Agrigento, Valley Of The Temples, And Finally, Some Sun!

The Valley of the Temples (Valle dei Templi) is arguably one of the main attractions of Sicily.  A well preserved archaeological site dating back as early as the 6th century B.C., it's the largest in the world covering 1,300 hectares. I really needed the exercise after all that street food in Palermo! Here are some of the temples of the valley:

Temple of Concordia, one of the finest examples of Greek architecture.

Temple of Heracles

Temple of the Dioscuri

Temple of Juno

Of course there were some cute local children doing their traditional dance on a Sunday!

Scala dei Turchi. Probably best known for being in Inspector Montalbano! It's a beautiful rocky cliff on the coast of Realmonte. The Scala is made out of mari, a white sedimentary rock, and is shaped like a staircase. It is a UNESCO site and  I tried to climb it but the police told me off, saying it was dangerous and forbidden. Pity.

A special mention should be made of the charming renovated farmhouse I am staying in, which is linked to the Agnello family, who have origins from the 13th century. Today the Masseria Agnello is a property that has 30 rooms, the family is engaged in the production of fine wines, and the Masseria produces olive oil.  The food is good and the service, excellent, with great attention to detail.

Finally, I didn't report on what I did my second and last day in Palermo.  I had a cooking lesson with chef Patrizia as evidenced by the photos below.  I made traditional Sicilian fare: caponata of aubergines, pasta with anchovies, fennel and tomatoes, involitini of swordfish and a pudding of cassata Siciliana.  It was great fun and light 😄