The Eyes of Sicily

Community Highlights Europe The Eyes of Sicily

Greetings! I’m posting this way later than I wanted to. In part, it’s because we don’t have as much free time on our hands as we were picturing. I also really wanted to capture the feel of Sicily, so I was dragging my feet trying to find the words. It’s time to get this done and move on though, so some things got my full attention, and some didn’t.

We spent a full 2 weeks on the island of Sicily. Our first stop was for 10 days in Cefalú. It is a small beach town with a stunning backdrop. La Rocca di Cefalú is a cliff that dominates the landscape and towers over this ancient town. At the beach, through the small streets of old town, from our balcony or pretty much every other spot in town, La Rocca informs you of its presence. In my thoughts of Cefalú after leaving, I was left with the impression that La Rocca was an integral part of the experience in Cefalú. It watches over you like a spirit with all its history, previous battles and geological wonder, reminding us to slow down and take in its beauty…and to climb it of course. When Bill and I see anything like it, we immediately ask each other what day we are going to climb to the top (while the kids groan of course). I would have climbed it every day given the time. Our pictures don’t do it justice, but you can get better views of it here. https://www.wondersofsicily.com/cefalu-rocca.htm.

You get the sense that it’s not just La Rocca watching over you. Maybe it’s the mob history of the island that puts it in your head, but nowhere else have our movements felt so observed. Put the trash in the wrong can, you have a phone call from the (off-site) owner 10 minutes later telling you it wasn’t the right one. Walk into the apartment with sand on your feet, someone appears at the door to tell you it’s not ok… which happened the ONE time Evan left the beach without me scrutinizing the sand load of his toes. I suspect all this really comes from generations of a small community looking out for one another. Conceptually, it honestly made me wish there was a little more of this at home so I knew my children would be guided should they make mistakes out of my sight as they make their move towards independence. Maybe not quite to the degree we felt in Cefalú, but hey, can’t I wish for the good without the bad?

The weather didn’t allow us to be at the beach every day (and caused us to miss our day trip to the Aeolian Islands), but we were there as much as possible. It’s the first place we’ve encountered beach clubs which are kind of like a home away from home with bathrooms, changing areas, showers and food for a daily fee (not a nominal one unfortunately). There aren’t places to wash off the sand our fellow apartment dwellers were watching for without access to a club, so we were much less confused about how to tackle this once we figured these places out.

In terms of everything else, we are mostly just up to daily life in another place. School work, cooking at home, trying to find places to work out and order coffee (both of which deserve a separate post) and catching up on our favorite shows at night. Since my mom was with us, we got to live a little more balanced life. Time with her, time alone with Bill, getting to separate the kids and time to call friends were all cherished.

Here are some pictures of our goings on...

Evan graduated to surfing without an instructor for the first time and has decided surfing is hands down how he feels most at peace in the world.

Evan handled all is lesson details without us there, and this is the surf instructor wondering who this kid who seems like a grown up is.

He also decided to start paying attention to what he puts in his body and found a love of cooking. He shopped and cooked for us 3 or 4 times which was amazing!! You can see Bill and I celebrating with our glass of wine outside the grocery store while Evan was shopping!

Here's how you have to carry the groceries home when you forget to take the wheeled cart. Nona is a trooper.

Trevor's still living his best life in the sand and trying all the local cuisines. They serve a breakfast that we can't wrap our heads around. It's a granita with a brioche roll. When you dip the bread in, it tastes just like you've spilled lemonade on your yummy roll and ate it anyway. It's not pictured here, but it's on the table. I will also forever be dreaming of the very best croissant filled with pastry cream I've ever had!!!

Here's mom and I enjoying a little time to ourselves through old town and then trying (and failing) to readjust the ratio of aperol in the aperol spritz.

Our last four days on the island were spent in Taormina. The two-hour drive from Cefalú was phenomenally gorgeous. On the list for this little town was a trip to visit Mt. Etna, take a cooking class and get my hair done. Taormina felt quintessentially more Italian to all of us. It’s interesting to hear why from the kids’ perspectives as it reveals thoughts you would have never known otherwise. Because of Italian sports cars, they assumed everything in Italy would be high end and fancy. Taormina definitely had an heir of luxury to it that we hadn’t seen yet. I think we all would have stayed longer to explore more, but it just wasn’t in the plan.

Here we are on the way to Mt. Etna

We had THE MOST perfect Italian guide you can picture...Rosario (a VERY popular name in Italy). We have videos of him talking just to remember his movie quality Italian accent.

Mt. Etna is a true wonder.

And WINDY!!!

There are hundreds of caves formed from previous lava flows.

Mom, Evan and I loved our cooking class, and Evan crushed it at handmade pasta! Mom and I are now trying every Pasta alla Norma we can find, and Evan finally agrees with me that pesto is delicious.