http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Sicily/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Europe , Italy , Sicily en-us Sun, 12 Oct 2008 06:09:40 BST Sun, 12 Oct 2008 06:09:40 BST Aprs 1 dbut d'anne sur les chapeaux de roue notre activit voyageuse s'tait srieusement ralentie part qques jours passs Rome au mois d'aot. Suite un dplacement professionnel de la miss Kumiko Palerme l'ide nous est venue de partir la dcouverte de la Sicile.Notre voyage commencera Palerme et durera 2 semaines. Comme d'habitude je vais prendre des notes durant le sjour pui http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Italy/Sicily/Palermo/blog-332520.html Headed to the airport in Trapani I spend a day and a night here http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Italy/Sicily/Trapani/blog-331776.html 2 days in Erice...yup this is a plug for the Hotel Eidlewise I stayed there nice and clean and they gave me a break because I am a member of World Ventures http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Italy/Sicily/Erice/blog-331774.html After leaving Palazzo Adriano I drove to Segesta whew what a workout that drive was http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Italy/Sicily/Segesta/blog-331772.html I don't get it PA used to be in the database but I can't find it now. http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Italy/Sicily/blog-331769.html Drive from Ragusa to Palazzo Adriano http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Italy/Sicily/blog-331766.html After leaving Noto in the morning I drove to Ragusa http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Italy/Sicily/Ragusa/blog-331763.html Noto was my second destination http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Italy/Sicily/Noto/blog-331760.html Siracusa was my first stop http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Italy/Sicily/Siracusa/blog-331757.html Thursday 18th September Licodia CataniaWhen Kurt and I got up we started our final clean. Kurt took all the suitcases downstairs to the van and I gave the place a final clean. Zia Vincenziarsquos apartment was so clean that I felt I had to give the bathroom a once over and the floors a sweep.We stopped and had our final breakfast with Zia Vincenzia and her daughters Anna Maria and Angela. I http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Italy/Sicily/Catania/blog-330987.html Wednesday 17th SeptemberLicodia VizziniZia Vincenziarsquos soninlaw Guiseppe invited Kurt Joshua and my Dad to go fishing in Lago Licodia. So first thing Wednesday they were up ready to go and Katelyn couldnrsquot make up her mind whether to go fishing or go shopping at the market with me. She was worried about the road and thought the market would be the same size as Licodiarsquos ma http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Italy/Sicily/Catania/blog-330803.html 29 Sept 2008 these blogs being uploaded from Letojanni have to do pics laterAnother sunny day awaits us breakfast was excellent. The residence provided fresh croissants normal cornflakes chocolate cornflakes coffees fruit juice and jams. I imagine the jam was for toast but didn't see anyone having toast. We asked for bowls for the cornflakes you can guess what flavour the boys chose b http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Italy/Sicily/Taormina/blog-330144.html Woke up at 0630am on Wed morn to torrential rain. With a 40min walk to the train stn I had a slight sinking feeling perhaps this was not going to be the easiest trip Luckily Keith our host had also heard and offered a lift. The drama really started when we arrived in Cosenza. In keeping with ancient Paul tradition lack of planning would feature heavily throughout the journey.We got off the tra http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Italy/Sicily/Palermo/blog-327946.html Well since Iceland Irsquove had a busy couple of months. My trip to Italy has been and gone and I loved it and over the coming blogs by the photos you will be able to see why. I originally thought I would only need one for the whole Italy trip but due to over 1000 photos taken that made that a little ambitious But first things first a week after Iceland I moved into a new flat with ori http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Italy/Sicily/Palermo/blog-327898.html Tuesday 16th SeptemberLicodia AgrigentoWe had planned to leave Licodia three days earlier to spend a few nights at Agrigento but between ourselves decided to spend the extra time in Licodia. So we planned to make Agrigento a day trip.Katelyn was given more panadol for her fever and off we set to Agrigento. Although the road was o.k it was a little curvy and so poor Katelyn threw up.We went to http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Italy/Sicily/Agrigento/blog-326986.html Sunday 14th SeptemberLicodia Marzaronersquos Festa DrsquoUvaSunday morning did not bring good stuff for usMy Mum and I both woke up with the runs and later I threw up My Dad also had a throwing up marathon. But Kurt had had the runs for a few days. My Zia Mimmi from Switzerland had also been sick a few days earlier. So while we thought wersquod overeaten big time we may simply have b http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Italy/Sicily/Catania/blog-326974.html Friday 12th September Licodia Donnafugata.. On Friday Kurt bought a telephone card from the local bar. Irsquom always so impressed when he heads out on his own with limited Italian and doesnrsquot hesitate to speak to the locals. After that he went to Giuseppersquos home my dadrsquos cousinrsquos son to use their internet. He virtually lived there during so much of our time in Licod http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Italy/Sicily/Catania/blog-326849.html Thursday 