Hi everyone!
We will be in Sicily for about a week straddling the end of March and beginning of April. Four adults will arrive in Palermo with two very young children aged 3 and 1. Because of the little ones, we need to pick a home base and stay put since moving around is just too stressful for them. We will rent cars but seriously do not wish to do a ton of driving -- naps, bed times, etc. -- so short day trips will be the thing for us. We plan to rent an apartment or house wherever we go. It is possible to fly into Catania but more expensive for us, so we'd like to explore possibilities on the western side of the island before switching to the east.
Does anyone have any suggestions of a town on the western side of the island fairly close to Palermo to make home base? We will obviously need a market and preferably a restaurant or two close by, but I know that has more to do with the place we choose than the city. We have no illusions of seeing anywhere close to all that beautiful Sicily has to offer but hope to experience a small microcosm of it's culture, history and natural beauty from a single locale.
I've been so amazed by the level of advice and engagement in this forum. I'm really looking forward to getting some feedback. :) Thank you so much for any help and advice!
Cindy