Sicily - Revision history

ErikaFletcher at 10:52, 4 January 2012

2012-01-04T10:52:14Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:52, 4 January 2012
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	==== Background ====		==== Background ====

	We will be spending the Sunday night in Palermo. Palermo (Palermo in Italian) (Palermu or Palemmu in Sicilian) (population 680,000) is the principal city and administrative seat of the autonomous region of Sicily, Italy as well as the capital of the Province of Palermo. It is a lively, vibrant city, encompassing some of Sicily's most beautiful and interesting historical monuments.		We will be spending the Sunday night in Palermo. Palermo (Palermo in Italian) (Palermu or Palemmu in Sicilian) (population 680,000) is the principal city and administrative seat of the autonomous region of Sicily, Italy as well as the capital of the Province of Palermo. EssaysExperts.Com is the company which first and main priority was, is and will be customers� satisfaction with the [http://www.essaysexperts.com essays online]. If you still have no idea where to buy your writing tasks, this company is the best option for you. It is a lively, vibrant city, encompassing some of Sicily's most beautiful and interesting historical monuments.

	See this [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palermo Wikipedia article] for information on Palermo. There are a couple of Palermo maps [http://www.sicilian.net/maps/pacenter.html here] and [http://www.oturn.net/indeliverable/palermo/palermo-map.jpg here]. Tom's Rough Guide to Italy has a map that we can use.		See this [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palermo Wikipedia article] for information on Palermo. There are a couple of Palermo maps [http://www.sicilian.net/maps/pacenter.html here] and [http://www.oturn.net/indeliverable/palermo/palermo-map.jpg here]. Tom's Rough Guide to Italy has a map that we can use.

195.217.192.1: /* Stuff we'll do */

2005-09-13T13:54:42Z

Stuff we'll do

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:54, 13 September 2005
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	The town itself is extremely attractive, a clean sixteenth-century layout that's free of traffic and littered with high, ageing buildings and arcaded courtyards. Tom's book recommends to visit two "''excellent''" museums. The first museum is the '''Museo Marsala''' (Mon, Tues, Thurs, 9am-1.40pm, Wed,Fri,Say,Sun, 4pm-7pm, €2). It's an archeological museum of quality and its major exhibit is a reconstructed Punic warship sunk during the First Punic War. The second museum, and the most central, behind the cathedral at Via Garraffa 57, is the '''Museo degli Arazzi''' (Tues-Sun 9am-1pm and 4pm-6pm, €1.50), whose sole display is a series of eight enormous hand-stitched wool and silk tapestries... actually, that sounds quite dull - I think we'll be museumed out by this time.		The town itself is extremely attractive, a clean sixteenth-century layout that's free of traffic and littered with high, ageing buildings and arcaded courtyards. Tom's book recommends to visit two "''excellent''" museums. The first museum is the '''Museo Marsala''' (Mon, Tues, Thurs, 9am-1.40pm, Wed,Fri,Say,Sun, 4pm-7pm, €2). It's an archeological museum of quality and its major exhibit is a reconstructed Punic warship sunk during the First Punic War. The second museum, and the most central, behind the cathedral at Via Garraffa 57, is the '''Museo degli Arazzi''' (Tues-Sun 9am-1pm and 4pm-6pm, €1.50), whose sole display is a series of eight enormous hand-stitched wool and silk tapestries... actually, that sounds quite dull - I think we'll be museumed out by this time.

	Regarding wineries, we should look out for the [http://www.cantineflorio.it/ Florio] wine cellars and the [http://www.carlopellegrino.it/english/main.php Carlo Pellegrino] winery (+39.0923.719928) in Marsala City.		Regarding wineries, we should look out for the [http://www.cantineflorio.it/ Florio] wine cellars and the [http://www.carlopellegrino.it/english/main.php Carlo Pellegrino] winery (+39.0923.719928) in Marsala City. Sicily's hot climate and volcanic soil nurture a wealth of vineyards, many of which produce simple table wines. Of the better vintages, the best-known is Marsala, a sweet dessert wine produced in both amber and ruby tones. One name that evokes years of winemaking traditions, thanks to the winery's skill at producing Cerasucio di Vittoria and Moscato di Pantelleria, is Corvo Duca di Salaparuta, a 19th-century winery in the hills above Palermo. For information, contact the Casa Vinicola Duca di Salaparuta, Via Nazionale, SS113, Casteldaccia, 90014 Palermo (tel. 091-953988). If you'd like to visit, call ahead to make an appointment and get directions. Note: This winery produces the Moscato di Pantelleria wine but not Marsala, which is produced only in Marsala.

	Our journey back to Palermo could include a couple of stops off at some interesting villages and towns on the way, including:		Our journey back to Palermo could include a couple of stops off at some interesting villages and towns on the way, including:

195.217.192.1: /* Stuff we'll do */

2005-09-13T13:46:41Z

Stuff we'll do

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:46, 13 September 2005
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	The town itself is extremely attractive, a clean sixteenth-century layout that's free of traffic and littered with high, ageing buildings and arcaded courtyards. Tom's book recommends to visit two "''excellent''" museums. The first museum is the '''Museo Marsala''' (Mon, Tues, Thurs, 9am-1.40pm, Wed,Fri,Say,Sun, 4pm-7pm, €2). It's an archeological museum of quality and its major exhibit is a reconstructed Punic warship sunk during the First Punic War. The second museum, and the most central, behind the cathedral at Via Garraffa 57, is the '''Museo degli Arazzi''' (Tues-Sun 9am-1pm and 4pm-6pm, €1.50), whose sole display is a series of eight enormous hand-stitched wool and silk tapestries... actually, that sounds quite dull - I think we'll be museumed out by this time.		The town itself is extremely attractive, a clean sixteenth-century layout that's free of traffic and littered with high, ageing buildings and arcaded courtyards. Tom's book recommends to visit two "''excellent''" museums. The first museum is the '''Museo Marsala''' (Mon, Tues, Thurs, 9am-1.40pm, Wed,Fri,Say,Sun, 4pm-7pm, €2). It's an archeological museum of quality and its major exhibit is a reconstructed Punic warship sunk during the First Punic War. The second museum, and the most central, behind the cathedral at Via Garraffa 57, is the '''Museo degli Arazzi''' (Tues-Sun 9am-1pm and 4pm-6pm, €1.50), whose sole display is a series of eight enormous hand-stitched wool and silk tapestries... actually, that sounds quite dull - I think we'll be museumed out by this time.

