A Week in Sicily

I love Sicily. It’s beautiful. It’s old. It’s Italy, but it’s not.

Anthony Bourdain

When I was younger, one of my many flighty ambitions was to visit every country in the world and although that is obviously as unlikely as my other dreams (let’s face it, Rupert Everett will never be my husband), I’ve still got a strong desire to see as many places as possible.

With fewer years ahead of me (I am knocking on a bit now), I’ve recently started to feel the urgency to explore more than ever. I don’t know about you but I have a mental list of places that I am keen to tick off and Sicily has always been one of them - way before Jennifer Coolidge made it cool in White Lotus.

We stayed in Ortigia which is a small island separated from the south eastern town of Syracuse by a narrow channel and connected by two short bridges. It’s a place of sorbet coloured buildings and honey-washed stone streets with the most beautiful architecture at every turn of a corner. Some of it was so stunning it didn’t seem real.

I loved the hum of the town. It was busy without being over-crowded and we had no trouble in finding a table for dinner.

We were one street back from the sea front and an easy walk to the hub of bars, restaurants and shops. A couple of swimming spots were within striking distance too.

We stayed at Xenia Apartments in a one bedroom apartment with a kitchenette and living area. It was such a gorgeous place to stay - all female staff who couldn’t do enough for us and a free breakfast every morning of yogurt, fruit and the most incredible homemade ricotta and blueberry tart.

Our apartment was just a short walk from Spiaggia Diana nel Forte - a man-made platform over the clearest sea, perfect for snorkelling. It’s an easy walk down by steps but as it can get very busy, we liked to get up early and go first thing in the morning.

For two of our days we booked a taxi and went to a beach club along the coast. Lido Le Nereidi is about a twenty minute drive from Ortigia and its platforms and terraces overlook the clearest, turquoise sea with soft sand underfoot. There is bar to lounger service and a really good restaurant with a small menu written on a blackboard serving local fish and seafood.

A Mountford holiday isn’t complete without a boat trip ranging from ‘slightly disappointing’ to ‘fearing for your life’ and luckily our Sicilian one was towards the lower range! We set sail from Syracuse and saw some beautiful coastline and caves but the clouds soon appeared and the sea became choppy so we didn’t see it at its best. It’s definitely a nice thing to do though so make sure you check the weather forecast before you book!

We were really lucky with the taxi driver who took us to the beach club - he was lovely and very chatty and suggested a day out for us to see some of the areas inland. We got up early to beat the blistering heat and he told us all about the countryside we drove through, his family history, what it is to be Sicilian and the football, of course.

Our first stop was a fifty minute drive south-east from Ortigia to the beautiful town of Noto - a UNESCO Heritage site with breath-taking Baroque architecture and stunning views over the roof-tops if you decide to brave the winding, narrow staircase of the cathedral.

We had breakfast at Caffe Sicilia, famed for its granita and delicious pastries and once we had fuelled up on caffeine and sugar we were ready for our next destination.

Modica is another beautiful Sicilian town. It’s built into cliffs which are incredible to look at but they also give the most amazing vantage point over views that reach for miles.

The town is famed for its chocolate which is made without adding fats, leaving a grainy, sugary texture. Antica Dolceria Bonajuto is the shop to head for. You can sample as many flavours as you like before making your purchase (the cardamom was my favourite) and it smells amazing in there!

Lunch was at a shady table outside a restaurant (it had got very hot at this point) where we stuffed our faces with scacce modicane and fist-sized arancini before heading back to Ortigia.

We had so much delicious food in Ortigia - we were really spoilt for choice and lucky that our apartment was within a ten minute walk through cobbled alleys from some of the best spots.

Chiodo - Tucked away behind a quiet courtyard with vintage furniture and decoration, this place was so good. Simple, local homemade dishes and amazing puddings.

MOON - gorgeous vegan food in an old-fashioned setting with old artwork, books and even a grand piano. The food is inventive and beautifully presented.

Casa Trimarchi - I had the most delicious pasta dish here. It has the kind of menu which makes it hard to choose as everything sounds so delicious. We were seated at the entrance of a festoon lit alleyway which was great for people watching.

La Bodeguita - this was a happy find on a side street on our way back from the waterfront one evening. Lovely menu with friendly staff.

Caseificio Borderi - although a bit of a tourist trap, this place is popular for good reason. Their sandwiches are out of this world and the dancing waiter is hilarious. I went for the grilled courgette, aged cheese, onion jam, capers and almonds, and didn’t regret it!

Make sure you also grab a cannoli whenever you see one, a pistachio gelato at Levante and a cocktail at B.O.A.T.S.

Sicilians build things like they will live forever and eat like they will die tomorrow.

Plato