Trapani was our destination this morning. On our way there we passed flamingos grazing in the salt ponds along the coast. Salt seems to be a big industry in Trapani. We arrived to the harbour after about 45 minutes of driving. Karen had reserved a boat in advance to take the eleven of us to the Egadi Islands.
Passing a prison from 300BC, the first island we stopped at was Favignana. An ancient castle crowned the hill, high above the main town. Crystal clear water, brimming with fish surrounded this slow paced island. We wandered the streets, stopping for gelato (or beer). John and I couldn’t decide if the floor of the shallow waters on one side of the island was the flooded remains of some ancient ruin or just unique natural rock formations.
I loved the bikes with painted, wooden crates attached to their backs.
We boated to the other side of the island where we anchored down and most of our group swam in the clear, vibrant turquoise water. The water was cool so I didn’t go in. Bright blue fish and needle fish swam around our boat. We had delicious pane con sardine sandwiches (anchovies, mozzerella, olive oil and tomatoes)and a pasta baked into a cup shape with a breadcrumb crust.
After lunch we travelled around the island a some more, checking out the caves before making our way to Levantine Island.
Levantine Island reminded me of Greece with its whitewashed buildings with blue doors and window frames. Tired from our day of sun and sea , we headed back to Trapani.
The town centre was lovely with its polished rock streets, Baroque church, shops and restaurants. We had supper at an outdoor osteria before driving back to the villa.