Saturday 8 May 2021
At sunrise, under cumulonimbus like cloud mountains, a trawler leaves Mazara del Vallo. The skipper has her on slow ahead. Between this little Sicilian port and Tunisia, just over the horizon, are fat catches of sardines, anchovies and prawns. There is almost no hurry in this region, none on the coast this morning. The sea has been flat for days. I began my exploration of western Sicily here because Mazara is its ancient gateway and one of the towns I love best. An easy drive from the station or the airport at Palermo, along a road that takes you past the stunning Greek temple at Segesta, Mazara is the most languid edge of Europe.