Can confirm: Sicily has mosquitoes (and deerflies)

Let’s talk about the weather. Palermo was HOT with temperatures in the low 80s and humidity levels around 82%. You’d think coming from New England this wouldn’t be so bad. Perhaps my time in California has made me soft. The sun is more intense here than in Southern California, especially in the afternoons. Fair-skinned people be warned.  The evenings have been comfortable as the temperature and humidity subside.  No getting sweaty as you towel off from a shower.  

Today (Erice and Trapani) was the first day that we’ve had rain since I’ve been here, and the humidity was near 90% all day, but the temperature in the mid-70s and generally comfortable. Unfortunately a lot of the photos are going to have washed out skies because: A) The skies were cloudy and brightly backlit and B) I haven’t figured out how to compensate for this with the settings on my camera.

Oh yeah, I got eaten alive by mosquitoes at Castello di Venere in Erice. Fortunately, I had prepared for this by packing several mosquito repellent wipes in my luggage. Unfortunately, I left them all in my room back Balata (more on Balata and my hosts later). Guess I should have packed some after-bite.