I had been a little bit concerned about the timing of the holiday. I had booked the trip for the middle of August, which hits not only the tourist high season, but also the mid year public holiday in Italy called "Ferragosto". This holiday dated back to ancient times and was the mid way mark of holidays for most local Italians. So not only would we be competing with the foreign crowds, we would very likely be competing with the local Italian crowds as well as some potential holiday closures. I hadn't taken any of this into consideration when I had booked the trip, so as the big day approached I was wondered whether there would be any negative impacts for us.
On the night before, we left Palermo and boarded a train for the beach town of Cefalu.
It was a very full train.
A train that became progressively more full the further we went. This wasn't an express train between towns, this was a commuter train that seemed to be doing the milk run between Palermo and Messina. There weren't any other options though, so short of hiring a driver to take us, this seemed to be the only way to go. We were fortunate enough to get seats, but we also had all of our luggage with us. At every stop coming out of Palermo, more people boarded the train. It wasn't long before there was almost no space left at all, with people crammed into the aisle and standing shoulder to shoulder in the doorways. These trains have a reputation for pickpockets and theft, so I kept a keen eye on our bags. Luckily, others were also in similar situations to us and seemed to be just as mindful. The trip wasn't long, less than an hour, but with the constant stopping it felt far longer. When we arrived, we wheeled our bags the short distance to the hotel. We quickly got changed into our swimwear and headed towards the old town and the beach.
The old town of Cefalu is a lovely place. It felt every bit the Mediterranean resort town. The streets were compact and narrow, with the historic old buildings lining all the lanes to give it an intimate and welcoming feel. The tourist trade had been very kind to this town and everything seemed exceptionally well maintained. Everything was neat and tidy, all the shops and buildings were all immaculately restored.
The town itself was very small and we soon arrived at the beach. It was a lovely Mediterranean beach. The water was beautifully calm and the sand was covered in the umbrellas of the beach clubs. We walked along the entire boardwalk. It stretched towards the very end of the town.
We ducked back into the old town itself and visited the old wash house and the incredible doorway which opened up to the small beach and harbour next to the town. It was all visually stunning. We looped back into the town again and found small galleries and a place to eat.
Satisfied with our exploration of the town itself, we went back to the beach. The town really was very small. I was enjoying our explorations, but I was also glad I didn't commit too much of our time to this place. A day or two seemed more than enough to get most of the sights and to enjoy much of what the town had to offer. With its close proximity to Palermo, it also seemed completely inundated with day trippers and so it also didn't seem to be the best place to linger for too long in search of relaxation. I hadn't been in Sicily too long, but I already felt there would be better more far off places that would offer better options for that sort of respite. Back at the beach, we wandered along the boardwalk again in search of some spots at a beach club. Several were already full, but the hosts were helpful in pointing us towards other clubs that may be more accommodating. We eventually found a spot about half way down the beach. It wasn't as close to the main part of the old town as we would have liked, but it did instead give us a far more impressive panoramic view of the entire town in the shadow of the "rock".
On the beach, we found our chairs and enjoyed the beautiful day. The sun was shining. The weather was warm. The water was wonderfully cooling. Families sat near us chatting and playing games. Other couples lay next to one another holding hands and sleeping. We ordered some food and drinks and embraced our surroundings.
Our initial disappointment at not being closer to the main part of the old town also quickly disappeared as we discovered that we were at the part of the beach which had a long sandbank. We were able to walk along the sandbank out several hundred metres into the middle of the ocean. I went out several times, jumping in and out of the water and looking back at the picturesque town. After a few more trips in and out, I grabbed my phone and walked further out again. I stood back with Veronica and we took photos of this surreal location, being so far out in the middle of the water. The water itself was also incredibly clear. We had been lucky the last few years with our travel and we had seen the blue of the Mediterranean in different places, each time uniquely striking in its colour. This time, I was amazed by the clarity of the water. It was like a shimmering glass, so perfectly clear that I could see our feet clearly even as the water lapped at our shoulders.
We went back to the hotel for a brief rest. The beach had been very enjoyable but the heat had been tiring. We napped in our room before getting ready to go out again. It was dark and the intense heat of the day was gone, but it was still comfortably warm. We walked back towards the old town to find a place for dinner. The town had been completely transformed for the evening. With Ferragosto, there were lights and decorations everywhere.
This was a happy period for the Italians. A time of rest and celebration that traced its time back to the Roman era. Each street had been adorned with the bright lights for the festivities and it gave the entire town a joyous carnival like feel. It was late, but everything was open. The streets were full of happy people enjoying the lovely evening. The cafes were full. The stores open for business. It was an incredible feeling to be surrounded by the revelry and the happiness was infectious. We walked down the main street and bought arancini to snack on as we looked for something more substantial. Each of the arrancino was hand made to order and immediately cooked in front of us. They were crispy and hot on the outside, hot and soft on the inside. It was a warm and satisfying feeling to eat them as we sat on the side of the street watching the laughing crowds go by.
We walked further down the edge of the water and found a restaurant by the sea. We sat outside on the terrace and ate dinner. It was a large restaurant, but the inside was empty. The true attraction was outside and everyone was seated out on the lovely terrace facing the ocean. On the one side we could hear the waves of the ocean, on the other side we could hear the distant sounds of crowds and parties. Along the coast, there were other restaurants, all with their terraces full of diners. After dinner, we headed back into the town. The parties were starting there was music everywhere. We walked around the harbour, admiring the scene and soaking up the incredible atmosphere. Everyone had warned me about Ferragosto. Too crowded. Everything closed. I couldn't disagree more with all the advice on this. This was a wonderful time to be in Italy.
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