It is unfair to say that tourists annoy me as I am one of them. However, I aim to travel everywhere at times when the weather is still reasonable and where my destination is not overcrowded by ordinary holiday visitors.
My off-season Sicilian island break was perfect – it was only in Stromboli that the timing did not work out too well. More about that later.
I decided to hire a car for my two week stay so I could travel freely around the island. Luck struck when the keys for a little, bright yellow Fiat 500 were handed over to me at the car rental desk. It was an absolute pleasure driving it and I felt very stylish navigating it around the little narrow streets of the ancient towns.
I headed first towards Syracuse and the baroque towns of the South East coast, 8 of which (Caltagirone, Militello Val di Catania, Catalia, Modica, Noto, Palazzolo, Ragusa and Scicli) are part of the UNESCO world heritage list.
No tourists taking selfies all along the way
I was the only soul standing in the Greek Theatre of Syracuse when I visited to witness its breath-taking heritage. Later, I only bumped into a Hungarian couple while wandering around the old castle. Noto’s main street, which is defined by its elegant mansions, was also just mine to gaze at. The only “crowds” in both Ragusa and Modica were the lovely elderly men you can find in each Italian town, chatting away the whole day sitting in the squares and café terraces. A sense of old time wealth is present across the whole island, but probably in this area it is the strongest – the main squares are dominated by gigantic cathedrals even in the smallest villages.
On top of being able to take pictures without Japanese tourist crowds taking selfies, I could easily find parking space anywhere I went.
I wish I could share such assuring experiences about driving in Sicily as a whole, but that turned out to be a nightmare especially in the major cities. Lane markings are by no means followed and even if you are driving at 70km/hr in a 50km/hr zone, you are quickly overtaken by fast cars flying by.
No massive cars can be seen on the roads, everyone is speeding with scruffy tiny ones – no surprise as they are the only ones able to navigate the little alleys of the cities.
It was shocking to see the change in men’s behaviour behind the steering wheel. In normal circumstances, Italian men have a way to make you feel 10 years younger, 10 centimeters taller and 10 kilograms slimmer just by talking to you or measuring you up while you’re walking down the street. However this lovely experience quickly disappears when you face them behind the steering wheel as their gentlemanly attitude goes completely out the window.
Back to the sightseeing part – after visiting the towns that are part of the World Heritage list, I headed towards Caltagirona. I only bumped into two small groups at both of the well-known mosaic tourist attractions that I was so familiar with through their pictures: the iconic mosaic staircase of the town and the amazing mosaics of the Piazza Armerina that is near the Villa Romana del Casale. I have seen a few mosaic artworks in my life, but this palace absolutely took my breath away. In 3500 square meters, numerous different scenarios from hunting stories to young girls wearing bikinis were captured in mosaic art.
Being always on the look out for world heritage spots, my next stop was Agrigento. This is such a prestigious one that the temples of Concordia are even featured on the UNESCO logo. Just a 20 minute drive away from here, you can find a magical sunset viewing spot. The place wasn’t even in my guidebook but was suggested by one of my blog readers. The snow white layered rocks of the Scala dei Turchi ensured the very dramatic background for the colours playing around while the sun was going down.
Visiting a winery on the South-West coast in Marsala was a lifetime experience. The wine tasting was carried out in a very professional manner – rather than pouring out one single type to taste, we were given three with three different nibbles accompanying them, to give us an understanding of wine and food matching.
The quietest town and the busiest one
The town where I was the happiest to get to before the rush of the tourist season, in order to witness its natural tranquillity, was Erice. It felt like I was a time traveller in this intimate little town, built on the top of a mountain. Walking down its cobblestoned streets, you cannot find anything that wouldn’t fit into the charm of a medieval village. No modern buildings or TV antennas break the idyllic atmosphere. I arrived on a windy, cold, foggy evening but even this added to its charm. I was wandering around the streets in complete amazement.
The smell of freshly baked cakes is the main sign of life in this empty-looking village, even though I can’t really explain how barely 500 inhabitants can consume all the cakes that make this village smell like wonderland. Throughout my journey, this place was the coldest so I ended up covering myself with all the blankets that I could find in my room. Heating is a concept barely known in Sicily. Hotels try warming things up by switching the air conditioning to heating mode but, if truth be told, that tepid air is not enough to heat up a whole room. Anyone visiting the area off season better be equipped with warm pyjamas and night socks.
Corleone became world famous after the Godfather movie and was known to be the mafia gathering centre in real life as well – so obviously I couldn’t miss it. I was a bit nervous about visiting as a solo woman, but it proved to be a peaceful area. It was the road there that turned out to be most nerve-racking experience, due to my GPS taking me through side roads where I had to battle through floods and landslides as well as the terrible road quality.
After the quiet and peaceful little towns, Palermo was somehow shocking when I arrived in the evening rush hour. I explored the city following a ‘use it map’ that besides the well-known tourist attractions and must see places, also listed hidden gems suggested by local youngsters showcasing their favourite places, little shops and cosy cafes. Similar maps are put together to show you the way around in other big cities, including Budapest.
Palermo is not such an easy tour compared to other Italian towns, where you know exactly where to find the well-presented tourist attractions. There are a few must see things here when it comes to sightseeing, but once those are ticked off your list, you will need to get lost amongst the trash to find the city’s hidden gems . Take the world literally when I say trash – I don’t just mean a few dropped cigarette ends, I also encountered the occasional trashed sofa left dying on the street.
While wandering around the dirty, narrow alleys your breath will be taken away by peeking into seemingly insignificant patios. Or you may randomly find yourself in front of a gorgeous church waiting to be explored. You will find the coolest little designer shops in the most uninviting areas and you will taste the most amazing espressos in the most hidden little cafes. This city is full of decline and buzzing energy at the very same time.
