Springtime in Cefalù -- in February!

Having a gelato on the steps of Duomo de Cefalù

Today was the last of our 3 blissful days in Cefalù.  We had originally planned to spend our first few Sicilian days in Palermo, the destination of our Easy Jet flight. But we're not fans of noisy cities or of being herded around with groups of tourists, so we weren't as excited about Palermo as we felt we should be. It occurred to us, finally, that perhaps we should move our plans to a smaller town for our first few days in Sicily, and that's how we chose Cefalù, about 70 km east of Palermo. The thought of arriving in Palermo at night and speaking only one word of Italian was overwhelming, so it was a relief to find an Air B&B host who would pick us up at the airport (for a small fee: 80 euros), and whisk us to our B&B, without our having to think. Sometimes it's nice to have someone hold your hand when you're being a mighty adventurer.

This is not the view from our room.

Cefalù, as it turned out, was the perfect size town in which to start our Sicilian adventure, with plenty to see and do for a few days, all within easy walking distance. We had a beautiful view of the Tyrrhenian Sea from our room, so when we were tired of walking, just being in our room was a treat. 

This is the view from our room, with La Rocca on the right

We spent the first two days wandering around the streets, walking on the beach, and sitting on benches like the old men do. The "old men," come to think of it, are likely Gary's age or even my age! At any rate, I suspect all of Sicily is made for this: you just sit on a bench and look around, and you're completely entertained. 

A tabletop near the Duomo. I want to learn to paint in this style.

Today (February 19), the forecast was sunny and warm (57 F), so it was a good day to climb La Rocca -- The Rock -- a 270-meter promontory that towers over the town of Cefalù. So this morning, after stopping at the little grocery downstairs from our B&B for bread, salami, and aged provolone cheese, we headed up The Rock.

It was a bit of a slog, but not too bad, and all along the way were places for taking photos and reading about the history of La Rocca, which dates back to the fifth century B.C.  Back then, the town was perched on top of this hill, where the people felt justifiably safe from invaders. I will say, after hiking up there,

Spring flowers -- in February

that it must have been a safe bet that no one who made it to the top would have any energy left to rape and pillage. I can imagine a group of invading Romans or Saracens or whoever — there were so many, it’s hard to keep them all straight — arriving at the gate, clutching their hearts.

The higher we got, the bluer the Tyrranean Sea. 

Looking down at Cefalù

The site of lunch, Thursday, February 19, 2015

At the top, we rewarded ourselves with lunch, sitting on top of the castle wall. Not everyone makes it up this high, apparently. According to TripAdvisor accounts, some folks stop at a lower level, afraid to go any higher (ha! As I climbed to the top in my low-heeled shoes, I kept thinking of Lily Tomlin's line "Are you a woman or a wouse?"). So we were puffed with pride, having made it to the summit.

Yesterday, I had my first ricotta-filled cannelloni (a mini-one, for starters) with a glass of cafe latte, for my afternoon treat. I will have another, and another, and will try the other tempting pastries in Sicily as well, in the coming days.