A one week get-away in the autumn of 2015. Judy, Tachy and Roger fly for 2 3/4 hours on Easyjet from Gatwick airport to Catania where we were met by the Riviera travel guide – Daniela who is from Catania. There are 31 people on the tour. We got onto the coach and took the Drive to Kaos Hotel in Agrigento – 2 1/2 hours.
Sicily dimension is East to West 4 hrs; North West to South East 2 hrs; 350 Km East to West and 300 Km the length of the East coast
There are 9 large towns in Scicly – Palermo is the largest then Catania Edna , Ragusa etc
Sicily was Dominated by lots of people from the 4 c BC starting with the Greeks then Romans, Arabs & others who ruled the Mediterranean
Itinerary
Tomorrow Tuesday – we leave the hotel at 8:30AM and will visit the valley of the temples in Agrigento (15 minutes from hotel) then we will walk from one end of the valley to the other about 1 mile (we saw the Temples of Juno, Concordia and Herculese lit up on the hillside on our way into town). Local guide tomorrow will be Claudio. After which we will have free time in Agrigento and visit the archaeological museum. Then to the old town to wander around the market. Like Arab quarter with small streets.
Wednesday drive to north of island to Palermo to see the cathedral and the center of town after lunch to the town of monteale to see the magnificent Norman Cathedral picking up a local guide at cathedral and cloister
Thursday leave hotel and sandalwood garden Harding nexus stopping at piazza Norman villa with local guide Roman villa
Friday Taormina free day
Saturday Siracusa most important Greek colony visit old town optional boat trip around the bay for 50 minutes cost 10 euro pp
Sunday spend the day with Mother Nature and Mount Etna. Take the coach to the 2000 m level above sea level then take an optional excursion cable car to 2500m high then jeeps or off-road minibuses to 2900 m then walk around crater cost of cable car 30 euros pp and 63 Euros pp including the jeep.
Monday departure day.
Water very chlorinated and hard water. Wines – Ferriatza, Donna Fogata, Nero Davola full body red, Shiah. Etna Rossi, Etna Bianco come from Etna slopes but not full body.
Agrigento has population of 60,000 with its main role being that of an agricultural area and a bit left behind. The area around Giardini Naxos where we will be for the second 4 nights is much more developed for tourism.
Sicilian is on “now” time where “now” is from immediately to some time in the future. The road has been under construction for 15 years that we travelled along.
After arrival at the hotel at nearly 8PM, we put our stuff in our rooms then to dinner.
Roger & Anne Travels 