Let’s get started with the first of a few posts about last year’s trip to Sicily. Hard to find the time to write, as always. Once again I went to train a new guide for Rick Steves’ Europe & found myself in awe… mainly because the whole island resembled southern Spain so much. Makes sense that I fell in love with Trapani at first sight because it felt like Cádiz to me!
The 11-day Sicily trip packed in tons of sights, & I hit the ground running in Palermo. What a fantastic city! But as the bus descended from Erice on Day 3, how could I not be enamored with Trapani? I wish we’d been able to take the cable car down for a grand arrival, but hey, not my tour 😉 As Wikipedia explains:
The city was originally known as Drépanon (Greek: Δρέπανον), derived from the Greek word meaning “sickle”, in reference to the curved shape of its natural harbour.
We didn’t have much free time before reuniting again at the hotel for happy hour/aperitivo time; this particular tour is a bit heavy on that. But I walked as much as I could around our neighborhood, then continued my stroll at night. Great architecture all around with an abundance of Baroque churches + a surprise Art Nouveau post office. As sunset reflected off the Mediterranean, bathers at the northern beach were packing up & heading home.
The next day began bright & early with an excursion to the island of San Pantaleo. Home to a trading colony named Mozia / Motya / 𐤄𐤌𐤈𐤅𐤀 founded by Phoenicians around 800 AC, the protected harbor soon became a thriving city. Just like Cádiz. When Joseph Whittaker bought the entire island in the early 20th century with some of his Marsala wine fortune, his amateur archaeology uncovered the lost city of Mozia along with a treasure trove of artefacts. Most stunning by far is a charioteer statue (or Punic priest… the identity is still up for debate) found in 1979. Lunch with the best bresaola I’ve ever had & a walk around the mineral-rich salt flats made for a fantastic, sun-drenched morning.
Constant heat as well as high humidity throughout the trip made me less than enthusiastic about exploring Trapani on return from Mozia. But after a quick nap, I rallied to catch a few weddings along the main drag of Corso Vittorio Emanuele… loved those outfits & fancy cars! A tour member had to leave the group for personal reasons, so I helped as much as I could with those arrangements then it was time to eat!
I couldn’t leave without having cuscusu trapanese which turned out to be one of those unexpected, mind-blowing meals: couscous served with zucchini, harissa, fried fish, fried squid & accompanied by a saffron-infused fish broth. Honestly one of the best meals I’ve ever had, so thank you Gli Archi di San Carlo! Michael & I wandered through old castle gates built by the Spanish at night, chatted while listening to the waves & prepared for departure the next morning.
Perhaps the best experience of the evening was witnessing an engagement proposal take place on the street of our restaurant! Talk about a show. The groom-to-be sang to the bride-to-be from street level, fireworks flared, she ran down to accept & they danced together with crowds watching. Truly romantic, both Michael & I had tears in our eyes by the time it was over.
I wish the tour gave time to explore the city itself, walk around the port, visit the cathedral & learn more about the Spanish presence there. I would have gladly skipped free time in Erice for more structured Trapani time. In fact, I loved it so much that I told our Mozia guide that I’d look for an apartment to buy! While that won’t likely happen, at least we have a seasonal direct flight from Sevilla to return & explore more. Alla prossima, Trapani!