GARDENS AND VISTAS
country vistas and city gardens
Parasails over the windmills near Trapani
Agriturismo courtyard; lunch was delicious Palermo Botanical Garden, not on tour, but worth a visit View looking down on slopes of Mount Etna
Garden at Baglia della Luna, photo credit to Susan McCool Lady Trevelyan's Garden in Taormina View from Erice across the Mediterranean
Mount Etna smoke plume Papyrus growing in Ortigia in freshwater pool Another view of the Taormina Theater
Sicily is much greener than we had expected. People take advantage of every square foot in cities to add greenery, and there were gardens large and small to be enjoyed throughout the tour. Roger was particularly interested in a shop in Ortigia where they make paper from papyrus and the pool just down the street from the shop where papyrus was growing.
It was a pleasant surprise for Eileen to learn that our guide Alfredo is also a farmer when he's back in his home base near Napoli. He grows olives and many vegetables that he uses in his cooking and is also familiar with more ornamental species. He generously answered her questions about trees and plants she was unfamiliar with.
Travel Tip: during our travels over the years, we have found that you can usually find a quiet respite from city noise and crowds by visiting a garden. This was true in Copenhagen, Paris, London, Barcelona, and Rome, and also true in Sicily.
It was a pleasant surprise for Eileen to learn that our guide Alfredo is also a farmer when he's back in his home base near Napoli. He grows olives and many vegetables that he uses in his cooking and is also familiar with more ornamental species. He generously answered her questions about trees and plants she was unfamiliar with.
Travel Tip: during our travels over the years, we have found that you can usually find a quiet respite from city noise and crowds by visiting a garden. This was true in Copenhagen, Paris, London, Barcelona, and Rome, and also true in Sicily.