FUN-travel: Palermo, Sicily to Heathrow Airport Hilton
December 28, 2013 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Palermo, Sicily to Heathrow Airport Hilton
Day 44 – Tuesday, October 29 – Terrasini, Sicily to Heathrow, London – full sun – high 75 – low 59
What I LIKE
- 6:28 – depart (ahead of time)
- 6:37 – cross tracks
- 6:47 – arrive Avis
- nice man gets there early and checks us out
- no garage & next to terminals – easy getting shuttle
Monreale
- 7:10 – shuttle takes us
- **7:15 – arrive
- go for a cappuccino – have to have it reheated
- 8:10 – checked in & bags are 44 lb (carry ons loaded)
- 8:20 – breeze through security – computers, shoes, liquids no problema!
- ***8:35 – boarding starts
- 9:05 – push back! only 15 mins late
- 10:50 – arrives Munich on time
- +walk to B gates – don’t have to go through security only customs
- 11:30 – hang out in airport – lunch – Caesar salad & tomato mozzarella Panini, 2 diet cokes – $18 Euro
- ++1:20 – flight on time – only 2 hrs
- 2:25 – arrive Heathrow
- 2:35 – @ passport control
Monreale
- +++3:00 – baggage claim – WATCH! Bathroom door is stuck again and won’t open!
- Nice lady hears me banging and opens it
- 3:15 – my bag shows up – Chris’s 5 mins later
- Costa Coffee cappuccino break
- #4:00 – take shuttle to Hilton Terminal 5
- 4:15 – arrive Hilton – Sunita checks us in & upgrades us to Concierge Level – WATCH! (Chris used to have platinum status when he was working)
- 6:00 – 8:00 happy hour! Appetizers, cheese, veggies, sandwiches – dinner is served!
- 11:00 – really midnight for us
Agrigento
What I DON’T LIKE
- 4:30 am wake up
- 5:20 am get up
- 6:20 – lukewarm cappuccino
- 6:33 – train coming & miss crossing tracks by nanosecond
- *they don’t open until 7 am
- have to pay Italian road tax $35.50 US
- **huge long line @ Air Berlin only 2 agents
- ***more hurry up & wait on jetway
- plane is packed full
- +have to wait 30 mins for agent to come to stamp our passports
- ++more plane packed full
- +++bags delayed because bar code scanner issue
- #this is not anywhere near terminal 5 – Terminal 4 has the Hilton
- Costs $22 for 2 rt tickets! Bus comes every 30 mins – WATT
WATCH – What Are The CHances!
WATT – What Are They Thinking!
Segesta
FUN-fact – Italy is home to the greatest number of World Heritage Sites with a total of 49.
FUN-travel: Terrasini, Sicily – Last Full Day
November 15, 2013 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Terrasini, Sicily – Last Full Day
Day 43 – Monday, October 28 – Terrasini, Sicily – Full Day – full sun – high 75 – low 59
Downtown Terrasini
What I LIKE
- *7:30 – get up
- **10:30 – walk to piazza & town center
- scope out dinner ops
- notice clock tower & time is one hour earlier
- buy stamp for Cinzia’s bday card (Nov 2nd)
- 2nd clock in town reads same thing – hmmm what is going on?
- Chris says “they just never changed it for DST”
- 11:50 – drive to airport (have early flight & don’t want any surprises)
- 12:20 – drive south to Castellamare del Golfo for lunch @ Soho lounge
- got rave reviews on TA
- ***Pierpaolo highly recommended going to San Vito lo Capo
- 12:55 arrive – GPS worked perfectly!
- Lunch – spaghetti w/olive oil, garlic & fresh clams VG! – caponata salad
- OMG – clock across from Soho Lounge reads 1 hour earlier too!
- it pays to be observant! we assume we went across a time zone
- +1:20 – arrive Segesta – magnificent sitting high on the hill – $6 Euro pp
- 1:50 – head back
Terrasini
- ++2:30 – need gas
- 2:40 – GPS finds one that is open
- 2:50 – back to hotel
- room happy hour w/carafe wine – $12Euro
Segesta
- discussion ensues on what to do for the 24 hrs we’re in London tomorrow – I suggest dinner & a play – Chris says the big storm that hit affected the train service – but not a problem “we’ll just get a limo!” NOT! dinner & a play would be his worst nightmare – good for a lot of laughs!
- 7:45 – walk to dinner
“The Locals”
- 8:00 – arrive Arabesque – on 1st floor under Caza Manzella B&B – pizza w/olives, bell pepper, onion pepperoni – mixed salad – Planeta Burdese 2006 $30 Euro not on wine menu VG – & 2nd best pizza on trip!
