Sicily

After saying goodbye to the cats in Puglia, we set off on our six-hour drive to Sicily.

On the way, we stopped in Matera, an amazing town whose buildings are cut into the rock of the surrounding hillsides.

Being built on (in) a hill meant lots of stairs to climb.

We arrived in Messina, Sicily and had a great dinner at a local restaurant. The next morning we headed down the coast to Taormina. Taormina is split between the beach and the town, with a cable car connecting the two. We parked at the beach and headed up.

The town was very cute with lots of alleyways filled with street art.

Our first priority was trying some proper Sicilian cannoli.

Which was shortly followed by some proper Sicilian beer.

After exploring the town we headed back down to the beach. After discovering jellyfish in the water (this was becoming a theme on our trip) we decided to rent a paddle boat. All the other boats in the area seemed to be heading to the Blue Grotto so we went to check it out.

We spent a couple of hours at the beach and were ready to head back to Messina when we realised that we were quite close to another activity we had wanted to do in the area - donkey trekking in the foothills of Mount Etna. We gave them a call and they had space that evening (which was great since it would be cooler). We headed to Etna, met our guide and he got the donkeys ready for our trek.

We headed off through vineyards and olive groves.

And tastefully derelict ruins.

After a great time on the donkeys we headed back to the stables.

The next day we headed South down the coast to Siracuse. We arrived at the hotel early in the afternoon, had lunch and a swim and then headed to the nearby island of Ortigia for dinner.

We explored the old town, eventually settling on a bar by the water. We ordered dinner and watched the crowds (and a wedding party) pass by.

The following morning day, after a swim, we headed to check out the nearby town of Noto.

Noto is famous for its Baroque architecture, which Audrey particularly appreciated.

Until the heat got to her and she decided she needed a break.

We got back in the air-conditioned car and continued half an hour down the coast to a restaurant we’d been recommended - ‘Taverna La Cialoma’. It has a beautiful setting and terrific food. They salt their own cod in the sun next to the terrace.

(Almost) everyone was in good spirits.

The next morning I woke up early to explore Ortigia before the crowds.

It was mostly just me and the delivery vans.

And a few locals.

I headed back to the hotel for breakfast and a swim. We decided to go back to the markets for lunch.

After lunch we returned to the hotel to cool off. Syracuse is known for its puppet shows. We booked tickets and headed back into town later that evening for a stroll and a pre-show gelato.

The detail in the puppets was amazing. The show was set in medieval times and the work that had gone into the clothes and armour was incredible.

After a great time at the show (which included a nude scene!) we walked back through the town and headed to the hotel.

The next morning I got up early (again) and took advantage of the calmer weather to take some drone photos.

And then go for a run along the coastal path.

Then it was time to pack the car and head across to the opposite corner of the island past some of the most spectacular scenery I’ve ever seen from a car.

We detoured via Scala dei Turchi (Stair of the Turks), a limestone rock formation on the Southern coast.

We climbed up to the top despite the punishing winds.

We made it to Palermo and took it easy for the rest of the day. The next day we headed to the resort town of Cefalù for a great day of swimming and sunset.

Waking up the next morning we realised it might be our last chance to have what had become our routine in Sicily - a traditional breakfast of granita and brioche. We decided we needed to make it count and found a fancy pasticceria nearby.

We spent the rest of the day relaxing by the pool, knowing we were flying to Greece the next day. In the morning we packed up and headed to the airport.

After cutting it a little close at the airport in terms of time and luggage weight, we were soon safely on the plane. We’d covered a lot of ground in Italy and were ready for the next stage of our trip.