
In Sicily, I keep a promise I made to myself decades ago
Sicily
's Tyrrhenian Sea. Aeolus, God of the Winds, hung out in these parts once, and played with the lives of mariners. Much later Stromboli's fiery volcanic crater, one of four active volcanoes in Italy, featured in Jules Verne's 19th century novel A Journey to the Centre of the Earth.
At the beginning of April, I visited Sicily. And in among the old and new wonders of that deeply storied island, I finally got to experience Stromboli's lava slopes first-hand on a trip I had promised myself decades ago.
Sicily is probably the most beloved of all the Mediterranean islands. The ancient Greeks loved it and settled there. The Romans absorbed it and its Greek population as the Republic's first colony. Arabs made it their home, followed by the Normans and the Spanish, until it finally voted to join a unifying Italy in 1860.
Sicily is, first and foremost, an overwhelming set of sensory experiences – of light and colour and form, taste and smell, noise and silence. However, the undoubted charms of its capital city, Palermo, are lost on my travel companion and myself for most of our first day there. An ungodly hour Ryanair flight from Dublin, a bad lunchtime food decision, death-defying zebra crossings, faded facades and stained sidewalks do nothing for tired eyes and imaginations.
READ MORE
That said, a €35 pre-booked evening Food Walking Tour saves the day. At about 5.30pm, our excellent but heavily accented Sicilian guide leads our little multinational group into a warren of warmly lit and delightfully food-scented piazzas and alleyways. He introduces us to Arancine (stuffed rice balls), Panelle (chickpea fritters), Sfincione (a fluffy bread slice topped with tomato, oregano and cheese), and other delicacies, more than enough for an evening meal. This delicious street food we wash down with glasses of Sicilian wine. We opt to decline, however, the offer of a Sicilian favourite, Pani Ca Meusa, better known in the English-speaking world as spleen sandwiches.
This highly sociable food tour through the old city is a must-do evening attraction, giving a welcome and engaging break from the edginess of the main city thoroughfares, an opportunity to relax, to meet other fellow travellers and to listen to history and tales of scandal and fun from all the ages of the city.
The next day we leave bustling Palermo as it prepares for the upcoming celebration of Santa Settimana (Holy Week), and take the train to Agrigento and a taxi to the ruins of the ancient Greek city of Akragas. A very evocative site, we spend hours wandering and reflecting among its scarred and broken columns, once-monumental stone edifices and now-empty early Christian burial niches.
Palermo then beckons once more, to see and feel it through rested eyes and imaginations. And what better way than the red hop on/hop off bus? That tour brings us around and by the majestic Cathedral of Palermo, the serene English Garden, the great Palazzos and Villas of well-established elites, castles, theatres and markets. Our high perch allows us to look over walls and peruse tiny, shaded spaces, and at the same time to take note of the local promontory of Monte Pellegrino, loved by Goethe during his 18th century stay in Palermo. A tough afternoon hike up Pellegrino to the chapel of Santa Rosalia, inserted into the cave of an old hermitage just below the summit, is well worth the effort, as are the wonderful nearby viewing points over the city and the Bay of Palermo.
Cefalu, about two hours east of Palermo, is a charming contrast the next day to the sometimes nervy oppressiveness of Palermo. This is a very attractive and somewhat more upmarket beach front settlement of narrow alleyways, sea sounds, sunny seafront walkways and lots of lovely restaurants, many perched over the rocky broken shore. We hang out and wander the town and shore. However, our enthusiasm to take on the well frequented path up the spectacular Rocca di Cefalu is quashed by the sight of a body being stretchered past us, an experience that darkens an otherwise lovely sunset meal and wine.
Monte Pellegrino and Palermo
Cefalu, about two hours east of Palermo
The last three days are to be the highlight, a visit to Stromboli and the Aeolian Islands. We take the train to Milazzo, and the next day embark on an €85, 10-hour cruise to the two most easterly of the islands, posh Panarea and brooding Stromboli. The real, advertised attraction being a promise to anchor offshore and be treated to a fiery late evening erupting Stromboli.
Our first stopover, Panarea, is the smallest, cutest and most chic of the islands. Its curving little harbour-town greets us with a riot of colour and the scent of bougainvillea and begonia trailing along the walls of little winding walkways. These attractive pedestrian alleyways meander past freshly painted blue and white villas and boutique hotels and honey-coloured chapels, until losing themselves as indistinct hillside pathways. Every corner gives the eye new coloured compositions of blue sea and sky, and rocky islets and framing walls, towers and steps. Perhaps it was the seductive charm of this tiny islet that had Ingrid Bergman and Italian film director Roberto Rossellini indulge their scandalous affair in 1949 while making the 1950 film Stromboli. Their story continues in the 2012 documentary entitled The War of the Volcanoes, featuring the antics of Rossellini's jilted lover, Anna Magnani.
