Sicilia!

3 - 13 March 2014

West and South

Once again, the job took me to a southern European locale for a 2-week training event.  I know, sucks to be me. 

For my first outing, I decided to visit Enna.  In 1994 I'd taken the A19 right by Enna, and saw the hilltop town from half a mile away.  This was a few months after moving to Europe my first time, and I recall thinking that has to be one of the coolest-looking towns in all of Europe!  So it was priority #1 this time around.

Funny how twenty years' time has modulated my estimation of "coolest-looking towns in all of Europe." Don't get me wrong—Enna is a neat town, and I'm certainly glad to have made it up there.  But this continent is riddled with really neat hilltop towns, many of which are cooler than Enna.  I guess nothing underscores the extent to which experience modulates exaggerated value judgments like sitting on, and then revisiting, the perspective of a 20-year-younger self.

Since I had several hours to play with, and was only an hour from Enna (using the A19), I decided to take the back roads, and preserve the convenience of the autostrada for the return. Taking the Strade Statale ("state streets"), principally the SS192, took me through some intimate, interesting scenes. Almond, lemon, blood orange, and olive trees at every turn, and no shortage of prickly pear cactus (known as ficurrinia—"Indian figs"—to Sicilians).  Passed a few flocks of sheep, and near Catenanuova had to slow for a herd of bulls crossing the highway as I approached them and their human slave.  The beasts all had large, pointy horns, and so I wisely decided to take it all in at a slow clip, with the windows up, rather than force an opportunity for photo taking.

Etna, from NAS 1  This text

The SS192 straddles a major length of railway, and so I passed several tiny, derelict train stations along the way.  The picturesque, near-dilapidated train depot is not unique to Sicily, or Italy as a whole for that matter (and it seems like they're all still in service).   The SS192 straddles a major length of railway, and so I passed several tiny, derelict train stations along the way.  The picturesque, near-dilapidated train depot is not unique to Sicily, or Italy as a whole for that matter (and it seems like they're all still in service). The SS192 straddles a major length of railway, and so I passed several tiny, derelict train stations along the way.  The picturesque, near-dilapidated train depot is not unique to Sicily, or Italy as a whole for that matter (and it seems like they're all still in service).

The SS192 straddles a major length of railway, and so I passed several tiny, derelict train stations along the way.  The picturesque, near-dilapidated train depot is not unique to Sicily, or Italy as a whole for that matter (and it seems like they're all still in service.  The SS192 straddles a major length of railway, and so I passed several tiny, derelict train stations along the way.  The picturesque, near-dilapidated train depot is not unique to Sicily, or Italy as a whole for that matter (and it seems like they're all still in service).  The SS192 straddles a major length of railway, and so I passed several tiny, derelict train stations along the way.  The picturesque, near-dilapidated train depot is not unique to Sicily, or Italy as a whole for that matter (and it seems like they're all still in service). 

The SS192 straddles a major length of railway, and so I passed several tiny, derelict train stations along the way.  The picturesque, near-dilapidated train depot is not unique to Sicily, or Italy as a whole for that matter (and it seems like they're all still in service). The SS192 straddles a major length of railway, and so I passed several tiny, derelict train stations along the way.  The picturesque, near-dilapidated train depot is not unique to Sicily, or Italy as a whole for that matter (and it seems like they're all still in service). The SS192 straddles a major length of railway, and so I passed several tiny, derelict train stations along the way.  The picturesque, near-dilapidated train depot is not unique to Sicily, or Italy as a whole for that matter (and it seems like they're all still in service).

The SS192 straddles a major length of railway, and so I passed several tiny, derelict train stations along the way.  The picturesque, near-dilapidated train depot is not unique to Sicily, or Italy as a whole for that matter (and it seems like they're all still in service). The SS192 straddles a major length of railway, and so I passed several tiny, derelict train stations along the way.  The picturesque, near-dilapidated train depot is not unique to Sicily, or Italy as a whole for that matter (and it seems like they're all still in service). The SS192 straddles a major length of railway, and so I passed several tiny, derelict train stations along the way.  The picturesque, near-dilapidated train depot is not unique to Sicily, or Italy as a whole for that matter (and it seems like they're all still in service). The SS192 straddles a major length of railway, and so I passed several tiny, derelict train stations along the way.  The picturesque, near-dilapidated train depot is not unique to Sicily, or Italy as a whole for that matter (and it seems like they're all still in service). The SS192 straddles a major length of railway, and so I passed several tiny, derelict train stations along the way.  The picturesque, near-dilapidated train depot is not unique to Sicily, or Italy as a whole for that matter (and it seems like they're all still in service).

