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| Paris In Sites Newsletter Direct From France Edited by Linda Thalman Travel & Leisure Articles |
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France Italy Sicily Palermo Naples Rome 2010 - 2011
By Linda Thalman
When your plane leaves at 7 a.m. it's easy to get to Orly by car from Boullay.
However, we didn't want to take our car and park it for 10 days.
Even best friends aren't very keen to give you a lift at 5 in the morning.
So, we got a ride to the RER the evening before our flight, took the Orly Val to
Orly sud, then a 3-minute shuttle ride to the Hotel Ibis for our 79 euro hotel room.
Pricey for what it was.
Two phone alarms and a wake-up call for 5 a.m. and we headed for the shuttle to
the terminal.
The plane info in the hotel said... groan, that our flight was delayed.
Checking in we were told it was only to be about an hour delay, and indeed that was
what it was.
Landing in Palermo was just two hours later and there were no passport checks or
customs as we are still in the European Union's borderless Schengen zone.
Over to the rental car building, rented a small car and by 11 we were on our way to
explore all parts west heading for Trapani.
Meandering along a departmental road rather than the autostrada, we basked in the warmth
of a sunny day... about 15 C compared to the minus 5C we'd left behind in Paris.
Flowers blooming, fluo green fields, a Mediterranean feel with cactus and
bourgainvillier draping over walls... in late December.
We could only fit one of our two standard travel bags in the boot
and didn't want to park the car just any place.
Along the port we found a very pleasant restaurant with lots of local food,
a most charming owner and parkingjust in front so we could see our rental car from
the window. The Renta restaurant fit the bill perfectly.
Carpacio of swordfish and tuna for me and a pasta for Pierre accompanied by a
nice local white wine.
In our basic Italian we chatted with the owner who asked about our travel plans.
One thing led to another and she brought us a card for her holiday rental flat.
Deal done and we had an large apartment with two bedrooms all to ourselves.
The heating wouldn't kick in beyond 15 C, but by snuggling under the covers all was fine.
We'd hope to eat at the best pizzeria in town for dinner, but it was fully booked until
22:15. So plan B took us to another pizza place, Pizzeria Stefy. A good pizza, but two 6 year boys
who were misbehaving and screaming, put us off staying for coffee.
To warm ourselves up we had capuchino, croissant filled with cream and fresh pressed orange juice in a chalet like
cafe/bar that was so nice.
It was really nippy outside, so we practically ran around the empty cobble stone
streets of this medieval town. Erice is often enveloped in fog and rain but we hit the jackpot:
blue skies and magnificent views of Trapani and the surrounding sea.
Added plus... we'd beat the tourists. The village was ours to visit in an eiry calm.
Our plans for what to do next changed every 10 minutes but in the end we snaked around the city center of
Trapani to drive the Salt Route... not quite as pretty or quaint as I'd imagined, but it was tranquil.
Taking a quick coffee break along the sea at a sidewalk cafe just south of Marsala we pondered our
options.
On we went to Mazara de Vallo for lunch where we were the only diners. Tough times and the low season
I'm guessing. La Bettola was so nice and we had excellent service, including
being able to park the car just outside the door of La Bettola.
Delicious food we did have. The chef himself took our order and made suggestions for the
daily specials and wine.
We took a quick jaunt around the town center and a visit to the Museo del Satiro.
We weren't sure what the museum was about... having failed to read the guide books.
It turned out to be a bronze statue of Satire, possibly dating back to 400 BC. Wow!
Then we headed for Palermo and our perfect apartment rental.
It was a pleasant drive as the sun was setting but we were vigilant at all times for crazy drivers of cars,
trucks and motorcycles.
Folks, Italians are wonderful people but really nutso drivers!
We were met by Corrado at our 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom, 2-terraces apartment... rented, of course, on Internet.
There are TVs in each bedroom and the living room; a good kitchen, beautiful art work, impeccably clean, parking
in the square below, a smiling concierge, and once you sort out the bus routes, it's a piece of cake to get around
Palermo.
Located in a residential part of town, with a view on the ferries and by car or bus
just a kilometer from the absolute center of town.
