Author Archives: Weston

Mondello

Welcome to Mondello, our last stop in Sicily before heading back home. This is the last photo gallery. We hope you’ve enjoyed your visit. 😀

: On the way to Monreale

: On the way to Monreale

: On the way to Monreale

: Wes taking in the scenery

: On the way from Monreale to Mondello

: At Mondello, looking out towards the sea

: The Charleston of Mondello

: Ahhhh! Back at the beach!

: Little beach huts for rent

: Walking along the street that goes along the beach

: Beach season is just about to officially start… we were very lucky to make it there before it got too crowded

: A view of the clear water

: A view of the beach and the sea. Palermo is on the other side of that giant mountain

: Boats!

: Buildings along the beach

: Hope you like eels!

: A little plaza near the beach

: A boat would be perfect for a day like today on the calm sea

: A school of minnows swimming between the boats

: Taking in some sun before we have to leave for the airport

: Quite the magical island indeed

: On the road to Palermo to leave for home 🙁

: Behind the Italian flag on the right is a memorial for Judge Giovanni Falcone, who lost his life twenty years earlier, in May 1992, fighting against organized crime. He was killed in a roadside bomb on this stretch of freeway near Capaci. It was a day that shook all of Italy to it’s core and began a very public fight against the Mafia in Sicily that continues to this day.

: Airport straight ahead

: Falcone-Borsellino Airport of Palermo

: Flying out over Palermo, on the way to Roma

: Goodbye Sicilia!

: About to land in Roma!

Bisacquino: Part 2

Welcome back to Bisacquino! Last time we came here, it was late on a Friday afternoon and the next day was a holiday. We knew the Comune (town hall) would be closed. After hiking Etna we decided to head back to Bisacquino to see if we could find Weston’s great-grandfather’s birth certificate. We were leaving Sicily the next day out of Palermo, so we decided to give it one more shot.

When you’re done, head to the gorgeous beachside town of Mondello on the outskirts of Palermo.

: Back to Bisacquino

: The main cathedral of Bisacquino

: Walking down a Bisacquinese street

: According to the workers in the Bisacquino Comune (a comune is like a town hall)… Viale XXIV Maggio is the street Weston’s great-grandfather would’ve lived on when he was born. It was named something else back then, but today it’s named “May 24th Avenue.”

: Walking down Viale XXIV Maggio

: Viale XXIV Maggio is quite beautiful indeed

: A fountain common across the island

: Wes taking it all in. Note the detail on the street…. it most likely would’ve been dirt roads back when his ancestors lived there.

: A city sign providing residents with information

: At least one Pizzitola still lives in town

: Gioachino Pizzitola’s birth certificate. Born Feb. 3rd 1883 to Gaetano and Anna Pizzitola.

: Entry number 60: Pizzitola, Gioachino

: A close-up of the top half of the record

: The bottom half

: The original birth certificate was in a book in the town’s archives. The townspeople gave us a notarized paper that had the information written on it to keep.

: 1889-2012…. only 123 years since Weston’s great-grandfather left.

: The piazza in the center of the town

: Looking down the street in the town’s center

: Foto Ottica Corleonese (the yellow building)

: The Sicilians have quite an attention to detail, all the way down to how their streets look

: Driving up towards the Santuario Madonna Del Balzo, on the hill outside Bisacquino. Looking back at the town. Absolutely gorgeous!

: Such beautiful vegetation

: Ti Amo!

: The gate to the town cemetery (it was closed so we couldn’t go in to find any relatives)

: The wonderful Andrew J. Montalbano who showed us around the town. Mr. Montalbano is a first generation Sicilian-American from New Orleans who spends his summers each year in Bisacquino, his father’s hometown.

: Inside the Santuario Madonna Del Balzo

: Absolutely incredible

: Such incredible detail even in the ceilings

: The doors to the church

: The clock and bell tower outside

: The view from the hill the church was on

: Plaques on the side of the church

: This plaque gives thanks to Bisacquino residents now living in Houston, Texas who donated to the church so the building could have electricity

: The building was finished in 1679

: Up at the top of the sanctuary

: The nice gentleman who works there, outside the entrance. He showed us around inside.

