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SICILY/UK/FRANCE 2023
  • LinaRogersTravels
mai – jul. 2023

SICILY/UK/FRANCE 2023

So we have wanted to do this trip since pre-Covid 2019. It has changed a couple of times but our main goals were to finally get to Sicily and to spend over a month in France. That and more - can't wait. Les mer
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  • LinaRogersTravelsSICILY/UK/FRANCE 2023Reisende
    21

    And....shopping

    26. mai 2023, Italia ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    I will add photos of our lovely meal below. But for the first time, we also did some shopping today. I purchased a pair of cute, bluish, sparkly sandals so I have something comfortable but prettier to wear. Massimo's shop was full of interesting paper mache art and so Craig took his photo. Later on at a very trendy shop called 'Ortigia' Craig bought a couple of beautiful, very trendy-looking paper mache plates for our kitchen. One blue, one orange with fish - very stylish Italian - made in Florence. So I had my photo taken entitled: Sleeveless and shopping!!Les mer

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  • LinaRogersTravelsSICILY/UK/FRANCE 2023Reisende

    Modica farm

    27. mai 2023, Italia ⋅ 🌧 24 °C

    This morning we left lovely Ortigia with no problem as a result of Craig’s continuing expert driving. We manage to find our farm stay rustic place on via San Filippo with some sheer luck and Diego welcomed us with a coffee and tasty biscotti. The drive and walk into Modica was more challenging but we had an outstanding cannoli at last and found two magnificent churches and a very interesting chocolate tasting and purchase. A thunder storm hit but all good for now. Still worried about Josy and Tony who are still in Frankfurt.Les mer

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  • LinaRogersTravelsSICILY/UK/FRANCE 2023Reisende

    Modica farm dinner

    27. mai 2023, Italia ⋅ 🌙 20 °C

    In the evening we went to the local Agriturismo which was about a five minute walk from here. We tried to book for 7 pm but Diego our host said not to go before 7:30 pm. It was all set up - one room for a baptism another one for Alice’s first Communion ❤️ but they said by the time we finished the event would only just be starting at about 9 pm which is exactly what happened. Honestly it was just like having dinner at mum’s place. There was a mountain of delicious antipasta including local cheeses, breads sun-dried tomatoes and a heated up local ricotta. Then we only ordered two serves of pasta to share one ravioli one cover telly followed by two serves of oven baked pork meat as mmain course with salad. Oh delicious including the cute little lemon cream dolci. We were an entertainment item and obviously everyone had relatives they wanted us to say hello to in Melbourne and Sydney. It was certainly a jovial evening and the total cost was €30 per couple!!! I forgot to mention the home-made wine was pretty good too. Before dinner Diego had taken us for a very long tour around this manner property it’s extremely old with both Roman and Byzantine walls in places. His family seems to have owned it from the 1800s and it does need a lot of money spent on but it is a very interesting place indeed to see and stay at.Les mer

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  • LinaRogersTravelsSICILY/UK/FRANCE 2023Reisende
    Yes Craig did drive down this street!!!

    NOTO

    28. mai 2023, Italia ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Overnight Craig did not feel very well - too much chocolate? Anyway, we three had a lovely breakfast and then eventually set off for Noto. This was further away than Modica but much easier to find, park the car and then walk into. Noto is a very beautiful Sicilian town - mainly built in the baroque style. After having a look at the magnificent Duomo - better on the outside than the inside, we had a drink as it is quite hot today and then went up the hill again to see the magnificent Palazzo Castelluccio. This has an interesting backstory. Abandoned in the 1980s, it lay empty until 2011 when a Frenchman, inspired by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa's 1958 novel, The Leopard, purchased the property and began bringing it back to life.
    Decorated with period-style flourishes, plush fabrics, bold colours, original frescos, and exquisite antiques, this palace has very much returned to its golden age - as the photos show. Beautiful rooms and furniture. Next, we walked back down to the main road and went to the Teatro Tina Di Lorenzo. This is a small, circular theatre in sumptuous red and gold colours and we'd love to see a show there. The ticket further included a look at the Hall of Mirrors which is a gorgeous golden room in Noto's Town Hall.    Les mer