	Regarding wineries, we should look out for the [http://www.cantineflorio.it/ Florio] wine cellars and the Carlo Pellegrino winery in Marsala City.		Regarding wineries, we should look out for the [http://www.cantineflorio.it/ Florio] wine cellars and the [http://www.carlopellegrino.it/english/main.php Carlo Pellegrino] winery (+39.0923.719928) in Marsala City.

	Our journey back to Palermo could include a couple of stops off at some interesting villages and towns on the way, including:		Our journey back to Palermo could include a couple of stops off at some interesting villages and towns on the way, including:

195.217.192.1: /* Stuff we'll do */

2005-09-13T13:34:58Z

Stuff we'll do

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:34, 13 September 2005
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	==== Stuff we'll do ====		==== Stuff we'll do ====

	The town itself is extremely attractive, a clean sixteenth-century layout that's free of traffic and littered with high, ageing buildings and arcaded courtyards. Tom's book recommends to visit two "''excellent''" museums. The first museum is the '''Museo Marsala''' (Mon, Tues, Thurs, 9am-1.40pm, Wed,Fri,Say,Sun, 4pm-7pm, €2). It's an archeological museum of quality and its major exhibit is a reconstructed Punic warship sunk during the First Punic War. The second museum, and the most central, behind the cathedral at Via Garraffa 57, is the '''Museo degli Arazzi''' (Tues-Sun 9am-1pm and 4pm-6pm, €1.50), whose sole display is a series of eight enormous hand-stitched wool and silk tapestries... actually, that sounds quite dull - I think we'll be museumed out by this time. ~~I'll find~~ out ~~where~~ the ~~vineyards are shortly~~ :-)		The town itself is extremely attractive, a clean sixteenth-century layout that's free of traffic and littered with high, ageing buildings and arcaded courtyards. Tom's book recommends to visit two "''excellent''" museums. The first museum is the '''Museo Marsala''' (Mon, Tues, Thurs, 9am-1.40pm, Wed,Fri,Say,Sun, 4pm-7pm, €2). It's an archeological museum of quality and its major exhibit is a reconstructed Punic warship sunk during the First Punic War. The second museum, and the most central, behind the cathedral at Via Garraffa 57, is the '''Museo degli Arazzi''' (Tues-Sun 9am-1pm and 4pm-6pm, €1.50), whose sole display is a series of eight enormous hand-stitched wool and silk tapestries... actually, that sounds quite dull - I think we'll be museumed out by this time.

			Regarding wineries, we should look out for the [http://www.cantineflorio.it/ Florio] wine cellars and the Carlo Pellegrino winery in Marsala City.

	Our journey back to Palermo could include a couple of stops off at some interesting villages and towns on the way, including:		Our journey back to Palermo could include a couple of stops off at some interesting villages and towns on the way, including:

195.217.192.1: /* Stuff we'll do */

2005-09-13T07:56:58Z

Stuff we'll do

← Older revision		Revision as of 07:56, 13 September 2005
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	We'll probably get to Palermo quite late, so probably won't do that much in the evening other than visiting a wine bar or two! The next day might, it might be good to visit the hillside village of [http://sights.seindal.dk/sight/636_Monreale.html Monreale], just a few kilometres west. Apparantly, there are extraordinary medieval mosaics in the cathedral (Duomo, 8am-6pm daily) and ''unsurpassed views down the Conca d'Oro Valley''. Busses #309 and #389 run frequently from Piazza dell'Indipendenza and the journey up the valley takes 20 minutes. We should ask at the desk of the Duomo to climb the tower (9.30am-3pm daily, €1.50) in the southwest corner of the cathedral. For lunch, we could visit the ''Dietro L'Angolo'' at Via Piave 5 because it has spectacular views of the valley from its terrace and spaghetti dishes at around €7.		We'll probably get to Palermo quite late, so probably won't do that much in the evening other than visiting a wine bar or two! The next day might, it might be good to visit the hillside village of [http://sights.seindal.dk/sight/636_Monreale.html Monreale], just a few kilometres west. Apparantly, there are extraordinary medieval mosaics in the cathedral (Duomo, 8am-6pm daily) and ''unsurpassed views down the Conca d'Oro Valley''. Busses #309 and #389 run frequently from Piazza dell'Indipendenza and the journey up the valley takes 20 minutes. We should ask at the desk of the Duomo to climb the tower (9.30am-3pm daily, €1.50) in the southwest corner of the cathedral. For lunch, we could visit the ''Dietro L'Angolo'' at Via Piave 5 because it has spectacular views of the valley from its terrace and spaghetti dishes at around €7.

	We could start our journey to Marsala or other places to the West quite early and save most of our exploring of Palermo for the last day of the holiday.		We could start our journey to Marsala or other places to the West quite early and save most of our exploring of Palermo for the last day of the holiday, where we'll leave Sicily in style by larging it up in Palermo's nightlife. Palermo's nightlife itself stops ar around 8pm but most people head for Mondello for a night out. Busses run there and back till late.

