Page 78 - The Rough Guide of Sicily

on religious holidays. One problem you’ll face all over Sicily is that lots of churches,

monasteries, convents and oratories are closed for restoration (chiuso per restauro).
We’ve indicated the more long-term closures in the text, but even if there’s scaffolding
up you might be able to persuade a workman or priest/curator to show you around.

Museums are generally open daily from 9am to 1pm, and again for a couple of hours
in the afternoon on certain days; likely closing day is Monday, while they close

slightly earlier on Sunday, around 12.30pm. Archeological sites are usually open
from 9am until an hour before sunset (in practice until around 4pm from November to
March, 7pm from April to October, though never bet against a custodian bunking off
early on a slow day). Sites are also sometimes closed on Mondays.

Phones

Dialling 170 or 176 will get you through to an English-speaking operator. You can
find numbers online with the Italian Yellow Pages ( paginegialle.it) or White Pages

( paginebianche.it). To call Sicily from abroad, dial your international access
number + 39 (Italy country code) + number.

Most cellphones bought in the UK and Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, will
work in Sicily, though a mobile phone bought for use in the US might not work here
unless it is triband or supporting GSM. To make sure, check to see if your phone
supports GSM 900 and GSM 1800 frequencies. Prices are coming down, but it

remains expensive to use your cellphone exclusively to make national and
international calls in Sicily. You might simply be able to buy a replacement SIM card
for your own phone, though this depends on the model, contract and service provider.
Or, if you’re coming for more than a couple of weeks, you could even buy a mobile in
Sicily – basic models cost as little as €39. A mobile phone is un cellulare or

telefonino, a recharger is un ricaricatore, and a text message is un messaggio SMS.

Time

Sicily (and Italy) is always one hour ahead of GMT. Italy is seven hours ahead of
Eastern Standard Time and ten hours ahead of Pacific Time.

Tourist information

The Italian Government Tourist Board ( enit.it) has a useful website for general
information, or you can contact the state tourist office organization in your own
country. In Sicily, most towns, main train stations and the two principal airports have
a tourist office (ufficio di turismo) or a Pro Loco office, usually funded by the

Comune, overseeing cultural events and providing tourist information. Other than in
the main tourist areas staff aren’t likely to speak English, but you should at least be