Sicily Review, now with link to pics!

Not sure how helpful this will be since I stay with family but figured I would post anyway. I will add pictures when I get home, they are on my facebook and I can't access them from work!

Sicily 08/31-09/10

Flight: Alitalia JFK to Rome and then Rome to Catania and back. easy flight, no complaints

Things I did:
Beach a few times, amazing beaches with rocks instead of sand, and one has an ice cold river that runs right to the Sea!

Toarmina: great ancient little town, tourist friendly, some shopping. BEAUTIFUL views since you are high up on a cliff. Lots of great old buildings and churches. There is an ancient theater there - we took pictures to recreate my parents wedding pictures!

Castelmola: another town with great architecture and even BETTER views as it is the next town UP.

Mount Etna: still active volcano. Great for casual hikes, mountain climbing and even overnight exursions. Anyone who is interested, let me know because my cousin works on the mountain and loves showing people around. AMAZING VIEWS.

Catania: the "big city." great shopping, great gelato LOL many beautiful buildings, piazzas and churches.

Tindari: a absolutely GORGEOUS church on a cliff. The legend is a girl was drowning, when the mother prayed to the Madonna, the sea dried up where the sand is. You can look down into the sea and see the shape of the Madonna in the sand.

Linguaglossa/Piedemonte Etneo: these are my favorite towns but not very touristy. This is where my family is from and you get the real sense of small town Sicily here. Church bells, old men sitting in the piazza, shutting the town down midday to take a nap and eat a big meal, clothes hanging out to dry, named streets that you can barely fit ONE car down etc.

Things to eat:

granita and brioche for breakfast ( a slushy ice - its amazing )
gelato of course
mozzarella, provalone, ricotta ( its a hard circle not the one from Pollyo LOL )
prosciutto and spek
pistachios ( in your pasta not as a snack )
oranges, peaches
almond milk, homemade wine, ESPRESSO!
hamburgers made in orange/lemon leaves
pasta di mandorla: almond cookies
nutella: ITS DIFFERENT!

Weather: H O T, high 90s every day and sunny!

Wedding: Totally different! TOTALLY DIFFERENT!
Church: HOT LOL the bride and groom meet at the back of the church then walk up, pretty long mass but beautful

Cocktail hour: pretty small, you stand around and eat
Reception: a full 12 course formal sit down dinner, DELICIOUS.
Dancing: NONE! only for like 20 minutes: YMCA, tarantella, some disco classics LOL the bride and groom each sang ( and they are not singers )

Misc: There were fireworks at the cake cutting! and no bridal party, just witnesses and a flower girl/ ring bearer type. I left at 3AM but it was still going strong. After, the bride and groom cook for the guests at their new home and the guests play pranks on them so they cant go to bed! like put golf balls all over their bed or little cups of water, etc.

Things to consider:
THEY DRIVE LIKE MANIACS. Of course you can rent a car, figure out the signs etc. but there is no way to explain how different the driving is. lots of unmarked intersections where right of way is assumed, round abouts, and almost constant tail gating.

Everything closes down from 1- 4 and everyone goes home, probably not so much in tourist areas.

If you are polite, they WANT to show you their town so just ask

Things to bring home:
the great foods, leather, lacework, crystal, gold.

Personal: i had an amazing time. best time yet. I just spent time with my family, met my baby cousin and saw some beautiful sights ( all i have seen before but thats okay! ). it helped that i could call DH whenever i needed to. my family is amazing. the lifestyle is just so different, laid back and POLITE. i love how everything is done with such beauty and grace. even if your friends come over, why not set the table with fine china, offer the best refreshments etc. I miss my family so much, cant wait to go back!

photos

if you cant see these, let me know and i will make an LIF album tomorrow!

Message edited 9/15/2009 10:37:42 PM.

Re: Sicily Review

welcome back.

pasta di mandorla

Re: Sicily Review

You just made me sooooo miss my family in Italy! I haven't been in almost 3 years. My cousin is getting married next Summer and we were planning on going, but we will now have a 3 month old, and I'm jsut not sure about travelling that far!

Wasn't the wedding so different, but so amazing? My aunt & uncle got married there 8 years ago and it was awesome. Did they do a serenade?

My parents are there now, coming home on Friday, can't wait to hear the stories and eat the cheese they bring back!!

Glad you had an amazing time!

Re: Sicily Review

welcome back! i'm going next summer so i loved reading this! so glad you had a great time.

what did you wear to that wedding???

Re: Sicily Review, now with link to pics!

My boyfriend is Sicilian and I dragged him to my country (Croatia) a few years ago and he said it was very similiar to Sicily...next European trip I promised would be Sicily and after seeing your pictures--I don't think I'll mind one bit!

Thanks for sharing!

Message edited 9/17/2009 9:38:53 AM.

Re: Sicily Review, now with link to pics!

Posted by DirtyBlonde

welcome back! i'm going next summer so i loved reading this! so glad you had a great time.

what did you wear to that wedding???

Re: Sicily Review, now with link to pics!

Wow. What a beautiful place.

One of my BFs is from Sicily- I'm gonna go nag her to take me.

Re: Sicily Review, now with link to pics!

Re: Sicily Review, now with link to pics!

Welcome back!


Thanks for posting this... I have to try some of the stuff you posted.

Next August, I will be visiting Calabria, Panarea, Lipari & Palermo. Cant wait!

Message edited 9/21/2009 8:48:55 AM.

Re: Sicily Review, now with link to pics!

Posted by JerseyMamaOf2

Posted by CreativeB

My boyfriend is Sicilian and I dragged him to my country (Croatia) a few years ago and he said it was very similiar to Sicily...next European trip I promised would be Sicily and after seeing your pictures--I don't think I'll mind one bit!

Thanks for sharing!

It looks the same right down to your parents .

Re: Sicily Review, now with link to pics!

Looks and sounds wonderful! You have a beautiful family!

Re: Sicily Review, now with link to pics!

Wow, you look like you had such a great time! Beautiful pictures.