Sicily's Ancient Landscapes & Timeless Traditions Day 5

Day 5 - September 24, 2015 - Thursday - Leave for Erice; Visit Segesta Doric Temples; Drive to Mazara del Vallo

This morning after breakfast, we boarded our large 50-passenger bus with our driver Pepé. The luggage was packed under the bay and we had plenty of seats inside the bus for our carry-ons.

There had been a refreshing rain overnight but the sun came out to bring the humidity. The early morning temperature was 72 degrees and the humidity was 83%.

While we were dodging the "going to work" traffic, Maurizio told us about the liberal traffic procedures and the driving habits of the people of Palermo. Amazingly there are few accidents. Parking is also an art in the city and even though the autos are small and compact, they have many dings and scratches.

Maurizio also told us about the economy. Living in Palermo is very expensive and housing is very pricey; almost impossible for the young people who are still having a hard time finding jobs. Unemployment is about 11%.

The economy of the island is based on tourism, fishing, and some agriculture. There are fish farms, harvesting and making jewelry that is carved from coral, in addition to clam and muscle cultivation.

The land is very hilly, rocky, and dry. The vegetation varies by location with olive trees, grape vines, fruit trees, and cypress and eucalyptus trees. Marble is also mined in Sicily, but with the weaker EU economy the past few years, there is not as much call for the luxury products like marble.

We had a brief mid morning stop to use the restrooms at 9:30 at Castellammare del Golfo. The views from the steep limestone overlooks were spectacular. The sea below was a palette of blues and greens, reflecting the azure skies and an occasional passing cloud.

Maurizio was very generous in his photo stops. There are so many incredible views; it could take hours to go a few kilometers.

The mountain drive took us to Erice, the city of peace and science. Erice is the home of Ettore Majoranaa, student of Enrico Fermi, who worked on the study of atomic energy. Each year a summer institute of the greatest minds of nuclear physics is held in the village.

We had two hours to explore Erice, a hilltop medieval town with fantastic views of Sicily's western coast. For the first hour we all walked together so Maurizio could show us the best "AH HA" moments.

When we finished our group tour, we had free time on our own. Our first stop was at a Confectionery Shop for sweets; almond and pistachio cookies for Gennie and marzipan for Vic. With a little sugar in our system, we hiked back through the narrow streets and took a lot of photos and looked in a few shops.

At 12:30 we met Pepé at the bus park and drove thirty minutes to another mountain town of Segesta. Nicola, the son of Leonardo and Gian Franca, the owners of the Agriturismo Tenute Pispisa Segesta picked us up in a minivan to take us up the hillside to the lodge for lunch.

Our lunch was the best so far. The antipasto was a plate of grilled vegetables; zucchini, green pepper, eggplant, onion, potato, frittata, and fresh ricotta cheese with a drizzle of concentrated balsamic vinegar. There were two kinds of pasta, a maltagliati and ortolano with cannoli for dessert.

At 3:00 we left the restaurant for our country walk down the hillside. The temperature was 72 degrees with 59% humidity. Our hike took us past olive trees full of green ripening olives and the vineyards heavy with sweet white grapes.

Although we walked about two miles, the gravel road was not too steep and most of the walk was downhill. The aroma from the neighboring protected forest was delightful. The cacti, pine and cedar trees, along with the stately cypress trees gave us a glimpse of the real countryside.

We also had panoramic views of the other side of the dry stream bed and the Segesta Archaeological Zone. Home to the ancient Elymians, we visited the Doric temple, built in 420's BCE and is one of the best preserved in the world.

At 5:00 we got back to the bus and continued on to Mazara, our destination for the next three nights. We checked into our hotel and had about an hour to settle in and start on the journal and photos for GarciaTrips.

As we had eaten a late lunch, Maurizio scheduled dinner for 8:00. Dinner was at the hotel and even though we were not that hungry, we had some of the pasta and of course, the dessert.

We came back to the room at 9:30 to finish our travel journey and get to bed for another day in Mazara.

Accommodations: Giardino de Costanza - - - Meal: B, L, D