Trapani, Sicily

We woke up New Year's Day a bit disoriented.  After listening to firecrackers all night, I needed a cappuccino.  Alessandro graciously offered us a tour of his beloved city.  Still unsure of distance and fearing the kids would not survive a two hour walk, we piled in his Fiat with his recently adopted begeal, Charlie, and his other guest Merta and drove 5 minutes into the city center.  I learned that West Sicily, where Trapani sits, is traditionally poor and heavily influenced by Arab and Phoenician culture.  The city layout resembles the Middle East more then the rest of Europe.  We started at the Villa Margherita gardens and immediately spotted a playground.  Of course, we had to stop.

The beautiful park included centenarian trees and a bird conservatory.  Owen and Charlie loved the animals.

We walked the Corso Vittorio Emanuele, the pedestrian main street that was still decorated for Christmas and almost completely deserted.  Alessandro pointed out Churches that dated from the 1200s tucked between restored medieval buildings.  We stopped at a cafe and I ate my first of the top ten desserts in Sicily - cannoli.

Originally a Phoenician trading center and port (yes - the city is that old), Trapani flourished form BC through the Middle Ages.  Although now layered in grime, the architecture amazed me and the sea provided picturesque views.

Since all of the restaurants and grocery stores remained closed for New Year's, we ended our first day once again eating dinner at Alessandro's.