Sicily
Why go?
Sicily ticks every box on every wishlist. From the snow-capped
volcano of Mt Etna to the sunny, sandy shores of the southeast,
from bustling Arab-Norman Palermo to the Baroque jewel-boxes of
Noto and Ragusa, from the Greek temples of Agrigento and Taormina's
theatre to the spellbinding Roman mosaics of the Piazza Armerina
villa, there's something for everyone.
It's easy to get to, with plenty of scheduled flights into capital
Palermo - which, incidentally, makes a very underrated city break -
as well as charters into Catania and low-cost connections to
Trapani. Despite its history as the heartland of the Italian mafia
(which still operates, though without its former stranglehold),
you'll find it a safe, welcoming and extremely friendly place. The
food is excellent in a hearty, rustic way: homemade pastas, fresh
fish spiced up with capers and tomatoes, seasonal veg including
tender artichoke hearts or baked aubergine with ricotta, the
creamiest of cannoli and the lightest, fruitiest gelati and
granite imaginable.
In fact, there's not much not to like. OK, some of the beaches get
crowded in summer, the roads are poorly maintained and signed, some
sites seem to be permanently under scaffolding, the hilly interior
can be surprisingly cold in spring and autumn - but come with an
open mind and a not-too-strict timetable, and you'll go home happy.
Several notches happier, we'd wager, and a couple of kilos heavier.