Review: Western Med Jade cruise Nov. 1 -12, 2014

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As a civic museum, there are hundreds of artefacts.

 

 

 

 

 

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Old tile floor:

 

 

 

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There were many tunnel-like hallways and small rooms. One section of the castle housed a display of local artists' works, some very good.

 

 

 

 

 

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We exited Ventimiglia castle, and stopped in a lovely shop on our way to the town square.

 

 

 

 

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One lady told me she found the tapestries there far more reasonable than in Florence. I liked the terracotta and ceramic pieces.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Roberto led us to the Matrice Vecchia church, where there is a 14th century crypt with frescoes of the Passion Of Christ. It was quite remarkable to see it up close, and the old stone steps were worn down by centuries of worshippers. Roberto was clearly moved by the sanctity of the place.

 

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A few steps away from the church we were in town square, where we had a terrific tasting of local treats at Fiasconaro. The friendly staff at Fiasconaro were generous with their many items to sample, and very enthusiastic.

 

Everything was truly delicious, and the displays of products quite artful. I had a look at some of the cakes in the cooler- beautifully decorated with unique designs. The hazelnut gelato was wonderful, and we also bought some local muscat wine-very nice!

 

The panettone here is quite famous, and the pistachio and manna spreads were wonderful- everything we tried was good!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Castelbuono is a very small place, we felt that everyone in town knew we were there! But it was so enjoyable. Time to head for Cefalu!

 

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Leaving Castelbuono, we had a scenic drive to Cefalu, and when we arrived we parked at the beach parking lot, and Elisabetta walked us into the town and gave an orientation tour.

 

 

 

 

 

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We were able to visit the Duomo di Cefalu, which would close soon because it was Monday. The inside of the cathedral has incredibly high ceilings, and a mosaic of Christ similar to the larger one in Duomo di Monreale in Palermo.

 

Afterward, everyone then went on their own, exploring Cefalu and stopping for lunch wherever we chose.

 

 

 

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DH and I ended up having a terrific pizza lunch at Il Porticciollo. We were welcomed when we arrived, and chose seats on a raised seaside terrace. I ordered the quattro stagione pizza and my husband had the sausage pizza. They were some of the best we can remember having. The wine was a syrah and very good. We had prompt service for lunch and coffee afterward. It was so enjoyable to watch the ocean and look down on the rocks below; where several cats were waiting way down on the rocks, waiting for any scraps that might magically fall their way! But they were no bother to anyone, just part of the experience. Il Porticciolo added a great memory to our visit of Cefalu- we can certainly recommend the pizza and the view!

 

 

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After lunch, we explored Cefalu. Several shops were closed, because it was Monday, and not high season for tourists.

 

 

 

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Cefalu is a beautiful town with lots of shops and restaurants; it is clearly a tourist place and popular for its beach in summer with the locals. But for us, in November, it was quite uncrowded and very scenic; we quite enjoyed our stroll here.

 

We made our way back to the van by the beach:

 

 

 

 

 

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Our return drive to Palermo was lively with Roberto playing his own recordings on cds and singing! We had a great time. The traffic was very slow in Palermo en route to the port, but we made it back on time. The van was modern and comfortable, and Roberto was a very capable driver. We thoroughly enjoyed our day in Sicily!

 

Goodbye, Cefalu!:

 

 

Palermo traffic and sights:

 

 

 

 

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Another great day!

 

 

P.s. A couple that was on other tours with us, wanted to see Agrigento in Sicily. They were unable to get a sufficient group on the roll call, so they booked the ship tour. That tour did go as scheduled, in fact 3 buses were filled. So if you enjoy archaelogical sites, it may be of interest to you; they seemed to really like the tour.

 

Next port is Naples and our last day of the cruise!

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Naples, Italy

 

I arranged another private tour for Naples port, and filled it through the roll call, communicating back and forth with Melania at “Lovely Amalfi Coast Tours”. Melania was very prompt and helpful responding to me. We wanted to do something different this trip, without driving all the way down the Amalfi Coast, so I asked them to create a trip that would go to Sorrento, visit the Marina Grande, the Sorrentine peninsula to see both the Gulf of Naples and Gulf of Salerno from one vantage point, sample gelato at Davide's, have an authentic lunch in a small town and visit Herculaneum on our way back.

 

When we arrived in Naples, Giovanni was waiting for us outside the terminal, and ushered the 8 of us into a comfortable van, verified the itinerary, and we were off to Sorrento. He was very personable with a great sense of humour! As we drove, Giovanni offered lots of commentary, and he was very good at keeping us on schedule. We first stopped for a photo op on the way to Sorrento.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Always nice to have a van to travel in, intead of a big bus!!

 

 

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We drove to the main square in Sorrrento, and then did a bit of shopping. Just love the alleyway shops there. Found some nice pashminas and of course lemon products!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Next we headed to Marina Grande, which is quite busy in the summer, but quiet in November. Apparently the restaurants close for the season and fishermen maintain their boats at this time of year. It was quaint and amazingly "untouristy", for a location once used in the Dolce Vita film! But of course, there wasn't much open.