Travelling TT's: Summer in Sicily – Copious amount of Gelato and Sunshine! Palermo, Cefalu and Siracusa

Palermo (3^rd - 5^th July)

The bus ride from Trapani to Palermo was very scenic and we passed some lovely wine growing regions along the way.

We found Palermo to be quite a large city with magnificent architecture and a vibrant street scene throughout. Wandering through the city, we passed many famous landmarks such as Norman Palace, Palermo Cathedral, Teatro Massimo and a lovley crossroads, each corner with beautiful wall decorations. We also liked the many other interesting buildings and constructions throughout the city.

Norman Palace

Teatro Massimo

Palermo Cathedral

Palermo Cathedral, interior

We wandered through the Capo markets and Bollaro markets, which both had reasonable prices for the produce, however both were quite small with limited selection. We purchased some vegetables, meats and cheese and made a delicious Antipasto plate for dinner.

We wandered down to Palermo's marina and stopped for Brochette (fried mashed potato) and Panella (fried potato pancakes).

The Marina

Brochette (fried mashed potato) and Panella (fried potato pancakes)

We had to have Gelato Con Brioche while in Sicily and were even told by a Sicilian - three doses of gelato per day was recommended... We tried this amazing Sicilian treat twice in Palermo so didn't quite reach the three per day requirement. We tried Pistachio, Fiore Di Latte, Nocciola and Chocolate flavours.

Nocciola

Pistachio

Fiore Di Latte

Cefalu (Day trip from Palermo)

Cefalu was a lovely city to wander around for the day – traditional streets branched off the main street which was full of shops, restaurants and cafe's.

View from the train station, down to the esplanade

The Duomo in Cefalu was a lovely building, and inside was beautifully decorated with gold mosaics.

The beach was full of people enjoying the warm weather, umbrellas and lounges covered the sand.

A local seller offering lupini beans and fresh coconut

We had a lovely Italian lunch at a restaurant which had a terrace over the ocean.

Penne Norma (a traditional Sicilian pasta with eggplant, ricotta and tomato)

Siracusa (Ortigia) (6^th - 9^th July)

Siracusa has an adjoining island – Ortigia which is reached by crossing a small bridge. The port and surrounding buildings are lovely to see when entering the beautiful island.

Wandering through Siracusa, the narrow streets are cool and shady and there is always something to look at.

There is an amphitheatre right in the middle of Ortigia town, making this city truly rich in history.

Many beautiful squares and churches are placed throughout Ortigia, these in particular looked gorgeous with the sun beating down onto the light sandstone.

The coast of the island has a couple of small swimming beaches, but we found that most locals would hire a boat for the day, and set up in one particular area together, enjoying each others company and the beautiful sunshine.

The lively markets in Ortigia are held each morning and are great to see. Fresh fish, fruit, vegetables, cheeses and meats are on offer and you can even sample the fresh produce with an antipasto plate at two particular stores here - Caseificio Borderi had a delicious antipasti for just 10 Euros for two people and next door – Fratelli Burgio had a more elaborate antipasti filled with various vegetables, meats and cheeses for 24 Euros for two people.