The SS192 straddles a major length of railway, and so I passed several tiny, derelict train stations along the way.  The picturesque, near-dilapidated train depot is not unique to Sicily, or Italy as a whole for that matter (and it seems like they're all still in service).  The SS192 straddles a major length of railway, and so I passed several tiny, derelict train stations along the way.  The picturesque, near-dilapidated train depot is not unique to Sicily, or Italy as a whole for that matter (and it seems like they're all still in service).   The SS192 straddles a major length of railway, and so I passed several tiny, derelict train stations along the way.  The picturesque, near-dilapidated train depot is not unique to Sicily, or Italy as a whole for that matter (and it seems like they're all still in service).  The SS192 straddles a major length of railway, and so I passed several tiny, derelict train stations along the way.  The picturesque, near-dilapidated train depot is not unique to Sicily, or Italy as a whole for that matter (and it seems like they're all still in service). 

The SS192 straddles a major length of railway, and so I passed several tiny, derelict train stations along the way.  The picturesque, near-dilapidated train depot is not unique to Sicily, or Italy as a whole for that matter (and it seems like they're all still in service). The SS192 straddles a major length of railway, and so I passed several tiny, derelict train stations along the way.  The picturesque, near-dilapidated train depot is not unique to Sicily, or Italy as a whole for that matter (and it seems like they're all still in service). The SS192 straddles a major length of railway, and so I passed several tiny, derelict train stations along the way.  The picturesque, near-dilapidated train depot is not unique to Sicily, or Italy as a whole for that matter (and it seems like they're all still in service).

Final stop before Enna (hilltop town on the left, in the distance)

A couple miles before the town entrance I made one last stop alongside highway SS192, for a cool shot of the valley and Enna's hilltop.  The original town now known as Enna Alta, off toward my left, and its smaller but similarly positioned sister, Calascibetter.  Toward the top of the Via Pergusa, I stopped at a small park in the Villa Farina neighborhood, to look around before braving the final leg of the drive to the castle at the city's very top—where I knew I'd be battling for the right-of-way, or just a decent parking spot, in claustrophobic alleyways typical of ancient European town centers.

Enna, on the left, and Calascibetta on the right

After locating a choice parking spot (it was a lucky bit of timing) I headed toward the Lombardy Castle.  Think I probably should hung around a bit longer, for better sunset shots, but Mr. Stomach was complaining, and so off to bar for a slice of pizza ¹ a bottle of water, and a cafe.  The SS192 straddles a major length of railway, and so I passed several tiny, derelict train stations along the way.  The picturesque, near-dilapidated train depot is not unique to Sicily, or Italy as a whole for that matter (and it seems like they're all still in service). The SS192 straddles a major length of railway, and so I passed several tiny, derelict train stations along the way.  The picturesque, near-dilapidated train depot is not unique to Sicily, or Italy as a whole for that matter (and it seems like they're all still in service). The SS192 straddles a major length of railway, and so I passed several tiny, derelict train stations along the way.  The picturesque, near-dilapidated train depot is not unique to Sicily, or Italy as a whole for that matter (and it seems like they're all still in service).

 

Castello Lombardia, just before the pioggia

Ironically, just a few days later I'd take very much the same trip, passing right by Enna en route to Agrigento. Well, not ironically in its actual meaning.  You know, the I'm too lazy to come up with a better description than irony.

Agrigento

Okay, and now it's about heading south.  Here goes...

Siracusa was a bleh meh schmeh

This is the final leg:

Maybe add a photo of the scooter toy thingy.

Castle of Milazzo towers over the puny sun and its "setting"

1. Not the good kind you'd expect in Italy, for Buddha's sake.  I'm talking bar pizza—picture the greasiest, poorest excuse of a Chicago style pizza slice you've ever eaten. Now, age it a week and a half.  That is standard fare in Italian bars.  Yep.