Segesta, Salt pans of Trapani and Erice

MY BIRTHDAY, and what a great morning. Veronica from the B&B got myself and Sophia two massive pieces of a 7 layer cake for breakfast. It was amazing, and rich! What a great way to start the day!

After wolfing down the cake with some cappuccino, we boarded our small tour group to Segesta, the salt pans of Trapani and Erice.

Segesta was shorter than I expected, perhaps it was because our tour was more of a ‘we will bring you to the locations’ rather than ‘we will bring you and explain and guide you’. 

On our own, we had limited time to explore the Roman ruins, an old mosque and amphitheatre. It was a short walk around the sites (30 minutes). 

We then ventured down to see the ancient Greek temple. 

As a history buff, unless you know details about the site beforehand or have a proper guide, it can be a very quick tour. I would highly recommend either a self tour audio guide/book OR a proper guide at the site. 

Next, we headed to the salt pans…

While we only spent 20 minutes in the area, it was fascinating to see how the salt was collected. A very quick stop, but cool nonetheless!   Finally we got to Erice, the small medieval town near Trapani. 

High on the mountains, this town was a great little visit. 

We walked around taking in the sites and small streets, including a medieval castle. 

We took a detour to grab some cassata and almond jam at Pasticceria Maria Grammatico – a popular pastry shop in town that was highly recommended! 

Finally, we stopped for a drink and a few freshly-made arancinis at La Tonda Fritta near the entrance of the town. It was a great tour outside Palermo, and the combined day of Erice, Segesta and the salt pans were certainly worth it!

After the drive back, we took a quick siesta at our B&B in Palermo. Since the birthday celebrations were not over, we went out to the locally recommended pizzeria of Arte e Tradizione di Monforte Giovanni, located near the harbour. 

A popular local destination, this place isn’t as well known as the more touristy Frieda’s, but serves fantastic pizzas. The brie, nut and prosciutto pizza was our favorite. A great combination of flavours and a light crust. 

We also tried the volcano pizza, meats and heavy sauces, as well as part calzone – fantastic tasting but very heavy. Recommended if you’re hungry! 

We finished the night at a symphony near the port where we listened to university students play Bach…

strolled around the harbour…

and we made sure to grab some gelato before heading back home. 

It was a fantastic day overall!