Sicilians go their own way
Before visiting Sicily, I knew very little about the place.
On a map, the island resembles a football at the toe of Italy. In movies such as The Godfather it was the birthplace of the Mafia - and in Greek mythology, it was the island beloved of Ceres, goddess of harvests, from where Hades, the god of the underworld, abducted her daughter, Persephone.
But Sicily proved to be fascinating - a part of Italy and yet a land unto itself, distinctly different, whose people seem to consider themselves as Sicilians first and Italians second. Wave upon wave of foreigners, traders as well as conquerors - from ancient Phoenicians and Greeks to Carthaginians, Romans, Arabs, Normans and Spaniards - have left their mark on the place and its people.
And it is this fusion of cultures, art forms, architectural styles and foods that Sicilians can celebrate in the 21st century.
I would strongly advise you to arrange a full day walking tour of the capital Palermo with a local guide.
Don't miss the impressive cathedral and the Church of Santa Zita with its amazing stucco work that seems to leap off the walls.
The highlight of our walking tour of Palermo was the Cappella Palatina (Palatine Chapel). Located in the old Norman Palace which now houses Sicily's parliament, the chapel was the creation of the first Norman King Roger I.
We queued to reach the entrance to the chapel, entered, looked up - and were simply overwhelmed by the stunning beauty of the place.
The work of Greek, Byzantine, Norman and Islamic craftsmen (marvel at the delightful Arabic ceiling with richly carved wooden stalactites and the beautiful inlaid marble floor), the cappella is gloriously decorated with thousands of shimmering mosaics.
Sicily's classical heritage is evident in the ruins of Greek theatres such as in Syracuse (where Archimedes lived) and the massive Doric temples in places such as Selinunte, Segesta and the UNESCO World Heritage site of Agrigento in the south-west - as well as in the well-preserved Roman ruins such as the Villa Romana del Casale.
The island is famous among other features for earthquakes and volcanoes - Mt Etna in the north-west is still active. We were privileged to take a tour - first by cable car to the top and then in tough four-wheel-drive vehicles along the moonscape-like lava surface.
A visit to Sicily is not complete without visiting the colourful city markets and sampling the food.
A proper meal here requires a couple of hours, with an antipasto of olives, meats, cheeses and sun-dried tomatoes followed by a delicious pasta dish that precedes the main course. Afterwards come dessert and coffee - all to be taken with a liberal dose of pleasant conversation and good wine.
Explore further north at Cinque Terre in the next edition of Travel in The Weekend West.fact file Australian passport holders do not require visas to enter Italy.Fly from Australia into Rome's Fiumicino airport - from where Alitalia has several convenient flights each day to Palermo's Falcone-Borsellino airport.Paying for a tour is a practical method of seeing Sicily, unless you are fluent in Italian. The capital Palermo is worthy of a full day's walking tour. For the rest of the island, I suggest a 5-6 day coach tour.
