Some impressions of Sicily by Bernard McCarthy
Many thanks to Bernard and Ursula McCarthy, of Beckenham, Kent (England) who supplied their thoughts on returning from an October break in Sicily.
The Land of the Fig and the Olive - this was the Ancient Greek description of the island of Sicily (Sicilia). Today perhaps the fig has given way to citrus fruits, tomatoes and aubergines, but the idea of a Mediterranean garden still obtains. Sicily has a hot summer, beautiful spring and autumn and a cold wet winter, although Syracusa is renowned in Roman literature for its equable climate. ‘No winter here,’ they say, and indeed the coldest day last winter was 17 degrees celsius (in January). To the holidaymaker Sicily is still, as yet, unsophisticated. The great sites - the Temples at Agrigento, Monreale, Casa Amerino and Mount Etna are not yet fully tourist-organised. Queues for ticket kiosks, entry and exit at the one gate, inadequate signposting and the lack of competitive catering outlets at some sites are still to be sorted out. Yet this slightly haphazard organisation adds to the authenticity and genuine freshness and immediacy of these great sites - they are still awaiting the regimentation of mass tourism. Taormina, worth seeing for the fabulous Greek Theatre (Teatro Greco) aside, Sicily is relatively cheap. Food has a heavy reliance on the aubergine and tomato, fish and pasta. Cuts of meat are different and somewhat tougher than we are used to and the local white and red wines (Regeali) are eminently drinkable. Hotels are idiosyncratic yet charming and seem to be mostly ‘unchained’. The scenery is surprisingly varied. The former granary of the Roman Empire still produces every kind of crop on its good, lowland soil. Hills and mountains provide varied colours and contrasts and, of course, Etna looks down upon all with Olympian disdain. There is an efficient (if lengthy and pricey) method of getting to the summit, and there are wonderful views. It is often cold up there (it was hot when we left the hotel but snowing on the summit), and it gives the visitor a real sense of achievement to have made it … a lifelong memory. Sicily has a good motorway network for a driving holiday, connecting the main towns and heritage sites - all make for an interesting and rewarding holiday.
Resources for your stay in Sicily:
Some Sicily history
Current weather in Sicily
Various types of holiday accommodation in Sicily
Online reservation for hotels in Sicily
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