Italy is one of the most traveled destinations in Europe. Most Americans will do some combo that includes a start or finish somewhere on the boot. The food, culture, and historical sights are ripped right out of the history books. Everybody has seen pics of the famous spots. That friend who ‘cleverly’ holds up the Tower of Pisa, or the romantic shot of the couple at sunset in the Coliseum; but Italy has so much more to offer than Venice, Rome and Pisa. Our trip to Urtijëi last fall juxtaposed the wonderful dichotomy that sums up the Italian experience. But you can’t do Italy in just one trip - it takes years and many trips to truly understand this cradle of civilization.

Sicily, the most recognized of the Italian islands, has long been shrouded in violence, myth, and rumor. It has been conquered by the Greeks, the Romans, the Goths, the Byzantines, and the Arabs. Even the French and Germans ruled the island for brief periods. Each one of these conquers left part of their culture imprinted on this Mediterranean Rock. When the Normans, who were descendants of Vikings, finally took Sicily back from the Arabs in 1038, they assimilated all of the cultures into a powerful kingdom that was widely recognized as the most advanced and prosperous kingdoms of the time. The Kingdom of Sicily was even wealthier than the Kingdom of England.

Slowly this degraded and by the time unification was complete, Sicily was not as dominant as it once was. La Cosa Nostra (AKA the Sicilian Mafia) rose from the ashes of the civil wars that raged in the late 19th century as a result of unification. The brutal and violent tactics of the Mafia were eventually quelled by the Italian military and the civilians were once again left to pick up the pieces.

WWII took its toll on the island, as it did much of Italy. The devastation once again brought rise to the Mafia and it wouldn’t be until 2005 before Sicily would finally be considered whole again.

We’ve been missing the beach since moving to Berlin. The prospect of experiencing a new coast while having some of the best food in the world was more than enough motivation to book our flights and see what this area of the world had to offer.

So, on a Wednesday morning in late June we headed to the airport to catch our flight. In about three hours we landed on the massive rock in the middle of the Mediterranean and were ready to get after it.

During our planning we quickly realized that to do Sicily in full would require two weeks and/or more than one visit. The island is so big, and the placement of Mt. Etna, forces the roads to twist and curve in such a way that driving to the other side takes over four hours. This makes day trips to the other side nearly impossible without a mid trip relocation.

We decided to stay on the East side of the island. It’s fitting this is where we begin to explore Sicily since it’s where most explores and conquers first landed. The flight took us into the largest city on the East coast, Catania. Our base of operations would be a resort on the Ionian Sea just North in Taormina.

We got all checked in and then headed out to the little village for a late pizza lunch and fill up on some supplies. Logan got to enjoy some pool time and we spent most of the first afternoon lounging and enjoying the nice weather - Berlin had been pushing 38ºC [100ºF] before we left so the ocean breeze was welcomed. As the sun was starting to get lower in the sky we headed out for dinner.

Finding the right restaurant in Italy can be tricky. You want to go where the locals go but that can be more difficult to find than you’d think. Online reviews are not helpful because everything tastes great, locals are not the ones posting reviews, and you can’t trust everyone’s opinion on authentic cuisine. So, we had a couple of rules on this trip to help us out.

1.) No places that advertised their food via pictures.

2.) If a guided tour was eating there, it was a non starter.

3.) If local fresh caught fish wasn’t on the menu it wasn’t for us.

We managed to find a great little place and enjoyed some local mussels, wine and cheese. Logan had mussels for the first time and decided that was all he wanted for the rest of the trip. Well, that and pizza and noodles and of course gelato - because “...it’s super yummy.”

-Day 2 -

On our first full day we woke up early and made it over the the harbor for a boat ride around the coast. When you’re near the water in a new place you always want to get on a boat and see the land from the ocean. We were lucky enough to have a private tour since the other couple couldn’t find parking. The captain took us around the coast and we got to see Sicily in all its beauty; similar to how the first Greeks did, but with motor power and refreshments.

