- Time of past OR future Camino
- Some in the past; more in the future!
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Hi Nick, Hope you keep posting! My wife and I are 3 days behind you, and your posts in the past, like on the Rota Vicentina, have always been so informative and helpful to us. Buon Cammino!Today I arrived in one of my favourite cities in Italy, Palermo, ready to start a solo walk across Sicily on the Magna Via Francigena tomorrow! It’s a ~185km trail from Palermo to Agrigento that I aim to complete in 8-9 days. The MVF is the most well-known of the four ‘Vie Francigine di Sicilia’ routes.
I’ve been to the start and end points twice before, but love them both and I’m already wondering how finishing at the ancient Greek temples in Agrigento might offer a different perspective as a conclusion to a pilgrimage.
As for the start point, we could probably learn a thing or two in our own time from the fusion of three different religious cultures - Arab-Norman-Byzantine - that produced the splendour of 12th-century Palermo. More than 800 years later, the resulting architectural and artistic legacy is simply astounding.
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The striking exterior of the Palermo Cathedral, begun in AD 1185 and featuring a hodgepodge of architectural styles.
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The dazzling interior of the Palace Chapel in the AD 1130 Palace of the Normans, completely covered with Byzantine mosaics.
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The austere but beautiful Crusader-like interior of the AD 1160 Norman church of San Cataldo.
What a coincidence! Thank you for your kind comments and yes, hopefully I will keep posting.Hi Nick, Hope you keep posting! My wife and I are 3 days behind you, and your posts in the past, like on the Rota Vicentina, have always been so informative and helpful to us. Buon Cammino!
Thanks, Nick (as ever), for your great descriptions and helpful suggestions. We arrived in Palermo yesterday, and have 2 days of sightseeing lined up before heading out Tuesday morning. The Terre di Mezzo guidebook warned us of the slog after Monreale, and you've reinforced our decision to bus out of Palermo to Piana Albanesi and take the alternate, and shorter, route into S. Cristina Gela and a bit beyond on the first day. (We give ourselves the excuse of being settantenni). The tracks downloaded from the Association's website line up exactly with those shown on mapy.cz, so I'm confident we'll stay on track. I look forward to your continuing posts. AndyDay 1: Palermo to Santa Cristina Gela — 24km
I set out shortly after dawn and head to Palermo’s cathedral, where the sun’s first rays are lighting up the towers and domes. As I’m taking photos alone, a garbage collector empties a nearby bin and says ‘Buongiorno’ to me — not quite ‘Buon cammino’, but I’ll take it, and with that, it’s time to begin my journey.
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From Palermo it’s an arrow-less but arrow-straight road with a slight incline as far as the eye can see and then some, almost all the way to Monreale, nearly 7km away. The official guide suggests taking the bus to cut out city walking, but it occurs to me that I’ve already taken that bus to Monreale twice before. As I remember this, I’m struck by the fact that the first of those occasions was in 2002, which is now half my life ago, on my first backpacking trip with Wendy.
This time I walk instead because that’s why I’m here. I go through a 17th-century arch and out of the centro storico as the city begins to wake up. Flower sellers and fruit vendors are setting up their stalls, and soon enough, the city peters out and I start to see orange and lemon groves and olive trees, those horticultural symbols of the Mediterranean.
As Monreale approaches, the path becomes steeper and the town’s raison d’être appears in the distance: the 12th-century duomo, the crown jewel of the Norman kingdom of Sicily. A grander version of the Palace Chapel in Palermo, its walls are entirely covered with shimmering Byzantine mosaics, all the way up to the Arabesque ceiling. Twenty-two years after my first visit, it’s still one of the most amazing churches I’ve ever seen.
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After the familiarity of Palermo and Monreale, I press on and enter what is, for me at least, unchartered territory. A descent to the valley floor and then up steeply to Altofonte, perched on the hillside, and then more climbing for good measure. At the mountain pass that marks the highest point of the stage after 1000m of ascent, I take a final glance back past the olive trees towards the urban sprawl of Palermo in the distance, and the Mediterranean Sea beyond. Then, onwards and downwards, towards the interior of the island — and into the unknown.