: Looking down at Bisacquino from the hills near the sanctuary

: Looking back at the sanctuary

: A sign at the entrance to the city

: Wes driving down the tiny Bisacquino streets….

: View from the back… tight squeeze!

: Bambini

: Waiting for the old Sicilian man to cross the street

: Some old Sicilian men taking in the scenes

: Head left to go back to Palermo

: On the way to Palermo

: Heading towards Monreale. Between the mountains is Mondello (I think) and the Mediterranean Sea

: Passing through the small town of Pioppo

: Driving through a small town… Pioppo perhaps?

Mount Etna

Mount Etna is the largest and most active volcano in all of Europe. It sits on the Ionian coast in Eastern Sicily, nestled between Catania and Taormina.

When you’re ready to climb off the mountain, head back to the much warmer Bisacquino.

: On the drive from Taormina to Mount Enta

: The Ionian Sea near Taormina

: The volcano in the distance

: An interesting looking church in a small village near Etna

: A neat looking village we drove through

: Another roundabout

: Hit the roundabout, and then go left to Etna. Those Europeans sure love their roundabouts!

: Elevation is going up…

: The terrain surrounding the road is starting to change

: Parked on the side of the volcano 2/3rd the way up… about 2000 meters from sea level (~6,500 ft)

: Yup, we’re taking a cable car up the side of the most active volcano in all of Europe…

: Looking down towards the base of the cable cars….

: Uhh… what happens if this volcano erupts when we’re in the cable car? I think I’m going to pee my pants!

: Out of the cable car and walking around….

: I have to admit, this is the coolest police car I’ve ever seen!

: Looking down the volcano towards the land below

: See that goofy looking white truck? It took us up even further after the cable car ended.

: We trying to take it all in

: Not much vegetation up here

: The clouds are now eye-level

: That’s the summit up there

: The surface

: Snow!

: Trekking through the snow…. Gabs in front wearing one of the giant coats we rented. It was a little windy and cold…

: Some hole in the ground with lots of steam coming out

: Catania is wayyyy out there, somewhere

: Trying not to freeze!

: So coooold!

: The wind was brutal. Pro tip: Don’t go up almost 3,000 meters in elevation without the proper jeans and jacket. Some people who went up when we did learned the hard way.

: Heading back down

: Typical Sicilian scene in a small town near the mountain: Old men sitting together on a bench.

: Driving through Enna

: A church in Caltanissetta where we found a hotel for the night

: Walking down a Caltanissettan street

: The End!

Taormina

Taormina is a gorgeous mountainside town on the Ionian coast and in the Messina province. It’s north of Mount Etna.

Finished? Got your coat and hiking boots? Head on up the largest and most active volcano in all of Europe!

: Left Siracusa, now on the way back through Catania on our way to Taormina. Mount Etna looms in the distance

: Messina province straight ahead!

: Taormina ahead!

: Taormina to the right, city of Messina straight ahead!

: Benvenuti a Taormina!

: In the center of Taormina!

: The Italian mainland province of Calabria in the far distance.

: The ancient Greek theatre of Taormina

: The sea is out to the left…. Mount Etna is barely visible in the far, right background

: Quite a beautiful view from the theatre

: Drinking a Messina beer

: A restaurant we ate at in Taormina which gave us excellent service

: The wonderful wine of Corleone!

: An Angelo Poretti Splügen beer, from Induno Olona, Lombardy region in north Italhy

: Our view on the hotel’s terrace as we ate breakfast

Siracusa and Ortigia

Benvenuti a Siracusa a Ortigia! Siracusa is an ancient town on the Eastern coast of Sicily along the Ionian Sea. It has a rich Greek history. Yup, the Greeks once controlled Sicily. Siracusa was once so powerful it successfully helped.

Ortigia, the small island off of Siracusa, is where we spent most of our time.

When you’re done, head north to the wonderful vacation town of Taormina!

: Straight ahead to Siracusa!

: Welcome to Siracusa!

: The bridge connecting Siracusa to the island of Ortigia

: In a very tiny Ortigian alleyway…. with the entrance to the restaurant Don Carmelo

: Mmmm…. pizza!

: Ravioli!

: The water between Siracusa and Ortigia

: Buongiorno Ortigia!

