Longer daytrip than usual today. We first traveled to the center of the island, to the town of Enna, one of Sicily’s nine provincial capitals. The old part of town is built on a tabletop mountain, while the newer town has been built at the bottom. The views from Enna are sensational.
The town of Enna is at top
Our maxivan parked in Enna
View of Mt. Etna from Enna
Walking in Enna
Yes, it's snow from a recent snowfall
Another view of Enna
We had another superb lunch there, mine consisting of veal steak with salad and fries, while Diane satisfied herself with mussels and grilled veggies.
Especially picturesque is another mountaintop town nearby called Calascibetta; sprawling and unique.
The town of Calascibetta as seen from Enna
One of Etna's craters is smoking
Enna was the halfway point to our final destination, the town of Cefalu’, on Sicily’s north coast, on the Tyrrhenian Sea. The countryside of Sicily is quite distinctive. While the Italian peninsula separated from Europe, Sicily actually separated from Africa, thus the soil and the rocks are different from the mainland; sandstone rather than limestone. Craggy, treeless green hills are pleasant to the eyes, however, when you are traveling on the autostrada at 80 mph., it is not recommended to pull over and take pictures. I managed to take this photo when it was already quite dark, on the way back, but it does no justice. You'll just have to conceptualize it yourself.
Parco delle Madonie
Cefalu’ is one of the most picturesque places you can imagine. When you first see it, it hypnotizes you.
Cefalu'
The temperature hovered around 60 degrees, and in the sun it was quite pleasant. Some daring individuals even managed to lie out in the sun in their bathing suit, but no one dared entering the water.
Love on the beach
Masterful sandcastle
We spent several hours in town, sipping coffee, eating gelato, strolling along the beach, exploring various nooks, and sitting on the steps of the town’s stunning Norman Cathedral.
Old public troths fro washing clothes
An old olive oil storage site
The Norman Cathedral
Only a Sampdoria fan will appreciate this. So great to see our colors on a sticker so far from Genova!
We stayed until sunset, before embarking on the 2 ½ hour journey back home.
See you tomorrow. God willing. Ciao.
beautiful city