
25 Jul Erice
Thursday 20th October 2016 7am – Aegean Odyssey delivered us to Trapani, a city on the west coast of Sicily housing a population of approximately 70,000 people. This was our base for an excursion to the small town of Erice.

We were docked right next to Piazza Garibaldi in Trapani.

Giuseppe Garibaldi is celebrated in Sicily for liberating the island from the Bourbons (French) in the 1860s and for his part in the unification of Italy.


Our destination, Erice, can be seen in the background on the mountain (in the centre of the above photo).
On the way to Erice we stopped at a windmill that was used to drain water from the salt pans. We were told that while this area still produces salt it is no longer economically competative for large scale comercial harvesting.

From there we headed up the mountain to Erice, 751 meters above sea level.
According to the “locals” I spoke to, Erice is pronounced “e-reach-ay” with emphasis on “reach”.

A prehistoric village on this mountain was founded by the Sicans (who arrived on the island around 6000 BC), Sicans are thought to be the first people to inhabit what we now know as Sicily. Then came the Elymians to Sicily and this site. They recognised the strategic value of the location and constructed various fortifications.

It is difficult to determine how many people now live in the small town of Erice. While the website citypopulation.de states just under 28,000 (2016 census), Wikipedia indicates a population of over 28,000. However I believe both are referring to the “Commune of Erice”, which extends down to the sea. A realistic population figure for the mountain top town is around 560 people (http://italy.places-in-the-world.com).
But what do they all do? There is no obvious agricultural activity in the town, nor are there large resorts to support tourism. Perhaps Erice’s close proximity to Trapani means its people can find work and produce there? However, tourism obviously plays an important role in the life of this town during the warmer months.

The cobblestones shown above are a feature of Erice’s streets.





Maggie is standing near the Pepoli Castle


The Torretta Pepoli is a small villa/castle built in 1870 by count Agostino Pepoli on the slopes of Monte Erice, below Torri Pepoli. It was restored and reopened in July 2014 July.


Captain Andersson is reporting to the passengers of Aegean Odyssey that he rode his bike to Erice. We wondered if he, just might have, slipped into the cable car for a part of the journey? Although, he is obviously a fit man.

I read this note about Erice, “one does not visit Erice for the sights, one visits just to be there”.


Via Vittorio Emanuele is the busiest street in town, “crowded in” by cafes and restaurants with alfresco dinning, souvenir displays, tourists and delivery vehicles.






We purchased glazed ceramic house numbers here.

The locals in Erice were welcoming and the atmosphere relaxed. I felt I could stay a few days and soak in what it means “just to be there”.
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Coming soon: Our next destination is Cartagena in Spain. I hope you join us to read more of our “Voyage to Antiquity”.
John Weedon
Posted at 10:32h, 25 JulyA very European experience from your collection of photos. You should us them in your next job as a tourism facilitator 😆
Thanks for the many hours spent preparing this blog.
John W.
alistairstravel
Posted at 15:53h, 25 JulyThank you John, yes each blog does take a while to prepare.
Kevin @ Bev G.
Posted at 11:48h, 25 JulyAlister, The photos capture the tranquility you ( and Maggie) obviously experienced wandering through those soft scenes! Breathtaking!
The paved alleys are most impressive.
Cheers, and love, K’n’B.
alistairstravel
Posted at 15:55h, 25 JulyThank you Kevin, I’m pleased the ambience of Erice come though in the photos.
Michelle Daniels
Posted at 19:19h, 25 JulyFabulous pictures of Erice, gives everyone a real personal insight in to what to expect from this wonderful destination!
alistairstravel
Posted at 06:52h, 26 JulyThank you for this comment Michelle. I’m pleased you feel I have represented Erice faithfully.
darylhwslhd
Posted at 09:11h, 27 JulyGreat photos and descriptions of the area. It was nice to see a photo Maggie.
alistairstravel
Posted at 10:56h, 27 JulyThanks Daryl, Maggie does appear in most of the blogs, although not always as prominently as in this one. Of course I must always seek her approval if I include a feature photo, such as in Erice.