	This is the last night before flying home. We're going to leave Sicily in style by larging it up in Palermo's nightlife. Palermo's nightlife itself stops ar around 8pm but most people head for Mondello for a night out. Busses run there and back till late.		On the day that we leave, we'll try to see some of the sights of Palermo itself. All the sights are pretty central. The paramount sights are the hybrid '''Cattedrale''' and nearby '''Palazzo dei Normanni''' (Royal Palace). There seem to be loads of chapels, churches and museums if the rest of Italy somehow doesn't satisfy us. At the heart of the old city is the '''Quattro Canti''', or 'Four Corners', erected (hehe) in 1611. It divides old Palermo into quadrants. Non-museum/church related, there's the '''Albergheria''' district just to the northwest of the train station. It's a maze of tiny streets and tall leaning buildings and it's apparantly an engaging place to wander. Much of the central area is taken up by a street market that all but conceals several fine churches. '''Piazza del Carmine''' is the focus of the raucous daily market, which sounds enjoyable. The stalls of the clothes market (8am-around 8pm daily) is along '''Via Sant'Agostino''' and runs all the way down to Via Maqueda and beyond. This street leads to '''Teatro Massimo''', supposedly the largest theatre in Italy. A tour is required to fully appreciate the interior (every 30 mins Tues-Sun, 10am-4pm, €3).

	On the day that we leave, we'll try to see some of the sights of Palermo itself. All the sights are pretty central. The paramount sights are the hybrid '''Cattedrale''' and nearby '''Palazzo dei Normanni''' (Royal Palace). There seem to be loads of chapels, churches and museums if the rest of Italy somehow doesn't satisfy us. At the heart of the old city is the '''Quattro Canti''', or 'Four Corners', erected (hehe) in 1611. It divides old Palermo into quadrants. Non-museum/church related, there's the '''Albergheria''' district just to the northwest of the train station. It's a maze of tiny streets and tall leaning buildings and it's apparantly an engaging place to wander. Much of the central area is taken up by a street market that all but conceals several fine churches. '''Piazza del Carmine''' is the focus of the raucous daily market, which sounds enjoyable. The stalls of the clothes market (8am-around 8pm daily) is along '''Via Sant'Agostino''' and runs all the way down to Via Maqueda and beyond. This street leads to '''Teatro Massimo''', supposedly the largest theatre in Italy. A tour is required to fully appreciate the interior (every 30 mins Tues-Sun, 10am-4pm, €3.

	'''Via Roma''', running from Stazione Centrale, features all clothes and shoe shops. However, parallel to this is Via Maqueda and by following this to the church of Sant'Antonio will lead us to the '''Vucciria market''' (8am-around 8pm). There's loads of food and junk on sale here, and some restaurants and basic bars. There are loads of places listed in Tom's book, but I think it's best to generally just see what's available when we get there. There does appear to be a lot to do here.		'''Via Roma''', running from Stazione Centrale, features all clothes and shoe shops. However, parallel to this is Via Maqueda and by following this to the church of Sant'Antonio will lead us to the '''Vucciria market''' (8am-around 8pm). There's loads of food and junk on sale here, and some restaurants and basic bars. There are loads of places listed in Tom's book, but I think it's best to generally just see what's available when we get there. There does appear to be a lot to do here.

195.217.192.1 at 07:55, 13 September 2005

2005-09-13T07:55:33Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 07:55, 13 September 2005
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	Taormina does seem like a very nice place to visit (5 out of 5 on the cultural interest- and specialist shopping-ometers!). We'll spend some of the Sunday exploring it.		Taormina does seem like a very nice place to visit (5 out of 5 on the cultural interest- and specialist shopping-ometers!). We'll spend some of the Sunday exploring it.

	Taormina is a steep 30 minute walk away from the station (follow the 'Centro' sign). The Greek Theatre (Via Teatro Greco, 6 on the map) is where we should visit as a top priority. It's open from 9am to 7pm and costs E4.50. If there's time, we should also visit the Odeon (7 on the map), originally used for music recitations. However, what people seem to recommend is simply to stroll down the "''flower-decked streets and allys and [go] window shopping in the converted ground floors of the mansions along the Corso.''" Secondary attractions include hiking up to the Castello and visiting the beach at Mazzaro. There is a cable car service to the beach (E2.70 return) that runs every fifteen minutes from Via Pirandello.		Taormina is a steep 30 minute walk away from the station (follow the 'Centro' sign). The Greek Theatre (Via Teatro Greco, 6 on the map) is where we should visit as a top priority. It's open from 9am to 7pm and costs €4.50. If there's time, we should also visit the Odeon (7 on the map), originally used for music recitations. However, what people seem to recommend is simply to stroll down the "''flower-decked streets and allys and [go] window shopping in the converted ground floors of the mansions along the Corso.''" Secondary attractions include hiking up to the Castello and visiting the beach at Mazzaro. There is a cable car service to the beach (€2.70 return) that runs every fifteen minutes from Via Pirandello.

