Northern Sicily
May 4 - May 11 Basking under the sun in Cefalu and visiting Stacy’s ancestor’s roots near Palermo.
Our last week in Sicily was spent basking in the sun and breathtaking views of Cefalu from the B & B we rented.
The Sicilian girl, Stacy, celebrated her birthday and of course enjoyed some amazing birthday treats including Baci chocolates and the scrumptious Manna cake made from the sap of ash trees only harvested in one hill town in the Madonie Mountains, Castelbuono.
Read more about the risks and rewards of falling in love with Sicilian girls and the iconic ceramic art heads that abound in Sicily. https://www.experiencetaormina.com/the-legend-behind-sicilian-ceramic-heads/
We traveled to the highest towns in Sicily this week to enjoy views of the beautiful valleys and Mediterranean sea.
From this vantage point in the hill towns you can admire the valley and we also had breathtaking views of 5 of the Aeolian islands.
Our exploration of Medieval Castles continued and this one in Caccamo is one of the best preserved Norman castles in the world. The collection of armor, weapons and the castle itself were all truly remarkable.
The castle also contained a prison replete with shackles which gave Stacy an idea as Terry went inside for an insider view of the accommodations.
The churches and basilicas are each unique and exquisitely beautiful. Some date back to the 1100s and are imbedded into the various ruins we explored.
Mosaics in the Cathedral of Cefalù (1145-60)
Stacy was inspired after celebrating mass on Mothers Day and her birthday at the Sanctuario di Giblimanna the site of two miracles and now an important pilgrimage site for Catholics. This chapel was simply stunning.
We were sad to say goodbye to this beautiful city and island as we relished the last hours of morning sun in Cefalu.
Arrivederci Sicily and thanks for so many beautiful memories. We board the ferry in Messina to begin our journey to explore the rest of Italy.
Each of the green and red tags represents a place we visited in Sicily. In all, Terry drove 2,192 kilometers (that's 1,362 miles) in and around Sicily. We also hiked and walked over 200 miles. As our son Nick said, “it would be hard to say that we didn’t see Sicily.”
