Sicilian Roadtrippers 🚗

I will start with a disclaimer that this blog post has been a long time coming. I've been meaning to write it since early May but, as happens so often, life got in the way.  So, lets cast our minds back to late April and let me take you on an Italian road trip...

Alex and I had wanted to explore the largest island the Mediterranean has to offer for a while and when we found out that two of our friends shared this ambition, it was the perfect excuse to jet off for a long weekend getaway.

Flying into Catania, we started on the east side of the island. The weather was perfectly bright and sunny with a cool and refreshing breeze and almost as soon as we stepped off the plane we could smell the salt of the ocean. We had light lunch in a wonderfully quaint seafood restaurant and then all piled into the car to our first destination - Mount Etna.

Our first night was spent in the luxurious spa Hotel Villa Neri which boasts stunning views and light, spacious rooms with ginormous fluffy beds. As no trip to Italy is complete without plenty of good wine, the activity of the first night was wine tasting at the famous Gambino Vini, an incredible experience that I would recommend to anyone.

Nestled in the foothills of Etna, Gambino Vini is an extraordinarily special place. We were greeted by friendly staff who were hugely knowledgeable about the wine and the history of the area. Unlike other wine tastings, the wine offered is of an unlimited supply and Sommeliers have a generous tendency to leave the open bottles on the table. Needless to say, this policy went down very well with our group and we spent a very merry evening sampling an array of delicious local wines paired with fresh bread, spicy sausages and pungent local cheeses.

The next day we decided an adventure was in order and climbed up into the hills to experience more of what Etna had to offer. In Greek Mythology it is said that Zeus trapped the dreaded monster Typhon beneath the volcanic soil after an epic battle. Sadly, although we didn't experience any signs of ancient mythological monsters, we were rewarded with this scenic vista. 

Post Etna we headed north and drove on to Cefalu, a tiny, pretty town that attracts tourists from all over the globe due to it's scenic streets and stunning coastline. We spent a lazy day wandering around the town and enjoying the balmy Italian sunshine.

Lunch was spent in a restaurant overlooking the ocean and included local delicacies such as creamy burrata with parma ham, salty sardines and tangy slices of octopus cured with citrus and pink peppercorns.

As the sun fell, we settled down at a beach front bar and enjoyed refreshing drinks while watching the sunset.

As you can probably tell, I was delighted by the pleasing effect of the setting sun behind my vibrant orange glass of Aperol Spritz and couldn't resist a snap.

The next day we reluctantly dragged ourselves away from the charming little streets of Cefalu and journeyed on to Palermo, the capital city on the south of the island. 

Palermo was busy and bustling compared with the tranquillity of Cefalu. We spent our day exploring the churches of the surrounding area and admiring the bold architecture and intricate artwork within. We were also pleased to stumble upon the Palermo Street Food Festival  which we hadn't planned for and I was introduced to some new tastes in the form of classic Sicilian street foods arancini and cannoli.

To walk off all the food we had consumed, we spent the afternoon walking by the harbour and enjoying the hot spring sunshine. Then, before we knew it, it was time to head to the airport and fly home. All in all it was a fantastic mini break and I have nostalgia already. Bella Italia!