The beauty of Sicily will capture your heart, no matter the season. If you have the luxury of visiting Sicily, in the off season, it will definitely spoil you big time. Our November two week exploration of Sicily took us to Palermo, Ortigia, Siracusa, Zafferana, Etna, Agrigento, Cefalú, and back to Palermo. Our travels through Sicily also included a day trip to Donnafrugata Winery in Marsala. Below are the highlights of our Spaswinefood's November visit to this amazing place.
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| Temple Concordia, Valley of the Temples, Sicily © Spaswinefood |
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| Temple Concordia at Night, Valley of the Temples © Spaswinefood |
Palermo
We stayed at C'era Una Volta B&B in city center. When we landed at Palermo airport our taxi driver was waiting and took us directly to our B&B. After a two-hour flight from Marseille, France the taxi that we had pre-arranged was waiting and took us directly to Palermo's city center.  |
| Palermo, Sicily © Spaswinefood |
When we checked-in at C'era Una Volta B&B they gave us a number of recommendations for dinner. We decided on Ristorante Il Mirtoe e la Rosa, literally next door to the B&B. After being seated at the restaurant we ordered a bottle Donnafrugata Sedára 2012. Later during our travels through Sicily we took a day trip to Donnafrugata, Marsala. This Donnafrugata, Sedára DOC Sicilia 2012 was indeed a great introduction to Sicilian wine. It was a beautiful dinner at a restaurant next door.
Next day we picked up a rented car and headed across Sicily to Ortigia. Indeed Palermo, Sicily was the start/ending point for our Sicilian adventure.
Ortigia, Siracusa
It is hard to imagine a more fascinating place to include in our Sicilian explorations than Ortigia. Just three hours after we picked up our rented car in Palermo we arrived in Ortigia, the historical center of the city of Siracusa. Ortigia is in fact an island that is connected to the mainland by three bridges.
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| Arriving in Ortigia, Sicily © Spaswinefood |
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| La Via della Guidecca, Ortigia© Spaswinefood |
Ortigia's narrow medieval streets made it difficult to find our hotel. Moreover, using my i-phone to locate our hotel posed a further challenge. It is never easy to get good GPS readings amid stone buildings on narrow streets. We did get close enough however, such that when I asked a local resident for directions he said follow me. We did and arrived at La Via della Guidecca B & B within a minute.
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La Via della Guidecca, Ortigia© Spaswinefood
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La Via della Guidecca's location was just perfect for exploring Ortigia.
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| La Via Della Guidecca (right of church center) © Spaswinefood |
We could not have chosen a better place for our stay. Breakfasts were fantastic and service was excellent.
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| La Via Della Guidecca, Ortigia © Spaswinefood |
Touring Ortigia
Once we settled into our accommodations there was no need for a car. During our four night stay we parked the car and explored the island on foot. It was exciting to explore the narrow streets and alleys of Ortigia.
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Ortigia Street, Sicily © Spaswinefood
 | Ortigia Sidewalk © Spaswinefood
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| Walking Ortigia, Sicily © Spaswinefood |
We continued to make discoveries at night and during the day.
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| Ortigia Alley at Night © Spaswinefood |
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| Ortigia Alley © Spaswinefood |
The streets that allow cars are mostly one way. The alleys are only navigable by very small vehicles or on foot. During our Ortigia walks we discovered courtyards to explore, just off the alley ways or streets.
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| Exploring Courtyards in Ortigia © Spaswinefood |
In addition to exploring the many alley ways, courtyards and narrow streets we also walked the seawall around Ortigia. During our walks there were many pleasant encounters, like the ginger kitty we met one day on our walk.
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| Meeting Ginger Kitty, Ortigia © Spaswinefood |
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Ginger Kitty, Ortigia © Spaswinefood
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Walking around Ortigia always led to discoveries of many historic buildings and landmarks. On the Piazza di Archimedes there are many stunning buildings, such as the Bank of Sicily. Ortigia was the birthplace of Archimedes.
