Western Sicily

Erice

Best Of IgoUgo

Attraction | "High on a Hill in Sicily"

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During the springtime of our year in Italy, we decided to fly from Florence to the southern island of Sicily. Besides having some of the people with the warmest personality, it's also a region filled with interesting historical sites and great food. We landed in the western city of Trapani, and quickly made our way to the (actual) peak of our trip...the hilltop town of Erice.We boarded a cable car in the town of Trapani and headed up on a 10 minute steep climb up to Erice. After we got off, the entire town was in a cloud, but still in good spirits we asked the ticket booth operator which road went to the castle. He closed the booth, came out and pointed us towards the right way. We showed ...Read More

During the springtime of our year in Italy, we decided to fly from Florence to the southern island of Sicily. Besides having some of the people with the warmest personality, it's also a region filled with interesting historical sites and great food. We landed in the western city of Trapani, and quickly made our way to the (actual) peak of our trip...the hilltop town of Erice.

We boarded a cable car in the town of Trapani and headed up on a 10 minute steep climb up to Erice. After we got off, the entire town was in a cloud, but still in good spirits we asked the ticket booth operator which road went to the castle. He closed the booth, came out and pointed us towards the right way. We showed him the map in our guidebook and he flipped through the pages and asked where we were from. Almost all the people we met would ask this and would mention something or someone they knew from the States.

Erice, founded in the 7th century B.C., sits on a mountaintop that seems to rise out of nowhere since all around it is plains, small hills, and the sea. In the years of the Norman period, a temple to the goddess Venus was constructed here since it seems to be a natural "lookout" over the dominion. When we reached this ancient temple, the cloud was so thick that we could barely see, but we walked back through town and found a place for lunch while we waited for the weather to change. During our 2nd loop around the town, the cloud had moved and we took in the beautiful view. It's said that one can see from Africa to the south and Mt. Etna to the east on a super clear day.

Near the Temple of Venus is the Pepoli Castle, which was founded around the Arab times, and how functions as a hotel. For a more religious visit, stop in the Mother Church (Via Carvini), built in the 14th century. A mix of Gothic and Romanesque styles, this church like many of that time, was built on top of an older structure. There are also other places of worship to see from and ORthodox chapel and the Church of St. Ursula from the 15th century.

One of the area's most famous pastries come from this town, and you can easily spend a day just stopping in and out of small cafes. We had a great time getting lost in the winding streets, as it was small enough to not feel completely out of place. There were little shops in the alleys selling Sicily trinkets, woven rugs and red coral jewelry.

If you plan to visit the Tyreanean Sea on the western part of Sicily, don't miss taking a trek up the steep hillside to Erice. It really was like another world up there. Read Less

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on November 24, 2009

Erice

Sicily, Italy

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La Pasticceria di Maria Grammatico

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Restaurant | "World Famous Pastries"

marzipan treat Photo - La Pasticceria di Maria Grammatico, Erice, Italy

Quote:

One of the things I looked forward to quite a bit during our trip to Sicily, was sampling all the lovely treats that this region is so famous for: granita, gelato, marzipan fruits, pistachio confections, etc. And what better place to sample some of the sweets than one of the most well-known pastry shops in the region.Our first day during our jaunt up to the mountaintop Medieval city of Erice, we stopped by the world famous La Pasticceria di Maria Grammatico. Opened by Maria, who is one of the most accomplished pastry-cooks in Sicily after learning the skills of pastry-making by the Sicilian nuns, her shop is known for the genovesi shortbread mini pies filled with custard, which are served ...Read More

One of the things I looked forward to quite a bit during our trip to Sicily, was sampling all the lovely treats that this region is so famous for: granita, gelato, marzipan fruits, pistachio confections, etc. And what better place to sample some of the sweets than one of the most well-known pastry shops in the region.

Our first day during our jaunt up to the mountaintop Medieval city of Erice, we stopped by the world famous La Pasticceria di Maria Grammatico. Opened by Maria, who is one of the most accomplished pastry-cooks in Sicily after learning the skills of pastry-making by the Sicilian nuns, her shop is known for the genovesi shortbread mini pies filled with custard, which are served warm. We tried one of these and also picked one of the pastel marzipan balls. I chose the pistachio flavor, but wasn't too impressed with the almond flour paste confectionary treat, although my husband enjoyed it. (Don't take my opinion too seriously, as marzipan isn't a favorite of mine to begin with.) Some of the marzipan creations, including the life-like Frutta di Martorana have been showcased in art exhibitions around the world. The shop window was one to linger over for a while...

There was even a popular memoir written about the life of the Pasticceria's owner,Maria Grammatico, named "Bitter Almonds". This has been another pull for foodies around the world, and have upped the visitor count to this small shop each and every year. You can sit in the small inside cafe, and enjoy a caffe as well at the little bar. Some of the favorite snacks to choose include "torrone" (a nougat honey bar), chocolate truffles, baba' (rum soaked bite-sized dough), several pies of nuts, fruits, and chocolate, plus plenty of candied fruits.

If you have a sweet-tooth, are a foodie on a quest for some famous Italian cafes, or just enjoy a quality bite to munch on during a day trip to Erice, then stop in this pastry shop as you wander this ancient city streets.