: The Duomo of Ortigia

: Inside the Duomo

: The piazza of the duomo

Catania

Welcome to Catania!

Catania was the first town on our trip where we really didn’t have any itinerary. We found that not having much of a plan or list of things to do can be quite rewarding. After spending the day wandering the gorgeous streets of Catania, we uncovered a very interesting city and left quite impressed.

When you’re finished, drive south to the ancient Greek city of Siracusa and it’s tiny island, Ortigia.

: On the drive into Catania stopping at a gas station. Mount Etna in the background

: A square in front of our hotel

: The view from our hotel room in Catania

: Mount Etna coming into view on the horizon. And holy crap… there’s smoke from the volcano!

: Mmmm…. delicious Sicilian pizza for dinner with a Birra Moretti to drink

: Spidi Pizza?!?!? ¡Ándele! ¡Ándele! ¡Arriba! ¡Arriba! ¡Epa! ¡Epa! ¡Epa! Yeehaw!

: In the morning looking out of our hotel room. A market down in the square in front of our hotel.

: A little park we came across walking around Catania

: Looking down a Catanian street

: Walking up to the Villa Bellini Gardens in the heart of Catania

: A field for soccer in the center of the gardens

: Inside the gardens, looking down to the entrance of the park

: Walking up to a church in the middle of Catania that has some amazing ancient Roman ruins in front of it

: The ancient ruins in the foreground with the modern city in the background. It was incredibly striking seeing this because it’s right in the middle of the city… the modern city is built around it. Quite the contrast.

: Fireworks celebrating June 2nd, Festa della Repubblica day in all of Italy

: At a plaza with a newspaper stand in the corner

: A university in Piazza Duomo

: The elephant – Symbol of the town since the 1200’s. Legend goes that this animal became the city symbol because in ancient times pigmy elephants lived in this place, that protected the city’s inhabitants by chasing away fierce animals.

: Piazza Duomo, the heart of Catania

: In Piazza Duomo, with the elephant fountain in the center

: Help, they chopped my head!

: Close-up of the elephant statue and fountain

: The Chapel of Sant’Agata in the Piazza Duomo

: In case you didn’t know what a WC was…

: A small fountain near the Piazza

: Poster for a live show in Catania

: Inside the Greek-Roman Theatre

: The bottom of the theatre flooded a bit

: Walking down steps in the theatre to lower levels

: Steps of the theatre. Wonder if the steps are a little crooked due to earthquakes over the years.

: Looking up from inside the theatre…

: Alright Mr. Cat, lead the way!

: What, why are you stopping Mr. Cat?

: So, how are things?

: Walking down a street

: Castello Ursino, a castle built, circa from 1239 to 1250, as one of the royal castles of Emperor Frederick II, King of Sicily

: Back in the car, heading out of Catania

: A poster we saw in Catania with the two Sicilian heroes, Paolo Borsellino and Giovanni Falcone.

Agrigento

Welcome to the town of Agrigento on the southern Sicilian coast!

When you’re finished, check out the beautiful Catania.

: Heading into a tunnel, getting closer to Agrigento

: Driving close to the sea.

: Head straight ahead for Agrigento!

: Head left to Agrigento

: Driving into the outskirts of the town

: Hmm, I wonder if this is a bar for Sicilian Cowboys…

: Getting close to the ancient greek ruins outside of Agrigento

: Ruins of the ancient Greek city of Akragas in the foreground with the modern Agrigento in the background

: The beginning of the Valle dei Templi (Valley of the Temples)

: An olive hanging from an olive tree in the foreground

: Old Sicilian guy with a traditional Sicilian horse and carriage.

: Walking up to the Temple of Concordia

: Temple of Concordia plaque near the temple

: Getting closer to the Temple of Concordia

: Gaby in the corner taking a photo

: Plaque for a modern statue near an ancient temple

: A modern statue in front of the ancient Temple of Concordia

: Wes standing in front of an ancient olive tree

: Sign talking about the olive tree

: Cooling down from the heat with a granita and an arancini (Sicilian rice ball snack)

: Closer view of the arancini

Bisacquino: Part 1

Welcome to central, western Sicily!

