We had a long drive into Sciacca, "Shocka", as we stopped at US Navy Base Sigonella to do laundry and pick up some things. Finding the base was a challenge as we maneuvered near Catania. At one point we stopped at a gas station to review our maps and a nice guy came over to help. After a minute his buddy joined him at the car window and asked if we had a Tom-Tom, GPS. We said no and he looked at us, shook his head and waved his hand as if we were total knuckleheads and deserved to be lost, he quickly walked away. I suppose it is easier with a GPS but between the cost for our length of stay and the fun in getting lost, seeing things you wouldn't otherwise and interacting with people it just isn't the way we roll. Needless to say we made it after about a 30 minute exercise of trying to figure out where to go next; we now have our bucket and detergent for a small load to be washed via bouncing as we drive around the countryside, ala "Travels with Charlie", let's hope it works.
We found a nice place near the port, B&B Porta Bagni and Guiseppi our host has made it very comfortable. From here we're about an hour's drive from several desired spots, including Erice and Segesta. Once out of town, which in a relatively big city is a challenge itself, we sped toward Erice, I got that little cinquecento (Fiat 500) up to 160k/100mph on the autostrade, and then we enjoyed a nice walk around the town. The cobblestone streets and corridors were very cool, however the views were the draw for me. Erice is on top of a hill just outside of Trapani on the west coast of Sicily, we're told on a clear day you can not only see Mt Etna but also Tunisia (Africa). I couldn't see either yet the beauty of the island is amazing.
Here's some drone footage, Parrot Bebop 2 and I'm super glad I bought it.
Some still shots below:
From the castle atop Erice looking at the NW corner of Sicily.
We rode the cable car up and back from Trapani to Erice, very convenient.
We then headed to Segesta, one of the most dramatic and wonderful ancient ruins I've seen. The temple is about 2700 years old and built on a hill next to a cliff and valley, difficult to capture the sheer beauty of the location and temple itself.
Still shot from the drone
Several repairs have been made to keep it standing, it really is remarkable.
Here's some video from the drone: Segesta
We didn't go to the theater ruins, it was a mile hike up another hill or a fee to take a bus, we were ready to head back and will see plenty more on our trip.
Chalk up another lovely day in Sicily.
Ciao!
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