11th SeptemberLicodia Market Campania We were very excited to learn a produce and clothing market came to Licodia every Thursday. There was heaps of cheese and salami and clothing everywhere. Katelyn loved it She took her allowance and loved the E1 and E2 stands. She pulled the clothes from the bottom of the piles turned them over and threw them back. Shersquod ask ldquoQuando http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Italy/Sicily/Catania/blog-326710.html Wednesday 10th SeptemberVilla Romana Whole family dinnerMy parents and us were up and ready by 8.30am ready to drive out and visit Villa Romana del Casale in Piazza Armerina.The great thing about the 3rd century Villa was that it was covered for many years which protected it from an earthquake and just general aging. The majority of the Villa is covered with a Perspex roof which apparently is http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Italy/Sicily/Piazza-Armerina/blog-326697.html Tuesday 9th AugustLicodiaGiuseppe took us to the council to help us get our original marriage certificate back. When I applied for my Italian passport and wanted to have my childrenrsquos names added my marriage certificate was required. I donrsquot how it happened but the Italian consulate held on to my original marriage certificate and when questioned they said if I wanted to hold an Itali http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Italy/Sicily/Catania/blog-326686.html Monday 8th August LicodiaOn Monday Giuseppe took us to a pretty place 45 minutes away called Noto in the town of Syracuse. There was a tiny theatre that sat less than 400 people and was named after Vittorio Emanuele the first leader of a united Italy. There have been monuments dedicated to him everywhere. All around the theatre were busts of famous artist politicians and musicians. The guide http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Italy/Sicily/Siracusa/blog-326581.html Saturday 6th SeptemberNova Siri Licodia EubeaToday was going to be a big day with a long 6 hour drive through the region of Calabria and across the water to Sicily.The roads were fantastic and I couldnrsquot believe how big Calabria wasWhen we approached a toll booth and there was no person or section to drop the money we were all on alert for a ticket We found the ticket thank godAs http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Italy/Sicily/Catania/blog-326421.html Sicily Back To Home RootsMy next relative stop over was the small town of Mineo deep in the middle of Sicily where two aunties mums sisters and one uncle have resided there their whole lives. Most of my cousins have since left for better prospects in bigger cities. A common trend for the younger generations leaving the much older folk and the very young the main life line of the town. But ev http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Italy/Sicily/Catania/blog-322642.html Our last days on QV Sicily Rome and homeFriday 5th September Today we arrived in the port of Messina on Sicily an island off the southern coast of Italy. We all got up early and boarded our tour bus for the resort town of Taormina about an hour's drive from the port. Taormina is situated high on the cliffs above the sea and is known as the diamond of the Italian Riviera. It is very mu http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Italy/Sicily/Taormina/blog-321545.html Domenica Sunday 17 AgostoWhen I awoke on Sunday morning I went to the kitchen rested and refreshed to find only Nonna no aunt or uncle Tonietta and Franco. She spent some talking with me or at me rather as I could not understand one out of fifty words she spoke. Despite the fact that she punctuated her paragraph long sentences with Capisce I learned quickly that it didn't matter an http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Italy/Sicily/Messina/blog-313943.html Saturday Sabato Agosto 16After a relatively painless two short flights Venice to Rome Rome to Catania I arrived in Catania on a warm sunny day although my clothes were still a little damp from Venice. I was becoming more nervous as I grew closer to my destination as I had not been able to get a hold of my friends in Sicily and the dialect in Sicily was strong and the amount of people who http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Italy/Sicily/Messina/blog-313937.html July 18 2008Italy land of good food wine and love. We left Glasgow this morning raining and cold as usual to head to warm and sunny Italy. Rome to be exact. It was long day of travelling and we finally arrived at the hostel around 730 pm. After checking in we took care of a few chores and caught up on our travel blog. We sometimes get very behind and it is hard to catch up. We plan on http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Italy/Sicily/Catania/blog-313861.html We arrived in Stromboli early afternoon after a six hour journey from Palermo by hydrofoil which included a gelati stop in Salina well we did have to change boats and it seemed a perfect opportunity to sample the local ice cream I was already feeling a bit apprehensive about the climb that evening after seeing the sheer size of the volcano in front of me. Our first stop was a well earned l http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Italy/Sicily/Stromboli/blog-309305.html Hi there from beautiful Sicily land of sunshine music great food Greek ruins volcanoes mud pools endless olive trees and enternal heat.....the last being the death of me.....an exageration but I have to say the heat is never ending. Day and night it seems like the temps are in the 40s. Since the last blog I sailed from Malta where I stayed with Maria and Karl for 10 days and had a wonderfu http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Italy/Sicily/Palermo/blog-306681.html