A Weekend in Sicily

We arrived in Palermo, Sicily just before midnight after two full days of travel. Needless to say, we were exhausted. After collecting our bags, we rented a tiny car and made the short drive to Van’s Bed and Breakfast. Upon our arrival we were greeted by a very friendly gentlemen, who we learned owned the property. He escorted us to our very large two bedroom suite with a balcony. We were thrilled and ready for a good night’s rest. We woke up the next morning feeling revived and ready to explore the city of Palermo.

Venturing into the city center in a rental car was quite and experience. The traffic there is CRAZY! It was also very clear that Italian drivers are not like those in the rest of the world. It’s every man for himself.  After surviving the chaos, we parked the car.

The city of Palermo is a great size to explore on foot. We went into several Cathedrals, toured the palace and enjoyed the lively streets.

We stopped for a wonderful salad and pizza lunch. I was so happy to finally get a great tasting pizza (we have had many not so good ones along the way).

 

 

 

 

Sicily is the birthplace of the cannoli. So we went on a quest to find the perfect cannoli. After a little research, we chose some of the suggested top places in the cities. We tried 4 different shops in one day. The winner is… Caffetteria del Corso. The unique difference was a thin layer of chocolate inside the cannoli shell. Caffetteria del Corso is a small little shop, so look closely or you will pass it up.

The following day we made the 2 hour drive to the southern coast of Sicily to see the Greek Temple Ruins in the Valley of Temples. There are 5 temple ruins that stretch out over 2 kilometers. From the top of the hill you can see a beautiful view of the ocean. The parking lot is at the end of the 2 kilometers at the bottom of the hill. For 6 Euros you can take a taxi to the top of the hill and then make the walk down through the Valley of the Temples, ending at your car. We opted for this option and were glad we did. It allowed us more time to wander through the ruins. Here are some of our favorite pictures from our visit.

We took the coastal route west before heading north for our drive back to Palermo. We enjoyed the view along the coast even though it made the drive a bit longer.

Before leaving for the day, we made plans with our bed and breakfast hosts to order dinner for that evening. When we came back to the house to find the hostess already cooking for our dinner that would be served 4 hours later. While relaxing in our room upstairs, we could smell the heavenly aromas coming from the kitchen. When we walked into the dining room, everything was set for a romantic dinner for two. Our hosts immediately greeted us with wine to compliment our dinner.

The first course consisted of seven appetizers; Sicilian Pizza, Sardines, Sundried Tomatoes in Olive Oil, Eggplant Caponata, Seafood Salad (with Octopus, Squid and Shrimp), Olives and Toasted Bread.

 

 

Our second course was the pasta course. The “envelope of pasta” was best pasta dish I have ever had.

The third course was our meat dish and it was impressive.

Our wonderful meal ended with a very interesting fruit that neither of us had ever had before, Figs of India. This fruit has a very vivid color. Both the yellow and red colored fruit have the same flavor. There are small hard seeds inside that you just swallow as you enjoy the fruit. They were served with a compliment of pomegranate seeds.

We both agree that this was one of the best meals we have every had. The flavors of the food were amazing. We would love to go back to Sicily just to enjoy more Sicilian food.

Our wonderful weekend in Sicily had to come to an end. We really enjoyed our time and would love to return to explore more the island. We would encourage others to make the trip to Sicily if ever given the chance.

We continue the Allen World Tour at the Amalfi Coast. Can’t wait to share our Amalfi highlights with you!