Overlooking the water at the tip of the bay is a hotel built into the rocks that looks like a place where a Bond villain would stay. The hotel has a private beach and an elevator carved into the rocks to access the sea. On the other side of the point was a magnificent Sicilian castle from the 15th century. We meandered through the cutouts in the cliff face to see the various grottos and lagoons with crystal clear blue water and piercing red coral. At the end of our tour was a secluded beach on the North end of Taormina that looked like a movie set. Part of me expected Dean Martin and Elizabeth Taylor to pop out of the water or drive by on a Vespa singing a song.

The captain took us to a private spot around the coast where we got to take a swim in the cold Ionian Sea. Logan tried to get in several times before he finally braved the cold and took a short dip. The entire experience was well worth it and something we will always remember.

Our captain gave us a lunch recommendation as we arrived back on land, hungry after our swim adventure. This little family run restaurant, named The Royal, had some of the best mussels a la marinara that we’ve ever had. The sauce was simple and yet full of delicious flavor. The salt from the sea combined with the garlic and fresh tomatoes worked perfectly together. By the end of the dish we were drinking the sauce using the leftover shells, fighting for each last drop.

With our bellies fill we headed back to the resort for some R&R and afternoon pool time before heading out to dinner. It was an amazing day with memories to last a lifetime and we were only just beginning.

-Day 3 -

Whenever we are on a summer vacation we like to alternate relaxing days and adventure days. Sicily is full of amazing sights and finding adventure is not hard to do. The Eastern coast is full of beautiful places that are soaked in history. So, we headed for the car and drove about an hour South down the coast to check it out.

Our first stop was the town of Syracuse. Founded in 735 BC by Greeks from Corinth and Tenea, λίμνη [Syrako] was meticulously planned from the beginning by Arkhias the aristocrat. Arkhias designed exactly how settlers would divide up the land and placed the heart of the city on an island extending into the sea. In the nearly 3k years since its founding, the city has obviously changed but the original footprint can still be traced.

What does remain intact are several ancient sights from both the Greek and Roman occupations. Two such amphitheaters can be found just outside the main city overlooking the sea. The Greek amphitheater is much older and was used for the performing arts - a tradition held up to this day. While we were visiting they were putting the finishing touches on a new rendition of a Greek tragedy. They have managed to figure out how to preserve the ancient site while still putting it to use today with an ingenious system of steps and risers that actually hover above the original stones.

The juxtaposition of the Greek theater to the Roman is night and day. The Romans were known for violent entertainment and often converted old Greek theaters to accommodate Gladiators and other violent entertainment. You can still see gates and underground staging for the animals and prisoners.

We had a wonderful view of the ocean from the Greek theater and then descended into some natural caves and gardens below. The area between the two theaters was a mythical spot where it was said you could hear a whisper from the other end of the city. Logan practiced his yodeling in the cave and then we headed into the City Centre.

Hungry from the heat and the activity, we headed to the local street market in the heart of the old city. This market has been bustling for thousands of years while the secrets of the food have been passed down for just as long. Ingredients are fresh and brought in every day from the local farms and fisheries to be sold before the heat becomes too much in the middle of the afternoon. It seems as though everyone is scrambling to get their shopping done as cars and vespas race around the narrow streets and alleyways in an almost choreographed ballet of dysfunctional road rage.

Doreen had gotten a great tip about a panini maker that has been building killer sandwiches for generations. So, that’s where we headed and we were rewarded. This old timer interacts with the crowed, passes out mozzarella tasters, and wants to know where everyone is from but doesn’t understand enough English to respond to followup questions. His sunny disposition puts you at ease as you wait in the long line with the sun beating down. He manages to make a dozen sandwiches at a time, putting nearly 20 different ingredients on each with precision and determination. Each bit of this delicious panini has different flavors and profiles from the local ingredients he uses. The first half of the sandwich tastes nothing like the second because of the way he puts the spicy and sweet toppings on the hand made bread. We will never forget our sandwiches or the kind gentleman that made them for us.

Since we don’t care about the heat, we slowly started to have the city to ourselves as the town scattered for their afternoon naps. You can feel the importance of this place as the streets got quieter and quieter. Walking around you understand why civilization after civilization fought to conquer this piece of land. It has an aura, it has character, it has a presence. The buildings and little alley ways tell a story through time but the ground is alive with energy. We could have stayed our entire trip in Syracuse but we needed to move on to our next destination, Noto.

