Week 2 Part 1: Sicily

"The Motherland"

 

Week 2: Part 1

The word "week" is used loosely here, because our whole time in Italy is actually 10 days, & 6 of those days were spent in Sicily, a gorgeous region of southern Italy, also known as the island that the "toe of the boot" is "kicking." For the purposes of this blog and the way I'm telling the story of our 3 weeks in Europe, all of Italy is Week 2. Think of Sicily as part 1 of Week 2 while Rome & Cinque Terre will be part 2 of Week 2. After that, our trip includes 5 more days before we head home State-side, so that will be Week 3 (Paris and Barcelona).

Unfortunately I'm a week behind on my posts, but that just means we're having too much fun, right? I think so.

As I write this post about the beginning of the second week, I sit on a train to Madrid at the end of our third week. Tomorrow night, I'll be back home in the States. On one hand, it's very hard to believe that this trip we've seen and done so much in such a short time and that it's almost over. On the other hand, it feels as if we all left our separate schools to live in an alternate European universe together and that we've been here for much longer than 3 weeks. 

 

I've had such a blast with Lindsey and Mary Pat, and they have been amazing travel partners. Sharing our adventures with Mom, Paul, and our Sicilian family was a great way to spend the middle of our trip. 

 

As my brother Paul cleverly put it, we visited "the Motherland with our mother." If you couldn't tell by her skin that's just a liiiitle bit tanner than mine, our mom is 100% Italian. Sicilian, from the South where the people have tanner skin and darker hair. I feel very lucky to be half Italian and to have taken the trip of a lifetime to a country that means so much to my immediate and extended family. I already can't wait to go back someday. 

 

Famiglia 

Sicily is a beautiful, traditional and authentic part of Italy, but it's certainly not as touristy as places like Rome, Florence and even the Amalfi Coast. The primary reason for spending so much time in Sicily was to see our cousins (cuginos). It doesn't matter what degree of cousins we are (first, second, etc.) We're all family and we all call each other cousins... plus, the connections are too complicated to explain without a family tree drawing. 

The important thing to know here is that we visited some of my mom's favorite cousins who live in Sicily, and she hadn't seen them in 30 years! Talk about a family reunion!

If you do the math, you probably figured that us kids (my siblings and me) had never met my mom's cousins or their children before. You would be correct. However, if you sat at the dinner table with us, you would never know that we hadn't grown up together like the rest of my cousins back home. Minus the language barrier, which really wasn't a big deal most of the time! Sitting and having meals with them, playing soccer and volleyball, and enjoying the beach was absolutely wonderful.  

  

 

 

 

Palermo 

In Palermo, the capital of Sicily, we stayed in an area called Politeama. There is a beautiful theater and plaza in the center, which definitely gave us the feeling of being in Italy. The Prada store on the main street and the Ferrari exhibition one night didn't hurt the image either.  

 

Palermo isn't nearly the most touristy city in Italy, and it isn't the easiest to access, but it's worth it. It was such an awesome place to visit because of the authentic little streets, delicious local food, and beautiful beaches.

 

Mondello Beach was fun & chill, & the water was some of my favorite ever

 

Mama Rose soaking up the culture & the sun 

 

Brioche, best described as a gelato sandwich, 2 scoops of gelato squished into a bun (sometimes with a cone on top just for fun)

Taormina

It's difficult to compare Taormina to anywhere else I've been. It's absolutely stunning... The views are breathtaking, the water is super clear, the cobblestone streets and cliffside homes are picturesque, and the bright purple flowers dotting every landscape bring it all together and make you question if everything you're seeing is actually real. 

Disclaimer: we took tons of great pictures, but they'll never do the scenes justice. 

To give you a bit better idea of how cool this east coast Sicilian town is. I'll tell you how I see it. From what I've seen in real life and in movies, I'd say it's a similar set up to Cinque Terre with the beauty of Hawaii sprinkled with the vibe of a Greek island. Doesn't sound terrible, does it?

While in Taormina, we saw a historical outdoor theater, had drinks at a bar overlooking the water, ate a fantastic seafood dinner, and rode a ski lift/gondola up the mountain to see the best views.

 

Lookout area above the cove 

 

Theater 

 

M

 

Milkshakes with kahlua at one of the beach bars in the main cove 

 

Casteluccio (note: the tiramisu & tartufo for dessert were both amazing, too)

 

Naxos gondola from the lower point of Taormina on the water to the higher point in the main town

The best of the best 

Favorite food: Arancine (ar-en-chee-nee)

*disclaimer: this was my favorite food to buy in Sicily. All the food we ate at our cousins' houses was equally delicious. So was the red wine :) 

What: Arancine balls- balls of risotto about the size of a tennis ball, stuffed with meat, cheese & sometimes veggies, coated in bread crumbs and lightly fried

Why: to Americans, they're not commonly known, but in Italy and especially Sicily, they're a must-have

Where: mostly cafe or restaurant; will have to debate on who found the best one 

How much: €1-3, which Mom says is a small price to pay for a delicious food that takes so much time to make 

 

 

Paul eating an iris (pronounced ee-dees) which is a dessert version of an Arancine 

Favorite drink: Lemon Granita 

What: slushy lemon sorbet with beer poured on top of it (like a refreshing adult float)

Why: it's something new and different to me, but it's a common drink in Sicily and other parts of Europe

Where: drink vendors on the street; granita stands & gelato shops; our cousins' houses  

How much: about €3-4 

 

 

Favorite activity: family time 

What: seeing the towns where our family lives & where our Nanu grew up 

Why: our cousins are so much fun and we loved relaxing with them in their homes and seeing stunning views... Also, it was an unforgettable moment to see the place my mom's dad grew up with his 7 siblings before he immigrated to the U.S. and started a new life in St. Louis 

Where: Palermo, Terrasini, and Cinisi (my grandpa's hometown) 

How much: priceless

 

Traveler's tip:

When you travel for an extended period of time (2 weeks or more) try to schedule some relaxation time right in the middle of your trip. Halfway through our 3 week trip, we were very fortunate to spend 4 days eating, drinking, laying on the beach, doing a bit of sightseeing, and of course spending time with friends and family. Even if it's just 1 day, it's important to take some time to relax as you would at home on a weekend. You'll be happy to catch up on some sleep and rest your feet, and you'll be re-charged for the next length of your trip. 

Fortunata (lucky)

I can't get over how lucky I am to have shared this experience with Linds & Mary. But... you've only heard about half of it so far, and there's more to come!

Ciao for now!

We can't say "grazie" enough to our amazing cousins in Sicily! I hope to visit more of Italy and see our family again in the near future. Ciao ciao!