Sicily Day 10 - Agrigento, Scala Dei Turchi, and Trapani 5/21/17

Lots of pictures and a couple of videos HERE.

1:45pm: at the bus terminal ridiculously early. Not sure why so early but of all the connections I'm making this trip, this one makes me nervous because there's one bus on Sunday and the ticket booth is closed. However, getting here over an hour early won't really help. Except that I checked out of the b&b and don't really have anything else to do.

Woke up this morning and went to breakfast at 7:30 and was ordered to eat little slices of all the cakes - cocoa, almond, and ricotta with chocolate. They were all delicious indeed. I joked with the lady working there that it'd be tough to be here if you're allergic to nuts and I said something about how pistachios are also quite popular so she went and brought me a little bowl full. Because of course she did. I feel like I need to note that this incredible b&b was less than 40 euros for the night?!

Anyway, walked down and got the 8:15 tourist bus to the Scala dei Turchi, an incredible white rock formation on the coast that's hard to reach otherwise via public transportation. This bus was nice and easy and at ten euros for the day, pretty cheap too. On arrival you have to hike all the way down to the beach, then over to the formation. It's all simply stunning. Again, description won't do it justice and probably neither will my pictures. It was warm and almost cloudless, but rather windy. I wandered around for a while, went a little picture-happy, and caught the 11 bus back. The timing was good because the tour groups were starting to arrive and when I got there around 9ish, I had the place largely to myself. 

The trip back into town takes more of a route through town so arrived back around noon. On the audio guide on the bus they explained that Agrigento was bombed in the War. Maybe that's why so many buildings are in such poor condition?

Caught lunch at a quick place near my b&b that was teeming with after-church locals. They charge 20% to eat at the table and my breaded chicken cutlet, potato croquettes, and bottle of water was still under 5€. Cheap, easy, fast, filling, delicious, and popular with the locals - what more could anyone want? Walked across the square to a bakery also teeming with locals and had a "tartufo" which ex some kind of pastry filled with cream and chocolate mousse and drowning in cocoa powder. And it was only one euro! Picked up my bag from the b&b and trekked to the bus station. It was about a 15 minute walk but downhill and shady and I obviously have plenty of time... Now I just have to catch this bus to Trapani.

8:30pm- sitting in Antichi Sapori in Trapani waiting for my food after having a difficult time deciding where to eat. I went into a recommended pizza place but it was busy and I couldn't figure it out so I just left. This is more traditional trapanese food anyway.

After a blissfully uneventful bus ride with beautiful scenery, I arrived and walked the ten min or so to my b&b. Cute place. They don't start breakfast until 8:30 though? 

Anyway, it was already about 7pm when I arrived, so I wandered a bit on the pedestrian streets and it was crazy busy! Maybe because it's Sunday but whoa, I wasn't expecting it and it seemed to be mostly locals. There was also some kind of political thing going on.

11:00pm: back at the b&b and ready for bed after a delicious but expensive (almost 30 euros) dinner of an antipasto platter with all kinds of local goodies and fresh pasta with the local pesto, which is an uncooked tomato garlic sauce with herbs and chopped almonds. The head waiter was a funny guy walking around taking everyone's orders and helping pay. He shook everyone's hand when they left too, They also gave everyone a little glass of almond wine at the end. It was good but tasted a little like almond extract?

Wandered around a bit more after dinner and got a gelato at a place I had seen earlier called Panna & Co. It was very creamy. The political thing had turned into a concert and it was still rather busy out. I also walked by a gelato place right by my b&b that looked particuarly good and I will definitely be trying it tomorrow! Speaking of tomorrow I am still trying to figure out what to do because I have 2 full days here and so many things I want to see! Other towns, more ancient sights, islands, and this city itself. Oh my!

I thought today was going to be a lighter walking day considering I was on buses for about 5 hours total, but alas 22,114 steps/8.8 miles.