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Some practicalities:
Waymarking signage: it wasn’t great. I didn’t see an official sign until 12km in, although there are red and white paint splashes at some other points before and after that. After Altofonte there were red arrows with a green stripe that went my way, but I later saw that these are for Il Cammino dei Mille and apparently not the MVF. In summary, it’s definitely worth having tracks.
Trail: unfortunately it was almost all asphalt, and I’m feeling it now! Hopefully there will be less asphalt in the coming days as the camino becomes more rural. The least pleasant part was just after Monreale, on a narrow road with lots of traffic. After that there was a lot less traffic.
Monreale: entrance to the duomo is free if you show your credential, a saving of €10-13. There’s also a stamp. Unfortunately there is some work/scaffolding in the interior at the moment (the photo above is from a previous visit), but it’s still extremely impressive.
Water: there are fountains at Monreale, Altofonte and behind the sanctuary above Altofonte, so carrying 1L was enough for me even though I filled two 1L bottles just in case. Despite being a sunny day, it was also a bit windy and only reached about 16 degrees Celsius.
Food: there’s a Conad supermarket on the camino in the valley after the descent from Monreale. In Altofonte, there are some basic stores in and around the piazza, including an excellent bakery, where I bought bread for lunch. In Santa Cristina Gela, there seem to be two restaurants and one pretty basic store.
Accommodation: in Santa Cristina Gela, I’m at B&B da Mercurio for €35/single. I picked it pretty much at random from the list on the official site. The hotel connected to Bar Belvedere has MVF signage at the front (including a CdS shell!), so maybe that would be a good choice.
I met a group of five pilgrims today who did the same thing, so it seems a popular alternative. I enjoyed yesterday’s stage despite the asphalt but I’ve been sore ever since it finished!The Terre di Mezzo guidebook warned us of the slog after Monreale, and you've reinforced our decision to bus out of Palermo to Piana Albanesi and take the alternate, and shorter, route into S. Cristina Gela and a bit beyond on the first day.
Looking forward to hearing about the next stage. Meno asfaltata. Divertiti bene.I met a group of five pilgrims today who did the same thing, so it seems a popular alternative. I enjoyed yesterday’s stage despite the asphalt but I’ve been sore ever since it finished!
Day 2 is above, just in case you missed it!Looking forward to hearing about the next stage. Meno asfaltata. Divertiti bene.
Not as much luck with the sky since then. Talent might be disappearing too!Wow, Nick, just Wow!
You have a talent...several actually.
And there's that sky again...
Somehow I did miss it! Thanks. Sounds much better than the first stage. And your tips are much appreciated . I was also wondering about that perverse detour. Glad there's a work-around.Day 2 is above, just in case you missed it!
Awesome, Nick! You're getting us so excited. We leave from Piana degli Albanesi in the morning, and are heading for an Agriturismo a few k past S. Cristina. Glad to hear that there are other pilgrims -- we spotted a few obvious ones at the Duomo in Monreale today -- and also that finding a bed doesn't seem to be a problem. I booked most of the walk 2 weeks ago, based on nervous posts on the Facebook page, but didn't bother about the last few stops when it became obvious there was plenty of availability. People have been responding to my WhatsApp inquiries very quickly.Day 3: Corleone to Prizzi — 20km
There’s no easing into the camino this morning; it’s uphill from the very first step through the alleyways of Corleone all the way up to the Saracen Tower that surveys the town from a rocky outcrop. The tower is incorrectly named but still dates from medieval times, and I stop nearby for breakfast while waiting for the sun to come out, which it eventually does, illuminating the tower and the wild fennel plants that grow all around it.
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The early part of the stage is less adventurous than yesterday, a fair bit of the walking is on asphalt (though the occasional flower growing out of it makes for an interesting sight), and it seems destined to go down as a pleasant enough but pretty unremarkable day. Then I reach the hamlet of Imbriaca, where one of the population of six gives me and two Italian pilgrims a stamp and an impromptu and interesting little tour of a small church and a room that includes a public phone booth and a concrete bench that once served as a bed for pilgrims.
