Cefalù!!!

While leaving Roma was sad, arriving in Sicilia quickly removed any doubts I had about leaving Roma for the month of August.  Sicily has been called the "heart of Italy" (although many Sicilians would prefer it to be independent from Italy as a whole – that’s another story) and if that saying has anything to do with the history, food, culture, scenery and the people, I think it’s definitely a fitting name.

Obviously not the route we took but you get the idea.  Sicilia is HUGE!

After the flight from Rome to Palermo (less than an hour) Marie and I took the train from the airport into Palermo and stopped for a quick bite at a little shop outside of the train station.  Immediately we were introduced to how nice the people are here – sweet and eager to help with our broken Italian.  From Palermo it’s about an hour train ride to Cefalù - home for the next month!  Views from the train aren’t always the best and we passed a few relatively industrial cities and small towns and I began to remind myself that not everywhere is going to be beautiful all of the time.  As we came around a bend in the coast, Marie and I got our first glance of Cefalù and to say we were excited would be an understatement.  This is definitely one of those cities that is beautiful all of the time.

Shot of Cefalu in the distance from the train.

My Aunt Sarina’s family is from Cefalù and she was generous enough to suggest I stay here for part of my trip if the family’s apartment was available.  After much coordination on her part, I learned the apartment was free for me to stay for the month of August!  I cannot thank her and her incredibly generous family enough for this opportunity to stay in this beautiful beach town where many Italians spend their own holiday.

I’m usually very prepared with addresses and maps to our exact location, but even Google Maps has trouble showing pinpoint locations for Cefalù.  I figured we had a little searching ahead of us.  Just as we got off the train we were approached by a couple asking if we were American and what our names were.  It was Maria and Carmen (Sarina’s Aunt and Uncle who were staying in the apartment next to her Father’s – the one Marie and I would be staying in).  How lucky were we to be greeted at the train station?

After a quick walk from the train station to Piazza Bellipanni we received a tour of the apartment from Maria.  This place is incredible!!  A great living area, lovely kitchen, spacious bedrooms and a balcony with a view of La Roca. I cannot believe this is where I get to stay for a month!  Maria and Carmen gave us a great walking tour of Cefalù and I think Marie and I got more and more excited at every corner.  This town is simply magical!  I picture John, Sarina, Kaitlin and Jesse around every corner here. :)

Carmen, Maria and Marie enjoying one of the best things I've ever tasted - a ricotta-cream filled donut from the bakery downstairs!

Al Mare!

Our first night in Cefalu!

First night in Cefalu - everywhere you look is like a postcard.

As we'll be spending quite a bit of time on the beach, we invested in a few rafts to float out at sea and an umbrella so we don't fry on the beach.

Blowing up the rafts.

First beach day.

Marie and I have already made a few friends and although we beat ourselves up about our Italian, it’s great to practice with people who hardly speak any English!  I’ll definitely be posting more about the fabulous shops we’ve found – especially the ridiculous bakery just downstairs, the fresh pasta shop just outside (we picked up some ricotta-spinach ravioli to make tonight), the fish shop up the street and the friendly fresh fruit vendors every few blocks (we just picked up 3 peaches, 2 apples and 2 prunes all for 2 Euro!).

As I mentioned, there's something magical about Cefalù and as we stopped to watch the sunset on what seemed like the perfect day we were treated to a wonderful surprise.  Ever since I lived in San Diego I've closely watched the very end of the sunset hoping to catch a sight of the green flash (an optical phenomena that occurs shortly after a sunset, when a green spot of flash is visible, usually for no more than a second or two).  This illusive flash has evaded me for all my sunset-obsessed years and at one point I stopped holding my camera up at the exact moment in hopes of catching it.  I had just mentioned the flash to Marie and as we both quietly watched the final stages of the beautiful sunset below we both saw it - the quick 1-second glow of green light.  I couldn't believe  it at first but knowing Marie saw it too made me stop second-guessing the fact that I finally saw the green flash.  What an incredible start to a month in Sicilian paradise!