The Valley of the Temples, whose foundation allegedly dates back to the 6th century before Jesus, offers visitors a route among the ruins of great sanctuaries of Antiquity, still very well preserved. For history lovers, it’s a must. There is something really special about walking in paths where other humans have walked before you 2600 years ago.
Throughout the Valley, there are beautiful tall trees, which we later identified as almond trees. We discovered it because we picked one and we chewed it. If you feel like doing like we did, do not do it. They definitely need to be roasted before consumption. Buy those from the market!
Cefalù — Discover Sicily
Cefalù was my total favorite city of the entire stay. The most beautiful little medieval town in the area, perfect for a day of hiking (to then eat all the gelato). It is possible to “walk” to the summit of the Rocca of Cefalù, to discover ruins of ancient castles and admire the breathtaking views of the city and the Mediterranean Sea. Well, I put “walk” in quotation marks because it was a bit semi-hazardous to get all the way to the top. But it was worth 100% worth it. After going down the Rocca, a dinner on the edge of the beach is required, then go sunbathing on the old pier and stroll around in the very nice town of Cefalù.
Sicily + pistacchio = love
The pistachios are like “A THING” over there, and let me tell you that I was on the verge of turning pistachio myself. Something with pistachio? I TAKE IT, THANK YOU! If you have the chance to try it too, go for it. Especially in pistachio gelato.