	We will need to travel to Palermo on the Sunday. It would be nice to visit the small inland village of Enna on our way to Palermo if we get time. It will be the only place we visit that's not on the coastline.		We will need to travel to Palermo on the Sunday. It would be nice to visit the small inland village of Enna on our way to Palermo if we get time. It will be the only place we visit that's not on the coastline.
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	==== Stuff we'll do ====		==== Stuff we'll do ====

	The town itself is extremely attractive, a clean sixteenth-century layout that's free of traffic and littered with high, ageing buildings and arcaded courtyards. Tom's book recommends to visit two "''excellent''" museums. The first museum is the '''Museo Marsala''' (Mon, Tues, Thurs, 9am-1.40pm, Wed,Fri,Say,Sun, 4pm-7pm, E2). It's an archeological museum of quality and its major exhibit is a reconstructed Punic warship sunk during the First Punic War. The second museum, and the most central, behind the cathedral at Via Garraffa 57, is the '''Museo degli Arazzi''' (Tues-Sun 9am-1pm and 4pm-6pm, E1.50), whose sole display is a series of eight enormous hand-stitched wool and silk tapestries... actually, that sounds quite dull - I think we'll be museumed out by this time. I'll find out where the vineyards are shortly :-)		The town itself is extremely attractive, a clean sixteenth-century layout that's free of traffic and littered with high, ageing buildings and arcaded courtyards. Tom's book recommends to visit two "''excellent''" museums. The first museum is the '''Museo Marsala''' (Mon, Tues, Thurs, 9am-1.40pm, Wed,Fri,Say,Sun, 4pm-7pm, €2). It's an archeological museum of quality and its major exhibit is a reconstructed Punic warship sunk during the First Punic War. The second museum, and the most central, behind the cathedral at Via Garraffa 57, is the '''Museo degli Arazzi''' (Tues-Sun 9am-1pm and 4pm-6pm, €1.50), whose sole display is a series of eight enormous hand-stitched wool and silk tapestries... actually, that sounds quite dull - I think we'll be museumed out by this time. I'll find out where the vineyards are shortly :-)

	Our journey back to Palermo could include a couple of stops off at some interesting villages and towns on the way, including:		Our journey back to Palermo could include a couple of stops off at some interesting villages and towns on the way, including:

195.217.192.1: /* Palermo */

2005-09-13T07:54:12Z

Palermo

← Older revision		Revision as of 07:54, 13 September 2005
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	==== Stuff we'll do ====		==== Stuff we'll do ====

	We'll probably get to Palermo quite late, so probably won't do that much in the evening other than visiting a wine bar or two! The next day might, it might be good to visit the hillside village of [http://sights.seindal.dk/sight/636_Monreale.html Monreale], just a few kilometres west. Apparantly, there are extraordinary medieval mosaics in the cathedral (Duomo, 8am-6pm daily) and ''unsurpassed views down the Conca d'Oro Valley''. Busses #309 and #389 run frequently from Piazza dell'Indipendenza and the journey up the valley takes 20 minutes. We should ask at the desk of the Duomo to climb the tower (9.30am-3pm daily, E1.50) in the southwest corner of the cathedral. For lunch, we could visit the ''Dietro L'Angolo'' at Via Piave 5 because it has spectacular views of the valley from its terrace and spaghetti dishes at around E7.		We'll probably get to Palermo quite late, so probably won't do that much in the evening other than visiting a wine bar or two! The next day might, it might be good to visit the hillside village of [http://sights.seindal.dk/sight/636_Monreale.html Monreale], just a few kilometres west. Apparantly, there are extraordinary medieval mosaics in the cathedral (Duomo, 8am-6pm daily) and ''unsurpassed views down the Conca d'Oro Valley''. Busses #309 and #389 run frequently from Piazza dell'Indipendenza and the journey up the valley takes 20 minutes. We should ask at the desk of the Duomo to climb the tower (9.30am-3pm daily, €1.50) in the southwest corner of the cathedral. For lunch, we could visit the ''Dietro L'Angolo'' at Via Piave 5 because it has spectacular views of the valley from its terrace and spaghetti dishes at around €7.

	We could start our journey to Marsala or other places to the West quite early and save most of our exploring of Palermo for the last day of the holiday.		We could start our journey to Marsala or other places to the West quite early and save most of our exploring of Palermo for the last day of the holiday.
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	This is the last night before flying home. We're going to leave Sicily in style by larging it up in Palermo's nightlife. Palermo's nightlife itself stops ar around 8pm but most people head for Mondello for a night out. Busses run there and back till late.		This is the last night before flying home. We're going to leave Sicily in style by larging it up in Palermo's nightlife. Palermo's nightlife itself stops ar around 8pm but most people head for Mondello for a night out. Busses run there and back till late.

	On the day that we leave, we'll try to see some of the sights of Palermo itself. All the sights are pretty central. The paramount sights are the hybrid '''Cattedrale''' and nearby '''Palazzo dei Normanni''' (Royal Palace). There seem to be loads of chapels, churches and museums if the rest of Italy somehow doesn't satisfy us. At the heart of the old city is the '''Quattro Canti''', or 'Four Corners', erected (hehe) in 1611. It divides old Palermo into quadrants. Non-museum/church related, there's the '''Albergheria''' district just to the northwest of the train station. It's a maze of tiny streets and tall leaning buildings and it's apparantly an engaging place to wander. Much of the central area is taken up by a street market that all but conceals several fine churches. '''Piazza del Carmine''' is the focus of the raucous daily market, which sounds enjoyable. The stalls of the clothes market (8am-around 8pm daily) is along '''Via Sant'Agostino''' and runs all the way down to Via Maqueda and beyond. This street leads to '''Teatro Massimo''', supposedly the largest theatre in Italy. A tour is required to fully appreciate the interior (every 30 mins Tues-Sun, 10am-4pm, E3.		On the day that we leave, we'll try to see some of the sights of Palermo itself. All the sights are pretty central. The paramount sights are the hybrid '''Cattedrale''' and nearby '''Palazzo dei Normanni''' (Royal Palace). There seem to be loads of chapels, churches and museums if the rest of Italy somehow doesn't satisfy us. At the heart of the old city is the '''Quattro Canti''', or 'Four Corners', erected (hehe) in 1611. It divides old Palermo into quadrants. Non-museum/church related, there's the '''Albergheria''' district just to the northwest of the train station. It's a maze of tiny streets and tall leaning buildings and it's apparantly an engaging place to wander. Much of the central area is taken up by a street market that all but conceals several fine churches. '''Piazza del Carmine''' is the focus of the raucous daily market, which sounds enjoyable. The stalls of the clothes market (8am-around 8pm daily) is along '''Via Sant'Agostino''' and runs all the way down to Via Maqueda and beyond. This street leads to '''Teatro Massimo''', supposedly the largest theatre in Italy. A tour is required to fully appreciate the interior (every 30 mins Tues-Sun, 10am-4pm, €3.

