Day 3 - Salt Pans, Isola Mozia, Marsala, Selinunte

This morning we took the highway to Trapani, then the country road towards Marsala. The 'via del sale' leads past salt fields and old mills. The water often shimmers lavender, probably due to the salt content.

Back on SS 115 towards Marsala, we always headed towards Mozia. The small island is a real insider tip, in autumn there are only a few tourists here and you can sniff the island air in peace. The small jetty made me want to take a trip to the island:

The mill in the background belongs to one of the few remaining active salt works, Ettore Infersa.

Then I took a small boat towards Mozia.

I was luckily able to leave behind a group of elderly, slow-moving Englishmen and had the island mostly to myself. A small path runs along the shore, and you can almost circumnavigate the entire island. Of course, there are also plenty of excavations (stone and other) to see here, as well as remnants of settlements:

The museum on the island is known for this gentleman here:

Well..ok, not everything is still there, but not bad, right?

A lonely pomegranate inspired me for a future dinner:

Back from Mozia, we continued on the country road towards Marsala. You could already see the city from the island - of course in the far distance.

Marsala was naturally in the midday slumber at 2 pm. Everything was closed except for a few bars and pubs. Marsala has a very beautiful old town with wonderful paths made of marble mosaic. Everything is very clean here.

I used the time for a snack:

You're looking correctly :-) this time there was one more course. With the cafe macchiato and cannoli with ricotta (this time with pistachio), I naturally ordered a Marsala secco. When you're in the city...very delicious.

After the second attempt, the waiter finally understood me and told me that the shops only open again at 4:30...that was too long for me despite Marsala.

So I got back in the car and drove along a wonderful coastal road to Mazaro del Vallo. My destination was Selinunte. It took quite a while from Marsala, somehow I missed the connection to the highway to Castelvetrano...but well, it took a bit longer but was really beautiful.

At first, you might think you're on the wrong track in Selinunte. You can find the way to the archaeological park by staying on the main road. There are no signs, but the entrance to the park is signposted.

And, as you might suspect, the Greeks have also influenced this place:

You can spend a few hours here if you want. The sun had already done me good today and after an hour I made my way back home.

Upon arriving home, I prepared a delicious eggplant caponata:

(@Annika: Okay, my designer's heart is screaming at this sight too, but here there is only this 'tablecloth'...)

This is how it goes:

 Dice a small onion, dice an eggplant, fry them in olive oil until well cooked (probably 20 minutes), then add 2 teaspoons of fresh pesto, salt, pepper, and oregano. And finally, sprinkle with grated Pecorino (it needs to be used up :-) and let it melt briefly. Place a slice of bread with ham, top with the caponata, and you're done. Serve with a salad of endive (the delicious, slightly bitter one that is only found in Italy), tomato, arugula, capers, radishes (I'll skip those again...) and what goes on top?? Noooo, this time no cheese :-) I found ground pistachios in Erice yesterday. So sprinkle them on top and enjoy. Accompanied by a glass of white wine from Mount Etna...a little boring for me, but that's a matter of taste.

For dessert, we have the delicious mini pears again and a Marsala..one must enjoy life.

Best regards from Sicily and see you tomorrow!