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| Bank of Sicily, Ortigia © Spaswinefood |
This historical heart of Siracusa also has a Greek archaeological site. The Greek influence on the layout street and alleys is well preserved in today's Ortigia.
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| Archaeological Site, Ortigia © Spaswinefood |
Amid all the rich history of Ortigia you will find the locals going about their daily living. One of the best places to observe this is at the market.
The Ortigia Market
The island has a market which we visited. I am always impressed by the quality of the produce at the markets in Italy and this one was no exception.
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| Arriving at Ortigia Market © Spaswinefood |
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Ortigia Market © Spaswinefood
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| Fish, Ortigia Market © Spaswinefood |
After passing the fruits, vegetables and fish stands we arrived at the cheese area.
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| Cheese, Ortigia Market © Spaswinefood |
We continue passed the cheeses to next inviting stand.
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| Ortigia Market © Spaswinefood |
We could not resist buying some cheeses, tomatoes and olive oil to make a caprese salad later. It is hard to beat fresh on the vine tomatoes.
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| Checking out Tomatoes at Ortigia Market © Spaswinefood |
Visitors will discover that the Ortigia market is pleasing to the senses.
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Vegetables, Ortigia Market © Spaswinefood |
Of course we also could not resist buying some fruit.
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| Fruit, Ortigia Market © Spaswinefood |
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| Tempting Fruit, Ortigia Market © Spaswinefood |
While in Ortigia we also sampled the food and wine offerings at the local restaurants (see article).
Spas and More
Spaswinefood always likes to check our local spa services while traveling. Our B& B recommended the spa at the Grand Hotel Ortigia.
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| Grand Hotel Ortigia © Spaswinefood |
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| Spa at Grand Hotel Ortigia © Spaswinefood |
The Ortigia marina is fun to explore and we did.
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| Blu Marlin, Ortigia © Spaswinefood |
At the end of the day we enjoyed watching the sunset from the marina.
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| Sunset, Ortigia, Sicily © Spaswinefood |
All too soon our stay in Ortigia was over. Yes, it was so easy to fall in love with Ortigia. After four wonderful days in Ortigia, Sicily we traveled onto Zafferana Etnea where we explored the Mount Etna area over the weekend.
Etna
Etna is the most likely place that all visitors to Sicily will check out. We were no exception. We stayed in Zafferana at the B&B Aria Della Etna. During our November stay in Etna it was generally overcast. The day we drove up the mountain in the mid-morning there were some sunny spots. In the parking area there was good visibility by mid day, as we drove down the mountain it became quite cloudy. Mount Etna is an active stratovolcano. It is the tallest active volcano on the European continent. While Mount Etna truly is a must visit we equally enjoyed those late afternoon Sicilian lunches. We enjoyed exploring the surrounding area and sampling the local Sicilian culinary offerings.
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| Mount Etna © Spaswinefood |
Zafferana Etnea: It must be Lunch Time
We arrived in Zafferana Etnea on a Friday around mid-day. There was no answer at the door to the B& B where we planned to stay; so we decided to walk into town and have lunch.
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| Fountain, Zafferana Etnea © Spaswinefood |
We soon discovered Ristorante il Castello di Bacco on the plaza near the church. We decided to have lunch there.
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| Ristorante il Castello di Bacco, Zafferana Etnea © Spaswinefood |
It was a great lunch except for the house wine ordered. The house wine was passed its time but the waitress happily took it back. We ordered another wine. This time the wine, Terra della Baronia, IGT Sicilia 2006 was a good choice.
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| Terra della Baronia, IGT Sicilia 2006 (Front Label) © Spaswinefood |
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| Terra della Baronia, IGT Sicilia 2006 (Back Label) © Spaswinefood |
For main courses we ordered mushroom pasta.
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| Mushroom Tragliatelle, Ristorante il Castello di Bacco © Spaswinefood |
After an introduction to the local mushrooms it became hard to resist ordering them wherever we dined.
We shared a chocolate dessert.
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| Chocolate Fondant, Ristorante il Castello di Bacco © Spaswinefood |
After lunch we walked back to our B&B to check in.