The flat is beautifully furnished and Corrado assured us
he wanted us to feel as if we were 'at our home away from home'.
'One loves or hates Palermo', Corrado simply stated. Well, We're enjoying Sicily's capital city to the hilt.
It's a lovely city which is so rich in history and I'd go back again.
Contact Corrado at: mybestguest@libero.it and say hi from Linda
when you email.
Pierre and I had arrived on Tuesday late afternoon, moved in and headed out for a quick dinner
in the neighborhood.
Wednesday we headed for Agrigento, a two-hour drive away on the south coast.
Agrigento has an old town at the top of the hill where we found a splendid view on a
sunny terrace for a good-value lunch which was well merited after visiting
la valle dei templi UNESCO Heritage site.
The museum houses thousands of items found in this very large site and in the region.
You will not see the statues, vases or the amazing artifacts by wandering around the outdoor museum. So
be sure to take the time to go through this very well presented museum.
For a full and thorough visit you may well need most of the day as the monuments, temples and
ruins are very spread out.
Our friends, the Nouri family, spent more than an hour in the Giardino della Kolymbetra, which while
called a garden, it is actually a fruit garden. They raved on and on about its beauty and came away with
lemons, oranges and apples as well as marmalade from this special Sicilian 'garden'.
Finally all six of us were fully settled into our lovely flat in Palermo and on Thursday we
did food shopping in preparation for New Year's eve and explored a bit of the city.
Pierre and I scouted out an Internet point and walked around the old town and the Nouri family took
a different path to explore Palermo too.
Black ink sauce on spaghetti with sea food at our flat and Sicilian wine,
including the famous Marsala rounded out the evening.
On Friday 31 January 2010 we returned to the Ballaro market, one of four in the central quarters of
Palermo as well as stopping at the Vucciria market.
And wow there was a 20-minute queue for fresh pasta...
We were impressed. The cars were triple parked outside this shop along the port.
This was THE place to get your fresh pasta in Palermo!
Finally other bits of shopping all around the quarter including a stop at a busy wine shop
and the New Year's preparations began.
The girls blew up balloons, the guys cooked, we had a festive table with candles, every one
dressed up and everyone had on make-up, including Pierre and Ali! Celia and Lina made sure
we all looked great.
Tuna underbelly lightly cooked, followed by lamb cutlets with fennel was on the evening's menu.
That was followed by cheese and then marzapin desert in the form of fruits and vegetables.
Delicious to eat and so pretty we almost couldn't bring ourselves to touch this work of art.
At midnight champagne and kisses and a chorus of fireworks and sparklers outside our apartment.
Saturday noon it was before we all had a coffee or tea to start the first day of the year 2011.
It was a leisurely drive up Monte Pelegrino for splendid views of the bay of Palermo, the sea, called the
Mare Tirreno, and Mondello on 1 January 2011.
We sauntered along the beach, had gelati and enjoyed a walk along the sea front in the lively town of
Mondello where lots of others people were doing the same. Delightful.
The evening dinner was in our lovely apartment with fresh spinach, fresh pasta raviolies with fish filling and
sauce.
Several games of Cludo were played while I read my book about the famous Captain James Cook.
Sunday was our last full day in Sicily and we headed off the towards the Zingaro Nature Reserve west of Palermo and we
were also in search of the famous couscous with fish that Trapani is famous for.
We stopped first in Montreal to see the convent and church with a warming sun though still
chilly temps.
Heading a bit further west we ended up in Castellammare del golfo and had a pleasant lunch with fish couscous,
local wine and lovely service.
About 3 p.m. we walked along the sea, oohing and aahing at the sea, the views, the flowers, palms and
appreciating the calm and quiet in the nature reserve.
Finally we headed back to Palermo for the final evening of our stay in beautiful Sicily.
Monday morning Pierre and I headed for the Palacio Reale to visit the Chapelle, the Sicilian Senate and the private
apartments in the palace.
Then a coffee in the sun, a wander down to the historical Arab quarter of Palermo and a wonderful lunch
at L'osteria DiVino Rosso which is an excellent value for money restaurant with ambiance and great service.
