So my ten day trip to Sicily ended on the 29th October this year. Ever since I got back, all I've wanted to do is write a blog post about my travels and share my photographs. Unfortunately - as we all know - life gets in the way, and hobbies are reluctantly put aside. So, nearly a month later I've finally got around to writing up my trip! The holiday was an adventure for three generations in my family: me, my Mum, Grandma and my second Cousin. I've been to several parts of Italy many times before, but never to Sicily.
The nearest city to the hotel was Cefalu, a coastal city in Northern Sicily which is known for its Norman cathedral. Like so many places in Sicily, the streets of Cefalu were almost claustrophobic in diameter, to the point where you could almost believe you had wondered onto some kind of Hollywood film set. The Sicilian drivers are not at all phased by the lack of space, and navigate the streets quite nimbly in their fiats. For us, it was hard enough to navigate the streets on foot, but the climb to the Cathedral was well worth it.
The next leg of our journey took us to the Villa Sonia in Castelmola, which is located about halfway between Messina and Palermo. At about 530 metres above sea level, it is quite a climb to get to the Castelmola, and unfortunately the Villa Sonia is not really worth the journey. In short, the hotel is dated, unclean and the staff were rarely around, but guaranteed to be unfriendly and unhelpful. Castelmola however, is the perfect example of small-town Sicily, and is mostly a destination for other Italian tourists.
It is difficult to convey the full wonder of this trip in one blog post, and I will be writing two more posts about my trip to the communal gardens in Taormina, as well as the Casa Cuseni in Castelmola. To sum it up though, Sicily is one of the most beautiful parts of the world I have ever been to, and - as a waiter in Taormina insisted - it is not Italy, it is in a world of its own. The Sicilian people are charismatic, welcoming and proud people who cook incredible food and serve THE best coffee. If, like me, you are a coffee lover in Sicily, then find the most out of the way, miniature cafe in a teapot town in the middle of nowhere so that you can have your espresso with the locals. I guarantee you it will be the best coffee you've ever tasted. As for the wine lovers and foodies out there, you must sample the cannoli, seafood and grab yourself an aperol spritz to wash it down. Even in mid-October, the seas stay warm and the flowers are still blooming. It wasn't cheap, but our ten-day trip was worth every penny.
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About meHi there, my name is Nevada and I'm a twenty-six year old music teacher. The Little Green blog centres around wildlife, gardening and lifestyle photography. All photos are my own and represent the portfolio of an amateur photographer! Archives
August 2020
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