Erice and Marsala

Today we headed for the spectacular hill town of Erice with its tiny cobbled piazzas and medieval narrow streets. The winding mountain access road gave us 360° views of the verdant countryside with its numerous vinyards. On a clear day one can see as far as Tunisia. Erice is famous as a centre for the cult of Venus with the sacred prostitutes being accommodated naturally in the Temple of Venus. The town also has a reputation for its sweet treats such as marzipan candies and almond and pistachio pastries. We continued on to Matsala best known for its sweet dessert wines and stately baroque buildings. We had a tastimg session at thr elegant Pellegrino Winery. Marsala still produces excellent sea salt and we were able to see this operation using windmills ro extract the salt. At the Archaeolgical Museum we were able to see a partially reconstructed war ship from the 3rd century BC and got a glimpse of a former civilisation that was wiped out by the Romans. Tomorrow we head east to Messina and Taormina.