Soon our tight cruise scheduling has us on our way over sunny, blue waters to Stromboli, all eyes drawn to its high crater, and the promise in the puffs of smoke and steam. As we draw ever nearer, our noses too are alerted by a first whiff of sulphur on the wind.
At 5pm we arrive at the harbour of Ficogrande on Stromboli. My first impulse is to skip a drink and a snack, and instead get up close to a place that my teenage reading and imagining had drawn me to. I want to get high enough to see the crater, smell its sulphur and perhaps even hear the volcano's deep belly rumbles. But we don't get far along the summit access path, halted by the scheduling of our boat journey and by angry guides who tell us that unguided hikes are 'vietato' (forbidden).
Temple of Concordia, Agrigento, Sicily. Photograph: iStock
On the way to Stromboli
In the event, it is well after 7.30pm when the boat stops opposite the Sciara del Fuoco, the great lava slide topped by a collapsed section of crater rim. We hang out there, safely offshore, watching the odd burst of volcanic fire and smoke as a golden sun sets on a darkening sea. Later, as we all wait and watch, a full moon marches up into the sky passing through the smoke and steam of the volcano. It casts its own stream of silver on to a sea where heroes from ancient times once sailed and an ancient God once blew the winds around.
At around 9pm, we are on our way back to Milazzo over a limpid sea, under a full moon and a sky full of stars. Okay, I haven't been able to peer into the fiery cauldron of molten lava. And I haven't seen as much of beautiful Sicily as I would have liked, nor stayed to watch sunrises and sunsets on the shores of lovely islands, nor hiked their hills. But my more mature imagination is happy to have done what I have done, and especially to complete my quest to Stromboli.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Irish Sun
3 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Another European airport is losing all of its Ryanair flights this year
Plus, the other axed route where the airport is at risk of closing NO GO Another European airport is losing all of its Ryanair flights this year THREE destinations in France are being ditched by Ryanair this winter. Ryanair announced it would be axing flights from three airports in France later this year due to the "astronomical" rise in air tax by the French government. Advertisement 4 The commune of Brive will no longer get direct flights from Ryanair Credit: Alamy 4 The commune has a bustling food scene as well as annual fairs Credit: Alamy Ryanair said in a statement that the decision to stop routes to cities such as Brive, is because of the French government's decision to increase air tax by 180 per cent which they called "astronomical". The airline added: "In response to this government tax, Ryanair will cease operations to Bergerac, Brive, and Strasbourg, and reduce capacity at several other French airports." Ryanair currently operates two flights per week between London and Brive which is the biggest commune in Corrèze, and it's capital is Tulle. Direct flights from London Stansted to Brive will stop after October 24, 2025. Advertisement But if you manage to visit before then, you can explore local distilleries and even Lamy Chocolate Factory which create sweet treats. Brive has a large food market held three times a week in Georges Brassens Hall with more than 200 sellers where you can pick up lots of tasty local produce. In the winter months, Brive is known for holding traditional winter fairs called Foires Grasses. It also holds Foires Franches, a summer fair which has children's fairground rides, markets, games throughout the town and firework displays. Advertisement Other destinations that have been axed are Strasbourg, aka the Capital of Christmas. The third destination that Ryanair will no longer fly to is Bergerac. The beautiful French town with Venice style canals 4 Brive is part of the Dordogne Valley which has plenty of shops and restaurants Credit: Alamy Bosses at this French airport even fear that the terminal could close as a result. Advertisement Last week, Christophe Fauvel, president of the Dordogne Chamber of Commerce (CCI) explained that Ryanair stopping flights could lead to the closure of Bergerac Airport. Talking to French media, Christophe said: "It is what happens next that worries us. "If Ryanair decides to follow through on its threat and leaves Bergerac for good the airport may face closure". Bergerac Airport estimates that it will lose 18,000 passengers and a seven per cent loss of its annual passenger numbers. Advertisement Last year, Ryanair pulled its service to Bordeaux Airport – a decision that was finalised in October 2024. In early 2025, the airline also cut its route to Vatry. For anyone going away for the summer, check out this full list of UK airline hand luggage rules for peace of mind. And take a look at this underrated French city that has a 'bit of everything' with picturesque beaches and new cheap hotels. Advertisement


Irish Times
11 hours ago
- Irish Times
‘I was delighted with the big, happy head on him': Stories of soundness restoring readers' faith in humanity