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| Church, Zafferana Etnea © Spaswinefood |
Touring Mount Etna: It must be Lunch Time
The next day we drove to the top of Mount Etna and explored the area around the volcanic cone.
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| Mount Etna © Spaswinefood |
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| Crater, Mount Etna © Spaswinefood |
As we drove down from Mount Etna it became foggy. Our November stay in the Zafferana Etnea area was generally overcast. When we drove up the volcano in the mid-morning there were some sunny spots. In the parking area near the top there was good visibility. However, by mid-day, as we drove down the slope of the volcano, it became quite cloudy. That did not deter us from exploring the area on the volcano's slopes.
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| November, Slopes of Mount Etna © Spaswinefood |
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| November, Mount Etna Area © Spaswinefood |
The lower slopes of Mount Etna has fertile volcanic soil, which make it great for agriculture. Throughout the area you will find vineyards and orchards.
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| Countryside, Etna Area © Spaswinefood |
As we drove back down to Zafferana Ethnea we stopped briefly at Hotel Airone.
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| Airone Hotel © Spaswinefood |
Later, after exploring the area around Zafferana Etnea, we decided to have lunch at Ristorante Pizzeria Moulin Rouge.
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| Ristorante Pizzeria Moulin Rouge © Spaswinefood |
We began lunch with a bottle of red wine, Terre della Baronia, IGP Sicilia 2009.
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| Terre della Baronia, IGP Sicilia 2009 (Front Label) © Spaswinefood |
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| Terre della Baronia, IGP Sicilia 2009 (Back Label) © Spaswinefood |
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| Caprese Salad, Ristorante Pizzeria Moulin Rouge © Spaswinefood |
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| Mushroom Fettucini, Ristorante Pizzeria Moulin Rouge © Spaswinefood |
Yes, caprese salad and pasta with local mushrooms are hard to beat. We also ordered the meat plate special.
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| Meat Plate, Ristorante Pizzeria Moulin Rouge © Spaswinefood |
After caprese salad with our main courses it was time for dessert. We decided on chocolate ice cream for dessert.
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| Ice Cream, Ristorante Pizzeria Moulin Rouge © Spaswinefood |
Lunch at Ristorante Pizzeria Moulin Rouge was quite good. We also had a great waiter.
After Driving to Messina and Taormina: It must be Lunch Time
Next day we decided to drive to Messina. Before we entered the coastal highway we could not resist taking pictures of Mount Etna. It had a dusting of snow.
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Mount Etna © Spaswinefood
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We drove directly to Messina and stopped in at Taormina on our return. It was fun to drive the coastal highway (A20) to Messina and back.
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| Next Exit, Messina © Spaswinefood |
There are many towns along the route to Messina. Taormina, setting on the hillside of Monte Tauro, overlooking the ocean caught our attention. We decided to explore it a little.
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| Taormina © Spaswinefood |
As we drove the road up the steep hillside, the views below were absolutely amazing.
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| Taormina Harbour © Spaswinefood |
Then as the road became narrower and more widening we reached the top of Monte Tauro.
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| Taormina, Monte Tauro © Spaswinefood |
We so enjoyed driving to Messina and exploring the countryside in the Mount Etna area. After our road trip we returned to Zafferana Etnea. This time we stopped for a late lunch at Bar del Bosco SRLS.
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| Bar del Bosco SRLS © Spaswinefood |
For lunch that day at Bar del Bosco SRLS it was perfect timing to try a simple red wine.
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| Frasca Vino Rosso, Siclia © Spaswinefood |
For lunch that day at Bar del Bosco SRLS it was perfect timing to try a simple red wine.
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| Bruschetta, Bar del Bosco SRLS © Spaswinefood |
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| Caprese Salad, Bar del Bosco SRLS © Spaswinefood |
For lunch our main plates were:
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| Mushroom Bucatini, Bar del Bosco SRLS © Spaswinefood |
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| Eggplant & Spaghetti, Bar del Bosco SRLS © Spaswinefood |
Again we ordered pasta with local mushrooms. We so enjoyed our late afternoon lunches at the restaurants we tried.