After one of the Italians’ seemingly random Port Adelaide Football Club hat serves as a topic of introduction (she lived in Adelaide for a time), I walk with them the rest of the way and am glad for the company and grateful for the opportunity to speak Italian at length.
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Almost before we know it, Prizzi is in front of us — or more accurately, above us; there’s no escaping the obligatory climb into town — and the stage is over. I eat an excellent lunch at a local restaurant, including the first caponata I’ve had on this trip, and all these little wins add up to the realisation that, in the end, this was a pretty great day.
…
Some practicalities:
Trail: the walk was rural but often on paved country roads, and shadeless as I’ve come to expect by now. Not as nice surface-wise as yesterday but better than the day before.
Food: none en route but it’s a pretty short stage so you can make it to Prizzi for lunch. The Trattoria del Corso is very good! There are only a couple of restaurants in town so in the end I went back to the same place for dinner and almost all the Italian pellegrini were there, so it was another good opportunity for conversation.
Water: 7km in there is a fountain as part of a nice little stone rest area. There is also water at Imbriaca (the tap may be attached to a hose but you can remove it), so 1L was enough for me today.
Accommodation: La Casa della Bougainville seems to be the popular choice but there were only dorm beds left when I contacted them yesterday. They suggested La Casa di Kokalo for a private room and I have a small apartment for €22, quite a bargain!
Yes on both fronts. There are more pilgrims than I expected but it’s a nice number. And for accommodation I am now just sending messages the evening before and it is working out so far.Glad to hear that there are other pilgrims -- we spotted a few obvious ones at the Duomo in Monreale today -- and also that finding a bed doesn't seem to be a problem.
Thanks. And good to hear on both fronts. Just arrived at our agriturismo, which is gorgeous. I'll post more about the alternative start from Piana degli Albanesi (for those interested) once we get settled.Yes on both fronts. There are more pilgrims than I expected but it’s a nice number. And for accommodation I am now just sending messages the evening before and it is working out so far.
Enjoy your first stage today!
Thank you for following along and get well soon!I’m recovering from a hernia surgery (all well, if a bit painful), and your accounts are a balm for my pilgrim heart. Thank you, thank you!
Thanks, Nick, for the heads--up. I do actually have it booked already, so we're set. Incredible mud today. I'll post later about it. And keep those great descriptions coming!Accommodation note for @andycohn and anyone else coming after us: in Sutera there seem to be only two places to stay and both were full when I tried my day-before booking today. Fortunately Campofranco is only about 3km further and I was able to book a room there at Fontana Di Li Rosi. But just be aware that Sutera is a bit of a bottleneck.
Oh gosh, what a difference indeed. I remember very small amounts of mud that day but nothing remotely similar to what you described so it must have really poured in the interim. That second day was definitely the ‘wildest’ trail and the one most susceptible to mud that I’ve seen so far, so hopefully you won’t have to deal with that again.Andy & Kate's Day 2: To Corleone: What a difference 3 days make! When Nick came through, (see post #9), the sun was beating down relentlessly, and there was no mention of difficult trail. But for us, rain and temps in the single digits turned one section of the the trail into a quagmire like I've never seen. (And we live in an area of clay soil where winter rains make the trails swampy enough). Literally 6 inches of mud building up on your boots so you couldn't walk. Too cloying often to poke away with a hiking pole. Kate's tracking app showed us doing a kilometer in 12 - 15 minutes in the non-muddy sections. In the mud part it took us 46 minutes. That's approx. 20 meters in a minute.
Oddly enough, it never rained very hard while we were walking, but locals here in Corleone say it poured the entire night before. But I did notice on the MVF Facebook page that others had previously commented on this section. One person said she had to be hosed off by a friendly (and laughing) gas station attendant when she reached town.Oh gosh, what a difference indeed. I remember very small amounts of mud that day but nothing remotely similar to what you described so it must have really poured in the interim. That second day was definitely the ‘wildest’ trail and the one most susceptible to mud that I’ve seen so far, so hopefully you won’t have to deal with that again.
Incidentally after yesterday’s rains I had more mud today than on any other stage so far, but it was still a walk in the park compared with your experience!