It's the summer time and it is a bank holiday so – for one day only – we are going to dispense with giving out and highlight some of the good and great customer-service stories we have heard of late. We are going to start with our friends in Ryanair as we know they think we are biased against them, something that could not be further from the truth. A reader called Emer mailed us at the start of July with a story she said was 'different to the norm as it is about two good news stories' rolled into one. Her good news begins in Bologna on July 4th with some very bad news indeed. READ MORE Emer admits that she is 'old school' and prints her boarding passes before travelling. This was something she, perhaps, had cause to regret on that particular Friday as both her and husband's passports and boarding passes were stolen. The theft happened at around midday on the day they were due to travel home and they had less than four hours to try to resolve the situation. Their first port of call was the authorities, Emer writes in her email. 'We immediately went to the police station to report the theft and contacted our son who was a travel rep some years ago and he contacted the consulate in Milan,' she continues. The couple knew the clock was ticking and – given that it was a Friday afternoon, things were looking bleak. 'The consulate contacted us and told us to go to their office in Milan on Monday as they were closing for the weekend and could not help us till then. We could not book a hotel anywhere as we had no identification,' she says. [ Where's the humanity? Customer experience report shows service in Ireland is getting worse Opens in new window ] 'With our police report of the theft we got a taxi to the airport on the very off-chance we would be allowed on the Ryanair flight with our Irish social welfare travel cards as an only means of identification,' she writes. 'We told our story to the girl on the luggage check-in desk and she talked to her supervisor, and then to Dublin, to see if they would let us through passport control and if we would be allowed on the flight.' Pricewatch would not have been holding out much hope at this stage, we have to say. 'Word eventually came from Dublin and we were on our way home. So a huge thank you to Ryanair and their check-in staff,' Emer writes. We can only assume the couple were able to make it through passport control without their passports – and Emer adds a second piece of good news which was that she and her husband applied for new passports on the Sunday after they arrived home and three days later their new passports came through the door. 'So thank you to the staff at Ryanair for your caring and compassionate response to our plight and thank you to the staff for your efficiency and speed in the passport office.' Next up is Phil from Navan who says he is 'always more fond of e-mailing about great customer service than bad'. He visited Decathlon in Dublin recently searching for what he describes as his 'very comfy socks, which I'd clicked and was collecting. I struggled to get from the car to the click and collect location because of my mobility disability. Meanwhile the security guard was eyeing me up the whole time.' 'The security guard sprang into action to slide me over a trolley and ensure I was staying upright safely.' Photograph: iStock Phil successfully collected his order and turned around and noted that the security guard 'still had my eyes and I beckoned over towards the trolleys and asked if he could please get me one – all this without speaking to him! 'Quick as a flash he sprang into action to slide me over a trolley and ensure I was staying upright safely. I followed my family around the shop, stopping by to pick up some more comfy socks,' he writes. 'I emailed the shop that evening telling them that I was delighted with the big, happy head on him.' Noeleen had a very positive experience with Petworld recently. 'I telephoned them on March 31st at about 11.30am asking about their delivery service. I told the helpful girl that I was rehoming a dog and needed a crate urgently.' Noeleen was told to place an order online, which she did at 11.55am. The Petworld staff member told her the order would be marked as urgent as soon as it showed up on their systems. 'The courier delivered the item at 12.14pm the following day, just two hours after the dog arrived.' Noeleen 'needed a crate urgently' to rehome a dog. Photograph: iStock Louise got in touch to praise David Cullen Jewellers in Clare Hall. 'I dropped in a chain for repair but it couldn't be repaired on site,' she says. 'I received a text when it was sent off and a phone call to confirm I was happy. I also got another text message with an estimated completion time and was updated daily and called when it was ready.' And, speaking of jewellery, we also heard from Sheelagh. She recently wrote to Newbridge Silverware in connection with a bracelet her sister had given her which had broken. She returned it to the company for repair and in her note said – in a by-the-way fashion – that her sister had bought five bracelets at the same time for herself and each of her sisters 'to mark a sisters weekend. Unfortunately my sister has lost her own bracket on the very day she gave them to us,' Sheelagh writes. To her surprise, she subsequently received not one but two bracelets from Newbridge, with an invitation to a factory tour at any point in the future. A reader called Caroline recently needed to have some building work done on her home. 'Unfortunately, the external structure needed a bigger job than I had envisioned and more unfortunate again was the builder I initially asked to do the work.' [ How to find the right builder: check the Construction Industry Register Opens in new window ] She says he went missing in action and she ended up dealing directly with the steel manufacturer. 