In early March this year my husband and I traveled to Sicily for a milestone birthday celebration. We flew through Rome to Catania since Catania had better flight times vs Palermo. We rented a car in Catania and started our trip heading north to Taormina. We stayed 2 nights and loved it. Our best meal was a lunch at Porta Messina. Delicious fresh pasta and gnocchi! They also gave us complimentary arancini. Our first day was drizzly but day 2 was absolutely gorgeous. The views are specular no matter where you are and the best reason for visiting. Mainly we walked the town (be prepared it's on the side of a mountain so very hilly) but we did see the Greek Theater and the old churches. We had pizza both nights and the second night at Villa Zuccaro. Pizza was good but the fried tuma cheese was phenomenal. Next we drove to Cefalu. We took the roads along the coast up through Messina and what a scenic drive! However, there were so many tunnels and several tolls. Decent roads but we wish we would have counted the tunnels just for grins and giggles. A little trouble with toll booths not working but always found help. Have coins on hand. Cefalu was probably my favorite town of the trip!! The quaint narrow streets of the old section were delightful. We hiked La Rocca which is so worth it for the breathtaking views! It was a clear day and the water from above was incredible. Luckily we enjoyed beautiful weather both days. While in Cefalu we had some of the best pastries and cappuccinos in our lives! This was at a little cafe on the Piazza Duomo. Unfortunately I didn't write the name down but it's on the right as you look at the church. The service was perfect and so were the offerings! We did the town walk in the guidebook and highly recommend. Parking in both Taormina and Cefalu were tricky. Luckily we stayed at an Airbnb with parking on site. Third destination was Agrigento. The drive south from Cefalu was an adventure! Again more beautiful scenery. We stayed at Villa La Lumia which is in Rick's book. A little tricky to find (our GPS app was wrong)but so very worth it! The breakfasts were delicious and our room was quiet and cozy. The grounds are amazing and like nothing I've ever seen. We of course went to the Valley of Temples and the museum next door. Can't recommend enough. We walked to the Archaeological Park from our room. Highly recommend staying at LaLumia. The host was very warm and sincere. Even helped us with a tire problem!! His housekeeper/cook was amazing and very friendly. The best meal we had in the area, other than breakfast, was at A'Putia Bottega Siciliana. We had focaccia sandwiches and merlot wine. Very good meal and fun atmosphere. Our last town on the trip was Ortigia across the waterway from Siracuse. The drive was easy and pretty direct. Siracuse was not impressive. In Ortigia we stayed at Steve's recommended Hotel Gutkowski. Our room was on the Sea and had a balcony for viewing the water. Just perfection. Only drawback: the breakfast was mediocre, and the street noise was a little much at times. Best meal we had the entire trip was at Schiticchio Pizzeria!! We liked it so much we ate there twice. Absolutely, positively best pizza I have EVER had. Service was great and setting unique. Loved our stay. The water views are amazing and made for a very memorable birthday. We did find a few shops had closed for business or very hard to find. Again we did the town walk from the travel book. Toured the cathedral and Maniace Castle. Both are worth seeing. The town is easy to walk and beautiful. Highly recommend visiting. I loved Sicily more than I expected. Felt safe and welcome. Was quite windy at times everywhere we went. I wore a scarf around my head to help with the wind. In summary: beautiful scenery, delicious food, friendly people. Would not visit in peak season or when it's hot. If you can, rent a car and get out of the city and really "see" the island.
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