- 11:30 – time for night night
What I DON’T LIKE
- *5:30 – wake up
- **pretty small & not much to see
- ***too far on small, narrow windy roads through mountains – had enough of that!
- +totally missed the amphitheatre – another example of poor signage & why you should have your guide book with you and not in the hotel room!
- ++1st station not open
FUN-fact – Segesta is one of the most well preserved Doric Temples in the world.
FUN-travel: Ragusa to Terrasini, Sicily
November 15, 2013 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Ragusa to Terrasini, Sicily
Day 42 – Sunday, October 27 – Ragusa to Terrasini, Sicily – full sun – high 75 – low 59
Valley of the Temples
What I LIKE
Monreale
- *7:35 – lukewarm cappuccino
- **8:30 – checkout
- 8:50 – hit the road
- 9:45 – 2nd gas station has no attendant but people filling up
- nice man shows us how to put money in & get gas out
- ***10:45 – arrive Gela w/gas station open
- good hot cappuccino too!
- full of locals – clearly the place to be on a Sunday morning
- 12:10 – arrive Agrigento & Valley of Temples – $10 Euro pp
- +1:15 – lunch @ restaurant there – 1 slice pizza, 1 cold pasta salad, 1 diet coke – $15 Euro
- 1:45 – drive to Monreale
- rolling hills – green & brown – rocky mountains in distance
- lots of small Quonset hut like green house growing zucchini & vineyards dot the landscape
- ++3:30 – arrive Monreale – big beautiful church on top of grand hill just outside of Palermo & free!
- 4:00 – beer & cappuccino break
- +++4:15 – off to Terrasini/Cinisi for Palm Beach Hotel – only 20 miles
- 5:05 – finally arrive – Giancarlo (front desk) very nice & helpful – carries our bags up
- internet works & they have CNN!
- 5:30 – down for bottle of wine (only have carafes) – $12 Euro for liter Nero d’ Avola – not bad
Valley of the Temples
- 7:50 – walk 2 blocks to restaurant recommended by Giancarlo – Primafila
- #1 TA rated plus have Michelin sign
- 8:00 – arrive
- staff eating dinner outside family style – tell us 10 mins
- 8:15 – menu arrives
- order Adènzia 2009 Christo di Campobello di Licata – syrah, cab, nero d’avola blend $18 Euro – tri color salad, mozzarella balls, iceberg, tomato – risotto w/veggies – fresh pasta (like really long macaroni) w/fish (typical/local dish) – tastes fishy $53 Euro
Valley of the Temples
What I DON’T LIKE
- *no breakfast or server – have to go down to lobby – person on duty doesn’t speak English or know how to make a cappuccino
- **no one to help w/the bags
- need gas and no stations open
- 9:30 – go to self serve – won’t take credit card
- put in $10 Euro & no gas!
- miss turn & detour out of our way – road signs not clear
- ***take credit card inside but attendant outside has to put money in to get gas
- +the worst & most expensive so far!
- ++outside & terraces closed on Sunday afternoon
- +++once again GPS is confused – turn around & stop for directions – didn’t go far enough
- elevator is broken
- missed the eruption of Mt. Etna on the 26th – left Taormina one day too early!
Mt. Etna – What We Missed!
FUN-fact – The Valley of the Temples is a large sacred area on the south side of the ancient city where seven monumental Greek temples in the Doric style were constructed during the 6th and 5th centuries BC. Now excavated and partially restored, they constitute some of the largest and best-preserved ancient Greek buildings outside of Greece itself. They are listed as a World Heritage Site.
More FF – The Monreale church is a national monument of Italy and one of the most important attractions of Sicily. The impressive glass mosaics covering the interior make this church so splendid.
FUN-travel: Ragusa, Sicily – Full Day
November 12, 2013 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Ragusa, Sicily – Full Day
Day 41 – Saturday, October 26 – Ragusa, Sicily – Full Day – full sun – high 75 – low 59
What I LIKE
- +7:30 – real cappuccino – no machine
- 11:00 – walk to old city
- *lots of steps down
- then winding street up to duomo
- walk & window shop plaza area
- 12:15 – gelati divini break – mmmm yummy!
- walk back to new city
- find birthday card for Cinzia
- **12:50 – lunch caffe italia – 2 salads – caprese w/ tuna & mozzarella, parmesan, bresaola & arugula – 2 capps – $15 Euro
- ***room R & R
- internet & email works!
- ++7:30 – walk to dinner @ Duomo restaurant – Mauro from Rimini made reservations for us (both he & Pierpaolo said it was the “best” in Sicily
- getting dark & glad I brought my “torch” I won from Seabourn golf putting contest
- stop @ hotel and ask directions (only place on the street we see)
- 8:05 – arrive & got more exercise on the way!
