As our time in Sicily drew to a close we arose early on day eight to grab the opportunity of photographs as the morning sun lit up the central promenade and piazzas with fewer people obscuring the picturesque town centre. We spent the afternoon back on the beach at Giardini Naxos playing travel Scrabble and dipping in the Med one last time before we’d have to face up to the impending British winter.
Due to some less than ideal planning we had to leave for Palermo on day nine at about 6:30am. We returned our car and gratefully swapped it for a train into the centre of the capital. In Palermo we had one last Sicilian meal of pasta and Arancini (deep-fried rice balls) at a park near the Capella Palatina and the parliament buildings. Not wishing to expend any more energy than necessary knowing we’d not arrive home until about 1am the following morning, we slowly made our way back through town to the station via the city Cathedral and university grounds taking some final pictures for posterity.
All in all Sicily was a near-perfect getaway. I cannot recommend highly-enough the idea of renting an apartment instead of staying at a hotel and the island itself offers a great combination of culture and history, sun and beaches, and a dash of outdoor adventure. I wouldn’t tell anyone to drive there if they could avoid it, I ended up letting Manijeh do it all in fear of ending both our lives if I attempted it. Before I sign off this final chapter in our holiday diary I have to mention a few other unforgettable things that haven’t had a mention so far, mostly to do with food.
Gelato (hazelnut, tiramisu, pistachio, pineapple, peach and more….!)
Pizza (specifically a pineapple, pistachio and gorgonzola one…mmmm good)
Mozzarella (I’ve never eaten so much!)
Anti-pasti, coffee and biscotti to name just a few more.
The Italian language, it’s like they took English and put a different vowel on the end of each word, examples include escursioni (excursion), massagi (massage, offered frequently by Chinese girls at Naxos beach).
T-Shirts of The Godfather (Il Padrino, and no I didn’t get one)
A man who looked like Gandalf that weaved friendship bracelets
Italian live music in Taormina’s main Piazza, top notch stuff!
I’m now off to eat my delicious salad of lettuce in an attempt to detox my system from the unimaginable amount of dairy products I ate…
I am happy you guys enjoyed Sicily.
It has been nice to read your account, day after day. It made me feel back home.
Bye bye,
Marco