Breakfasting B&B Style
While in Etna area we stayed at Aria Dell' Etna B&B in Zafferana Etnea. We enjoyed great breakfasts during our stay.
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| Breakfast, Aria Dell' Etna B&B © Spaswinefood |
Breakfast was a time to sample some of the local pastries. For sure no one can resist trying Sicilian cannelloni.
For sure it was always a special treat to select from the breakfast offerings of local cheeses, meats, cati fruit and jams.
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| Local Cheeses & Meats © Spaswinefood |
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| Cati Fruit © Spaswinefood |
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| Cacti Jam © Spaswinefood |
Yes, with these awesome breakfasts and late afternoon lunches there was absolutely no need for dinner. Monday morning after a delightful weekend touring the Zafferana Etnea area we drove to Agrigento.
From Zafferina it was a pleasant drive to Agrigento. It has been awhile but I still remember the drive from Etna to the Valley of the Temples, Agrigento. It was indeed pleasant. We passed by olive gardens, and ever changing landscape along the way. When we arrived in Agrigento we checked into Hotel Villa Athena, right next door to the Temple of the Gods. During our travels through Sicily we mostly stayed at B&B's. However, when we became aware of the opportunity to stay next to the Temple of the Gods ruins we decided to splurge. Another pleasant surprise at Hotel Villa Athena is when we found out that we had a room overlooking the ruins. After we checked in we enjoyed a glass of wine while viewing the amazing landscape. |
| Time for Wine, Hotel Villa Athena © Spaswinefood |
Cefalú
If you visit Cefalú, Sicily in the off-season when there are few tourists (late October to mid-December) it just might absolutely spoil you big time. Cefalú, in the Province of Palermo, was the last place we visited during our two weeks in Sicily. The locals told us that weather was exceptional for the end of November. Beside the weather being picture perfect we so enjoyed exploring Cefalú without the crowds.
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| Cefalú Beach, Sicily © Spaswinefood |
Discovering Cefalú, Sicily
It was a two hour flight from Marsielle, France to the Palermo airport. When we landed in Palermo the taxi we had pre-arranged was waiting and took us directly to our hotel. We spent the first night in the city center of Palermo, staying at C'era Una Volta B&B. After we checked-in we had a beautiful dinner next door at il Mirtoe e la Rosa. Next morning we soon realized that our time in Palermo was too brief. However, we were so excited that for the next two weeks we would be exploring Sicily by car. After picking-up our car rental we were off. At the end of two wonderful weeks our last stop was a weekend in Cefalú.
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| Cefalú, Sicily © Spaswinefood |
This small town is overflowing with visitors during the tourist season; so it was a delight to explore in the off-season. Cefalú, with a population of about 14,000, fills with tourists during the summer months. Millions of tourists from mainly Sicily, Italy and Europe visit each year. We did not experience any crowds and we able to we explore the historic city with ease. Cefalú, meaning head in reference to the point of headland extending into the sea, was named by the Greeks. Today you will find a rocky outcrop rising above the town with a castle at the top. While it early origins are uncertain historically it became known as a refuge and religious sanctuary.
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| Historic Cefalú's Narrow Streets © Spaswinefood |
We enjoyed making discoveries, such as seeing the pilars once used for washing clothes.
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| Pilars in Cefalú, Sicily © Spaswinefood |
We also discovered two of the town's historic churches during our walks.
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| Church of St. Stefano, Cefalú, Sicily © Spaswinefood |
Right on Plaza di Duomo in city center was the Cefalú Cathederal.
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| Cefalú Cathedral, Sicily © Spaswinefood |
The plaza near the Cefalú Cathedral is surrounded by many beautiful buildings.
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| Plaza di Duomo, Cefalú © Spaswinefood |
We discovered a number of wine shops in town. One of those is right on the Plaza.
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| Wine Display, Pasticcerria Del Bar Duomo, Cefalú © Spaswinefood |
Around town there were signs that Christmas was approaching. For example, there was a Christmas tree at the entrance to Pasticcerria Del Bar Duomo.
