We started our first day in Sicily on the water - up at 5:00 am to see Palermo and the sunrise from the sea. (Note to self: sleep in next time - the sun isn't up until 6:40 and the first car that got on the ferry - ours - is last to get off.)

Leaving the ferry, we went straight to the Autostrada and headed east to Cefalu . This is a lovely little city favored by tourists during the summer. Traffic was light when we arrived, so we easily found parking. We debated whether to make the steep, one hour walk up the Rock to the Temple of Diana and the Fortress. Even though it was only 8:30 the temperature was already 30º C (86º F), so we decided to skip the hike and strolled around the streets of Cefalu. As stores began to open and life on the streets began to stir, we stopped for coffee and a pastry, then went to the Duomo.

By mid-morning the traffic began to pick up and we were ready to hit the road again. We drove the coastal road west, heading back toward Palermo. After stopping at a grocery store to pick up some supplies, we turned inland toward our next destination - Marineo. 

Perched atop a hill, at the base of a prominent rock outcrop, Marineo is an unassuming country town. It is also the hometown of Michael's maternal great grandparents - the Rao family . (The descendants of the Rao family left for America or moved north to Milan long ago.) We stopped for lunch in the middle of town and bought salami and cheese sandwiches at a small shop. Afterwards, we walked around the small main square and then drove up the hill to one of the town's seven churches. Decorations still lined the streets from a festival that took place the night before. Workers were now busy cleaning up after the celebration. We parked and walked around the neighborhood. We found three ornately tiled planters in the piazzetta in front of the church.These planters represent the importance of agricultural to life in Marineo and depict the process of producing wine, bread and olives.

The increasingly threatening clouds finally gave way to rain, so our visit to the church and Marineo were cut short. It began to pour just as we got into the car, so we made our way out of the village and northwest across the back roads of the beautiful Sicilian countryside . The lightning strikes were awesome. One hit the hillside just 500 feet away - flash, bang! (Aunt Patti would freak out here.)

It seems the roads in southern Italy, especially Sicily, are designed to confuse. Our navigating skills worked well until we got nearer to our final destination for the day - Monreale. Even with a very good road atlas we got lost. Since most people approach Monreale from Palermo and not the rural mountains, the guide books were not much help either. The road signs were even more confusing, as there were multiple signs indicating the way to Monreale, each seemingly pointing in a different direction! After several texts to our host, and some assistance from the Carribinerie, a friendly gas station attendant, and two gentlemen whose car had broken down, we finally found the guesthouse where we were staying for the next two nights.

The apartment we had booked was wonderful - an entire upper floor of a duplex . It had a full kitchen, a large living room, three bedrooms and a lovely veranda. Fausto, our host, greeted us as we arrived. (An engineering student, his English was quite good.) He also gave us some tips for visiting Monreale and Palermo.

With the car unpacked, we decided to make a quick trip to explore Monreale. This would save us some time in the morning. We parked where Fausto suggested and walked to the middle of town. Here we found the tabacci that sells tickets for the bus to Palermo, as well as the location where we would catch the bus. Since there was still some time left before sunset, we decided to stop by the Cathedral. Our timing didn't quite work out, as the Cathedral was now closed for the Angelus, so we made our way back to our apartment. Along the way we stopped at a grocery store to pick up some wine.

By the time we got back to the apartment it was time for dinner. Fausto had told us that the bakery at the foot of our driveway also served as the local pizzeria, so it was pizza and wine for dinner. We ate on the veranda, sipping our wine as evening descended and twilight filled the hillside across the valley.