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  • LinaRogersTravelsSICILY/UK/FRANCE 2023Reisende

    San Filipo passeggiata

    28. mai 2023, Italia ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    Questa bella serata abbiamo bevuto un bottiglia di vino insieme e poi siamo andato per un bella passeggiata vicino questa casa che si chiama San Filippo. We have learnt more about the owner of this property and apparently Diego is actually a nobleman a duke!!! On our walk we met a lovely older Italian gentleman called Pippo short for Giuseppe. He really liked having a chat. Lovely weather today Great day.Les mer

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  • LinaRogersTravelsSICILY/UK/FRANCE 2023Reisende

    Vendicari Nature Reserve Walk

    29. mai 2023, Italia ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    After breakfast served by good-looking Emmanuel this morning, we set off driving down to the southeast coast of Sicily. Once again the roads were quite challenging and took us out of the way towards the south before we got to the Vendicari Nature Reserve. This natural reserve “Wildlife Oasis of Vendicari” was established in 1984 by the Sicilian Region. It’s located precisely halfway between Noto and Pachino with a territory that extends for about 1512 hectares. Inside the reserve, an entire ecosystem lives undisturbed. We saw the sea, dry vegetation, lots of birds, including flamingos, Herons and storks as well as rocky cliffs that looked like parts of the west coast. This area used to be the tuna processing factory and there were very interesting buildings from that time as well as remnants of the Greek invasion time. Once again there were loads of students with their teachers on excursion - they seem to be everywhere!We did find it a bit too hot in the end!! So on our way back to the farm we stopped at the local Agriturismo for a light platter to share. Being seated in the shade with a breeze was much better.Les mer

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  • LinaRogersTravelsSICILY/UK/FRANCE 2023Reisende

    Piazza Amerina - good and bad!

    30. mai 2023, Italia ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Our final breakfast with Duke (or Don) Diego was once again lovely and we really valued his helpful, friendly assistance.
    However, this morning when we set out the little roads totally stuffed us around again! Eventually, we got onto the bigger roads BUT around very hilly, winding Ragusa the GPS which is not coping well, took us on the coastal road to Gela instead of northwards to Piazza Armerina. Never mind we did get the better road ultimately and with a little bit of Italian help and a wonderful Italian speaker called Lina 😉, we did find our place for the night called B&B Giucalem. After a quick turnaround, leaving our bags we next went to the brilliant Villa Romana del Casale which is the reason we came here. This is a large and elaborate Roman villa or palace. Excavations have revealed one of the richest, largest, and most varied collections of Roman mosaics in the world, for which the site has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The villa and artwork contained within, date to the early 4th century AD.
    The mosaics cover some 3,500 m2 and are almost unique in their excellent state of preservation due to the landslide and floods that covered the remains. An extraordinary collection of frescoes covered not only the interior rooms, but also the exterior walls. Anyway, we all agreed it was worth all the driving hassle and THEN A MASSIVE STORM HIT. Craig and I just made it to the car and waited a long time for Janet and Sinclair to eventually make it also. Getting back to our accommodation was also tricky. No power, no internet, no hot water because of the storm. It did all eventually come back but then the owner told us that the meal they were going to provide was not possible but eventually he said he would take us to a restaurant. Lots of painful things today but the mosaics were certainly worth it.    Les mer

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  • LinaRogersTravelsSICILY/UK/FRANCE 2023Reisende
    1

    Selinunte arrival

    31. mai 2023, Italia ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    We eventually arrived at our apartment in Selinunte which is on the south coast of Sicily. After a long walk for the supermarket we were exhausted after a hot walk at Agrigento. However we have a lovely sea view on our balcony and enjoyed a drink there before we went out separately for our meals. Craig and I ate at the hotel La Rosa which is very close and the meal was fine. Our beautiful Kenyan host called Esther Is very attractive And also seems intelligent therefore Craig is in love. However at the moment we have no coverage no Wi-Fi but at least the hot water and the broken door frame have been fixed!!!😮Les mer

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  • LinaRogersTravelsSICILY/UK/FRANCE 2023Reisende

