Italian trains are some of the best I've had the pleasure of riding. (Apart from one occasion getting my legs caressed by a pickpocket from Napoli to Sorrento... but that's another story)
Generally the trains are modern, comfortable and reliable.
It's this reliability that saw us miss our planned train out of Palermo to Cefalu. We hadn't noticed that the train station was up a very gradual hill from where we were staying. A google map check led us to believe we had left with plenty of time, but it turned out to be we'd arrive at the station with 2 minutes to spare before the train departed...
But we made it to the train door in time and we were about to get on when, the guards stopped us because we were wearing an incorrect face mask...
Bearing in mind the masks we were adorning are NHS approved and were ok for us to use when visiting an intensive care unit in the UK. Not good enough for the Italian train police it seems so we weren't allowed to board unless we bought the correct beak style face masks from the local kiosk.
We stood there on the pavement and watched as the train headed out on time but without us. Deciding to do what the Italians would do in this situation - we went to get a coffee and some food.
Fortunately the kiosk where we had to buy the masks, also sold food and drink:
- Italian train service approved face masks - check
- Panini - check
- Double espresso - check
- Something for the kids to eat - check
A couple of hours later with full bellies we were finally on our way.
We arrived at Cefalù and immediately we were struck by the 'island feel', that feeling you have that life moves a little slower here. It's amazing the differences in lifestyle a short-ish train journey out of the metropolis.
Cefalù is a relatively small seaside town on the North coast of Sicily, still technically within the Palermo metropolitan area despite being an hour away. It has a population of about 14,000 according to Wikipedia, but it felt a lot busier as it is a bit of a tourist destination for Sicilians, Italians and Europeans seeking those island beach holiday vibes.
And to be fair, the beaches were quite nice, if not a little busy for my tastes.
Cefalù is a very nice little town, the narrow winding streets are set below a dramatic hilltop castle that just pleases the eyes. Another thing we notice, being away from the city, is just how clean it is. Sure there is the odd bit of litter, but it is clear that the authorities, and populace are proud of this piece of Sicily.
Walking the streets of the old town was a very pleasurable experience, and once we'd topped up the toddler with gelato, he enjoyed it too. We had a lovely morning casually happily getting lost down the myriad of streets that make up the historic centre of town. You never know what treasure or building you will find.
The jewel in the crown of Cefalù is definitely the Duomo and it is easy to see why. Set back in the piazza and up a flight of stairs, the cathedral is definitely worth a visit, another example of medieval architecture that has been appended over the centuries.
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Time for some food!
Food was tasty, we got to try some of the local pasta dishes, I had the pesto Trapanese - which is now my absolute favourite type of pesto. Here is the boy enjoying getting hands on with his Spaghetti pomodoro.
With our bellies full yet again, we had a lovely gentle walk up the sea wall and watched some of the local kids diving in. It was so hot and the water looked so tempting. If I wasn't holding on to a toddler (and carrying all the baby gear) I'd have been leaping head first into the water as well.
Instead we made do with a bit of rock-pool exploring. Which worked out well as the boy found some "treasure" (a 1 euro coin, but to a 3 year old it was magical!)
What a great day out Cefalù turned out to be. All of us had a lovely time wandering the streets of the old town and then chilling out by the sea. A great location for those, like us, travelling with a young family :)
