Bizarre Italy...

Sicily wasn't just about the amazing scenery, fantastic beaches and delicious food. Oh no.

We came across a strange place.

It was neither here nor there, really...

(Yes, that does translate as 'Purgatory'.)

Strangely enough, we couldn't get any radio signal whatsoever when we drove through.

But I'm sure that was just a coincidence...

The Sicily Chronicles...the finale.

I'm sure by now you are well and truly aware that I went to Sicily recently. If you are not aware of this fact, well... I went to Sicily recently.

This post is all about showing you just how amazing Sicily is. Forget for just a moment the practical info and the websites for B&Bs. Just look at how fantastic it is...

These olives were growing right where we were staying.

Erice- a small town in the mountains, reachable by cable car.

The leaves of this fig plant were so thick you could carve your name into them

We took a trip to the Lo Zingaro nature reserve, and unfortunately we couldn't see much of the park. Why? Because recently there have been a lot of forest fires. Such a big shame that this once beautiful landscape had been reduced to blackened tree stumps and ash. Who knows how long it'll take for it to be reduced to what it was before.

But I don't want to finish on a negative note.

All I have to say is: Go to Sicily. It's incredible.

The Sicily Chronicles part tre... (Food Friday!)

Now this is what you've all been waiting really for isn't it?

The delicious Sicilian food. Feast your eyes on these food photos.

I challenge you not to a) Feel hungry and b) want to book a trip to Sicily immediately.

Two classics: The cassata and the cannolo. I couldn't decide which one I liked best. I decided it would be best to try one of each everywhere I went. All in the name of research of course. Ahem.

Mini marzipan cakes

We were good. We split this one.

Mmmm. Can you see the sugar gleaming in the light?

The pistachio ones were amazing. Sicilians love using pistachios, in both sweet and savoury dishes. I also had a fantastic gnocchi dish with speck and pistachio.

The gelato was OUT.OF.THIS.WORLD.

Believe it or not, we didn't just eat sweet things. We got these tomatoes from a guy selling them on the side of the road. So good.

Best biscuits ever.

Yes. We had a chip pizza. And it was excellent.

Pick your own MASSIVE crustacean.

Likewise with fish.

 Have a great weekend!!

The Sicily Chronicles (part due- practical info)

As I'm sure you already know (after reading part one of my dramatically titled posts on Sicily), you'll know that myself and my lovely Italian man drove to Sicily.

We toyed with the idea of going by plane or train, but the car won. And I'm really glad that we chose to do it this way. because once we got there, we realised having our own form of transport was totally necessary if we wanted to do anything.

The journey was long. Really long. (We drove over 2000km in total, including shorter journeys when we were there). But we did it, and as tiring as it was, I'd definitely choose to go by car again.

Here's some short, sharp, practical info on getting to Sicily by car:

• We spent about 80/90 euros each on petrol to cover the distance from Puglia to Trapani. 
• If, like me, you have a troublesome back (yes, I'm 25 going on 95...) take a cushion. Trust me on this one.
• We chose not to use the autostrada so that we could save money on tolls. In the end we only spent a tenner each on a part that we couldn't really avoid. And the roads weren't too bad either (ie there were no major potholes to speak of...)
• The end part of Calabria is somewhat heaving with roadworks. Although there didn't seem to be anyone actually doing any work...
• The end part of Calabria and the 'beginning' of Sicily (going towards Palermo) have loads of tunnels. This is fine, as long as you have your own music and aren't depending on the radio for entertainment!
• As you enter Sicily, use the loo/grab a coffee/get petrol/buy a CD at the first autogrill you see. There isn't much in the way of services until Palermo.
• Taking the ferry from Calabria to Sicily is easy. Head to the ticket booth in the town of Villa San Giovanni, Calabria, grab a ticket and join the (incredibly disorganised) queue to board the massive ferry. That's it. It doesn't take too long, even if you have to wait for the next ferry. No need to book in advance. It does cost €75 for a return journey though. Quite pricey seeing as the crossing is very short. 

We split the journey into two parts (both on the way there and on the way back). This is absolutely necessary if you ask me- you may even want to split it even more if you're coming from further north.

On the way there we stayed in Villa San Giovanni at the Grand Hotel de la Ville. That way, the next morning we could get up, get out, and board the ferry straight away. The hotel was nice enough, with pleasant staff and a really good breakfast, but the area around it was very dull and there was nothing to do. This is OK if you want a quick stopover, but it was a shame we couldn't have had a nice walk in the evening.

Brekky at de la Ville

And on the way back to Puglia, we chose a hotel near Pizzo, Calabria. The Hotel Barbieri was a bit tricky to get to (we had to go down lots of small, windy streets) but it was lovely. Very clean, great food and the woman who runs it is so friendly. Only €30 per person per night too.

I hope I've managed to cover some of the basic info. Get in touch if you want to know anything else! Honestly though, don't forget that cushion....

The Sicily Chronicles (part uno)

Well, I officially have an incredibly sore bum.

Driving to Sicily from Puglia is a long way. Although I shouldn't really be complaining too much because I wasn't the one who had to do all the driving. (I am yet to be trusted with a car that's driven on the 'other side').

Anyway. All I can say, is that Sicily is incredible. 

We stayed in a lovely place, ate (lots of) delicious food and saw some absolutely stunning scenery. I took way too many photos, but every time I saw something amazing, I just had to get the camera out.

Now, if you're like me, lots of heavy text can get a bit dull. I quickly lose interest and wander off in search of coffee/gelato/something to do with shopping. So, I'll let the photos do the talking. I'll just add in some *witty* comments and essential Sicily info every now and then.

Let me show you where we stayed...

This fantastic place is called Cala dell'Arena. It's a little village of self catering cottages right between the mountains and the sea, and it's just so pretty. 


There's also a b&b, but we went for the self catering option. Our little house was just perfect, and we indulged in lots of sweet treats whilst sat out on the terrace.

The swimming pool is clean, not too cold and nestled in a perfect position to gaze up at all the gorgeous scenery around you. The beach isn't too far away, and there are plenty of towns nearby as well as San Vito Lo Capo, with it's beautiful beaches and numerous sea food restaurants.

Having a car here was essential. The only place you could comfortably get to without one was the beach. Luckily they have a very decent sized car park on site.

If you want to find out more, have a look at this link. It really is a fantastic, chilled out place to use as a base for exploring the area around Trapani.

(Yes, we may have made a little friend too...)

Arrivederci Sicilia...

Well, it's our penultimate day in Sicily.

And once you have a look at these photos, you'll know why I'm incredibly reluctant to leave. It has been amazing discovering and exploring all the fantastic things about this place. We've packed in so much this week, so today we're simply going to relax by the beach. Work starts again on Monday, so we'd best make the most of it....

yes, we did eat these for breakfast one morning.

green, gooey, gorgeous: the cassata.

yes, it was somewhat blustery.

(Actually on second thoughts, maybe it's for the best that I'm heading back to Puglia tomorrow. I really have been eating faaaar too much dolce.) Expect more photos (many of them are of dolce, yes) and more info about all things Sicily related upon my return. Until then, have a smashing weekend! :)