1st order – wine from Sicily (take recommendation)
2 appetizers arrive complimentary from chef
1st app – shrimp w/coconut & ginger
2nd app– sardines (thank goodness Chris likes those)
1st course we ordered – Ragusa cheese – baked with onion – VG!!
then more comps – bread, bread sticks & pizza foccacia
2nd course we ordered – gnocchi w/pork, clams & mussels
another comp – ice cream sandwich – tiny fried waffles w/ice cream between
3rd course we ordered – 2 different cuts of pork w/wonderful sauces decorating plate
+++then more comps – plate w/4 chocolates – $222.00 US
View of Ragusa Ibla
- 10:20 – Guiseppe arrives (taxi driver hotel recommends) takes us home – $10 Euro
- 12:00 – night night
What I DON’T LIKE
Cathedral of San Giorgio
- +breakfast spread pretty mediocre for ****
- *dog poop on steps
- stores close @ 1:00 until 4:30
- should have followed GPS into Modica so I could have seen it – don’t even want to get in the car today!
- **only place open
- ***clouds rolling in
- ++didn’t bring map & take wrong turn – never occurred to me I could get lost in this little town – or that you could just go in circles!
- +++we’re stuffed! don’t even taste it
FUN-fact – The city has two distinct areas, the lower and older town of Ragusa Ibla, and the higher Ragusa Superiore (Upper Town).
More FF – The ancient city is located on a 300 meter high hill with the Cathedral of San Giorgio as the main focal point featuring a flight of 250 steps and massive ornate columns.
More FF – In 2002, Ragusa and 7 other cities in the Val di Noto area became UNESCO World Heritage Sites because of their Baroque Architecture.
FUN-travel: Taormina to Ragusa, Sicily
November 9, 2013 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Taormina to Ragusa, Sicily
Day 40 – Friday, October 25 –Taormina to Ragusa, Sicily – full sun – high 75 – low 59
What I LIKE
- 7:30 – really good, hot, strong cappuccino
- 10:00 – Paolo calls official registration office in Giardini-Naxos
- shows us how to go there
- Chris’ dad was born there
- 10:30 – check out – no charge for any food!
- this is one of the best places we ever stayed! service off the charts!
- 10:50 – drive to Giardini-Naxos
- 11:20 – arrive Ufficio Anagrate
- taken back to archives – metal cabinet w/ledgers
- 1916 – page w/Nov 15th births
- makes us a copy to take
- no charge!
- 12:40 – drive through town to Archaeological Park – $2 Euro pp
- nice walk to stretch legs
- 1:15 – drive to Siracusa
- **2:10 – arrive & drive around
- find huge park w/greek ruins
Giardini-Naxos
- 2:50 – lunch @only place we find w/parking
- Pizzeria Don Chisciotte – order 4 cheese pizza – turns out its 4 items – ham, olives, mushrooms & peas – diet coke – $8.50 Euro – pretty bad
- 3:20 – drive to Noto
- ***4:15 – arrive
- 1:45 – finally get to old city – JTC!
Noto
- wish we would have come here to eat
- nice sidewalk cafes
- +5:00 – head to Ragusa
- 6:30 – arrive Hotel Villa Del Lauro
- free parking on street (more like an alley if you ask me)
- Domenico checks us in
- ask for room on 1st floor – he says not as nice as 2nd floor room
- he is so right
- beautiful big room w/french doors to patio
- overlooking big grass yard w/swimming pool
- ++carries our bags up for us
- was originally a palace
- free mini bar – water, beer, snacks – JLT!
- 8:30 – short walk to new town
- +++9:00 – dinner @ Konza – mixed salad w/olives, carrot, mozzarella, capers, tomatoes, corn – tagliatelle w/mushroom & sausage – pretty good – 2009 Baglio Caruana, Vilucchio cab/merlot – $19 Euro
- 10:05 – walk back
- internet & email works here! (hotspot is the provider I don’t like)
- 11:45 – night night
JTC – just too cute!
JLT – just love that!
Noto
What I DON’T LIKE
- *pretty disappointing – not much to see
- can’t find city center for lunch options
- put piazza in GPS but nothing there
- ***once again – crazy one way streets – no clear signs to old city center
- +GPS wants to take us on back roads – don’t want to do that!
- more confusing road signs
- ++no elevator (3 story)
- +++couldn’t find recommended ones on map
FUN-fact – The theatre in Siracusa is one of the largest ever built by the ancient Greeks: it has 67 rows, divided into nine sections with eight aisles. Taormina’s is the second largest of its kind in Sicily.
