Visiting the Elymians

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As we left Mondello for the last time, we picked up our guide Sabrina in Palermo for one final visit to the historic center. So technically speaking, I did drive in Palermo and lived to talk about it. The blackouts were in full bloom and wildfires continued to burn. We parked the car near Teatro Massimo and walked to the Museo Archeologico only to find by way of a hastily scribbled sign that it was closed due to blackouts....the best we could figure was that the staff closed the museum after the first blackout in the morning and never returned (after the power came back on). Oh well.....time for a lemon granita.

After we said our goodbyes to Sabrina we headed on to A29 towards Trapani and arrived in Segesta about 40 minutes later. Segesta, founded by the mysterious Elymians were possibly descendents of the refugees from the Fall of Troy. We explored the very well preserved Doric temple built in the fourth century BC and the amphitheatre, located on the hill above. We tested the acoustics of the amphitheatre (which were still intact) and admired the views of the valley below (on a smoke free day you can see the Mediteranean). From Segesta, we jumped back on A29 to S113, and drove the remaining 30 minutes to Erice, the second of three known Elymian settlements.

The road up the mountain to the medieval hill top town of Erice is one switchback (elbow turns) after another for several miles. I kept the Golf in first or second gear all the way up and prayed to the Venus Erycina that we would not meet a tour bus on the way down. I have no idea how large vehicles maneuver those turns. After we made it to the parking area near Porta Trapani, we dragged our suitcases up a fairly steep narrow cobblestone street for about 300 m to Hotel Elimo (as our TomTom puts it (we had) reached our final destination ). The proprietor, Signore Carmelo Tilotta, met us at the door and dispatched our luggage to our clean, comfortable and well appointed rooms where we collapsed due to heat stress. After a nap and a shower we had drinks in his courtyard garden area and set off to do some serious shopping.

Which again brings us to the topic of blackouts. While we were sleeping, all of Erice lost power. So much for serious shopping - the credit card readers and the Bancomat were down. While the gelato all over town melted we headed to Maria Grammatico's world famous shop which is the center of the marzipan universe. I used my unbelievable poor italian to explain to Signora Grammatico (of Bitter Almonds: Recollections and Recipes from a Sicilian Girlhood fame) that Monica had prepared marzipan candies for Christmas and that my daughter was indeed a devotee of the almond. Well, either she appreciated our interest in her craft or felt sorry for me for speaking such poor Italian because she gave us several marzipan candies and cookies gratis. After receiving a major jolt of sugar, we headed back down the hill to Hotel Elimo in the hope of eating Signore Tilotta's renowned cooking (and some protein).

Which again brings us to the topic of blackouts. No electricity, no cooking, no hot dinner. While we were waiting in the Hotel Elimo courtyard several of the other guests we discovered that several guests were attending a biophysics conference at the world renowned center Ettore Majorana Foundation and Centre For Scientific Culture. After another hour of waiting, we gave up and headed back up the hill to the piazza in hopes of consuming a cold panini. We ended up having our cold panini and wine with two attendees from NIH and the University of Pittsburg. As we ate the power came back on. After our cold dinner, we tromped back down the hill to the hotel where we found the rest of the guests finishing their gourmet (hot) meal prepared by Signore Tilotta. Later during the night while sharing stories and drinks with Carmelo he asked me if I was a religous person. Thinking I was having my Italian ethnicity tested I mumbled something unintelligible. He laughed and said he wondered because I seemed to have so little faith that the power would come back on before dinner......
The next morning we walked around Erice which is a beautiful medieval town that has undergone substantial restoration (and which continues today). We bought the makings for a picnic, suffered one more blackout and set off for Sant'Angelo Muraxos (Val Di Kam) an expedition into the hinterland of southern Sicily arranged by our guide in Palermo, Sabrina.

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Photos

Segesta Doric Temple
View from the amphitheatre

Segesta Doric Temple Columns
Massive Doric columns

Segesta Doric Temple Columns
View to the west

Segesta Doric Temple
Temple worshippers

Segesta Amphitheater
The stage view.

Segesta Amphitheater
View from the stands

Hotel Elimo
Courtyard serenity.

Hotel Elimo
View from the hotel.

Erice
Baroque architecture

Erice
....and cobblestone streets

Erice
Ettore Majorna Foundation and Centre For Scientific Culture