A final stroll along the port, a bus to our flat and packing.
A very basic dinner in the self-service cafeteria, including corked wine, a couple of cludo games
and to sleep.
Knocks on the door by the crew started at 6 in the morning... it was a short night.
We arrived at our lovely hotel La Bellini at Piazza Bellini about 7:30 a.m. and, of course, this early in the
morning the rooms weren't ready. So we lounged in the WiFi area of the hotel and one room for the girls opened up
so they could go back to sleep by about 9:30.
Christine, Ali, Pierre and I headed out for a visit on foot
around historic Naples and up to the Vomero quarter up above the city.
From Montesanto we took the funicular to get to the top of the hill and had impressive views of the Bay of Naples.
A steep walk down to via Toledo, one of the main streets in the old town of Naples, and we were back in the center of town.
Pierre and I had a very cheap pizza lunch - 4 euros for one and 6 euros for the other.
Then we took a bus to the central train station to get tickets to Rome using a kind of ATM which
fortunately had the information in English. Our Italian is basic, just a bit beyone Italian 101 and we
were not sure we'd get all the nuances if we used the Italian interface. We got our tickets and all was cool.
Back to the hotel for a siesta, reading and email.
Pizza and different soups and salads for dinner on the Tribunale street in an enclosed outdoor space with
heaters and we spent our final night in Napoli.
Ali kindly picked us up by car and showed us to our B&B, just around the corner from their flat.
The Little Queen B&B asked if we'd mind changing to another B&B they managed 200 meters away and
we got a bigger room for the same price. Deal done.
We walked and walked and just took in Rome on our third trip to this jewel of a city. It really is an amazing city... a museum
city. Paris is wonderful, but very different. You must visit both!
Staying in the historic Jewish quarter was really nice. It's a neighborhood. The lines at the bakery were
way out the door. The restaurants and bars were so welcoming. Loved it.
Lunch at Il Giardino Romano right around the corner from our accommodation and another
evening meal at Nino were perfect.
Christine walked us around Rome's center so we didn't get lost. With the sales having started
and 6 January being a holiday, the town center was full of locals and tourists. "Noire de monde"!
What a lovely holiday. Our flight back to Paris left on time and we unpacked around 19:00
just thinking of another short hop down to Rome to see our friends again soon.
Delightful Apartment in Palermo - for 2 to 6 people
Osteria L'Ambasciala di Sicilia
Enoteca Al Vini D'Oro di Pietro Arnone
L'osteria DiVino Rosso
La Bettola Ristorante
Spizzicheria Renda
Casa vacanza nel centro di Trapani
Pizzeria Stefy
Templi et Giardino della Kolymbetra
Hotel Piazza Bellini
Il Giardino Romano
Nino Restaurant
B&B Little Queen
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Dinner was boring; my meat was overcooked and the potatoes were cold... mentioning
this very gently when paying, the hostess gave us a discount.
Using our TomTom navigation system, with Italian as our language of choice, we
cruised into Trapani, looking for a cute place for lunch.... with parking right in
front.
The next morning we were out the door at 8 a.m. direction Erice up a very twisty turning narrow road with, fortunately,
no traffic. We drove to the tip top of the town, at 751 meters, parked to get our bearings.
It's a lovely interior with white chairs and table clothes with the walls covered in
art and posters and a beautiful collection of wine along one wall.
The open air market called Ballaro in the old town is so colorful, with smiling
sellers willing to explain in rapid or slow Italian the merits of their wares.
So much fun.
We managed to meet up with Christine, Ali, Celia and Lina late in the afternoon as they
had come from Syracuse by car having started their trip in Rome just a week earlier.
Along with the apero we had cherry tomatoes, olives and dried tomatoes with a dash of olive oil.
Our ferry to Napoli left around 20:30 but we were on board well before that and settled into our
cabin. Screaming kids in the VIP lounge and a baby balling its head off in the cabin next to us was a bit
of a bummer.
Our train left 30 minutes late, arrived 30 minutes late but it was a quick two-hour jaunt up to Rome.
It was the only train to have a delay... just our luck.
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Linda Thalman
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Email – Linda@wfi.fr
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