So just got back from the beginning of the best Spring Break I have ever had. I have just spent the past six days in Sicily. We started off the trip getting a little bit delayed at the train station and had to wait for a bus for three hours at night time. This might have been a little bit nerving if it hadn't been for the patrolling police officers stopping and making friends with us. We all found this to be hilarious and we attempted our best Italian every time they would stop to chat.
We finally made it onto the bus for the airport at 4:30 in the morning and needless to say we were all very tired at this point. We took off for Palermo around six, and when we landed I thought I was in a whole new world. While landing we flew straight past a gigantic rock and over the water onto a tiny little landing strip. This of course terrified us to death, but once the plane stopped we all knew it was going to be an amazing place to be.
We made our way to the hostel in Palermo, and checked in. What we did not expect was the amazingly large room with a beautiful balcony overlooking the city center. It was like the ideal vacation was finally starting after a long night of traveling. We spent the next two days just walking around the city and discovering cute little parks or street markets. Everything seemed so different. I finally felt like I was in the real Italy that you read about in books. Everyone spoke Italian, and there were hardly any other tourists, so we really felt the true feeling of Italian life.
Next came Catania. After a two hour long bus ride we pulled up to a beautiful and warm city. This was exactly the type of weather I had been dreaming about for two months already. It was around 75 degrees and clear blue skies with the setting of a volcano, Mt. Etna, in the background of every sky scene. The first day in Catania we got familiar with the city and landed at the cutest little restaurant I have ever been to in my life. The interior design was that of an old 30's style house with candles and music from the 30's playing softly in the background. The chef personally came out to our table to introduce himself and let us know about his specials for the evening. We spent the next two hours just sitting and eating and soaking up the strangely wonderful new experience.
The next adventure was us four girls renting scooters and driving up the Catania coast line. After getting adjusted to driving a scooter we all drove down right by the water and ran our hands along the Mediterranean Sea. It was absolutely amazing to drive by the ocean and see the little picturesque red houses along the shore. And laughing as we all tried to not kill ourselves by balancing and driving a scooter for the first time.
After feeling really confident about our navigational skills and driving skills, because Catania traffic is insane, we decided to rent a car and go to the only active volcano in all of Europe, Mt. Etna. Just driving there was incredibly fun as all four of us girls sang at the top of our lungs and enjoyed the warm day that was given to us. Once we were at a stopping point on the mountain, we got out and for some reason thought it would be a good idea to climb to the top of a huge crater. It was truly incredible to be able to look out over the city and see a snowy mountain to one side, and the ocean on the other. My breath was absolutely taken away, and at the moment all I could think about was how this was the feeling that I have been searching for during my whole trip. The feeling of accomplishing something difficult, like trying to find our way to the top of a mountain without a map, and then climbing the rocky hill to get to the top, and then just completely having your breath taken away by the beauty of the world.
We eventually headed to the beach in the afternoon and stuck our feet into the icy cold waters. By then it did not matter that we were on a beach with fake sand and trash everywhere. I felt incredibly close to the people in our group, and we were all very proud of ourselves for having the drive and desire to try new things and enjoy the experience from it.
Our last day was spent taking one last stroll around the city we had all fallen in love with. Even though I feel like I say this about every trip I go on, I will most certainly be making another trip to Sicily someday.
Ciao Ciao
Elle
We finally made it onto the bus for the airport at 4:30 in the morning and needless to say we were all very tired at this point. We took off for Palermo around six, and when we landed I thought I was in a whole new world. While landing we flew straight past a gigantic rock and over the water onto a tiny little landing strip. This of course terrified us to death, but once the plane stopped we all knew it was going to be an amazing place to be.
We made our way to the hostel in Palermo, and checked in. What we did not expect was the amazingly large room with a beautiful balcony overlooking the city center. It was like the ideal vacation was finally starting after a long night of traveling. We spent the next two days just walking around the city and discovering cute little parks or street markets. Everything seemed so different. I finally felt like I was in the real Italy that you read about in books. Everyone spoke Italian, and there were hardly any other tourists, so we really felt the true feeling of Italian life.
Next came Catania. After a two hour long bus ride we pulled up to a beautiful and warm city. This was exactly the type of weather I had been dreaming about for two months already. It was around 75 degrees and clear blue skies with the setting of a volcano, Mt. Etna, in the background of every sky scene. The first day in Catania we got familiar with the city and landed at the cutest little restaurant I have ever been to in my life. The interior design was that of an old 30's style house with candles and music from the 30's playing softly in the background. The chef personally came out to our table to introduce himself and let us know about his specials for the evening. We spent the next two hours just sitting and eating and soaking up the strangely wonderful new experience.
The next adventure was us four girls renting scooters and driving up the Catania coast line. After getting adjusted to driving a scooter we all drove down right by the water and ran our hands along the Mediterranean Sea. It was absolutely amazing to drive by the ocean and see the little picturesque red houses along the shore. And laughing as we all tried to not kill ourselves by balancing and driving a scooter for the first time.
After feeling really confident about our navigational skills and driving skills, because Catania traffic is insane, we decided to rent a car and go to the only active volcano in all of Europe, Mt. Etna. Just driving there was incredibly fun as all four of us girls sang at the top of our lungs and enjoyed the warm day that was given to us. Once we were at a stopping point on the mountain, we got out and for some reason thought it would be a good idea to climb to the top of a huge crater. It was truly incredible to be able to look out over the city and see a snowy mountain to one side, and the ocean on the other. My breath was absolutely taken away, and at the moment all I could think about was how this was the feeling that I have been searching for during my whole trip. The feeling of accomplishing something difficult, like trying to find our way to the top of a mountain without a map, and then climbing the rocky hill to get to the top, and then just completely having your breath taken away by the beauty of the world.
We eventually headed to the beach in the afternoon and stuck our feet into the icy cold waters. By then it did not matter that we were on a beach with fake sand and trash everywhere. I felt incredibly close to the people in our group, and we were all very proud of ourselves for having the drive and desire to try new things and enjoy the experience from it.
Our last day was spent taking one last stroll around the city we had all fallen in love with. Even though I feel like I say this about every trip I go on, I will most certainly be making another trip to Sicily someday.
Ciao Ciao
Elle
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