June 3,2024
As the sun rose I did a final walk around Palermo to reflect on my adventures in the city. It has been an interesting few days and I am ready to experience more of Sicily!
We checked out of our hotel and began driving to Mazara del Vallo. Along the way, we made two stops—the first being Monreale, a town perched on hills overlooking Palermo and the lush valley known as La Conca d’Oro (the Golden Shell). Besides incredible views the reason to visit here is the twelfth-century Norman cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, known for its Byzantine mosaics. Montreal Cathedral’s bronze doors were designed by the same artist that created the Eiffel Tower. The 70,000 square feet of mosaic’s tell the story of the creation using gold fused with glass. This is wine county and the rolling hills have rows of grape vines creating picturesque views.
Next, we’ set off to Segesta, a region that was once home to the ancient Elymians—one of Sicily’s indigenous peoples. This is wine county with rolling hills lined with rows of grape vines that create picturesque views. We rode a rickety van up a dusty, bumpy road to each a traditional Sicilian farmhouse that is a agriturismo featuring fresh organic food.
After lunch, we set off by foot walking down the dusty, bumpy and sometimes steep road to revel in the views of olive groves, vineyards, and temple ruins. In a reminder of Segesta’s ancient Greek heritage, the columns of a well preserved (and unfinished) Doric temple sstand proudly in a remote hilltop location.
After completing our 3 mile walk we continued our journey to Mazara del Vallo.
Our hotel is located across from the oceanfront that has a boardwalk. I am looking forward to exploring that tomorrow morning!
