FOR ALL THAT IT'S PART OF ITALY, SICILY
- THE LARGEST IN THE MEDITERRANEAN - IS ANOTHER COUNTRY. IT WEARS
ITS HISTORY ON ITS SLEEVE: with rich relics - temples, churches,
theatres - scattered almost casually. The food has hints of Arabic
spices; the vegetation is exotic with oranges, lemons and palms;
the pace of life slow, warm and friendly. Historical riches include
the show-stopping Greek temples at Agrigento, capital Palermo's
Baroque churches, and Monreale cathedral's medieval mosaics. No
visitor can resist the pull of Mount Etna's eerie volcanic
landscape or the south coast's sandy beaches. Or, of course, a
glass or two of Marsala. Midway between Italy and North Africa,
south, idyllic sandy coves mix with spectacular wave carved rocks
and Cagliari's Citadel and Roman amphitheatre, plus the mysterious
nuraghi stone monuments. Explore inland where time stands still as
farmers tend their sheep and the 'cuaddeddus' wild horses roam
free.