    Agrigento

    31. mai 2023, Italia ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    This morning we had a great breakfast with Giuseppe. This followed his outstanding assistance last night Showing us around all of the old and new Piazza Amerina. He showed us his mum‘s place and great grandmother‘s house and his school and all around the old quarters which were really cobbled and interesting. Eventually he left us at ristorante Toto and we had one of the best meals in Sicily so far. Driving was much easier today and we got to Agrigento around 11. This site was absolutely brilliant. Several temples some in beautiful condition💕💕.Les mer

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  • LinaRogersTravelsSICILY/UK/FRANCE 2023Reisende

    Selinunte Archaeological Parco

    1. juni 2023, Italia ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    This morning we woke up and had breakfast at home and then went for a walk down to find the fish market enjoyed a cappuccino but there were more men than 🐠. After that we managed to get lost again trying to find the archaeological park but eventually did and it certainly has been worth it. The archaeological site contains many great temples, the earliest dating from 550 BC, with five centred on an acropolis. At its peak before 409 BC the city may have had 30,000 inhabitants, excluding slaves. It was destroyed and abandoned in 250 BC and never reoccupied. However the ruins we saw were truly outstanding. Afterwards we purchased a couple of Sicilian tea towels and had a great antipasta lunch at the Enoteca Sicilia - very yummy lunch.Les mer

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  • LinaRogersTravelsSICILY/UK/FRANCE 2023Reisende

    Segesta stop and on to Trapani

    2. juni 2023, Italia ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    This morning we packed to leave and did one last walk along Selinunte's beach road. This morning there were more fish than men at the local fish market. Our drive to the Segesta archaeological park was short and simple for a change!! It was certainly worth visiting. A bus took us up to the agora and we saw a great amphitheatre. Then a long walk down to see the original tempio (temple) which is also in remarkable condition. The views of it from a distance were quite mesmerizing and it did not disappoint up close. The drive into Trapani was a bit more challenging and we are now in the biggest town so far. Working out the parking was also tricky but we did manage to check in and go out for a nice but rather costly lunch. Today is Italian Republic Day and good to be here. My burrata lunch was very appropriately coloured.Les mer

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  • LinaRogersTravelsSICILY/UK/FRANCE 2023Reisende

    Funicular up to beautiful Erice

    2. juni 2023, Italia ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    After lunch, we once again had some difficulties driving through Trapani to find the funicular. This GPS which we have named Maddalena is rather painful at times as it has not kept up with road changes in Sicily. Eventually, we got there and it is the longest, highest funicular we have ever been on. Erice is the original town of Trapani which survived various invasions - no wonder as it is so high! The first thing we went into is the Real Duomo (Royal Cathedral). It is very old and was originally constructed by Emperor Constantine in the 4th century AD. The filagree-looking ceiling was breathtaking as were the cornices - something for Craig to consider. We continued to look around this very pretty town. We bought some sweet cakes but later had the best gelati we have had so far in all of Sicily from Liparotti - the flavour was pistachio, lemon peel and roasted almonds - yum yum. This place was quite enchanting.Les mer

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  • LinaRogersTravelsSICILY/UK/FRANCE 2023Reisende
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    Trapani & Favignana Island

    3. juni 2023, Italia ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    Today we decided to have separate days. Janet & Sinclair really wanted to do a full day tour of the islands off Trapani - we wanted to take only half a day so that we
    could spend more time in Trapani. So after a lovely breakfast here at the Salamurecci Camere we walked down to the lovely port area and took a Liberty hovercraft to Favignana Island. Of course, Craig loved being on a boat again and it was very smooth. Favignana is one of the bigger of the Egadi islands nearby. It had a very cute fishing port and a fishing market upon arrival. The town was small, easily walkable and many people hired bikes and scooters. We checked out the centre, saw a church being prepared with gorgeous flowers for a wedding and we also liked the Florio town square along with the palazzo that this very wealthy entrepreneur set up. It was full of photos (and a video) of the owners, their history, and family life. Florio was responsible for part of the salt mining, and lime/earth mining, plus wines and marsala south of here. Most importantly he set up the 'tonno' which is the tuna processing factory which was hugely important here. His sons continued with these industries and the second son also invested in sports, especially car racing. We came back and had lunch along the sea boulevard at a cheaper place with yummy mozzarella & prosciutto, salads, and cheesy, peppery meatball - quite delicious. We also saw a wedding and some cool fashions?Les mer

