We left Siracusa to head to Agrigento for a two night stay but on the way we stopped off at Modica, known as “the city of 100 bells and 100 Churches” but more importantly , the home of the famous Modica chocolate! The city is UNESCO listed and we can see why, it was a stunning Baroque city perched on the side of a hill.

We didn’t visit 100 Churches , but we did poke our noses into 3. The Duomo di San Giorgio is considered to be one of Sicily’s most impressive Baroque Churches and going up the 250 steps was a challenge!

Duomo di San Pietro is one of the most historical buildings in Modica due to the 12 Apostle statues.

The Church of Santa Maria do Betlem dates back to the 14th Century.

We found the oldest chocolate shop in the city ,unfortunately there was a tour group in there surrounding the “tasting table” so thought better about trying some , after seeing all the fingers grabbing for samples, (our first thoughts were Covid central) we bought 3 packets and left! We stopped for lunch and had the best arancini so far. It was yum!

We then continued on and arrived in Agrigento., one of the oldest Sicilian cities and founded by the Greeks in 581BC.

It’s main claim to fame is the Valley of the Temples, and after reading more online we decided that the view of it from our balcony was better than spending 10 euros and seeing piles of rocks!

We liked Agrigento, lots of winding streets and alleys, but not too touristy. First night we splurged and went out for pizza, basically because we couldn’t find a supermarket! It was pleasant sitting on steps with a nice bottle of red , watching the world go by and us being watched by one of the many stray cats that wander the city!

It’s no wonder Gregs knees were talking to him. For the day we had walked over 10,000 steps , done nearly 8 kms , and climbed 27 floors (according to Google).

The next morning , we rested , and in the afternoon we went to check out the Scala dei Turchi, translation.. Stair of the Turks. It is a rocky cliff on the coast about 13 kms from Agrigento formed from limestone and clay and quite spectacular. It got its name according to legend because it was used by Turkish pirates who during their invasions would climb up “the steps” and loot nearby villages.

Another challenging day for Greg’s knees, nearly 12,000 steps and 9 kms!

We left Agrigento to head to Castellammare del Golfo for a lovely 8 night stay. Along the way we stopped off at Marsala, obviously famous for it’s Marsala wine. We liked the city even though it was a quick visit. We may return with Jude later in the week. The Mother Church dedicated to St Thomas of Canterbury was quite majestic on the outside but nothing stunning on the inside. The city has numerous gates.

We then arrived in Castellammare del Golfo, and according to Google it is “an historic little fishing port in a picturesque location between steep mountain slopes and the sea” and we agree.

One feature of the town’s history is its past notoriety as a Mafia town with links to Sicilian and American Mafia but luckily no signs of any Mafia yet!

We love our apartment, within walking distance to the main drag and the marina. We have 2 balconies to choose from, one overlooking the main street , which is good for people and car watching, and also afternoon drinks cause it’s in the shade, and the back balcony has a sea glimpse , and also everyone’s washing lines!!!!!

Although it is a little touristy for us, and it “jumps” a bit too much at night, we still really like it. We had dinner down on the Marina and had a great meal….yep you guessed it…..SPIGOLA! It was sensational as was the baby calamari for entree .The wine wasn’t too bad either, a local white.

We needed to walk off our meal, so we wandered around the Marina, dodging all the young people drinking, and took some night shots!

Yesterday we ventured into the bustling city of Palermo. Greg and Tony did a great job, dodging cars and people to get us there safely. Rhonda just closed her eyes! We wandered around trying to remember places we had been to before. We found the stunning Cathedral, and the Four Corners, and loved wandering the streets.

We wandered through the market, stopped for an arancini and beer for lunch and we made a purchase of a couple of tablecloths, a larger one made to measure on the spot especially for us!

It was a good day and another not so good one for Greg’s knees. 9200 steps and nearly 7 kms!

Today we had a restful morning before heading to the beach for an afternoon swim. We drove about one hour to San Vito Lo Capo, a holiday destination for locals. It is a gorgeous beach, clear water, and overlooked by Mount Monaco. It was stunning!

So now you are up to date with our travels. Tomorrow, we head to the airport to pick up Jude. It will be exciting to have her with us!

As you can see the weather has been great, no complaints from us, and not as hot as last year, perfecto!

So it’s that time again

Ciao ciao

Love Greg and Rhonda

xx