Erice

Started off early this morning to head to Erice.  Picked up chocolate croissants with ricotta again for breakfast, so yummy.  We have decided to go early to Erice to spend the day there as tomorrow we have plans for a hike and we won't have time to visit tomorrow.  First we have the drive to get up to Erice which is 750 meters above sea level and we were starting from sea level.  This meant we had a very twisty road up to the town.  This also meant that once again the GPS takes me on a back road up, it is just a little scary, but so few cars on it that it wasn't too bad.  Parked our car where we thought it would not be too far to go to our apartment later in the afternoon, done for driving for the day, I'm sure everyone is happy.

Another Roman ruins just outside our place where we stayed in Marsala for the last 2 nights

On our way to Erice

Erice in the background

Our GPS took us the fastest but not the easiest way to ericw

One paved road around the town, everything else is cobblestone

First stop is the castle, for 12 Euro we get to visit 5 sites in town.  The views from here are absolutely amazing, the clouds move in and out over the town, it is spectacular.

Amazing views

The clouds rolled in a few times

You can take a cable car from Trapani

Cobble stone street everywhere

Trapani

Lots of wild flowers

Salt pans next to Trapani

These benches were made out of stone

One of the churches that was free

at one of the museums

It is quite cold up here, and Wendy is fighting a cold.  Time for lunch and we find a very cute restaurant that is run by a mom and pop, and they have a waitress helping them.  Wendy is excited because she has vegetable soup, she is determined to get the cold out of her.  Vegetable soup and tea for Wendy.  Pasta for the guys, couscous for Nancy along with a bottle of wine for the 3 others and lunch is done.  The boys had a dessert, then the owners brought us over some Easter cookies as well as a after dinner wine to try.  I think they really wanted us to buy the wine but no sale with us.  When they served our meal they came out and explained the different olive oils they had and what we should put on each of our meals, including Wendys soup.

Cute family restaurant

Wendy's soup

bonus, free Easter cookies

Off to check into our room.  I think we may have been the first renters of the season, she was still doing a major spring cleaning when we got there.  There are 3 rooms downstairs, and we had the apartment upstairs.  One bedroom, and living room had a pull out couch, but worked fine for one night.  THis town was all cobblestone streets, we had packed a little overnight back in case we had a long walk, so large suitcase was left in the car for the night.

Finished up doing the rest of our free tour and then time to find some supper.  There really is very little open for supper, but eventually found a place that made pizza, so after our big meal at lunch we are all ready for pizza for supper.

Clock tower at the Duomom

Fancy cobble stone street

Another museum

At the miniature museum, Nancy's favorite

Cloud rolling in

Wall from 600 BC

Used to be a gate, street has been built up since 600 BC

The buses did not take the same road we took to come up, will need to find out where it is

Another free church

One of the large square

beautiful light at sunset tonight

I can see for miles and miles.

On our way home after supper

Many little alleys in town, not one street is level, you either going up or down on all of them

Off to bed very early, looking forward to a fun day tomorrow.