6-4 Pastry Stop: Erice Shopping and Lunch; Salt Flats & Fun Evening

First stop: cannoli! It was really good. Robbie and I shared half of one … they are sooo rich. Then on to Erice, a small town in the mountains. The bus made it up-up-up a very windy road. This town is on the top of a mountain, with a castle and a church at the top. The main street is really cute (and really steep) with lots of restaurants and little shops. We did manage to support the local economy a little bit. Lunch on a lovely patio, and then back on the bus to the next stop.

The Trapani Salt Flats are well-known and still being used today to produce salt. The drying ponds are spread all around and the major “harvest” is in September when the water has evaporated. It was interesting to see, and to realize they used the same windmill-Archimedes screw process to move the water around as they do in the Netherlands.

Back at the hotel we gathered for a group dinner and were surprised when Allison came out with some musicians she knows. Great sing-alongs with Italian songs; all of us up and on the grass for circle dancing and a super-fun evening with lots of toasts and lots (and lots) of wine! Quite delightful.