Destination of the Week

Sicily

It's Italy yet it's not.    It's been conquered and re-conquered from all directions.   Its influences are European, African and Asian which explains the eclectic mix of history and artifacts.   We're talking about Sicily, the southern most region of Italy.  

Here, though, even the language is different . . . Italian but more songlike, more staccato, and with a heavy peppering of words adopted from other languages.   For travelers, though, don't worry.   There's usually enough English (but not much more) spoken that you'll easily be able to eat, sleep, drink some wine, and see the beauty that was created by the Romans, the Normans, the Vandals Ostrogoths and Byzantines.

Much of the architecture has been damaged or destroyed - by earthquake, war and eruptions from Mt. Etna.   But the history is intact and even if the Mediterranean beauty weren't there, even if the wonderful Sicilian wines didn't exist, the history would make the trip worthwhile.

Check availability before you go - many resorts are closed from November to April and August offers hot, humid weather and the confusion of vacationers coming to Sicily while many Sicilians are leaving on vacations of their own.   You'll probably start in Palermo; most flights terminate there.   You won't find as many ruins there as you'd expect but you will see Roman walls at the base of the San Cataldo Church as well as a park in Piazza Vittoria.   At the Museo Archeologico you'll be able to view some of the most beautiful mosaics ever discovered.

West of Palermo you arrive at Segesta and the unfinished Doric temple built by the Greeks.   Then, you'll want to stop in Erice to visit The Mother Church, which was built in the 14 th century with a Gothic style but with Romanesque touches.   Also there are the Church of St. John the Baptist and the Church of St. Ursula.   You may want to make a stop in Trapani, on the sea, but if time is short, get to Marsala, an ancient Phoenician town.   It's also the home of . . . would you believe . . . Marsala wine.

It's made in the solera tradition where, each year, the current vintage is placed above the previous year's, allowing each to blend so that, ostensibly, the taste never changes.   Marsala is a fortified wine, like Port and Sherry.   That means, with the added alcohol, its content is around 18-20%.   Marsala's reputation took a dive in the '50's as other Madeiras and Ports made their way into the marketplace.   However, in 1986 changes in the laws regarding Marsala tightened the ropes and Marsala's making its way back as an excellent aperitif.

In Selinunte, you'll think you're really in Greece.   In many ways, you are.   For over two centuries around 700 B.C. Selinunte was the leading Greek city in Sicily.   Today, you can go to city center, still called The Acropolis, and look out on the Mediterranean just 50 feet down.

If you're interested in really ancient history, continue on to Agrigento . . .where the skull of the Girl of Mandrascava was found, dating back about a half-million years.   Once called Akragas by the Greeks, Agrigento is a mix of Roman and Greek architecture.   The Temple of Juno and the Temple of Concord still stand from about 450 B.C.

As the road climgs toward the hill town of Taormina, you'll see Mt. Etna from quite a distance.   Mt. Etna is arguably the largest natural attraction of Sicily.

At almost 11,000 feet in elevation, this volcano stands majestically on the east coast.  It's still active although its eruptions are about 1/6 th that of Kilauea.   As you gaze on the mountain, you can imagine the thoughts of the Ancient Greeks as they conjured up images of the Cyclopses and the giant, Enceladus with his motion causing earthquakes and his breath powering the eruptions.

Along the way, there's plenty to do - hiking, biking, swimming, climbing, sailing and plenty of photo opportunities.   The triangular island makes for beautiful pictures from any direction.

Another great feature is the number of "cooking" vacations you can take.   What's special is that the Sicilian cuisine and learning to make it.   As you would surmise, fish and seafood make up a great deal of the Sicilian diet.   Squid, lobster, prawns, mussels, sea urchins sea bass, shrimp, and clams - all cooked uniquely with recipes that often include capers, fennel or pine nuts.   And desserts.   Is it enough that Sicily's the home of cannoli or would you rather have fig ice cream or tira mi su?

Of course, you can follow it all up - whether it's your cooking class or or a night on the town - with a great marsala, moscato, zibibbo or malvasia for that second dessert.

Don't leave the island - or this article - without thinking about the great wines of Sicily.   You might be surprised to find out that about 60 percent of Sicily's wine production is white including chardonnay, carricante, and damaschino.   Nonetheless, Sicily's reputation as a wine producer is now growing with its production of nero d'avola, grown primarily in the hills of southeastern Sicily.  

Sicilian wine growers also are discovering the microclimates that generate the multiple terroirs of the island.   With dry, warm coastlines that often bear the brunt of the hot blowing sirocco from Africa and temperate climates inland - especially at higher elevations - there's a different wine taste in every hectare.   If you go now, you might be able to sample every one of them.

Want to book a trip? Start here.

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