ITALY, Sicily.
Via Francigena Normanna - III.
A nine-days hike from Maniace to Messina.
21/May/2024 to 29/May/2024.
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| Messina, end of the 21 days hike. |
Itinerary from Palermo to Messina:
(In grey color, the previously hiked sections of the trail)
1. Palermo – Bagheria (26km)
2. Bagheria – Eremo-San-Felice, Ponte Saraceno (24km)
3. Eremo-San-Felice – Caccamo (12km)
4. Caccamo – Montemaggiore-Belsito (17km)
5. Montemaggiore – Caltavuturo (22km)
6. Caltavuturo – Polizzi (13km)
7. Polizzi – Petralia-Sottana (13km)
8. Petralia-Sottana – Gangi (15km)
9. Gangi – Nicosia (23km)
10. Nicosia – Troina (23km)
11. Troina – Cesarò (19km)
12. Cesarò – Maniace
13. Maniace – Randazzo
14. Randazzo – Floresta-Elicona (18.0km)
15. Floresta – Montalbano (18.4km)
16. Montalbano – Novara di Sicilia (23.2km)
17. Novara di Sicilia – Castroreale (23.1km)
18. Castroreale – Santa-Lucia-del-Mela (12.6+2.6km)
19. Santa-Lucia-del-Mela – Rometta (25.0-2.6km)
20. Rometta – Villafranca-Tirrena (13.5km)
21. Villafranca-Tirrena – Messina (16.6km)
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Weather forecast
(as on Tuesday 21/May/2024). |
Monday 20/May/2024.
Home to Catania journey.
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Vintage split-flap flight information display
at Brussels Airports. |
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Catania,
the duomo square reached around midnight. |
Transportation:
---- NMBS train from Spa to Brussels -Airport, 13:16-15:50, 2h34.
---- Alitalia flight AZ165 from Brussels (BRU) to Rome-Fiumicino (FCO), 18:25-20:30, 2h05.
---- Layover 0h50.
---- Alitalia flight AZ1759 from Rome-Fiumicino (FCO) to Catania (CTA), 21:20-22:35, 1h15.
---- Alibus from the airport to downtown Catania, 4€.
|---| Hotel Centrale Europa, hotel room, Catania, 44€.
Tuesday 21/May/2024.
Catania to Maniace journey.
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Metro ride from Catania to the
Circumetnea train station. |
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End of the 1h55 train journey
from Catania to Randazzo.
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Dropped at Maniace by
the B&B owner (a 16km ride). |
HIKE 1 (#13 since Palermo).
From Maniace to Randazzo (~14km).
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| Along the Torrente della Sarcena. |
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| Grotta della Farina. |
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| Oil pumping. |
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| The Etna volcano. |
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| Monument at Murazzo Rotto. |
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| Approaching Randazzo. |
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Half kilo of strawberries, 0.99€ or 1.99€ ?
Indeed, 1.99€ ! |
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| Campari-Spritz at Bar Scrivano. |
Transportation:
---- Metro ride from Catania-Stesicoro to Catania-Borgo, 1€.
---- Ferrovia Circumetnea train from Catania-Borgo to Randazzo, 8:08-10:03, 1h55, 5.60€.
---- Taxi ride from Randazzo to Maniace.
|---| Margherita, B&B room, Randazzo, 45€.
Wednesday 22/May/2024.
HIKE 2 (#14 since Palermo).
From Randazzo to Floresta (18.0km, +875m, -364m, average).
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Scenic view from the
Basilica di Santa Maria terrace. |
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Scenic view from onto Randazzo, now from
the other rive of the Fiume Alcantara river. |
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| The trail starts between vine yards. |
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| Encounter with other Via Normanna hikers. |
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| View onto the Etna volcano. |
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| Santa Maria del Bosco nature reserve. |
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| Santa Maria del Bosco nature reserve. |
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| Santa Maria del Bosco nature reserve. |
Floresta. |
Floresta, the hotel at the right hand side,
the welcome bar at the left hand side. |
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| A Campari-Spritz at the "Central Bar". |
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Diner at the hotel,
also the local shop. |
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| Hail. |
|---| Hotel Sant'Anna, hotel room, Floresta, 40€.
