My favourite places to visit (continued)

Old church door, watercolour

To continue my virtual  tour around Sicily I delved into my sketchbooks and chose to visit Erice, a mediaeval town high on a hill 750m above sea level.

There a two ways to get up to Erice (unless you have a helicopter), you can drive up the steep and winding road or get on the cable car from Trapani....not for the faint-hearted!

Once you're there it's like going back in time.  The old cobbled streets, ancient churches and two castles give you a real sense of history.   The origins of Erice go right back to the Elymians, but it was also conquered by the Arabs and the Normans giving  the town an original architectural and cultural mix found only in Sicily.

You can fill a whole day exploring and looking...or tasting some of the local pastries!

Admire the breathtaking views along the coast, it's said you can see Etna on the other side of the island on a clear day.