	'''Via Roma''', running from Stazione Centrale, features all clothes and shoe shops. However, parallel to this is Via Maqueda and by following this to the church of Sant'Antonio will lead us to the '''Vucciria market''' (8am-around 8pm). There's loads of food and junk on sale here, and some restaurants and basic bars. There are loads of places listed in Tom's book, but I think it's best to generally just see what's available when we get there. There does appear to be a lot to do here.		'''Via Roma''', running from Stazione Centrale, features all clothes and shoe shops. However, parallel to this is Via Maqueda and by following this to the church of Sant'Antonio will lead us to the '''Vucciria market''' (8am-around 8pm). There's loads of food and junk on sale here, and some restaurants and basic bars. There are loads of places listed in Tom's book, but I think it's best to generally just see what's available when we get there. There does appear to be a lot to do here.

195.217.192.1 at 07:43, 13 September 2005

2005-09-13T07:43:22Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 07:43, 13 September 2005
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	Er, go up Etna. We should get up early on Saturday and go up Etna for the majority of the day. It's difficult to find out, from the web, how to get up Etna, so I think it's best to just ask around when we're nearby. Should we finish our trip around Etna before the end of the day, we can visit Taormina for the afternoon and evening.		Er, go up Etna. We should get up early on Saturday and go up Etna for the majority of the day. It's difficult to find out, from the web, how to get up Etna, so I think it's best to just ask around when we're nearby. Should we finish our trip around Etna before the end of the day, we can visit Taormina for the afternoon and evening.

	[[Image:~~blank~~.gif]] Route up and down Etna decided		[[Image:tick.gif]] Route up and down Etna decided (sort of - we'll just find out when we get there)

	== Taormina ==		== Taormina ==
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	==== Accommodation ====		==== Accommodation ====

	We will be staying at La Pensions Svizzera, a nice hotel in Taormina. They seem to think everything is nice, thanking me for my nice e-mail to them and them reserving a nice room in their nice hotel with a nice buffet breakfast in the morning. Nice!		We will be staying at La Pensions Svizzera, a nice hotel in Taormina. They seem to think everything is nice, thanking me for my nice e-mail to them and them reserving a nice room in their nice hotel with a nice buffet breakfast in the morning. Nice! On the second night, we will stay at the Condor Hotel.

	[[Image:tick.gif]] Map obtained<br />		[[Image:tick.gif]] Map obtained<br />
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	[[Image:tick.gif]] Accommodation booked		[[Image:tick.gif]] Accommodation booked

	== Palermo ~~(1)~~ ==		== Palermo ==

	==== Background ====		==== Background ====
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	We'll probably get to Palermo quite late, so probably won't do that much in the evening other than visiting a wine bar or two! The next day might, it might be good to visit the hillside village of [http://sights.seindal.dk/sight/636_Monreale.html Monreale], just a few kilometres west. Apparantly, there are extraordinary medieval mosaics in the cathedral (Duomo, 8am-6pm daily) and ''unsurpassed views down the Conca d'Oro Valley''. Busses #309 and #389 run frequently from Piazza dell'Indipendenza and the journey up the valley takes 20 minutes. We should ask at the desk of the Duomo to climb the tower (9.30am-3pm daily, E1.50) in the southwest corner of the cathedral. For lunch, we could visit the ''Dietro L'Angolo'' at Via Piave 5 because it has spectacular views of the valley from its terrace and spaghetti dishes at around E7.		We'll probably get to Palermo quite late, so probably won't do that much in the evening other than visiting a wine bar or two! The next day might, it might be good to visit the hillside village of [http://sights.seindal.dk/sight/636_Monreale.html Monreale], just a few kilometres west. Apparantly, there are extraordinary medieval mosaics in the cathedral (Duomo, 8am-6pm daily) and ''unsurpassed views down the Conca d'Oro Valley''. Busses #309 and #389 run frequently from Piazza dell'Indipendenza and the journey up the valley takes 20 minutes. We should ask at the desk of the Duomo to climb the tower (9.30am-3pm daily, E1.50) in the southwest corner of the cathedral. For lunch, we could visit the ''Dietro L'Angolo'' at Via Piave 5 because it has spectacular views of the valley from its terrace and spaghetti dishes at around E7.

	We could start our journey to Marsala quite early and save most of our exploring of Palermo for the last day of the holiday.		We could start our journey to Marsala or other places to the West quite early and save most of our exploring of Palermo for the last day of the holiday.

	~~==== Accommodation ====~~		This is the last night before flying home. We're going to leave Sicily in style by larging it up in Palermo's nightlife. Palermo's nightlife itself stops ar around 8pm but most people head for Mondello for a night out. Busses run there and back till late.

	~~As copied from Tom~~'s ~~book:~~		On the day that we leave, we'll try to see some of the sights of Palermo itself. All the sights are pretty central. The paramount sights are the hybrid '''Cattedrale''' and nearby '''Palazzo dei Normanni''' (Royal Palace). There seem to be loads of chapels, churches and museums if the rest of Italy somehow doesn't satisfy us. At the heart of the old city is the '''Quattro Canti''', or 'Four Corners', erected (hehe) in 1611. It divides old Palermo into quadrants. Non-museum/church related, there's the '''Albergheria''' district just to the northwest of the train station. It's a maze of tiny streets and tall leaning buildings and it's apparantly an engaging place to wander. Much of the central area is taken up by a street market that all but conceals several fine churches. '''Piazza del Carmine''' is the focus of the raucous daily market, which sounds enjoyable. The stalls of the clothes market (8am-around 8pm daily) is along '''Via Sant'Agostino''' and runs all the way down to Via Maqueda and beyond. This street leads to '''Teatro Massimo''', supposedly the largest theatre in Italy. A tour is required to fully appreciate the interior (every 30 mins Tues-Sun, 10am-4pm, E3.

