Day 4 - Fusion

The day starts even earlier. Because today is the longest ride on the program. We have to transfer to Palermo, but we stop twice along the way. The weather is good, so we are happy.

After a 1.5-hour drive, we arrive in Selinunte, where we visit the archaeological site, an excellent example of the fusion of Phoenician and Greek culture. In the 7th century BC this was a powerful city, flourishing in trade and arts and with a beautiful view of the sea.

We first visit the so-called religious part. Only the temple presumably dedicated to Hera has been reasonably preserved. It was partially rebuilt in the 1960s. Not only is this one of the most beautiful Doric buildings in Sicily, it is also one of the few temples in the world that you can enter. You do need a dose of imagination, of course, because nothing more than pillars and stone interior walls are still standing. Still, you get an idea of ​​the grandeur of the temple and in addition you have an incredible, soothing and undisturbed view of the Mediterranean Sea from the temple. Is it the temple itself or the calming effect of the water, but I step outside reborn.

Of the two other temples, probably dedicated to Athena and Zeus, only a pile of gloomy stones remains. You need a lot of fantasy to imagine the megalomaniac dimensions of the temple of Zeus. It was one of the largest ancient temples, reaching a height of 30 m. The literal fall of these once magnificent temples was probably caused by an earthquake: all the stones fell in the same direction (here is an archaeological secret).

We are taken by bus to the higher acropolis. The common people lived here and there are also a number of temples located here, including those for Apollo and Leto, a few gods who wanted to mingle with the commoners. Apart from a few pillars, not much is still standing here either.

Our lunch is  a big surprise. We have lunch on a small beach just next to Selinunte on a patio with a sea view, our feet almost in the sand. The specialty of the house: grilled sardines. We can't say no to that. Really delicious…

In the afternoon, a visit to Erice, located at an altitude of 750 m, is on the program. The road to Erice is long, steep, winding, ... In short, not for people who suffer from vertigo and motion sickness. Arriving at the top, it turns out that the weather suddenly changes. Thick clouds are coming from inland and the mistral from France and the Sirocco from North Africa are playing a mean game here in Erice. The result is a thick fog that rises in just a few minutes but also disappears as quickly as it came. From above we have a view on the salt pans of Trapani. 

We take a walk through the town, starting at the Norman castle and through some narrow, cobbled streets we arrive in the small center. 

Erice is known for its patisserie and that should of course be tested. I take a kind of flat beignet, filled with ricotta and chocolate. Not bad.

The last kilometers to Palermo are grinded and after about a two-hour drive, we arrive at our hotel at the port of Palermo.

Well Palermo, that's a different story. No temples for a while, but a big city, and not just any city, but the city of the mafia.