Author Archives: Stefan Lomas

It has been quite warm here in Palermo, with temperatures reaching the mid to high 30s every day. While the heat can make wandering around the city during the day a bit uncomfortable, it hasn’t dampened our spirits. Palermo is a great little city with so much to see and explore. One of the uniqueContinue reading “Mondello, Cefalu and the old town”

I read somewhere that Sicily is the most invaded country in history due to its strategic importance. However, this rich history of invasions has created a fascinating tapestry of architecture and culture, especially in Palermo, the regional capital. Italy has the most UNESCO sites in the world, and Palermo boasts quite a few of them.Continue reading “The incredible San Giuseppe dei Teatini & Palatine Chapel”

We’ve enjoyed our stay in the south, and even though there wasn’t much to do locally without hopping into the car, the beach was perfect for an early morning swim. A bit further up the coastline, we also discovered Zuma Beach, where we could have lunch and watch the kite surfers, which was highly entertaining,Continue reading “Heading North to Palermo”

We’ve driven past the volcano several times on our travels around Sicily, and each time we’ve seen smoke wafting from one of the vents. It’s a stratovolcano, essentially composed of many layers, and is considered one of the world’s most active volcanoes. Just a few days before our arrival, it was finishing a near month-longContinue reading “Mt Etna”

I guess it shouldn’t come as a surprise, but both of us have a deep love for history, especially ancient relics. So after driving for just over 2 hours, we found ourselves in the hilly terrain of the beautiful southwestern district of Agrigento. The Valley of the Temples, despite its name, is actually situated highContinue reading “The Valley of the Temples”

The swimming remains great, and as Rach only has a few short weeks, we’ve been on a quest to explore as much of the bottom half of Sicily as we can. One of our stops was Syracuse, which incidentally is the birthplace of Archimedes and dates back to at least the 7th century BC. WeContinue reading “Syracuse and a bridge to Ortigia”

We’ve settled in quickly here in Santa Maria del Focallo, on the southern tip of Sicily. It’s about 100 meters from one of the inviting stretches of sandy beach, and we make that short walk every morning. So far, the blue flag beaches have been perfect for swimming. We’re approximately an hour away from Ragusa,Continue reading “The charm of Ragusa & Modica”

After three incredibly enjoyable months, it’s time for a new adventure. Tunisia has truly surprised us, and we’ve met some of the kindest people since we started our travels nearly two years ago. From market traders and cab drivers to fishermen and our wonderful hosts, everyone has warmly welcomed us into their country. It’s difficultContinue reading “An ambitious travel plan: Djebra to Sicily”

Alright, it’s another Star Wars day! Our first stop was Matmata, about 3 hours west of Zarzis. As you approach the desert, a long, dusty road leads you into Matmata’s unique architectural landscape. The town is famous for its stone-carved underground and mountainside troglodyte homes. These historic structures, made famous by Star Wars, are unfortunatelyContinue reading “Matmata and Ksar Hadada”

I must give credit to my navigator, who dedicated long evenings researching and planning our routes. Google Maps sort of works, but it’s always looking for a quicker route, which, with patchy internet and often rough roads, isn’t a good idea. So, we always need an outline of our route in advance. We set offContinue reading “The fabulous Chenini and Ksour Ouled Soltanes”