I ended my trip through Italy with a visit to Sicily. Originally I'd hoped to get off the beaten trail a bit, but with limited time I ended up being more pragmatic. From the moment I departed Milan, the trip already promised to be exciting as Marco and I were met at the airport by police in full riot gear. As we passed through their ranks, they were strapping on their helmets and lifting their shields. Only later after arriving in Sicily did I discover what all the excitement was, George Bush was visiting Rome for the G8 summit and huge masses of people were all trying to congregate there to protest his presence. Had I known, I may have postponed the next leg of my journey from Rome to Sicily and taken part in the protest myself.

As the train approached Sicily, I was quite curious as to how we'd get from the mainland to the island. I was impressed when I didn't have to get off the train, but instead they simply drove the whole thing onto a large ferry. I arrived in Messina after 13 hours, quite ready to stretch my legs. The following day I took a hydrofoil out to Lipari in the Aeloian Islands. From there I headed to the touristy fishing village, Cefalù. And finally I ended up in Palerma, from where I flew back to London.

Room With A View

My guide book warned me that finding a room anywhere in the Aeolian Islands may not be cheap, but it noted that good deals could often be obtained by finding a room in someone's house. Sure enough, before I'd even walked down the gangplank someone handed me a card and was asking if I needed a place to stay. He was an older man with relaxed clothing, dressed in a tank top and swimming trunks who seemed to be telling me he had a very nice spare bedroom in his house. I used my limited vocabulary to deduce that it was private, had a bathroom, and was 30 Euros a night. I arrived to find it quite large, with a nice balcony overlooking the sea, from where I took the above photograph.

Exploring

Lipari is a small island with only one road that circles it. I decided to rent a scooter and do some exploring. It proved a very affordable way to get out and look around, and in spite of looking silly was quite fun. There were countless shops renting scooters on the island, but one finally got my business by drastically lowering the price of a 24 hour rental. What I ended up with struggled to get up the hills, wining loudly at 15 Kilometers an hour while laboriously climbing.

Island View

A scenic overlook, a favorite stop while circling Lipari. I drove completely around the island twice, a trip that only took about 45 minutes even with my struggling motor scooter.

White Beach

When I read about the white beach further north up the coast, somehow I pictured a beautiful white sand beach like those in the Caribbean. Instead, it turned out to be comprised of somewhat white pebbles, painful to walk across with bare feet. But the water was very cold and refreshing, and very clear.

Cefalù Sunset

I took the once daily hydrofoil from Lapari to Cefalù, a touristy fishing village on the northern coast of Sicily. My limited Italian vocabulary made it quite difficult to figure out when we'd actually arrived, and I nearly missed exiting at the right time. When I did finally step out onto the dock, I was quite impressed with the prettiness of the place, the harbor tucked away under a massive cliff. A few moments later, however, I was a little concerned when I realized one of the reasons the place was so beautiful was that it was in the middle of nowhere. I couldn't see a city or town anywhere. With the Sun setting in the West, I was a little concerned as I still had to find lodging for the night. Ultimately once I started following the road it became obvious where I had to go, as signs clearly directed me to the city center. I then wandered around lost while trying to find a cheap place to stay, until an old man sitting on a park bench asked me in English if I needed a place to stay. Reminiscent of Cefalù, I ended up in a private room with a balcony overlooking the ocean for 30 Euros a night.

The Rock

Behind Cefalù is a large cliff referred to as "The Rock". There's a staircase that leads up to the top through three walls protecting a citadel at the peak. It was a a hot day, but nice to get a little exercise and do some exploring.

Cefalù Overlook

The view of Cefalù and the path up the hillside from the citadel at the top.

From Cefalù I caught a train to Palermo. It was a sprawling city, and I was so tired I didn't even snap off any pictures of the unique architecture. A hotel directly across from the train station proved to be quite affordable, so I dropped of my stuff and spent the day exploring. The following morning I caught another train West to the airport, and flew back to London. Italy proved to be a beautiful country filled with friendly people.