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| Pasticcerria Del Bar Duomo, Cefalú, Sicily © Spaswinefood |
One of the displays in the Pasticcerria window included enticing sweets, with some Santa Clauses on the side.
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| Pasticcerria Del Bar Duomo, Cefalú, Sicily © Spaswinefood |
Christmas decorations were up at a number of shops around town.
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| Christmas Display, Cefalú, Sicily © Spaswinefood |
Cefalú Culinary Offerings
While in Cefalú we enjoyed dining at a number of local restaurants. Sure some of the restaurants were closed for the season but those that were opened offered wonderful choices. Two restaurants where we dined were located near the waterfront.
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| Waterfront at Cefalú, Sicily © Spaswinefood |
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| Window onto Cefalú Harbor, Sicily © Spaswinefood |
On the day we arrived in Cefalú we had lunch at Ristorante Vicchia Marina.
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| Ristorante Vicchia Marina, Cefalú, Sicily © Spaswinefood |
Ristorante Vicchia Marina, Cefalú © Spaswinefood
Since it was warmer at mid-day we had lunch overlooking the harbor.
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| Friday Lunch at Ristorante Vicchia Marina © Spaswinefood |
We ordered Arancio Nero D'Avola, Sicila DOC 2012 wine.
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| Feudo Arancio, Nero D'Avola, Sicila DOC 2012 © Spaswinefood |
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| Feudo Arancio, Nero D'Avola, Sicila DOC 2012 © Spaswinefood |
We shared a caprese salad.
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| Caprese Salad, Ristorante Vicchia Marina © Spaswinefood |
For our main courses our choices were pasta and pulpo.
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| Vegetable Pasta, Ristorante Vicchia Marina © Spaswinefood |
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| Pulpo, Ristorante Vicchia Marina © Spaswinefood |
For dessert we shared a lemon pie.
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| Lemon Pie, Ristorante Vicchia Marina © Spaswinefood |
It was the perfect setting for lunch with an ocean view.
During our weekend stay we dined twice at Via Roma Vecchia.
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| Via Roma Vecchia © Spaswinefood |
During our visits to Via Roma Vecchia we ordered wines. On the first visit we decided on La Montina Prosecco.
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| La Montina Prosecco © Spaswinefood |
The next time we ordered a Gulfi, Cerasulo di Vittoria, D.O.C.G. 2013.
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| Gulfi, Cerasulo di Vittoria, D.O.C.G. 2013 © Spaswinefood |
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| Gulfi, Cerasulo di Vittoria, D.O.C.G. 2013 © Spaswinefood |
We loved the eggplant and potato appetizer so much that we ordered it on both visits.
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| Eggplant and Potato Appetizer, Via Roma Vecchia © Spaswinefood |
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| Awesome Appetizer, Via Roma Vecchia © Spaswinefood |
During our visits the main courses included:
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| Vegetarian Pasta, Via Roma Vecchia © Spaswinefood |
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| Pasta © Spaswinefood |
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| Linguini with clams, Via Roma Vecchia © Spaswinefood |
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| Swordfish, Via Roma Vecchia © Spaswinefood |
Dining at Via Roma Vecchia was excellent. We so enjoyed dining out in Cefalú.
While in Cefalú we stayed at the Astoria Suite Hotel. The hotel has perfect location, just at the edge of town, across from the beach. The hotel also has underground parking on site which is a plus.
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| Astoria Suite Hotel, Cefalú, Sicily © Spaswinefood |
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| Astoria Suite Hotel at Night, Cefalú © Spaswinefood |
Spending our last weekend in Cefalú was the perfect ending for our Sicilian travels. Monday morning after a most delightful weekend we boarded our rented car and returned it to Palermo. It was then onto the airport for our flight back to France. Our November two week exploration of Sicily (Palermo-Ortigia, Siracusa- Zafferana, Etnea-Agrigento-Cefalú-Palermo) was amazing. You can check out my travels in Sicily and elsewhere at Spaswinefood.
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