• Via Vittorio Emanuele 14, 91016
• +39 0923/869390
• http://www.mariagrammatico.it/ Read Less

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on December 1, 2009

La Pasticceria di Maria Grammatico
Via Vittorio Emanuele 14
Erice, Italy 91016
+39 0923-869390

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Ristorante Angelino

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Restaurant | "Tasty Treats in Trapani"

Sicilian treats Photo - Ristorante Angelino, Trapani, Italy

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Opened since 1960, this staple in the food world of Trapani is a wonderful stop to make. Located along the harbor's main street, Ristorante Angelino is an excellent place for a sit-down meal, quick pastry to-go, or a lingering bar-side break to enjoy a coffee.During a couple of days in the western part of Sicily, we spent a day exploring the port city of Trapani. Although it's not high on most tourist radars, there are quite a few sea-focused activities to keep you occupied. And a trip to Sicily isn't complete without completely indulging in some of the culinary treats that await. We asked a couple locals where we could try a handful of the regional specialities, and Angelico was the answe...Read More

Opened since 1960, this staple in the food world of Trapani is a wonderful stop to make. Located along the harbor's main street, Ristorante Angelino is an excellent place for a sit-down meal, quick pastry to-go, or a lingering bar-side break to enjoy a coffee.

During a couple of days in the western part of Sicily, we spent a day exploring the port city of Trapani. Although it's not high on most tourist radars, there are quite a few sea-focused activities to keep you occupied. And a trip to Sicily isn't complete without completely indulging in some of the culinary treats that await. We asked a couple locals where we could try a handful of the regional specialities, and Angelico was the answer.

This restaurant is set up as a pastry shop with small cafe tables, bar with counter, and separate dining area with the majority of the seating - all in one. It's a great place to stop for any food occasion. We stopped in for a late lunch, and browsed the glass cases in the front filled with fresh dishes of all kinds...from sweet pastries to savory dishes that could fill up a belly for even a heavy dinner.

We shared a couple types of arancini (literally meaning "small orange" because of the shape, and are fried rice balls with different ingredients) - one with spinach and cheese and the other with mushrooms. I also tried a rominella, which was like a yeast roll with spinach and cheese baked inside. We just sat at the bar and kept pointing to different things in the case to try. For dessert we had a baba' (mushroom-shaped mini cake soaked in sticky rum, traditionally from the Naples area), a fresh cannolo which was piped with the chocolate-chip, ricotta filling when we ordered it, and caffe' to wash it all down.

This is a high recommendation for any visit to Trapani, and a wonderful place to taste a variety of local treats.

• Via Ammiraglio Staiti, 91100
• +39 092326922 Read Less

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on December 1, 2009

Ristorante Angelino
Via Ammiraglio Staiti
Trapani, Italy 91100
+39 092326922

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Trapani

Best Of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Visit to the Port City of Trapani"

Quote:

During the time we lived in Florence, Italy, we took about 5 days to take a quick trip down to the country's triangle island of Sicily. The trip was filled with fresh air, beautiful landscapes, some frustrations, and new friends. My draw to Sicily is attributed to the fact that so many types of sites and cultures are contained within one island - plus every Sicilian that we've met has been one of the friendliest people ever. The stereotype here in Italy is that the farther south you go, the nicer the people get. As soon as we got off the plane in Trapani we were eager to test our theory to see if Sicily was full of kind individuals. From the first person we talked to, it was so evident tha...Read More

During the time we lived in Florence, Italy, we took about 5 days to take a quick trip down to the country's triangle island of Sicily. The trip was filled with fresh air, beautiful landscapes, some frustrations, and new friends. My draw to Sicily is attributed to the fact that so many types of sites and cultures are contained within one island - plus every Sicilian that we've met has been one of the friendliest people ever. The stereotype here in Italy is that the farther south you go, the nicer the people get.

As soon as we got off the plane in Trapani we were eager to test our theory to see if Sicily was full of kind individuals. From the first person we talked to, it was so evident that the people were extra warm and that we'd be using our Italian more frequently and with less reservation (because English isn't common there and also because the people are easy to make conversation with). The bus driver was sure to tell us where to go when we got off and after we stopped in a cafe for our first Sicilian pastry - we asked directions to the main square in town. The waitress even took us outside to point the way, asked where we were going exactly, and told us divertitevi (enjoy yourselves).

Trapani is a port city, with frequent boats going to and from Malta and the Egadi Islands, and some coming from further north along the Mediterranean or south to Africa. There is also a small airport there with mostly European flights hosted by the smaller, lower airfare companies like Ryanair. It's quite easy to find you way around, and there are buses that frequent the town as well.

Most tourists don't stick around to see much of Trapani, but instead head to the islands or west in Sicily to the beach at San Vito Lo Capo, then on to Palermo. But if you do take a little time, there are a handful of things to see here. Walk along the port or harbor-side sidewalk and enjoy admiring the architecture. Visit several cathedrals, especially the larger Basilica Maria Santissima Annunziata originally built in the 1300s.

As we flew in, we saw the windmills by the southern end of the city where the large salt mills are. Salt is one of the areas biggest exports, along with coral, and marsala wine. And, of course, being a port city, fishing is a major industry. For an interesting view over Trapani, ride the cable car up to the hillside ancient city of Erice!
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Member Rating 3 out of 5 on December 1, 2009

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Il Gelato di Michele

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Restaurant | "Sicilian Gelato"

sicilian gelato Photo - Il Gelato di Michele, Trapani, Italy

Quote:

During an afternoon in Trapani Sicily, our mouths started watering for some authentic gelato...so we peeked inside a shop that we were walking past, and decided to give it a try. Il Gelato di Michele is a colorful shop, with an even more colorful array of flavors to choose from.There were over 50 varieties of the cold, tasty gelato and a couple glass cases of other confectioneries like granita, semifreddo, and individual chilled cream pies. After speaking with the cashier for a bit and tasting a few different flavors we finally made a decision. My husband had caffe' and zuppa inglese (English Soup...which tastes like butterscotch to me), and I had pistachio with a chocolate liquor and rum ...Read More

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on December 1, 2009

Il Gelato di Michele
Viale Regina Margherita 25
Trapani, Italy
+39 389 347 8068

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