![]() ![]() My journey continues early the next day with the downhill hike to Trapani. Dinner at Venus feels well earned (the regional busiate pasta with Trapanese pesto is delicious).Įrice is on a mountain in north-west Sicily, near Trapani. Later I potter in the Balio gardens, adjacent to the castle. The path winds below the eccentric Torretta Pepoli and Castello di Venere, a Norman castle built on the site of an ancient temple (Erice was once a religious centre devoted to the cult of Venus). Wide panoramic views open out over the plains and coast and I hike under unbroken blue skies, the landscape alive with butterflies and bees. I cross the old Spanish quarter, leave town via Porta Spada and head down a wooded hillside. The landscape grows steadily more rugged until, over the crest of a hill, Scopello’s medieval watch tower appearsįuelled by genovesi (traditional Sicilian pastries filled with custard or ricotta), I venture out the next morning on a half-day circular route around Mount Erice. There are 60 churches in town, the gothic Chiesa Madre (the Duomo, dating from 1314) and medieval San Giovanni among those worth a visit. At Piazza della Loggia I stop for a spritz and arancini, the sound of church bells in the air. I wander out into the warm evening, the streets quieter now day-trippers have gone, and follow a labyrinth of narrow alleys, pocked with little squares. “Yesterday was all mist and clouds,” he says as I admire the sweeping views out to sea from the restaurant terrace. At Hotel Elimo, within the mighty limestone city walls, manager Antonio welcomes me. Medieval Erice, just two hours from Palermo and reached via a winding mountain road, is a town of churches, cats, cobblestones and pastry shops – a great base for a couple of nights. ![]()
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