Enna. The Beautiful Surprise We Didn’t See Coming
Enna wasn’t supposed to be a big thing.
It started as a simple “let’s stop by” on our way back from the Roman hunting house near Piazza Armerina, the one with mosaics so perfectly preserved it makes you wonder if the Romans secretly had underfloor heating and Insta.
At that time, we were still at the very beginning of exploring Sicily, our new home, and we didn’t even have the idea of a YouTube channel yet.
We had no clue what kinds of wonders were waiting for us.
We were just two people curious about the place we had moved to… and Enna decided to make an entrance.
Arriving in the clouds (literally)
The drive up felt endless, in that dramatic, slightly alarming way when the car keeps climbing and climbing and you start noticing signs saying cars must have snow chains in winter.
Meanwhile the temperature outside was 30+ degrees (celsius) and we were sweating in summer clothes thinking,
“Snow? Here? Sure.”
Later we learned that yes, Enna actually gets snow. Proper snow. A Sicilian city covered in white.
We will absolutely return to Enna again, but once winter ends, because we are not brave enough to test mountain roads with our summer tires. :D
We parked near Castello di Lombardia, the massive Norman fortress guarding the highest point of central Sicily. And that was about the time when we realised that this will be one of our favourite places in Sicily.
The view from our... well... parking, was absolutely unreal. The entire island a map laid out below us. You can even see Etna, standing quietly in the distance like a giant who knows exactly how impressive it is. Or she is. I do not know why Etna has always felt like a she for me.
It was one of those quiet, emotional moments where the world suddenly becomes bigger and more magical than you expected.
A city that feels strangely… wealthy
As we wandered around, we kept having the same thought:
“This place looks… rich?”
I don't mean flashy "fancy cars, brands everywhere" type of rich. Just beautifully maintained, clean, organised, with elegant (and most importantly renovated) buildings and a sense of calm purpose.
Later we learned that Enna has long served as a provincial and administrative centre, one of Sicily’s “official” capitals, which explains the polished atmosphere.
A government city on top of a mountain. Of course it looks this put together.
The hunger crisis (and a lesson about siesta)
Now, onto the drama.
We had been walking for hours, completely enchanted by Enna…
and also absolutely starving.
It was 15:00, the exact time when, as we quickly learned, eating real food becomes borderline illegal in Sicily.
Some shops were still open, yes, but restaurants?
Closed.
Bars with actual food?
Closed.
Anything resembling lunch?
Closed.
And of course, between 15:00 and 19:00, you simply do not eat. It is a no-no.
Only water automats and tabacchi shops were open at that hour, which felt like a personal attack on our very non-Sicilian stomachs. To make things worse, the city was preparing for a festival… which included numerous pizza ovens lined up and ready, but, naturally, not operating until 19:00.
Nothing tests human character like standing in front of already warming up, but not yet fully functioning pizza ovens while hungry.
Aperitivo, our unexpected salvation
By some miracle, we found one café open. We accepted our fate and ordered cocktails, because, at that point, liquid calories were better than none.
But, once the aperitivo arrived... the waiter also placed snacks on the table. Then more snacks. Then even more snacks. And just like that our stomachs were saved by the aperitivo!
We had to Google if this was normal or if someone was secretly trying to make us pay way too much for two cocktails.
Turns out that aperitivo is always this generous at 15:00, it is an important tradition in Sicily... probably because nothing could be worse than drunk and hungry tourists. :D
We ordered another cocktail (as a gratitude gesture) and another full set of snacks arrived. For the first time in our lives, we reached the level of fullness where we had to politely decline free food.
A historic moment.
Festival time
Even though the hunger crisis had been solved, we couldn’t resist going back to the festival once it finally opened.
One thing we truly appreciate in Sicily is the ticket/token system at events.
You buy your tokens at one central cashier and then exchange them for whatever food or drink you want at the stalls.
Fast, simple, no awkward moments of counting cash or waiting for Wifi to connect to the mobile card station... or whatever it's called.
This Enna festival was actually the first time we experienced this system, so by the time we went to Oktoberfest (check our video) later, we already knew exactly how it works.
The pizzas were incredible, of course. Sicily doesn’t really do mediocre pizza, even at festivals.
My only regret
We barely took any photos. At the time, we weren’t thinking like people who would later need material for a blog or for our YouTube channel. We were simply exploring and enjoying.
Enna stayed with us because it was experienced, not documented.
Final thoughts
Enna was supposed to be a quick stop. Instead, it became one of the highlights of our early Sicilian adventures, the moment we realised just how endlessly surprising this island can be.
We will be back. With our camera this time. And with a stomach that knows better than to demand lunch at 15:00.
If you would like to follow more of our adventures, you can find us both here and on our YouTube channel.
Sicily has many more surprises waiting.