	~~: Most of palrmo~~'~~s bugdet~~ '''~~hotel accommodation~~''~~' choices lie on~~ and ~~around the southern ends of~~ Via Maqueda and ~~Via Roma, roughly in~~ the ~~area between Stazione Cenrale and Corso Vittorio Emanuele. The drawback~~ of the '''~~youth hostel~~''' ~~''Baia del Corallo'' on Via Plauto~~ (~~Tel 091.336~~.~~595; E16) is that it~~'s ~~12km northwest~~ of ~~the city; it's reachable by taking the metro to the Tommaso Natale stop~~ and ~~then bus #628 to the terminus~~. ~~Alternatively, there~~'s ~~a university hostel~~, ~~the~~ ''~~Casa Marconi'', much nearer the centre of town at Via Monfenera 140 (Tel 091.657.0611, [http://www.casamarconi.it]), which is cleaner and has private rooms (2); to~~ get there~~, take bus #246 from the station~~ to ~~the end of the line at the hospital, cross on~~ to Via G. Basile and turn left into Via Monfenera. If you're '''camping''', take bus #616 from Piazza Vittorio Veneto (itself reached by #101 or #106 along Viale della Liberta from Piazza Castelnuovo) out to '''Sferracavallo''', 13km northwest, where there are two year-round sites: The ''Prinacria'' on the seafront on Via Barcarello (Tel 091.530.590) and the cheaper ''Ulivi'' on Via Pegaso (Tel 091.533.021).		'''Via Roma''', running from Stazione Centrale, features all clothes and shoe shops. However, parallel to this is Via Maqueda and by following this to the church of Sant'Antonio will lead us to the '''Vucciria market''' (8am-around 8pm). There's loads of food and junk on sale here, and some restaurants and basic bars. There are loads of places listed in Tom's book, but I think it's best to generally just see what's available when we get there. There does appear to be a lot to do here.

	~~: '''Alessandra''', Via Divisi 99, Tel 091.617.3959. Small, modern, air con, corner of Via Maqueda~~		Tourist information is available [http://www.palermotourism.com here]. I'll look out for the ''Lapis'', a feww, youth-oriented local paper, updated every few weeks.
	~~: '''Elite''', Via M. Sabile 146, Tel 091.329.318/091.588.614, elitehotel@tin.it. Very central, clean, quiet.~~
	~~: '''Grand Hotel Villa Igiea''', Via Belmonte 43, Tel 091.543.744, [http://www.villaigiea.thi.it]. 3km north of the city, Art Nouveau, often full.~~
	~~: '''Letizia''', Via dei Bottai 30, Tel 091.589.110, [http://www.hotelletizia.com]. Each room has own colour scheme and furnishing.~~
	~~: '''Paradiso''', Via Schiavuzzo 65, Tel 091.617.2825. Good, central, one of the cheapest in town. No credit cards.~~
	~~: '''Posta''', Via Gagini 77, Tel 091.587.338. Central, quiet, stylish.~~
	: '''Sausele''', Via V. Errante 12, Tel 091.616.1308, [http://www.hotelsausele.it]. Well kept, secure, good value though can be noisy at night. Take the first right off Via Oreto, behind the station.
	~~: '''Sicilia''', Via Divisi 99, Tel 091.616.8460,~~ [http://www.~~albergosicilia~~.com]. ~~Good-value rooms with air-con. Rooms around the small downstairs courtyard are quieter.~~
	~~: '''Tonic'~~'~~', Via Mariano Stabile, Tel 091.581.754, [http://www.hoteltonic.com]. Smart, spacious. Caters mainly~~ for the ~~business fraternity.~~
	: ''~~'Vecchio Borgo'~~'', ~~Via Quintino Sella 1-7, Tel 091.611.1446, [http://www.classicahotels.com/hotel_vecchio_borgo.htm]. Well run~~, ~~four~~-~~start, quiet street, luxurious~~, ~~excellent breakfast buffet~~.

	[[Image:tick.gif]] Map obtained<br />		[[Image:tick.gif]] Map obtained<br />
	[[Image:tick.gif]] Example places to visit decided upon		[[Image:tick.gif]] Example places to visit decided upon<br />
	[[Image:~~blank~~.gif]] Accommodation booked<br />		[[Image:tick.gif]] Accommodation booked<br />

	== Marsala ==		== Marsala ==
Line 157:		Line 148:
	'''San Vito lo Cago'''. Could visit the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cous_cous cous cous] festival if we have time, but this is quite a bit north.		'''San Vito lo Cago'''. Could visit the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cous_cous cous cous] festival if we have time, but this is quite a bit north.

	~~We're not booking accommodation for Marsala in advance (probably).~~

	~~[[Image:blank.gif]] Look into accommodation availability<br />~~
	[[Image:blank.gif]] Map obtained<br />		[[Image:blank.gif]] Map obtained<br />
	[[Image:blank.gif]] Example places to visit decided upon		[[Image:blank.gif]] Example places to visit decided upon

	~~== Palermo (2) ==~~

	~~==== Stuff we'll do ====~~

	This is the last night before flying home. We're going to leave Sicily in style by larging it up in Palermo's nightlife. Palermo's nightlife itself stops ar around 8pm but most people head for Mondello for a night out. Busses run there and back till late.

