Sicilian taste

And we back already from Trapani to Sunny Blackburn, at least for today 🙂

We have had an amazing time with family and friends, sun and beach out there and have some amazing pictures to show you below.

Since Trapani isn’t a place many people have heard of, it is a new destination on cruising maps so i would like to give you some insights to let you know what you can do here. There are many sights you can visit but here a only a few.

This is a very small port which has just been recently undergone some work to accommodate small to medium size ships. There is no terminal at the port which makes it very easy to disembark. You don’t need to book an excursion to see Trapani. The port is right across from the historical town centre. Here you can disembark on foot and cross the road to enter the town center. You will find your self walking on old cobbled streets where you’ll find some lovely churches you can visit, the best one is the Cathedral of San Lorenzo, where i got married 7 years ago. Along either side of this cobbled streets you will find designer shops like Prada, Liu Jo, Burberry, D&G, designer perfumes and make up shops and jewelers selling local coral as well as lovely pieces of jewelers. The Cathedral is only minutes walk and it’s a must for any tourist passing the town, an interesting stop for the art lovers where you can appreciate variety of It’s beautiful arts and architecture derived from different centuries and conquers. 

Italy is known for it’s ice creams but Sicilians, renown for their perfectionism, have made it the best place to be for the authentic flavours. The granita known as slush is a local tradition and it’s made with the local  lemons, the best for it’s perfume and aroma.  Find yourself an ice cream parlour and relax AL fresco before getting back. My recommendation is the Gelateria Gino

Nearby is  Erice, a touristy Medieval town towering over the city of Trapani at 751m above sea level.  Not advisable for travelers with walking difficulties since some roads are on the hillside and the old cobbled streets are centuries old. Erice is about 30 minutes by car or 10 minutes by cable car. You will have to get a taxi to the cable car departure point which is only 5 minutes, but during heavy traffic it can take 25 minute. The ride up with cable car is worth it,  the views are absolutely stunning. On a clear day you can see the Egadi Islands off the coast, the Tyrrhenian Sea and the coastline towards San Vito Lo Capo, Monte Cofano and the Gulf of Castellammare. Here it’s worth booking a taxi to get you to the cable car and back from the cable car to the ship.

There is a fee to enter the Castles and some of the Churches but it’s affordable at 3 Euros per person. This money is used to fund projects of restoration of many Medieval buildings and churches in the town. Many churches are closed to the public because they are considered hazardous to access, but they are being restored and will be given back to the public. 

Among the sites you can visit is the Duomo, the cathedral, built by the Arabs the main church is in Gothic style with it’s ceilings in stucco and it’s tower bell. The Pepoli Castle and Venus Castle and it’s gardens. The views from here are divine, photograph lover will really enjoy this spot

Erice today plays host to a series of renowned international scientific conferences and, in particular, an annual congress dedicated to Astronomy.

The local typical tradition is the Ceramic, here you can find any type of souvenir made and painted by local artisans

If you are going to Trapani and would like to see which excursions are on offer, visit the page below

http://www.cruise.co.uk/shore-excursions/?affref=silvanah