'Here is where my faith in humanity was restored. From my very first call to Keystone Lintels in Cookstown, wherein I advised them of my situation, they were exceptional. Aimee in customer service was always efficient and patiently kind. Their technical engineer, Paul, hearing of my plight, contacted me directly asking how they could be a part of the solution. They have gone above and beyond in addressing a problem that was not their issue. A woman called Terry was in touch to say she had 'the most positive experience dealing with the VHI in sorting out my upcoming renewal. I was not at all happy with the new quote for my health plan and the lady I spoke to went to extraordinary lengths to help find a plan to suit my budget,' she writes. 'I explained that I couldn't understand the complex range of plans on offer, I just wanted a very basic plan. The lady spent almost three-quarters of an hour clearly and in simple language finding me that plan, and making sure I was happy. No add-ons, or trying to make a sale, just giving me what I needed. So patient, customer service at its best.' Three cheers for staff at Dublin Bus. Photograph: Bryan O'Brien Catherine got in touch to share 'a very positive experience I had with Dublin Bus staff'. She notes that the company 'often gets a bad press with the phenomenon of the 'disappearing buses' and frequent talk of unpunctuality etc. However, I wanted to highlight our really positive experience recently.' Catherine's teenage daughter was travelling on the Number 40 bus late on a Tuesday from Lesson Street to Drumcondra. 'Unfortunately she left her new iPhone and ID card on the bus when she left the bus in Drumcondra. Cue panic all round. She managed to get the number of the bus depot from another bus driver. She called next morning without much hope or expectation. A friendly voice said they had the phone and to 'come on out'. So, the mother and daughter drove to the Harristown bus depot 'and she was met by a number of staff in the lost property department who had all the details of her phone and who were all friendly and very helpful. 'After some quick ID verification she emerged completely thrilled with her iPhone, her ID Card and some money (notes) that she had tucked into the back of the phone. Who says the age of honesty is dead? Three cheers for the driver of the Number 40, the brilliant staff in Harriston bus depot and for the honest person who handed in the phone.' [ Ireland's best and worst customer service: Guess which list Aer Lingus and Facebook are in Opens in new window ] We also heard from Donal from Sligo who noted that Pricewatch occasionally 'offer bouquets instead of brickbats and today I would like to nominate a company for a bouquet. For the past number of years my wife and I have travelled frequently by ferry between Ireland and France and Ireland and the UK. We travel exclusively with Stena ferries because their booking system is easy to navigate and if there are particular needs to be addressed there is a phone number.' He also says the 'telephone is always answered promptly by a person' and he adds that the 'personnel on the end of the phone have always been friendly, helpful and efficient.' He suggests that the 'same staff culture is also evident on board their ferries and at the ports. It is so refreshing to receive such welcome customer service with no sign of a bot. I would emphasise that the only connection we have with Stena is as satisfied customers.' Declan's tank took a little less than the 1,000 litres of home heating oil he'd ordered. Photograph: iStock Declan from Dublin mailed about a brief encounter with good customer service 'by way on contrast with so many of the other kind which we hear about'. He says he recently ordered 1,000 litres of home heating oil from Capital Oil/Local Fuels and paid €838 by credit card. 'However, the tank took a little less than that, costing about €18 less. This was shown on the docket left on delivery. I meant to send an email but did not get around to it for about a week. 'Doing a routine check on my account, I found that the difference had been credited back to it by Capitol Oil without any intervention from me, in contrast with the dozens of complaints you get about how difficult it is to get valid refunds from so many companies. Good customer relations or what?' Then there was Damian, who got in touch after coming back from 10 days in Spain where he had hired a car through National in Malaga. He had the basic insurance cover as he had an excess policy with AIG. He says that, to cut a long story short, half way through his holiday he had parked outside a supermarket when 'some kind soul in the same make parked beside me using the side panel of my car as a guide to park his'. He says this caused four small one-inch scrapes in the paintwork. 'Goodbye to my €1,700 excess with National, I thought, but upon my return and when I pointed them out to the agent in full disclosure mode, his response was we don't worry about small scratches like that. Now that is a great end to a holiday.' We also have a good news story about Eir. On Tuesday June 10th Peter reported two manhole covers and surrounding paving in disrepair in his housing estate in Wicklow. A week later they had been replaced and repaired. 'Fair dues to Eir and their contractors for fast and efficient service.' And finally there is Diarmuid, who bought a hand-held vacuum cleaner last November from Lidl at a cost of €25. 'I only got round to using it three weeks ago and found that it would not charge so I contacted Lidl . I also had lost the receipt. Today I received a new replacement model from the manufacturer in Germany.' As we were reading through all of these stories something struck us. They are all linked by a single thread. Soundness. Sometimes customer service is not that complicated and if businesses just made the decision to be sound or to empower their staff to be sound, then we would have a lot less to be giving out about on this page and our world would be a much better place.


