City on a hill | Erice
The most difficult part about reaching Erice is reaching Erice. 2 km. Up a mountain. Switchback after switchback. Buses and cars. Construction of rock walls. Remaining in your own lane.
We visited Erice three years ago during the dead of winter. Not a soul walked the streets except us. It was very different in June, with tourists and locals dodging each other and searching for the ideal table in the shade. That was harder to come by than the space to walk.
The streets are cobblestone, slippery - even when dry - slick stones that are on every street. We watched more than one trip on the jagged edge of a stone that wasn’t flattened enough or slide and catch their balance. I can’t imagine that in the rain. That would be when you’d stay home.
The municipality includes both the hilltop and a number of lower districts along the sea. It is in the province of Trapani.
The settlement of Erice began in the early 1100s. It’s a menagerie of streets that intertwine and lead toward a castle and garden on the cliff. It’s about 2 p.m. and no one closes today. I’m sure on days like this, the restauranteurs and shop keepers make an income that will sustain them during a solitary winter.
The churches were not open when we visited years ago. Today, most were. I lit a candle for my mama and daddy, as I do in every city around the world I visit. I wish they could have seen the world like this.
🍞 Food photo: “Sicilian Wonder” - an arancini breading with meatball (more like ground meat and peas) inside covered with parmesan crust.