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  • LinaRogersTravelsSICILY/UK/FRANCE 2023Reisende
    2

    Trapani afternoon

    3. juni 2023, Italia ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    We came back for a rest and then set out to have a look at Trapani. It was rather quiet but we did see the beautiful San Lorenzo Cathedral and various other streets with beautiful buildings. Trapani has very good signage to tell you all about the various buildings and churches etc. Continuing our walk seeing 2 more weddings, the beach and Craig bought a new shirt - this town is quite lovely.Les mer

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  • LinaRogersTravelsSICILY/UK/FRANCE 2023Reisende

    Palermo day 1 cont…

    4. juni 2023, Italia ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    After a rest Craig and I set off for a nice walk. After some seedy roads, we saw a crowd of people. We stopped and asked and the neighbourhood was very, very excited about the fact that it was St Rita's procession time. It went on for ages so after seeing the confetti cannon spray lots of red confetti, we walked on to find the amazing Palermo Cathedral. Although it was being renovated, it is huge and seemed like 3 or 4 churches in one - Norman, Arabic, and Spanish/Christian aspects. Next, we walked on to find the Porta Nuova which was very fancy compared to most we have seen. The walk back was once again very crowded but we saw the 4 corner square and the huge but waterless fountain. Several little girls were having their first communion photo shoots there!! We met J&S on the rooftop of our hotel for what turned out to be ridiculously expensive, but delicious Aperol spritzes and snacks. The view was worth it and eventually, there were fireworks we could hear as well as more St Rita excitement. Quite a day. Palermo is huge, full of life, beautiful, and feels somewhat dangerous in parts.Les mer

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  • LinaRogersTravelsSICILY/UK/FRANCE 2023Reisende

    Palermo final destination in Sicily

    4. juni 2023, Italia ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    This morning after breakfast we left and Craig did a fine job getting us to the Palermo airport to drop off our rental car. There was a little confusion for our transfer Driver the good-looking Lorenzo who had apparently forgotten about picking us up. Craig and I have our suspicions. I went in the front and was reasonably scared of how close he drove to other drivers and how fast. I’ll take Craigs driving any day. Eventually we got to our absolutely gorgeous final Sicilian accommodation at the Palazzo Sovrana. The rooms are gorgeous and the location is perfect right across the road from the Teatro Massimo. We immediately went across the road to do a tour of this magnificent 1200 seat Opera Theatre which is the second best I have ever seen after the Garnier in Paris. We then had a good lunch down the road but it is so crowded just walking up and down the main street. At one stage a pickpocket attempted to get into Janet’s bag but fortunately Sinclair scared him off quite an achievement.Les mer

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  • LinaRogersTravelsSICILY/UK/FRANCE 2023Reisende

    Monreale Cathedral - WOW

    5. juni 2023, Italia ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    This morning we did have a lovely breakfast and then set off to find the bus to Monreale. We had read that you would be crazy to miss it. We bought our bus tickets at the lovely little tabacchi outside our hotel and when we got to the bus station 'Antonio' did his best to get us to go with him by car to Monreale for 20 euros for all 4 of us. In the end we did and it was the right decision. He dropped us off in the Monreale square and told us how to come back. We got there early and skipped the crowds. When each of us walked in we were all stunned by the 1800 kilograms of gold used in the mosaics. We thought Ravenna and Santa Maria di Trestevere were impressive but this World heritage listed cathedral is unbelievable. Visiting the church and then walking around the top with wonderful views of the valley and the cloisters was most rewarding. Then seeing the beautifully carved cloisters (photos later) truly a wonder to perceive.Les mer

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  • LinaRogersTravelsSICILY/UK/FRANCE 2023Reisende
    1