Sounds great! I'm not at the stage yet where the scenery has become monotonous, but variation is always welcome. These seem like pretty utilitarian towns so far (but interesting to me because they don't pretend otherwise) but I certainly won't reject a bel paese.Day 6: San Giovanni Gemini to Campofranco — 22km
I wake up (unintentionally) at 5:30am and by dawn, 45 minutes later, I’m out the door. The sky is clear in the early morning, there’s an empty path ahead of me, and my spirits are high even though it’s only 4 degrees Celsius. I’m now out of sync with the other pilgrims from earlier on this cammino; after seeing only one yesterday I don’t see any today, except for footprints in the mud.
Today the land feels more like the Sicily I know: two-thirds of the Mediterranean triad (and ) are in abundance, and I also see an orange grove. The ups and downs are gentle, the mountains are more dramatic than they have been lately, and, following on from yesterday, the soundtrack to my walk is once again Mike Duncan’s The History of Rome podcast. The narrative has moved on from Sicily now, but that means Hannibal has entered the story and it’s compelling listening even for the umpteenth time.
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I pass through Acquaviva Platani soon after stopping for breakfast and reach the usual end-of-stage destination, Sutera, by midday. Having enquired last night and found both accommodation options in town to be full, I keep walking the extra few kilometres to Campofranco.
Including San Giovanni Gemini, that makes four villages today, a high number by MVF standards, where there are typically no settlements between the start and end points of each stage. But despite all these villages, I don’t see a single street art goat, and that’s about the only thing wrong with my day.
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Some practicalities:
Dogs: there were two aggressive, barking and loose dogs soon after San Giovanni Gemeni, the first time I have encountered that combination on the MVF. Luckily they didn’t bite but they did cause my heart rate to rise a fair bit!
Trail: largely dirt today which meant a bit of mud after yesterday’s rains. It was pretty dry mud, so no quagmire but mud-caking instead, ultimately a pretty minor annoyance.
Water: plenty of fountains on this stage, including both entering and exiting Acquaviva Platani and entering Sutera.
Food: I stocked up at Conad in SGG last night, given the public holiday today. Acquaviva Platani has a bakery (not sure what else) and Sutera has at least one restaurant, but I wasn’t really on the lookout for food on the trail today.
Accommodation: Sutera (one of the ‘borgi più belli d’Italia’) is surely a nicer town than Campofranco, but it was all full. In CF, I’m at Fontana Di Li Rosi which is good value at €25.
The thing that I struggled with a bit on my days 3-5 wasn’t monotony, but what I’ve been calling ‘a lack of connection to the land’. The scenery was pleasant enough but I felt I could have been anywhere and that there wasn’t anything that distinguished it as Sicily or even Italy. Thankfully that has now changed over the last couple of days.I'm not at the stage yet where the scenery has become monotonous, but variation is always welcome.
I have found most of the towns to be less interesting than I had expected to be honest, but Racalmuto is an exception as there are historic churches, a castle etc.These seem like pretty utilitarian towns so far (but interesting to me because they don't pretend otherwise) but I certainly won't reject a bel paese.
Thanks, Nick (yet again) for the heads--ups and the fantastic descriptions. A good walk for us today to Prizzi. Even with the kick-ass ascents, it felt like a piece of cake after the mud into Corleone. Almost a dozen pilgrims tonight at dinner. And we also had great lunch companions at Casa Imbriaca. Though they weren't too obedient when I asked them to pose for us:Day 7: Campofranco to Racalmuto — 17km
A dawn descent from Campofranco plunges me into the fog for the first time on this cammino. The rocky massifs on my right are almost close enough to touch, but I can barely make them out. Forty-five minutes into the stage, I reach a river with no bridge and have no choice but to ford it, nearly knee-deep. I’m wet, muddy and cold, but I know that a nice day is out there somewhere, so I make haste to try to find it.
After two hours, the sun pierces through the fog to reveal the most evocative landscape of the Magna Via Francigena so far. Wildflowers and the Mediterranean triad () dominate the countryside, with comfortably more vineyards today than in the previous six days combined. The wheat stalks on the side of the trail are mostly green but occasionally golden brown, and I brush them with the tips of my fingers and feel like Maximus.
