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Browsing Tag

Ancient Agora

Europe, Greece

Highlights from Three Days in Athens

To be honest Athens was never really on my radar. I almost ended up visiting the city last year due…

September 28, 2015

About Me

Hi I'm Kiara, the travel blogger and photographer behind Gallop Around The Globe. I can usually be found hiking up mountains, getting lost in the cobblestone streets of my favourite cities, making friends with a furry feline or two, photographing cacti, or grazing on olives and cheese.

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✨️Squirting cucumbers✨️ . . Yes, that is t

✨️Squirting cucumbers✨️
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Yes, that is the real name of this plant 🤣
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I spotted these in the Selinunte temple complex, whilst walking downhill from the eastern group of temples to the Acropolis. I mentioned them to Stu because I thought they looked like mini cacti plants, and he recognised them as being squirting cucumbers (I can't type or say those words without giggling to myself 😆🥒)
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The reason for their amusing name is because when the fruits are fully grown (ripe), they detach themselves from the stem, squirting a stream of mucilaginous liquid as they do so. This liquid contains their seeds and the action of 'squirting' is a means of seed dispersal.
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Clever, eh? 😁 (and they look cute, too 😍)

✨️Holey Rocks✨️ . . What do you do if you

✨️Holey Rocks✨️
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What do you do if you see a giant rock with a hole in the middle? Sit in it and pose for a photo, of course! 😆
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This was taken at the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento, en route to the most easterly temple on the site - Tempio di Giunone.
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Although it was probably our least favourite of the temple complexes in Sicily (primarily due how busy it was compared to Selinute and Segesta), I did enjoy the beautiful gardens overlooking the city (don't bother with the ones you actually have to pay extra to visit!) and, of course, these rocks were great fun 😀
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It's just a shame you can't see the stunning views behind me...

✨️Late afternoon wanders✨️ . . We arrived

✨️Late afternoon wanders✨️
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We arrived into Trapani around mid-afternoon, so by the time we'd figured out where to park the car and checked into our hotel, it was late afternoon when we headed into the city's historic centre to have a look around.
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Although small, Trapani's historic centre is an inviting maze of narrow streets and tall buildings, many of which are ancient churches or gold-stone palazzi (mansions), which have been beautifully restored.
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I loved the way in which the golden glow of the late afternoon sun picked out the colour of the stone work 😊

✨️Salt Pans✨️ . . As you travel down the c

✨️Salt Pans✨️
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As you travel down the coast between Trapani and Marsala, you'll see several salt pans like this one. In fact, salt pans cover around 2000 hectares of land on Sicily's west coast.
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Western Sicily is a big salt producing area and has been for almost 3000 years.
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Windmills like these remain as a symbol of a bygone era (they were used in the process of salt production until the early 20th century), as well as providing a photogenic feature in your salt pan photos 📸 😁

✨️Coastal hikes✨️ . . If you're visiting W

✨️Coastal hikes✨️
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If you're visiting Western Sicily, do not miss a visit to Zingaro Nature Reserve.
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There are several different hiking trails running through the park, but in 35+ degree heat, the only one we fancied tackling was the 14km coastal path. Although this one is by no means flat, it's the easiest and shortest trail, and one that gave us lots of opportunities to cool down along the way, by going for a swim in the beautiful blue waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea.
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You'll find six little coves/beaches that you can stop at, and all are well signposted (and require a small diversion) off the trail. As the coastal path is an out and back, I'd advise walking it 7km one way, decide which bathing spot you like the look of most and make your way there on route back.
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If you get up early enough, you might even be able to squeeze in more than one 😉

✨️On top of the world✨️ . . I didn't have

✨️On top of the world✨️
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I didn't have this place on our Sicily itinerary before we left England, but I'm so glad I added it when we left Marsala this morning.
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Caltabellotta was amazing! It's a hilltop town, 949 metres above sea level, and around a 30-minute drive up steep winding roads from the coast.

Unlike Erice (the first Sicilian hilltop town we visited, near Trapani), it's not at all touristy. In fact we only saw two other people roaming the streets and none of the cafés seemed to be open, despite having their seats set up outside.
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Yes, the town itself may not be picture postcard pretty but wow, the views really are something else! I felt on top of the world up there!
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If you're looking for an off the beaten path destination in Sicily (and those are, as we discovered, few and far between), definitely add Caltabellotta to your list ✅️

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