    Palermo Day 2 - Rain & Evening

    5. juni 2023, Italia ⋅ 🌧 20 °C

    The rest of the day it rained and rained. We got several things organized and eventually set out for dinner at Bisso Bistrot. It had been recommended but wasn't outstanding. However, walking around on Monday was so much better than Sunday as it was much less crowded and the rain would keep the locals away. The photos below include our restaurant, pasta I couldn't eat because the serve was so big, and various street scenes. Even the Tabacchi is in a very stately little kiosk!Les mer

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  • LinaRogersTravelsSICILY/UK/FRANCE 2023Reisende

    Last And wet day in Palermo

    6. juni 2023, Italia ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    This morning after breakfast we sat out and easily walked to the archaeological museum here in Palermo. Although not huge and it was excellent so that we could see various metopes and statues and other ruins taken mainly from the Selinunte site But also other areas we have seen. It has rained all day and somewhat spoilt what we wanted to do. We waited for the free tourist shuttle for half an hour and it didn’t come and then got lost trying to find the Palazzo Chiaramonte. Very late we arrived for the guided tour very wet. However they did let us join it and it was interesting to see the graffiti art which was very historical from prisoners of the inquisition. We finally got to see the painting I was very keen to see called La Vuccuria. Gifted to the town of Palermo by its painter it is a very bright busy and interesting painting of the market of the same name. We managed to find the market afterwards and sitting down and having an antipasto lunch was very enjoyable.Les mer

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  • LinaRogersTravelsSICILY/UK/FRANCE 2023Reisende
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    My Fitbit died in Palermo

    6. juni 2023, Italia ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    Yes after having a rubber band around the face for the last week or so my Fitbit has finally beat the dust. Hopefully I can get another one in the UK where we are going tomorrow morning. Today after the yummy market lunch we eventually got back very wet and have done packing and planning and to do an extra outing just to look at the shops. The locals all say this weather is very unlike Palermo which is interesting in terms of climate change etcLes mer

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  • LinaRogersTravelsSICILY/UK/FRANCE 2023Reisende

    Last night in Palermo

    6. juni 2023, Italia ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    So we met Janet & Sinclair and set off for our last dinner together. Sinclair had purchased a great, Sicilian colourful shirt so we went to the same shop and Craig bought another one. Both look great. The man we purchased the shirt from told us to go to the nearby Vossio restaurant and we had a great night - yummy food, great company and good atmosphere.Les mer

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  • LinaRogersTravelsSICILY/UK/FRANCE 2023Reisende

    London arrival

    7. juni 2023, England ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    This morning we had our final breakfast at the cafe next to our hotel and by 930 we were being driven to the airport by a much better behaved Lorenzo today. Check in etc was fine and we did leave on time but the plane was delayed at the Heathrow and having to wait for ages to Disembark. getting the pre booked Heathrow express was easy and finding our hotel was also easy and it is in a lovely area near Hyde Park full of beautiful white homes. Our own Aspen apartments does leave quite a bit to be desired but still cost a lot!!! We walked down and had a good dinner at the Victoria hotel which Craig had researched in Adelaide. Clearly London will be more expensive than Palermo but we are staying in a really beautiful area and enjoyed walking through the mews and seeing all the greenery and flowers.Les mer

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  • LinaRogersTravelsSICILY/UK/FRANCE 2023Reisende

    Lond: Nat Gallery, Cov Gdns & Hyde Park

    8. juni 2023, England ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    This morning we had breakfast in - good change as we have been eating far too much in Sicily. This hotel is frustrating as we were woken up at 5 am with another fire alarm....wtf. The first thing we worked out was our Oyster Cards - our old 20 pound note would not be taken as they have finally changed to plastic money here! Eventually, we got to Trafalgar Square - and although it is being set up for a free Symphony Concert still looked pretty impressive. However the art inside the National Gallery really, truly wowed us. There are loads of famous paintings here and we loved many of them. Next, we walked to Covent Gardens and by then it was lovely and sunny. Lots of lovely stalls and a Tin Tin shop! We also found another lovely internal green space and then had lunch at a Laotian restaurant. Really enjoyed Asian food for a change.Les mer

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