Stuck on the Island of Stromboli waiting to be rescued
On my way to Stromboli, I sailed over to the island on a wonderful, sunny, quiet day from the port of Milazzo. I planned to hike up to the volcano in the evening, then sail back the next day to continue my journey.
But then the troubles started to pile up.
I left most of my belongings behind in the car that I had parked in Milazzo. For an overnight stay on the island I didn’t even take clothes to get changed just some essentials. To make things worse, when I arrived in Stromboli, I found the bottom of both my hiking boots had started peeling off.
Even though tourist equipment was available to hire on the island, I would have preferred to start the hike wearing my own boots. It also turned out, excursions to the top of the volcano are only organised for at least 10 people but there were not even 10 tourists on the whole island to start with.
On top of everything else, the shop assistant in the tourist equipment rental told me that the volcano activities are not actually that big and impressive to be worth the hassle.
In the meantime, the wind started blowing quite strongly and me setting off to the volcano on my own seemed less and less of a good idea. I re-evaluated my plans. I hiked up to the spot from where you can supposedly get a good glance at the volcano without actually climbing it, but besides a bit of smoke I didn’t see any red lava. No worries – I tried to console myself with the fact that at least I had made it to the World Heritage islands.
Next morning when I was heading out to the port, the receptionist gently informed me not to waste my time as boats were not sailing out. To be honest, I should have guessed that myself judging by how the terribly strong, stormy wind was hitting the giant waves to the beach. Our group waiting to be rescued (it consisted of four Spanish youngsters, an older German couple and myself) and so walked down to the beach several times during the day hoping to see the scheduled tourist boat showing up the horizon – with no luck.
It being off season, the shut taverns and shops along the two streets of Stromboli didn’t offer much help for our situation. I finished reading my only book and caught up with my diary, but I couldn’t wait to get back to the shore finally. Slight worries then took over as I realised more parking fees should have been paid for my car back in Milazzo, and doubt also set in about whether I would make my plane home in two days.
The next morning, we were again standing on the beach hoping for the tourist boat to turn up as scheduled, but the waves seemed even wilder than the day before. However, later on that afternoon a rumour started to spread round the island that a boat had finally set off in our direction from the shore. Three dozen local people also joined our little tourist group waiting for the rescue boat to appear. When finally the boat showed up it was questionable whether it would be able to moor. In the end, the mooring attempts paid off and passengers appeared running off board.
Only five of us managed to get on board, due to the waves hitting the lift bridge so hard that one of the tourists almost fell in between the boat and the lift bridge. The incident resulted in the Captain deciding not to wait any longer with boarding in case anyone fell off and he gave order to set off – the rest of the group were left behind with their belongings for God knows how long.
Sicily is a wonderful place but keep your eyes open
This experience proved again that there is no need to be upset about unexpected problems as sometimes things turn out for the best. They did at least in my case. When I got back to Milazza, a day and a half later than planned, I learnt that it had been raining heavily there and nothing could be seen of Mount Etna, which I had planned to visit the day before. I also learnt that my guesthouse owner had fed the parking meter beside my car, as he had figured I was stranded.
After setting foot on shore I headed straight away towards Taormina. The following morning I got up early to catch up with my schedule. I managed to pack Taormina and Etna in one day. What’s more it was a bright sunny day with a clear blue sky. So after all, I have to admit that things happened the way they were supposed to.
There was only Catania left to be ticked off my list when I encountered a bit more excitement. Whilst stuck in traffic, two guys on scooters tried to rip open the door of my car to steal my handbag that was sat on the passenger seat. Luckily I had locked the car doors and I was alert all along the way. However, this was a good warning that you shouldn’t completely switch off just because Sicily generally strikes you as peaceful.
All in all it was a great two weeks’ adventure. Sicily is a vibrant island that is buzzing all year around, so visiting it is enjoyable not only in the main holiday season. It is not overly modernized and the concept of huge resorts is barely known there. I didn’t get the feeling of being ripped off anywhere, the only place where I sensed things to be overpriced was on the main street of Taormina. And be careful not to get mugged by thieves in Catania.
The middle of March seems to be the perfect time to avoid the tourist crowds starting the holiday season at Easter, but keep in mind that visiting times at certain tourist attractions are restricted off season and certain hotels and restaurants aren’t open either. The weather is a bit chillier, especially overnight, but it is bearable for women like me that are sensitive to the cold. The fact that you don’t need to battle with the throngs of tourists and are able to enjoy Sicily mingling with the locals definitely makes up for a slightly cooler temperature.
Accommodation tips
I slept in private accommodation throughout almost the whole of my journey in Sicily and I only had good experiences. Three of which I would like to highlight as they were well above average.
The five-room Casa Galati in Palermo is situated on the square where the Theatre Massimo is situated. The hostel is run by a father-son couple and is quiet despite its location, as the windows face a narrow little street where parking is even free. Super clean, modern and with speedy WIFI, it has a unique, friendly character. You will never forget the orange cake served for breakfast.
The owner of the L’Alberghetto in Milazzo did a huge favour for me when he realised that there was a clear connection between the stormy wind and my car still being parked outside his house, well after the time I should have got back from Stromboli. To avoid me getting fined, he bought a new parking ticket for my car every couple of hours, which luckily wasn’t stolen off the window of my car so I got out of the parking situation without a fine. Of course, I paid him back for the additional parking costs, but this way the adventure only costed me a few euros, otherwise it would have been a lot worse.
The 5 Balconi guest house in Catania also impressed me with its decoration. Colourful unique accessories were collected by the owners from their travels. They clearly love their town and they gave me great advice for the few hours I was there.