	On the day that we leave, we'll try to see some of the sights of Palermo itself. All the sights are pretty central. The paramount sights are the hybrid '''Cattedrale''' and nearby '''Palazzo dei Normanni''' (Royal Palace). There seem to be loads of chapels, churches and museums if the rest of Italy somehow doesn't satisfy us. At the heart of the old city is the '''Quattro Canti''', or 'Four Corners', erected (hehe) in 1611. It divides old Palermo into quadrants. Non-museum/church related, there's the '''Albergheria''' district just to the northwest of the train station. It's a maze of tiny streets and tall leaning buildings and it's apparantly an engaging place to wander. Much of the central area is taken up by a street market that all but conceals several fine churches. '''Piazza del Carmine''' is the focus of the raucous daily market, which sounds enjoyable. The stalls of the clothes market (8am-around 8pm daily) is along '''Via Sant'Agostino''' and runs all the way down to Via Maqueda and beyond. This street leads to '''Teatro Massimo''', supposedly the largest theatre in Italy. A tour is required to fully appreciate the interior (every 30 mins Tues-Sun, 10am-4pm, E3.

	'''Via Roma''', running from Stazione Centrale, features all clothes and shoe shops. However, parallel to this is Via Maqueda and by following this to the church of Sant'Antonio will lead us to the '''Vucciria market''' (8am-around 8pm). There's loads of food and junk on sale here, and some restaurants and basic bars. There are loads of places listed in Tom's book, but I think it's best to generally just see what's available when we get there. There does appear to be a lot to do here.

	~~Tourist information is available [http://www.palermotourism.com here]. I'll look out for the ''Lapis'', a feww, youth-oriented local paper, updated every few weeks.~~

	~~[[Image:tick.gif]] Example places to visit decided upon~~
	~~[[Image:blank.gif]] Look into accommodation availability<br />~~

	==== Flying home ====		==== Flying home ====

	[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palermo_International_Airport Palermo International Airport] is located 32 km (19 miles) west of Palermo. Buses departs roughly every 30 minutes from the central railway station (via Piazza Ruggero Settimo) to the airport, and can sometimes during rush hour take more than an hour. Our flight is at 21:10 so should think about leaving around 6pm-7pm.		[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palermo_International_Airport Palermo International Airport] is located 32 km (19 miles) west of Palermo. Buses departs roughly every 30 minutes from the central railway station (via Piazza Ruggero Settimo) to the airport, and can sometimes during rush hour take more than an hour. Our flight is at 21:10 so should think about leaving around 6pm-7pm.

Cocodude at 17:58, 10 September 2005

2005-09-10T17:58:21Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:58, 10 September 2005
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	== Travelling to Sicily ==		== Travelling to Sicily ==

	You don't have to book the short boat journey from Italy to Sicily, so we can wing it, basically. Trips to Messina depart from Villa San Giovanni every 20 minutes and it takes 40 minutes to get there. I'm hoping we leave the [[Central\|place near Naples]] quite early in the day to travel to Sicily. The journey on land will take quite a long time from there to Taormina.		You don't have to book the short boat journey from Italy to Sicily, so we can wing it, basically. Trips to Messina depart from Villa San Giovanni every 20 minutes and it takes 40 minutes to get there. I'm hoping we leave the [[Central\|place near Naples]] quite early in the day to travel to Sicily. The journey on land will take quite a long time from there to Taormina, so it's unlikely we'll be able to do much on the Friday night, but we could always go to a couple of bars around Taormina.

			== Etna ==

			==== Background ====

			On our first full day in Sicily, we'll attempt to go up Mount Etna. Mount Etna (or Aetna, also known locally as Mongibello) is an active volcano on the east coast of Sicily (Italian Sicilia), close to Messina and Catania. It is the largest volcano in Europe, standing about 3,320 m (10,900 ft) high with a basal circumference of 140 km, making it the highest mountain in Italy south of the Alps. Etna covers an area of 460 square miles (1190 km²). It is by far the largest of the four active volcanos in Italy, being nearly three times the height of the next largest, Mount Vesuvius. It is one of the most active volcanoes in the world and is in an almost constant state of eruption. Although it can occasionally be very destructive, it is not generally regarded as being particularly dangerous.

			See this [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etna Wikipedia article] for information on Mount Etna.

			==== Stuff we'll do ====

			Er, go up Etna. We should get up early on Saturday and go up Etna for the majority of the day. It's difficult to find out, from the web, how to get up Etna, so I think it's best to just ask around when we're nearby. Should we finish our trip around Etna before the end of the day, we can visit Taormina for the afternoon and evening.

			[[Image:blank.gif]] Route up and down Etna decided

	== Taormina ==		== Taormina ==
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	==== Stuff we'll do ====		==== Stuff we'll do ====

	Taormina does seem like a very nice place to visit (5 out of 5 on the cultural interest- and specialist shopping-ometers!) ~~However, it's likely that our time there will be limited because we~~'ll ~~probably get there quite late and have to leave fairly early to get up to Etna~~.		Taormina does seem like a very nice place to visit (5 out of 5 on the cultural interest- and specialist shopping-ometers!). We'll spend some of the Sunday exploring it.

