Tuesday and Wednesday 2nd and 3rd March
Trapani
Our room at the B&B has a balcony and overlooks the commercial harbour at Trapani. This isn’t to say it’s all sailors and fighting, it is frightfully genteel and RO-RO ferries from Genova, Civitavecchia, Tunisia and Libya arrive to disgorge a few lorries and then leave at all times of the day and night. Silently like ghosts they are there at 11pm and replaced by another one by 7am and we haven’t heard a thing! Shipping strikes me as absolutely fascinating, especially the hundreds of container vessels we’ve seen seemingly abandoned anywhere from Cadiz, Gibraltar, Malaga, Valencia, Barcelona and then all the way down the Italian west coast right down to every bay in Sicily.
After our rotten day yesterday we thought it would be fun to spend today on one of the Egadi Islands which are a short ferry trip from Trapani. Our landlady had given us the name of the island which was best to cycle around, but unfortunately we had left it a bit late to make a proper day of it so contented ourselves with cycling around the town, the majority of which is traffic free. It was a lovely sunny day and we enjoyed ourselves so much we decided to stay a third night and to visit Erice tomorrow. We ate a picnic on our balcony as it seemed to be the most sheltered sunny spot in town and had a pretty relaxed day.
Garibaldi who landed at Marsala but is big here in Trapani too.
They are celebrating 150 years since he united Italy in April with tall ships, festivals and all sorts.
Looking north from Trapani
The port from our balcony
Old men, like the dogs hang about everywhere keeping out of the wind!
On Wednesday morning we took the bus up to Erice, the hilltop town overlooking Trapani, which is 752 meters above sea level. It was not a particularly good day weather-wise as the Sirocco wind had got up in the night and all the streets were covered in clothes pegs which had blown off people’s balconies, (most useful!) leaves and rubbish. The bus driver was a pretty relaxed sort of fellow who was able to negotiate hairpin bends up the side of the mountain at the same time as talking on his mobile and making expansive gestures with his mate sitting behind him, thus leaving no hands on the gear stick or steering wheel! We made it and were disgorged at the beginning of the old town along with half a dozen other tourists. Up here it was blowing a hurricane so any idea of admiring the fantastic views of most of Western Sicily faded fast. It was all you could do to stay upright but we walked at a brisk pace up to the Castello di Venere which is perched on the top of the mountain. Previously the site was a Greek temple but good old Roger the Norman destroyed that and built a castle instead! In high season there is apparently a main street full of lovely souvenirs and cafes, but today the shop owners had sensibly decided not to bother coming up the mountain to open up. (No sign of your hat, James!) We huddled in a cafe with a few others until it was time to catch the next bus back. There was such a strong wind that the loo door in the cafe slammed repeatedly so in the end the waitress had to weigh a chair down with 2 crates of drink to wedge against it and then was most irritated with anyone who had to use it. However it was good to have been there and the views really are amazing and we could plot our route for the next day as you could see the roads below for miles.
Girl and loo door! (not Vivi)
The view from the top of Erice and other pics.
Rumour has it the Earps and the Nevs walked up here but we don't believe it!
Trapani
Our room at the B&B has a balcony and overlooks the commercial harbour at Trapani. This isn’t to say it’s all sailors and fighting, it is frightfully genteel and RO-RO ferries from Genova, Civitavecchia, Tunisia and Libya arrive to disgorge a few lorries and then leave at all times of the day and night. Silently like ghosts they are there at 11pm and replaced by another one by 7am and we haven’t heard a thing! Shipping strikes me as absolutely fascinating, especially the hundreds of container vessels we’ve seen seemingly abandoned anywhere from Cadiz, Gibraltar, Malaga, Valencia, Barcelona and then all the way down the Italian west coast right down to every bay in Sicily.
After our rotten day yesterday we thought it would be fun to spend today on one of the Egadi Islands which are a short ferry trip from Trapani. Our landlady had given us the name of the island which was best to cycle around, but unfortunately we had left it a bit late to make a proper day of it so contented ourselves with cycling around the town, the majority of which is traffic free. It was a lovely sunny day and we enjoyed ourselves so much we decided to stay a third night and to visit Erice tomorrow. We ate a picnic on our balcony as it seemed to be the most sheltered sunny spot in town and had a pretty relaxed day.
Garibaldi who landed at Marsala but is big here in Trapani too.
They are celebrating 150 years since he united Italy in April with tall ships, festivals and all sorts.
Looking north from Trapani
The port from our balcony
Old men, like the dogs hang about everywhere keeping out of the wind!
On Wednesday morning we took the bus up to Erice, the hilltop town overlooking Trapani, which is 752 meters above sea level. It was not a particularly good day weather-wise as the Sirocco wind had got up in the night and all the streets were covered in clothes pegs which had blown off people’s balconies, (most useful!) leaves and rubbish. The bus driver was a pretty relaxed sort of fellow who was able to negotiate hairpin bends up the side of the mountain at the same time as talking on his mobile and making expansive gestures with his mate sitting behind him, thus leaving no hands on the gear stick or steering wheel! We made it and were disgorged at the beginning of the old town along with half a dozen other tourists. Up here it was blowing a hurricane so any idea of admiring the fantastic views of most of Western Sicily faded fast. It was all you could do to stay upright but we walked at a brisk pace up to the Castello di Venere which is perched on the top of the mountain. Previously the site was a Greek temple but good old Roger the Norman destroyed that and built a castle instead! In high season there is apparently a main street full of lovely souvenirs and cafes, but today the shop owners had sensibly decided not to bother coming up the mountain to open up. (No sign of your hat, James!) We huddled in a cafe with a few others until it was time to catch the next bus back. There was such a strong wind that the loo door in the cafe slammed repeatedly so in the end the waitress had to weigh a chair down with 2 crates of drink to wedge against it and then was most irritated with anyone who had to use it. However it was good to have been there and the views really are amazing and we could plot our route for the next day as you could see the roads below for miles.
Girl and loo door! (not Vivi)
The view from the top of Erice and other pics.
Rumour has it the Earps and the Nevs walked up here but we don't believe it!
In common with the rest of Italy, Erice and Trapani have gangs of dogs everywhere but in contrast these ones seem fat and contented and just lie around the streets and doorways snoozing and catching a few rays.
Outside the Trapani Duomo we met the same two German beggars who had accosted us outside the Duomo in Syracuse – last time he was earning his keep singing operatic arias, this time he just rattled a cup – we all recognized each other and laughed. We felt a strange bond with our fellow travelers, they didn’t bother asking us for money I think we probably look as down at heel as they do!
We had enjoyed our couscous so much 2 nights ago we went back to the same restaurant and had the same again!
Outside the Trapani Duomo we met the same two German beggars who had accosted us outside the Duomo in Syracuse – last time he was earning his keep singing operatic arias, this time he just rattled a cup – we all recognized each other and laughed. We felt a strange bond with our fellow travelers, they didn’t bother asking us for money I think we probably look as down at heel as they do!
We had enjoyed our couscous so much 2 nights ago we went back to the same restaurant and had the same again!
No comments:
Post a Comment