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With the fog gone, there’s barely a cloud in the sky until late morning. Walking is easy now, with the soreness of the first few days having disappeared. I don’t see any pilgrims again today but I greet locals and feel a connection to the land that seemed to be missing two or three days ago. To top it off, Racalmuto is the most interesting town since Monreale and this — all of this — is what I came here for.
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Some practicalities:
The river fording: it’s the Fiume Gallo d’Oro (Golden Rooster River!). Earlier, shortly after Campofranco, there’s a fork in the road clearly marked as one way if there’s been rain and another way (the actual trail) if there hasn’t. Since there had only been a small amount of rain one time in my week on the MVF, I took the regular route. Maybe in late summer if there’s been no rain for months the whole thing dries up, but at this time of year I imagine you have to wade through it regardless of recent rain. For @andycohn I’d suggest the alternative trail. Here’s a video I shot showing the amount of water today:
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Dogs: there were a few loose, barking dogs entering Racalmuto, but they didn’t approach me in the end.
Water: there’s a fountain where the alternative route rejoins the regular one early in the stage, a good chance to clean yourself up after the river crossing. I didn’t see any fountains around Milena but I took a short-cut through the town so maybe I missed one. In any case, a 1L bottle was enough for me today.
Accommodation: I’m at Affittacamere Da Nanà, good value at €25.
Did you bare-footDay 7: Campofranco to Racalmuto — 17km
....Forty-five minutes into the stage, I reach a river with no bridge and have no choice but to ford it, nearly knee-deep. I’m wet, muddy and cold, but I know that a nice day is out there somewhere, so I make haste to try to find it.
The river fording: it’s the Fiume Gallo d’Oro (Golden Rooster River!). Earlier, shortly after Campofranco, there’s a fork in the road clearly marked as one way if there’s been rain and another way (the actual trail) if there hasn’t. Since there had only been a small amount of rain one time in my week on the MVF, I took the regular route. Maybe in late summer if there’s been no rain for months the whole thing dries up, but at this time of year I imagine you have to wade through it regardless of recent rain. For @andycohn I’d suggest the alternative trail. Here’s a video I shot showing the amount of water today:
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I opted for flip-flops (oh alright, thongs for you!) but halfway through they had both come off and I had to retrieve them before continuing barefoot.Did you bare-footit across the river Nick?...or boots & all?
Belated happy birthday and lucky for you I didn’t gift you the 24km of asphalt that I walked that day!PresentAs an aside, I notice you began your Camino on my birthday!
Thank you, Nick!Belated happy birthday and lucky for you I didn’t gift you the 24km of asphalt that I walked that day!
Thank you as always for your kind words and buen camino on the Sanabrés!
I'm with you on that artist's goat idea and would be captured in the same way as you are! It would be a fun little goal to watch and wonder when the next one will appear as you walk...like a little prize each time you see one.As for goats, I see more of them in street art form leaving Castronovo and more again entering Cammarata. Curiosity has by now gotten the better of me, and some cursory research shows that they are depictions of endangered Girgentana goats from the Agrigento area, and that the artist, Domenica Cocchiara, has offered to paint them in every town in the region that will give him a door as a canvas. I love everything about this idea, and finding these goats in each town I pass through has suddenly — and perhaps irrationally — become one of the main objectives of this camino.
Yes, exactly!I'm with you on that artist's goat idea and would be captured in the same way as you are! It would be a fun little goal to watch and wonder when the next one will appear as you walk...like a little prize each time you see one.
I have found six, all directly on the camino in villages. Maybe there were more in other villages that I missed, as I didn’t do as much post-walk exploring as I usually do. They are individually numbered up to over 50, so there are plenty more to be discovered! My favourite one is the second one here, No.41, because of the background. Meanwhile No.51 and 52 are just a couple of doors away from each other on the same street. Here are the thumbnails (click/tap to enlarge).I assume they are all a little different. I know you will have pictures of each one. I would love to see them all if possible...no pressure. How many have you found?