The Irish Sun
a day ago
- The Irish Sun
The little-known European sun spot where only locals holiday – with fewer crowds, island beaches & €35 Ryanair flights
And you can go on incredible wildlife tours FAR-GO The little-known European sun spot where only locals holiday – with fewer crowds, island beaches & €35 Ryanair flights EUROPE is home to hundreds of tiny islands just waiting to be discovered - and they're perfect for holidaymakers who don't love crowds. The Parque Natural da Ria Formosa is a coastal lagoon and natural park located in the Algarve region of southern Portugal, and its islands are accessible by a short boat ride from Faro. Advertisement 5 The Ria Formosa is a nature reserve of canals, islands, marshland and sandy beaches Credit: Alamy 5 The natural park extend 60km along the Algarve coast Credit: Getty 5 And it is home of five barrier islands Credit: Alamy 5 Holidaymakers can also book themselves onto guided Flamingo Spotting tours Credit: Getty The Ria Formosa Natural Park is a nature reserve of canals, islands, marshland and sandy beaches that extend 60km along the Algarve coast. And it has been protected under Portuguese law since 1978. The nature reserve is home to five barrier islands - Cabanas Island, Tavira Island, Armona Island, Culatra Island and Barreta Island. For nearly 50 years, the five inlets have created a unique ecosystem where both plants and animals thrive. Advertisement Despite being protected under Portuguese law, holidaymakers can visit the island. It's located right above Africa on the southern tip of the country, with the Mediterranean Sea to separate them. One of the island's biggest draws is its beaches, which are said to be some of the most beautiful in the Algarve. And the islands are accessible by public ferries or tourist boats, located less than 30 minutes' travel from mainland Algarve. Advertisement According to Algarve Portugal Tourism, some of the island white sand beaches are "completely deserted." They added: "The designation as a natural park means that it's protected from development, so visitors shouldn't expect beachfront hotels. Inside the luxury resort that offers anti-ageing programmes - and it costs from £309 for two nights "These beaches are heaven for those who prefer peace and quiet, and there are spots officially recognized as nude beaches. "On the way there, it's possible to see a variety of wildlife, including chameleons, the world's largest concentration of seahorses, flamingos, storks and other resident and migratory birds." Advertisement Cabanas Island is a barrier island within the natural park, located off the coast of Cabanas de Tavira in the Algarve. It is known for its variety of wildlife and it offers plenty of space and tranquillity as it is almost deserted. Tavira Island is an uninhabited island divided into four beaches, and it is one of the easiest to reach from the mainland. In the 19th and 20th centuries, Tavira Island was an important centre for tuna fishing. Advertisement FLAMINGO TOURS Holidaymakers can also book themselves onto guided Flamingo Spotting tours from Tavira, which cost €30 per person. Another island is Isla Armona, which is a bit more built up with houses and cafes. And another popular spot is Culatra Island, which is home to a few hundred people and also has empty beaches and clean waters, Tourists will land at a small village with bungalows and cafes, but with no roads, will have to walk through to explore. Advertisement Another island is Isla Armona, which is a bit more built up with houses and cafes. Barreta Island, also known as Desert Island, is often called the Caribbean of Portugal thanks to its crystal clear waters and golden sandy beaches. It takes only 20 minutes to get there, with ferries costing less than €5 for a round trip. Irish holidaymakers can also enjoy a boat tour in the Ria Formosa Natural Park to see dolphins in their natural habitat. Advertisement You'll be on the lookout for the most commonly sighted species, including the short-beaked common dolphin and the common bottlenose dolphin. And the guided spotting tour costs around €30 per person. Ryanair flights from Dublin to Faro Airport start at just €34.99. 5 The Parque Natural da Ria Formosa is located in the Algarve, Portugal Credit: Alamy