Nestled in the foothills of the Iblean Mountains, is the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Noto. Historians are unclear about the original origins other than it was fist called Netum. Legend has it that Daedalus (father of Icarus) lived here after his flight over the Ionian Sea as did Hercules after his seventh task and creation of the mentor. When the Arabs took over the island they made Noto a capital which elevated its status for generations to come.

We weren’t sure what to expect from Noto. A friend from work, who’s Italian, had suggested that we make the 15min trek South from Syracuse because it had “...the best ice cream in the world.” This was seemingly enough reason to make the trek.

As we walked through the gate it became immediately clear why this was a World Heritage site. The Baroque architecture is stunning and well kept. The city is modern yet set in one of the oldest inhabited places on the planet. On one side of the street sets and ancient historical cathedral while on the other side is a Banksy style exhibit perfectly demonstrating the dichotomy that is Noto. The culture and feeling this place gives off is refined and intelligent like all of the worldly lessons learned here have seeped their way into the bloodlines.

We meandered through the city taking it all in until we got to Café Sicily - home of “The Worlds Best Ice cream.” This little cafe has been featured in multiple magazines and season three of Chef’s Table on Netflix. Owner and Head Chef Corrado Assenza inherited the shop from his aunt which had been in the family for over 100 years - his son, Francisco, will take over the business in the next years. The cafe is known for its use of almonds, pistachios and other local ingredients. We tried the chocolate, lemon, ricotta, and almond flavors of ice cream and ordered a little pistachio pastry.

There is no way to over exaggerate how good this place is - simply put, it’s on an entirely different level. There is good ice cream, there is great ice cream, and there is ice cream that is so good only a few people in the world know how to make it - Assenza is one of those people. The ice cream and the pastry were complex and yet simple at the same time. Each flavor was as good as you could possibly imagine and then some. We don’t know if it’s “the world’s best” but all other ice cream will be compared to what we had at Café Sicily on that hot afternoon in July.

Perfectly satisfied, we headed out to explore more of Noto. Logan lead the tour and took us up and down random stair cases as we traversed the city’s hillside. On the third Sunday in May every year is festival named Infiorata di Noto [Flower Festival of Noto]. The remnants of this festival were still present while we were there. To celebrate the 40th anniversary of this tradition, they chose a theme of Sicilians in America.

Having had a wonderful tour day, we headed to the car for a leisurely drive back to the resort where we would enjoy yet another wonderful Italian dinner in Naxos.

- Day 4 -

We planned to have a relaxing Sunday but Sicily wouldn’t let us have it. Taormina wanted to show us what it was really about and so we set out to take it all in. Logan got some morning pool time in and then we were off to see what we could see. A short windy drive up the hill took us to a parking lot where a shuttle would take us to the gates of the city.

Different than almost anything in the Americas, costal towns in the Mediterranean are often put on cliffs. Not just terraced up the site, but rather carved into the narrow flat (almost plateau like) mountain tops. The streets are narrow and the city takes on the shape of the space allotted. In ancient times this provided protection and security.

Taormina traces back long before the Greeks arrived on the island. The Siculi people had settled this area for generations before. When the Greeks landed in 734 BC they immediately conquered the Siculi and built Taormina. Ever since, this city has been a jewel in the crown of many conquers. The Eastern Roman [Byzantine] emperors fled here after the fall of Rome. They managed to keep the empire “alive” for almost 400 years until the Fatimids seized the city in 962 after a 30 week campaign.

Upon entering the gates to the city we headed for the cable car that would take us to the beach below. Set into the cove is the wonderful little beach that we saw on our boat ride (the one that looked like a movie set). Logan still hadn’t fully gotten into the sea at this point but that changed quickly. In the blink of an eye he was beyond where he could stand floating and swimming like he was born to do this. It was a wonderful time taking in the views and seeing a rare & beautiful part of the world.