Glad you haven't lost touch with your inner-Aussie!I opted for flip-flops (oh alright, thongs for you!)...
I grew up wearing thongs, but flip flopped to flip flops quite a few years ago when thongs took a turn and were turned into underwear.Glad you haven't lost touch with your inner-Aussie!
Nick, these are awesome! Thanks for indulging my request! I think I like #41 the best,because it is so vibrant. That said, I love natural aged wood with muted worn paint, so the others are special, too. I like the little goats peeking around the corner.Yes, exactly!
I have found six, all directly on the camino in villages. Maybe there were more in other villages that I missed, as I didn’t do as much post-walk exploring as I usually do. They are individually numbered up to over 50, so there are plenty more to be discovered! My favourite one is the second one here, No.41, because of the background. Meanwhile No.51 and 52 are just a couple of doors away from each other on the same street. Here are the thumbnails (click/tap to enlarge).
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And ruined the name for a whole nation!... thongs took a turn and were turned into underwear.
Thank you, glad they have been useful!Nick: A great big "Grazie". for all your terrific descriptions and helpful "practicalities.".
I guess you went to Sutera next? I would have liked to stay there but it was full. The setting is so dramatic and for the next two days you can still see the rock formation that rises above town.We're at San Giovanni Gemini now, and have programmed 5 more stages after this, so we're proceeding at a far more leisurely pace than you.
Thank you, I did!Congratulations on your arrival, and I'm sure you'll have a great time exploring the temples.
No, we're doing a few really leisurely stages. In Acquaviva Platani now -- only 10 k but (yet another) steep climb into town. Now chilling at the fantastic B&B Acquaviva, with no plan for the day other than to sit out on our little balcony and watch the world pass by in the cute little pizza below.Thank you, glad they have been useful!
I guess you went to Sutera next? I would have liked to stay there but it was full. The setting is so dramatic and for the next two days you can still see the rock formation that rises above town.
Thank you, I did!
I talked a bit with a group of five Italian pilgrims, probably in their 50s, and they were starting at 9am each day.As I've been sitting on my balcony, at least a dozen Italian pilgrims have passed through. Since we left pretty late this morning (at 8) and walk much more slowly than anyone else (being 30 - 40 years older than them) it makes me wonder when they all got up.
Definitely. Talked to a few who were doing just that -- taking the week off between the two holidays.I talked a bit with a group of five Italian pilgrims, probably in their 50s, and they were starting at 9am each day.
Meanwhile you are in the middle of the double-holiday crowd (26 April and 1 May), which I was a few days ahead of, so it’s natural that you’re seeing a few more pilgrims. After not seeing many at all for the last few days, I saw some in Agrigento so it was nice to have a little catch-up at the end.
Yes and yes. It is advertised as ‘one way only’ and waymarking signs are only in that direction.Questions for you, Nick:
Was your route from the north south?
Is that the traditional direction?
The official site is a bit vague on the pilgrimage purpose of the route. It says the path goes back to the Romans and talks about it being a grand communication artery and that the name Magna Via Francigena is recorded in the 12th century. The Holy Land is not mentioned but during Norman rule there must have been boats going there so maybe there’s a connection with the MVF.Was it, perhaps to catch a boat to the Holy Land?
Thanks!
Nick, Your pictures are exquisite. Thanks for posting them.@andycohn, how have the last couple of days been? It absolutely poured in Rome today so hopefully it’s drier for you down there!
Meanwhile, I have published an album of my favourite photos from the MVF (many of which I posted here too) on Flickr:
Magna Via Francigena 2024
Highlights of the Magna Via Francigena, a 185km pilgrimage trail between Palermo and Agrigento on the island of Sicily.www.flickr.com
Thanks -- again -- for the tip. We were in Agrigento in 2016. Really looking forward to exploring it more this time, because we only spent one night in the town itself.Fantastic that you’ve enjoyed it so much! And absolutely re: the weather considering what we’ve been hearing about in Spain at the moment. Enjoy the final stretch and especially Agrigento, which is a really fascinating place aside from the temples. If you’d like a fancy but not too wallet-busting celebration meal once you arrive, I thought Sal8 was very nice.
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