Change of Plans: Cefalù instead of Palermo

Day before yesterday we received a letter from Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT) informing us that they were changing the Sicily itinerary so that we are staying in less crowded more intimate towns, specifically moving our 3-night stay from Palermo to Cefalù and moving our 4-night stay from Catania to Zafferana.  This is a health and safety measure to avoid large cities and crowds.

And here I was all geared up to explore Palermo!   Before the change, Cefalù was an optional side-trip so I had only watched a Joolz Guide to determine whether to take it.  Now we fly into Palermo and then are transported to Cefalù about an hour's drive away.  Currently we'll be staying at the Victoria Palace Hotel, a small (30 rooms) modern (2017) 4 star hotel that looks quite nice and hopefully we'll have some sort of ocean view and not be stuck at the back.  In the photo below, the town (a 10-15 minute walk away) is way in the background where you can see the Norman cathedral that is famous for its mosaic of Christ Pantokrator.  You can also see how close we are to the beach, although in November I'm not sure how the swimming will be (the hotel also has an outdoor pool).

In the photo below, you can see how nice the side rooms are with their balconies, sort of like a cruise ship.

One review said that the breakfast buffet was on the rooftop and, from the photos, it appears that the selection of items is varied enough with bread and pastries and even bacon and eggs (for the Brits?).  But probably no full English.  

If we are still hungry, there is a pasticceria about half a mile away called L’Angolo delle Dolcezze which produces all sorts of things, including a frosted panettone for Christmas, although I suppose November is a bit early for that.  Even more interesting are the cakes for prima comunione.  They look like wedding cakes!  Laina would love them!  And there's always cassata.

There are also two supermercati a couple of blocks away from the hotel, one called Gourmet Decò and the other Giardina Despar where we can hope to pick up some novello wines in November, right?  Or we can buy some aranciata di Sicilia.  There's also a salami and cheese shop, Salumeria Incognito, a little further toward town on the main highway, Via Roma.

Our first dinner in Cefalù is on our own (as is lunch the second day) so I'm checking out the restaurants.  Le Chat Noir doesn't sound very Italian but the menu lists the name of the dishes in Sicilian dialect and it is supposed to be Sicilian.  On another side street, Via Vanni, there is Il Normanno, without a website but one review says: "Good food at fair prices, definitely recommended for a quiet meal away from the main streets."  OAT recommended Kentia with a view over the ocean and it looks lovely but rather expensive.  Al Porticciolo is similar and offers an online menu with lots of seafood.  Apparently both have a few fixed price menus ranging from 25-40 €, although I don't know if we can eat that much.  Ristorante Via Roma Vecchia is similarly located so we have our pick of seafood restaurants with a view.