Esplorando Sicilia!

So sorry for the lack of updates… I really have no excuse!

Part I of Island Exploring.

The past few weeks have been some of the most fun and therapeutic (i.e. soul-searching) weeks I’ve had so far.  My time is coming to an end so I’ve really been trying to soak up any memories, feelings and lessons I’ve learned while here.

Lani and I agreed to do a bit of soul-searching together while she was here and although we didn’t find all the answers, we made some great discoveries and had a pretty amazing time as well.  Lani made the trek from Florida to Rome to Palermo and finally arrived in Cefalù. Cefalù in the summer is wild!  There are so many people out and about, always some sort of festival going on and I think there are fireworks just about every night.  

Lani in Cefalu!

Marie, Lani and I enjoying some delicious pasta at the Sagra di Pasta!

Sagra di Pasta!

Aeolian Islands

Our first adventure was to join Marie and our friend Paul on a tour to the nearby Aeolian Islands of Lipari and Vulcano.  It was so nice to get out on the sea and see the coast of Sicily from the water.  You realize how huge Sicily is when you get out and explore it.  Lipari was adorable!  We wandered the streets of the center and explored some of the beautiful ruins on the hills. The little island has such a great feel with little to no crowds.  Vulcano was a pretty incredible sight as you can see (and smell) the sulfur steaming out of the top of the old volcano as you arrive.  The sulfur mud baths sounded pretty cool but the island was SO HOT none of us could imagine putting anything warm on our skin so we made our way to the beach... black sand is beautiful but not what we needed to cool us down!  I would definitely love to go back to Lipari and explore some of the other islands next time...

Vulcano from the boat.

Port of Lipari

Port of Lipari.

View from Lipari.

Marie is slightly obsessed with cats so when we spotted these kittens, she and Lani couldn't resist.  This adorable old man invited them in to pet the kittens.  I love this shot!

Pretty cute for a cat. :)

Beautiful Lipari

The quaint, winding streets in the hills reminded me of what you might find in Greece.

Vulcano

The sulfur mud baths on Vulcano.

Black sand beaches - hot hot and hot!

Savoca

The next day Lani and I rented a car in Cefalù, which was pretty funny as I haven’t ever driven in Italy and haven’t driven in two and half months.  After the ball on the stick shift stopped popping off and we figured out how everything worked, we were on our way to explore the other side of the island.  The view was incredible driving along the coast – even from the autostrada.  We would stay a night in Taormina, which is one of the most popular and beautiful destinations in Sicily, known for its beaches and views of Mount Etna.

Our route from Cefalu to Savoca to Taormina.

Lani had done some research and found the amazing little town of Savoca along the way.  Savoca was where a few scenes of The Godfather (Il Padrino) were filmed.* I’m slightly infatuated with The Godfather movies so I almost started to cry when we walked up to Bar Vitelli, which was where Michael Corleone asked Apollonia’s father if he could meet his daughter.  You can also find the church where Michael and Apollonia were married – sigh!  The town was basically empty so it was pretty incredible to explore the streets and enjoy the breathtaking views of the hills and the sea all by ourselves.  Truly an unforgettable little town.

*Fun fact – the scenes were meant to be filmed in Corleone but after the film production wouldn’t pay off the mafia to film there, the mafia blew up one of their trucks so they moved film locations.  Savoca also worked nicely as a location due to its proximity to Taormina, which suited the film stars well because at the time Taormina was the only place in Sicily where luxury hotels could be found.

The winding road up the hill to Savoca - in  a manual rental car.  I was definitely sweating.

Bar Vitelli

Bar Vitelli scene from the The Godfather.

Michael asking Apollonia's father...

Nerds.

The church.

What a view!

Taormina

After getting lost a few times – it’s sometimes impossible to get back on the autostrada when you get off – we finally found our hotel in Taormina. I think Lani may have found the best hotel in Taormina, Panoramic Hotel overlooking Isola Bella.  

View from our room!!

View from the pool.

We opened a bottle of wine and made our way up to the pool where we met a fun group of people who invited us to join them for dinner that night. We ended up going to a Disco until the early morning hours.  If you think dinner starts late here, try going out.  Marie and I have made it out clubbing maybe once or twice in Cefalu because things don't really get started until at least 1 or 2 a.m.  Lani and I stayed out late (or early) and definitely felt it the next day.  But it was all worth it!!

I can't tell you how amazed I've been by how welcoming people are in Italy and especially Sicily.  I've met so many people just by chance who end up shaping the direction of my journey and my experience. I feel so fortunate to have had the chance to stumble upon such wonderful people!

New friends in Taormina!  From Sicily, Australia and New York.

View of Mount Etna from the Panorama in Taormina.

While it was sad to leave beautiful Taormina we had more adventures awaiting us on the other side of the island.  This time we took the route through the middle of the country and I was amazed by how beautiful it was. With Mount Etna towering in the background, you pass through miles and miles of wheat fields with small farms sprinkled throughout.  Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures to post as I was driving and not feeling that great. I'll update with some of Lani's soon.

I'm working on the post continuing our adventures in Cefalu, Castelbuono and Palermo and hope to post very soon!