Thursday 23/May/2024.
HIKE 3 (#15 since Palermo).
From Floresta to Montalbano (18.4km, +606m, -977m, moderate-challenging).
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Decoraded stairs at the
Maria Santissima Assunta Basilica. |
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| Castello Frederico III castle. |
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| A Campari-Spritz at the Corso Principe Umberto. |
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| The B&B for tonight. |
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| View from the Belvedere. |
|---| Domus Aurea, B&B room, Montalbano-Elicona, 30€.
Friday 24/May/2024.
HIKE 4 (#16 since Palermo).
From Montalbano to Novara-di-Sicilia (23.2km, +814m, -1107m, demanding).
|---| L'Aria di Rocca, whole apartment, 30€.
Saturday 25/May/2024.
HIKE 5 (#17 since Palermo)
From Novara-di-Sicilia to Castroreale (23.1km, +618m, -864m, moderate-challenging).
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| Piazza Aquile. |
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| A Campari-Spritz at "Bar Duomo". |
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| Sunset, from the B&B balcony. |
|---| Le due Cantine, whole apartment, Castroreale, 42€ incl breakfast.
Sunday 26/May/2024.
HIKE 6 (#18 since Palermo).
From Castroreale to Santa-Lucia-del-Mela (15.2km, +506m, -575m, average).
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"A thing of beauty is a joy for ever,
its loveliness increases,
it will never pass into nothingness". |
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| Cannistrà, grafiti on an electricity pole. |
Santa-Lucia-del-Mela. |
| A Campari-Spritz and canolo at Dolciaria Nicotina. |
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| Reaching the Trattoria, 2.5km out of town. |
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| Private quite garden terrace. |
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| Balcony view onto Santa-Lucia-del-Mela. |
|---| La Pergola, room at a trattoria, Santa-Lucia-del-Mela (out of town). 35€ incl breakfast.
Monday 27/May/2024.
HIKE 7 (#19 since Palermo).
From Santa-Lucia-del-Mela to Rometta (22.4km, +1296, -1065, demanding).
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| Sorgente Paola spring. |
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| San-Cono |
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| San-Cono, the bakery and Restaurant. |
|---| Casa Vacanze Felice, whole house, San-Cono, 33€ incl breakfast.
Tuesday 28/May/2024.
HIKE 8 (#20 since Palermo).
From Rometta to Villafranca-Tirrena (13.5km, +312m, -721m, average).
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| Rometta, city gate. |
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| Rometta. |
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| Rometta castle. |
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| Descent to the Chiesa Madonna Scala. |
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| Along the Torrente San Pietro. |
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The Torrente Saponara riverbed
is finally left for a trail. |
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| Castello de Bauso and Chiesa Nicola di Bari. |
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| Sunset, with the Eolian Islands at the horizon. |
|---| Résidence Don Turi, B&B room, Villafranca, 59€.
Wednesday 29/May/2024.
HIKE 9 (#21 since Palermo).
From Villafranca-Tirrena to Messina (16.6km, +608m, -726m, moderate-challenging).
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| Calvaruso and the Sanctuario Gesù Ecce Home. |
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| Calanchi di Serro. |
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| Water spring. |
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| Lunch at Don Minico. |
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| Descent to Messina. |
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| Chiesa Santa Maria delle Valle. |
Messina.
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| Wine dispenser, vending machine. |
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| Diner. |
|---| Garibaldi R&B, room, Messina, 79€.
Thursday 30/May/2024.
RETURN HOME journey.
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Isola Bella, Taormina
(observed through the train window). |
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| Back in Catania. |
Transportation:
---- Train from Messina to Catania.
|---| Hotel Centrale Europa, hotel room, Catania, 51€.
Friday 31/May/2024.
RETURN HOME journey (Ctd).
Transportation:
---- Alibus from Catania-Stesicoro to Catania airport, 4€.---- Eurowings flight EW9815 from Catania (CTA) to Dusseldorf (DUS), 10:50-13:35, 2h45, incl 12kg checked bagage.
|---| Patricia's house, Lippstadt.
The guide book:
