After an idyllic morning with calm seas and clear skies, and fully prepared for Sicily following an erudite lecture by Godfrey Wettinger, we docked over lunch in Trapani. This area once produced jewelry from now depleted red coral. Today there is salt and marble production. We saw the salt pans and marble quarries clearly against an azure Mediterranean backdrop during our ascent by bus to the hilltop town of Erice, which sits on a mountain top some 2500 feet above sea level, defended by steep limestone cliffs and mediaeval fortifications.
Erice is a wonderfully evocative place, both mysterious and theatrical. We walked its narrow marbled streets, with their brilliant chain pattern designs. It this hot region, these streets served the very practical purpose of encouraging ventilation. Off the streets run smaller alleys, known locally as "venulas", which break the currents of wind. Glancing up these narrow "venulas", thin cats disappear into the distance and an occasional glance is exchanged from a doorway or window. Only some 400 permanent residents now occupy the town, the bulk of the population having moved to the coast at Trapani. In the high summer the population swells with the owners of secondary residences. Time seems to have stopped still in Norman times, a period when the town flourished. The town's many fine churches date from that period and each year on Good Friday the famous "Misteri" procession takes place here in an atmosphere of mystic silence and spirituality.
Religion has always been prominent in the life of Erice. The town has its origins with Phoenician traders back in the eighth century BC. In its later temple, dedicated to Aphrodite, sacred prostitution was practiced. The temple was frequented by sailors to ensure their safety at sea. Pleasures today are more innocent: we sampled desserts, good coffee and the local Marsala wines before returning to the repositioned ship by Zodiac from another delightful fishing village that many of returned to explore after dinner. After only our first afternoon in Sicily we were already entranced.