Taormina is a beautiful and complicated city. The main thoroughfare is full of delightful shops and restaurants. One such spot, Da Christina, is a wonderful little hidden gem off the beaten path. They specialize in Arancini, a fried ball of rice and various fillings - a common Sicilian street food. We sampled the marinara and mozzarella, the ham and cheese and the pistachio. We also paired it with several slices of focaccia pizza. The flavors of the rice and ingredients are equivalent to Sicilian comfort food. The meal is lighter than you’d imagine but rich in taste and texture. Everything was delicious and hit the spot after a long hot morning in the heat.

On our walk back we took in the beautiful architecture and all the wonderful colors as we sampled some of the local sweets along the way. We stopped for some canoli and some gelato before catching the bus back down the hill.

Before arriving in Sicily, Doreen had found a wonderful dinner experience high in the mountains above Taormina. This little spot is the home of a local family, the Chicchirichis, who serve a set menu based own the catch of the day. Grandma rolls the pasta while mom and kids make the dishes. Dad plays host, waiter, and concepts much of the menu.

The old narrow Sicilian roads are hard to navigate and our GPS didn’t register the address. So, we did our best to put in a nearby address and headed out and up. Very quickly we were on some dirt narrow roads with very sharp drop-offs. Several times the GPS “recalculated” the route until we finally reached the end of the road high up on a mountain in the middle of no where. It was a house but not the right one and there was no telling how to get to the other side of the range.

Disappointed, we turned around and headed back to town. By this point we were an hour past our reservation with no way of figuring out just how to get there. We made other plans and managed to salvage the evening, but not getting to experience this wonderful food would haunt us.

- Day 5 -

After spending several days seeking adventure we decided to enjoy the resort. Logan loves the pool and is starting to become a fan of the ocean. The night before we loaded up on pool toys and put them to good use all day long. The casual and relaxing day gave us the opportunity to head back to The Royal for some of those delicious mussels a la marinara at lunch.

As the day wore on Doreen was baking a secret plan to get back up the mountain and conquer her Albatros. As dinner rolled around she alerted us to her plan and we all got loaded in the car for another mountain top adventure. Luckily, this trip went according to plan, we made it to Ristorante Chicchirichi early and took the time to take in the views.

We sat down to dinner just as the sun was illuminating Taormina. The patio had a wonderful view and we had the place to ourselves. The meal had a number of courses based on the catch of the day. Each course topped the previous. Everything was so fresh and delightful - simple yet complicated in a way that would be impossible to replicate without the years of knowledge gained from being around the local ingredients. The salt from the sea is what seasons the fish while the olive oil from the hills of Etna give the food an earthy flavor rounding out the profile with the sweetness of the reduced balsamic.

THE MEAL:

Course 1 - Salad with olive oil, fresh shrimps and local oranges

Course 2 - Local raw octopus, prawns, sword fish and sardines

Course 3 - Mussels with in white wine broth

Course 4 - Pistachio gnocchi with shrimp and macaroni with sword fish ragout

Course 5 - Grilled prawns and swordfish

Course 6 - Grilled full seabass

Course 7 - Handmade cannoli with pistachio and cocoa dusting

We caped the meal off with some of their personal almond liquor that they make on site.

As we finished our delectable dinner experience, the sun was quickly fading behind Mt. Etna, making the drive back down to the coast a memorable and beautiful cap to a one of a kind experience.

- Day 6 -

Having only briefly explored Taormina days before we woke up with the notion of taking a deeper dive into this mountainside town. By this point in our trip we’d become quite adept at driving the tinny, winding, Vespa laced mountain roads. Once through the gate of the city, our first stop was the old Greek amphitheater.

Resting on a Sicilian hillside, almost 215m [705ft] up from the sea, resides a beautiful venue that was carved out of the mountainside in the third century B.C., named Teatro Greco. Hiero II of Syracuse was originally responsible for carving this magnificent structure designed to host theatrical and musical exhibitions for up to 5k people. The Romans rebuilt much of it during their reign to accommodate gladiator and other violent bestial battles. The theater was again reinvented in the 10 century when the Arabs conquered the city during their long siege. In the 18th century it was brought back from disrepair, and remains an active venue to this day. The 65th annual film festival was going on while we were visiting. We kept our eyes pealed for Bob De Niro as we walked around.

