Throughout Sicily exist charming mountain-top villages like this one pictured, Licodia Eubea. Often sporting timeless architectural elements and supporting populations of less than 3000 people, such places take on a special ambience, one where it seems everybody knows your name. As you stroll down the main “corso,” you are bound to encounter different characters who play archetypal roles in a familiar play. That’s the joy of spending time in a non-touristy hilltop town — after just a few night’s stay, you’ll start to recognize the local personalities. And once the explanation of who you are spreads through the whispers of the bars, bakery, and newsstand (Give it one to two hours!), as long as you’re friendly, you’ll become part of the rhythm of each day. By your third morning, you’ll be taking an espresso shoulder to shoulder with your new friends at the bar.
52 Reasons to Love Sicily | #47. Storybook Mountain Towns
Throughout Sicily exist charming mountain-top villages like this one pictured, Licodia Eubea. Often sporting timeless architectural elements and supporting populations of less than 3000 people, such places take on a special ambience, one where it seems everybody knows your name. As you stroll down the main “corso,” you are bound to encounter different characters who play archetypal roles in a familiar play. That’s the joy of spending time in a non-touristy hilltop town — after just a few night’s stay, you’ll start to recognize the local personalities. And once the explanation of who you are spreads through the whispers of the bars, bakery, and newsstand (Give it one to two hours!), as long as you’re friendly, you’ll become part of the rhythm of each day. By your third morning, you’ll be taking an espresso shoulder to shoulder with your new friends at the bar.
About the author
Allison Scola is founder, owner, and curator of Experience Sicily and the Cannoli Crawl. Named one of the experts for the 2019 New York Times Travel Show, Scola writes and lectures on Sicily and leads immersive tours and designs custom itineraries that delight discerning travelers. She has been featured on Rudy Maxa’s World with the Carey’s, America’s #1 Travel Radio Show and as the cannoli expert in the documentary Cannoli, Traditions Around the Table. Scola has lectured about Sicily at University of Pennsylvania, The New School, LIU Post University, Queens College, Westchester Italian Cultural Center, at high schools in the New York City metropolitan area, and at events in New York City.