Here we went through the infamous, but gorgeous town of Corleone. The streets were so narrow and Wes wasn’t yet used to the chaos (and anarchy) of driving through small, Sicilian towns. We only took one photo in Corleone due to how chaotic it was driving through.

After that we made it to Bisacquino where Weston’s ancestors used to live. We walked around for a couple hours taking in the sights. We didn’t stay long because we got there after 5pm on a Friday and most businesses were closed. As the Sun started setting, we made the drive to our B&B outside of Contessa Entellina. We stayed at the gorgeous Rocca Dei Capperi and had excellent service thanks to our host Paolo Barbon. Paolo is a retired chef who now lives the good life running the B&B in the gorgeous hills in central Sicily.

Since the next day was not only Saturday, but a national holiday (Festa della Repubblica), we figured that the Comune of Bisacquino (it’s like a town hall) would be closed. We decided to head on towards Agrigento and potentially make it back to Bisacquino before we left the island.

Click here for the photos of Agrigento.

: On the road toward central Sicily

: The roads are getting smaller

: Absolutely amazing countryside in central Sicily

: Corleone to the left. Bisacquino and Contessa Entellina to the right.

: Corleone

: Bisacquino. The birthplace of Weston’s great-grandfather

: Down a Bisacquinese alley

: Walking along an old street

: A narrow, yet gorgeous street

: Interesting street layout

: Gabs standing at a gate to an alley

: A narrow street looking out over the hills

: Steps connecting two streets

: An alleyway with a neat looking archway

: The entrance to a Bisacquino church

: The top of a Bisacquino church

: The picture didn’t come out very well, but it’s a photo of old Bisacquino

: Inside the main church of Bisacquino

: Beautiful ceiling inside the church

: The entrance to the main church of Bisacquino at the town square

: The main church of Bisacquino, taken from across the plaza

: On the road out of Bisacquino towards Contessa Entellina

: The sun setting on the Sicilian countryside

: View from our B and B outside of Contessa Entellina.

: Lovely wine at our B and B. Salute!

: Weston’s primi piatti, a delicious plate of pasta.

: All done!

: A Palermitani dish

: View from our chairs on the porch at the B and B, lights in the distance of a nearby town

: Salute!

: Buongiorno Contessa!

: Such a gorgeous place!

: View from our breakfast table.

: View of our wonderful B and B, Rocca dei Capperi outside of Contessa Entellina. Grazie Paolo!

: Farm house with a town in the distance

: They tried to shoot that poor cow

: Down a gorgeous Sicilian street in the country

: More bullet holes on a sign

: Driving in the countryside, showing off Weston’s new ring

: Coming up on a farm truck. The further we get from Texas, the more we’re still reminded of back home

: Our little rental car, Nissan Micra. Perfect for the tiny Sicilian streets and narrow, winding country roads.

: Stopping in a beautiful little Sicilian town called Sant’Anna in the Agrigento province, on our way to the city of Agrigento.

: The main square of Sant’Anna

: Another photo of the square

Erice

Welcome to Erice! Located 750 meters above sea level on top of Mount Erice, Erice is a gorgeous little down in the Trapani region of Sicily. When you’re done with this gallery, take a visit to central Sicily and to the town where Weston’s great-grandfather was born.

: At Erice, looking down the valley towards the Tyrrhenian Sea, which is part of the Mediterranean

: Looking down from Erice in the opposite direction towards Trapani

: Getting ready for a nice lunch

: Gaby’s primi piatti (first course) Risotto

: Weston’s primi piatti… pasta

: Eggplant!

: Looking down at the coast below

: Standing at the end of a typical beautiful Sicilian street

: Castello di Venere (the Castle of the Venus) which sits a top the mountain overlooking the town, the coast, and the hills below

: The side around the castle

: Looking down over part of the castle and the plains below

: A not-very-clear photo of us

: Looking back at part of the castle

: The virgin in an archway overlooking a small side street

: A pretty neat church entrance

: A very old street

: Looking down Via Vittorio Emanuele

: Genovesi pasty. One of the most amazing pastries we had in all of Sicily. Made at the wonderful Maria Grammatico’s Pasticceria on Via Vittorio Emanuele