Day trip to Cefalu, Sicily!

Paul at the beginning of our morning hike!

We weren't even half way up and the view was amazing!

La Rocca Di Cefalu.

With luck, we realized that Paul had a three-day weekend due to a local holiday.  This meant that it was the perfect opportunity to fit in a day trip to a neighboring costal town called Cefalu. We weren’t exactly sure what we would find there or how the trip would go, but we woke early on Sunday morning to catch a bus down to central station.  On the way to the station was my first run in with the bus wardens, where they taught me how to use the ticket validation system.  Without the lead of many locals who regularly validate their bus tickets, I had no idea that it was required.  It makes perfect sense, but I was lucky that I didn’t annoy the police too much while trying to understand their Italian.  That could have been an expensive mistake.

Breathtaking views from the top

We arrived at central station, bought the tickets to Cefalu and shortly after boarded our train.  It was a quick trip and we found ourselves in the quiet costal city.  It was a bit chilly for swimsuits, but the beaches were very pretty, and I can imagine the main beach scattered with people during the warmer months. 

Baby Anderson even make it to the top of La Rocca!

The extremely old church ruins at the top of La Rocca.

We strolled into the city from the station and tried to find the path to climb to a local overlook.  We realized shortly that it was a park and we arrived only a few minutes after they opened the entrance.  We bought our tickets and started the climb to the top of the Rocca.  The top of the bluff housed the ruins of an old church.  Nothing more than the strong walls of the church remain.  The views from this area were absolutely breathtaking.  We were definitely at the summit and were able to see many different views from each side.  We snapped quite a few photos of one another before deciding to start our decent to the ruins left by the people who inhabited this area. We saw a few of the stone remains including a water reservoir and a large stone oven.  I had to get a picture of the oven with my bun in the oven, if only for laughs.

Look at that tall man in the blue sky!

On the edge of the view, no tripping allowed.

After our morning hike we walked to the other main attraction, which was a massive central church.  The parish is still alive and well, so we only stayed for a few moments of mass before stepping out.  In the square of the church we both enjoyed a caffe americano and caught out breath before exploring the city on foot.  We walked down the different small roads and poked our heads into the shops, careful not too buy anything.

Cefalu, Sicily. 

That afternoon we had scheduled a late lunch, once again sponsored by Groupon.  It was a four-course afternoon and served as much of our entertainment.  The waiter wasn’t very pleased with our arrival, however he served us regardless.  This experience wasn’t nearly as impressive as the restaurant in Palermo, but the price was right and we had a nice afternoon eating food and chatting for hours. 

Heading down the hill to look at the ancient ruins.

Bun in the oven, by the old, old oven for buns.

We paid our bill and had one more stop to make.  Paul wanted to enjoy a Chimay, a beer he particularly fond of and caught a glimpse of in the window of a diner we passed while walking.  We managed to relocate the spot and sat down for a macchiato and a Chimay.  Both were perfect and the bar was spectacular.  The staff was very accommodating.  We wished we could have spent more time there, but we had to leave quickly in order to catch the next train back to Palermo.  At the station it began to rain – a sign of another perfectly executed day.

Not quite Brazil, but not bad.

Once we arrived in Palermo the streets were buzzing.  They are always buzzing on Sunday evenings.  We walked to catch a glimpse of Paul’s favorite street band and I bought a cotton candy from a street vendor who was in high demand from all the children.  We stayed out for another hour or so until we walked home exhausted from the day’s activities. 

Duomo di Cefalu!

We should really make these “day-trips” more of a habit in the states.   Oh, if only we had more trains to jump onto. Then again, we all have cars, so it’s a bit of a different story.

Paul about to dip his toes in the ocean!

Thank you for the beauty Cefalu!

 *****

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Alyce Jane, Living Simply