Catch-up

So, it's Wednesday evening the 19th. This is the first successful attempt to get on the net since we arrived. There is a lot to report on so I'll make this short and fill in some blanks later.

Getting to Palermo was a bit ugly but we made it about 3 hours later than scheduled. Met up with the rest of the group Sunday evening, had a casual dinner and crashed.

Woke up at noon Monday and met everyone and our guide Mario (with sidekick Vittorio) at 2:00 p.m. Mario passed us off to a local guide and away we went walking around Palermo. Very good tour about which I hope to write more later. Back to hotel to rest up and then a great dinner lasting almost three hours. (Hope to say more about food later since you will no doubt wonder what the hell I am going to find to eat in this strange land.)

Up early Tuesday, breakfast at hotel, checked out and away we go headed toward our next base - the ancient mountain top town of Erice. (Lots more about that later.) Did a sIx mile hike through some hills above the town of Segesta. Great hike but we were all dead at the end. Great picnic lunch and then zoom to a tour of the Temple and Theater at Segesta . Then drive to Erice. Can't wait to tell you all about this fascinating place. It is really on top of a mountain with a weather system all it's own. Another great dinner here as well.
Wednesday now. Easy hike today. About three miles along the coast of northern Sicily in a national park whose name I'll supply later. Followed by yet another great picnic lunch. The hike included visits to two small museums - one about tuna fishing locally and the other about farming. Followed by a visit to to another site to learn about the production of sea salt in Trapani. Quickly back to Erice and, what do you know, out to another big dinner.
Tomorrow (Thursday) we break camp and head towards Cefalu with a picnic lunch on the way. I feel I 'm not doing justice to these lunches. They are truly impressive. Today it included a salad, bread, mackerel, tuna, fried tomatoes, two other dishes, and, of course, wonderful wines. Clearly, I am the worst person earth to really appreciate all of this food but I hope you get the picture.
That's all for now. We miss all of you but we're having a ball

Da