Your gut reaction when you find out about the multiple renovations is a sense of loss for the original masterpiece that was carved into the hillside. But quickly you begin to understand that the combination of all the different cultures and iterations are what makes this place so special. It’s as if it was destined to become what it has and to evolve to what it will be; a simile to the ever erupting & active Mt. Etna in the distance. The clouds surrounding the massive 3,350m [~11k ft] peak had only just parted earlier in the morning to expose smoke rising to the sky.

Teatro Greco is Taormina. It’s the manifestation of how each culture saw Sicily upon their discovery. A city on a hill that would be the envy of any kingdom. Buildings throughout the city are positioned so that views of Etna and the Ionian Sea can be seen. The care that has been bestowed on this place over thousands of years can be felt and seen. It has a beauty like Noto and character like Syracuse. As we walked we imagined what life must be like living here today and in ancient times. Different thought the ages for sure but somehow similar in an easier pace of life.

- Photos Taken by Logan -

Buried down a discrete little alley-way we found a wonderful family owned restaurant for lunch. Perched on the hillside overlooking the Sea we enjoyed some homemade pasta and pizza while we took in the views.

The afternoon was spent enjoying the resort’s grounds, pool, and beach. But as dinner rolled around it occurred to us that we hadn’t yet taken our boat captain’s advice and tried the second restaurant he recommended several days before.

La Cambusa sits in the Naxos cove, just below Taormina, where we started our boat tour several days earlier. Being a typical Italian establishment, neither the website (said 6pm) or sign on the door (said 6:30pm) was an accurate indication of when they actually opened - which we learned was whenever they felt like it. In order to pass the time we headed next door to a local night venue for a drink. There are several of these open air clubs scattered up and down the coast providing a lively entertainment scene well into the warm Sicilian nights.

The restaurant finally opened so we transferred over to our table on the beach and enjoyed a wonderful meal. We shared spaghetti a la vongole (clams) and the macaroni a la Norma (a Sicilian specialty sauce made with eggplant) as the sun began to disappear over Mt. Etna casting its glow over the Ionian Sea. The entire meal was designed to respond to all of your senses. The perfectly prepared fresh pasta dishes that melted on the tastebuds in your mouth combined with the chilled white wine that was refreshing and crisp on a hot summer evening paired perfectly with the magnificent views of the bay. Italians are known for making the most of their surroundings and using the ingredients at hand to make something special. This was on an entirely different level.

It was a beautiful day and a perfect end as we sat and looked up at Taormina and traced our steps from the morning - we could even make out the patio where we sat for lunch.

- Day 7 -

Our final day on the island was spent taking in the outdoors and all of the activities the resort had to offer. We sampled all the delicious items at breakfast, enjoyed the Italian coffee and had some dedicated pool time. A look at the colder weather in Berlin was all the motivation we needed to soak in the warm Italian air and delicious food. As the afternoon rolled around we got packed and headed to the airport.

They say you can’t know a place until you’re spent time there. Days before a cruise ship had pulled into Naxos port unloading a slew of tourists onto the island. We would see them being herded around like cattle with minders in front and back of each group. They even had numbers so that you didn’t have to think too hard about what group you were a part of or where to go.

Looking back on our trip, and all the things we got to experience, the idea of being on a generic tour seems like a missed opportunity. Had we been herded around we never would have seen Sicily from the coast. We wouldn’t have experienced the serenity and energy of Syracuse in the heat of the afternoon. We never would have met the old man that made the most delicious paninis or the son of the best ice cream maker in the world or the father of the most amazing family restaurant. We wouldn’t have known how special Noto was through out history or seen a side of Taormina that most never experience.

Just being present and open to what would unfold around us unveiled a part of Sicily that you can’t read about or see on a tour - you just have to be there and be open to the experience. When we started this entire project over a year and a half ago, we had a list of places to go and things to see. It had check boxes next to each item and we were excited to mark things off as we went. Along the way we’ve discovered it’s not about a list or a check box. It’s not about getting to say that you were there. It’s about getting to know a place and the people that reside there. It’s about the memories you make and the experiences you take with you that define who you are moving forward. Like a tattoo on our soul, Sicily made its mark - we’ll miss this place but the adventure will always be with us!

Until Next Time,

The McNeills