	Taormina is a steep 30 minute walk away from the station (follow the 'Centro' sign). The Greek Theatre (Via Teatro Greco, 6 on the map) is where we should visit as a top priority. It's open from 9am to 7pm and costs E4.50. If there's time, we should also visit the Odeon (7 on the map), originally used for music recitations. However, what people seem to recommend is simply to stroll down the "''flower-decked streets and allys and [go] window shopping in the converted ground floors of the mansions along the Corso.''" Secondary attractions include hiking up to the Castello and visiting the beach at Mazzaro. There is a cable car service to the beach (E2.70 return) that runs every fifteen minutes from Via Pirandello.		Taormina is a steep 30 minute walk away from the station (follow the 'Centro' sign). The Greek Theatre (Via Teatro Greco, 6 on the map) is where we should visit as a top priority. It's open from 9am to 7pm and costs E4.50. If there's time, we should also visit the Odeon (7 on the map), originally used for music recitations. However, what people seem to recommend is simply to stroll down the "''flower-decked streets and allys and [go] window shopping in the converted ground floors of the mansions along the Corso.''" Secondary attractions include hiking up to the Castello and visiting the beach at Mazzaro. There is a cable car service to the beach (E2.70 return) that runs every fifteen minutes from Via Pirandello.

			We will need to travel to Palermo on the Sunday. It would be nice to visit the small inland village of Enna on our way to Palermo if we get time. It will be the only place we visit that's not on the coastline.

	==== Accommodation ====		==== Accommodation ====

	~~As copied from Tom's book:~~		We will be staying at La Pensions Svizzera, a nice hotel in Taormina. They seem to think everything is nice, thanking me for my nice e-mail to them and them reserving a nice room in their nice hotel with a nice buffet breakfast in the morning. Nice!

	~~: Finding a bed in summer is a time-consuming business; only a handful~~ will be ~~both available and affordable~~, ~~so start looking early~~. ~~The best prices are for '''rented rooms'''~~, for ~~example close~~ to the public gardens at the ''Leone'', Via Bagnoli Croce 126 (Tel/Fax 0942.23.878; no credit cards; 2); or nearer the Greek theatre, at Via Iallia Bassa 20, ''Pensione Grazia'' (Tel/Fax 0942.24.776; no credit cards; 2), with incredible roof-terrace views; or else the tiny but cheap and central ''Diana'' at Via di Giovanni 6 (Tel 0942.23.790, [http://www.pensionesvizzera.com]; 4), just up from the bus terminal and enjoying excellent views from its spacious rooms. A family-run place, the ''Pensione Villa Greta'' (Tel 0942.28.286; 3) is warmly recommended: fifteen minutes' walk out of town on the road up to Castelmola, it has superb balcony views, as well as a ~~dining~~ room with ~~good home cooking. There's~~ a ~~small '''youth hostel''', ''Ulisse'' (Tel 0942.23.193; E14.50), at Vico San Francesco di Paola, 200m west of~~ the ~~cathedral; book well ahead to secure a bed~~.

	[[Image:tick.gif]] Map obtained<br />		[[Image:tick.gif]] Map obtained<br />
	[[Image:tick.gif]] Example places to visit decided upon<br />		[[Image:tick.gif]] Example places to visit decided upon<br />
	[[Image:tick.gif]] Accommodation booked		[[Image:tick.gif]] Accommodation booked

	~~== Etna ==~~

	~~==== Background ====~~

	Mount Etna (or Aetna, also known locally as Mongibello) is an active volcano on the east coast of Sicily (Italian Sicilia), close to Messina and Catania. It is the largest volcano in Europe, standing about 3,320 m (10,900 ft) high with a basal circumference of 140 km, making it the highest mountain in Italy south of the Alps. Etna covers an area of 460 square miles (1190 km²). It is by far the largest of the four active volcanos in Italy, being nearly three times the height of the next largest, Mount Vesuvius. It is one of the most active volcanoes in the world and is in an almost constant state of eruption. Although it can occasionally be very destructive, it is not generally regarded as being particularly dangerous.

	~~See this [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etna Wikipedia article] for information on Mount Etna.~~

	~~==== Stuff we'll do ====~~

	Er, go up Etna. We should get up early on Saturday and visit Taormina for a couple of hours, and then go up Etna for the majority of the day. If it's possible, we'll aim to travel down to Catania sometime late afternoon and catch a bus or train to Palermo to arrive there late evening.

	~~[[Image:blank.gif]] Route up and down Etna decided~~

	== Palermo (1) ==		== Palermo (1) ==
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	==== Background ====		==== Background ====

	Palermo (Palermo in Italian) (Palermu or Palemmu in Sicilian) (population 680,000) is the principal city and administrative seat of the autonomous region of Sicily, Italy as well as the capital of the Province of Palermo. It is a lively, vibrant city, encompassing some of Sicily's most beautiful and interesting historical monuments.		We will be spending the Sunday night in Palermo. Palermo (Palermo in Italian) (Palermu or Palemmu in Sicilian) (population 680,000) is the principal city and administrative seat of the autonomous region of Sicily, Italy as well as the capital of the Province of Palermo. It is a lively, vibrant city, encompassing some of Sicily's most beautiful and interesting historical monuments.

	See this [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palermo Wikipedia article] for information on Palermo. There are a couple of Palermo maps [http://www.sicilian.net/maps/pacenter.html here] and [http://www.oturn.net/indeliverable/palermo/palermo-map.jpg here]. Tom's Rough Guide to Italy has a map that we can use.		See this [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palermo Wikipedia article] for information on Palermo. There are a couple of Palermo maps [http://www.sicilian.net/maps/pacenter.html here] and [http://www.oturn.net/indeliverable/palermo/palermo-map.jpg here]. Tom's Rough Guide to Italy has a map that we can use.

Cocodude: /* Accommodation */

2005-09-10T17:49:49Z

Accommodation

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:49, 10 September 2005
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	[[Image:tick.gif]] Map obtained<br />		[[Image:tick.gif]] Map obtained<br />
	[[Image:tick.gif]] Example places to visit decided upon<br />		[[Image:tick.gif]] Example places to visit decided upon<br />
	[[Image:~~blank~~.gif]] Accommodation booked		[[Image:tick.gif]] Accommodation booked

	== Etna ==		== Etna ==