Sunday Road Trip: Erice and Trapani

Last Sunday we were off on another Sunday Road Trip, and this time our destination was western Sicily. With my road map in hand, I watched as we passed all the towns on our way towards Palermo. We had wanted to visit Trapani, the place where Antonello spent many months in the Navy when he was younger. Just before Trapani, we decided to follow a small winding road that brought us to the beautiful town of Erice. Located on high ground, overlooking the town of Trapani and the northern coast of Western Sicily, we enjoyed the view from this medieval city, walking through the many charming old stone streets.


An old man told Antonello that during the II World War so many fighter planes thought this piece of land, off the coast of Trapani, was an emerging submarine. As a result, this poor island called "scoglio dei porcelli" was bombed over and over again. (You can see it in the center of the picture.)


On our way down from Erice we stopped to admire the landscape of the Salines, and the city of Trapani from above.


Down by the sea, Trapani is an important fishing port and the main gateway to the nearby Egadi Islands. It was originally named Drépanon from the Greek word for "sickle", because of the curving shape of its harbour.


Here we are at the "Ligny Tower", which is at the farthest point on the penninsula forming the sickle.