sicILY

9 giorni. Solo nove giorni per scoprire la vita Siciliana.

On little sleep and with heavy suitcases, we boarded our bus to start our next adventure as a class- one we will remember forever- the annual Sicily trip.

After several hours on the bus and an AutoGrill stop or two, our first destination was on the mainland at Ercolano. Herculaneum is the lesser-known archeological site with artifacts from the incredibly destructive 79 AD Vesuvius eruption that buried Pompeii. It was a coastal city and took less damage than it's counterpart, and we got to see some amazing Roman paintings, mosaics, houses, and streets. Our friends in Latin classes and the Archaeology class gave very informative presentations on the site and letters we have that detail the eruption. Apparently the gas was the most deadly part- you can still see wood in the structures there even after all this time because it carbonized instantaneously.

The afternoon was spent in Naples where we got some pizza for dinner and did a little shopping around the beautiful Palazzo del Plebiscito. As those who read about my last stay in Napoli know, it never feels like the safest place to be. We even saw a taxi driver's protest that filled an entire square with middle-aged men we had to cross. Not the most comfortable day, but I was alert and made it out ok.

Following, we boarded a traghetto or ferry to spend the night as we advanced to Sicilia. It was close quarters, but lots of fun and (shout out to Uncle Larry and Aunt El) I am insanely comfortable on boats. I would dare say I had a fabulous night's sleep - and I also dare add I am the only one to say so. Passing through the Strait of Messina at 5 AM is definitely a bumpy ride at an inconvenient time.

When we awoke, we found ourselves in Catania or "la città dell'elefante". In the center of this port city, there stands an Egyptian obelisk on top of an elephant statue named Liotru that is the city's symbol. If you want the origin, it's a quick legend you can read here. For breakfast I got arguably the best brioche in existence and headed out to the market where fruit is so abundant, when I asked for just a Sicilian arancia or orange as a snack, I got it for free! You can buy about a dozen for 10 euro cents- it's amazing. The fish variety was also quite impressive (sorry Poppop, but you didn't think I was gonna actually try t though right?).

After our brief stay in Catania, we had to make our way to the Greek theater at Taormina. (cue the "fun facts with Corynnnee" jingle) Trivia Time: where are there more Greek structures remaining? Athens, Sicily, or London? DING DING DING (Uncle Craig that one was for you) Sicily! The Greek theater was amazing! Although the Romans originally built a wall to block the view of Mt. Etna and then Mussolini knocked a hole straight through the Roman's work in order to see her again...it was too cloudy to get a view. However, we did see one amazing view of the beautiful blue water below the mountainside and some friends put together two plays to perform and they were spectacular! 

After some more adventuring around the theater and deciding on where you get the best view in the massive structure, we set out on a descent to the gorgeous Isola Bella. It was a wonderful secluded island on which about twenty SYA students were the only guests for the day. We had some fun on the beach as the sun finally decided to shine. It was a really great way to spend the afternoon. The ascent was the only hard part- it was an incredibly steep climb back up. Somehow I managed even though I swear I'm still feeling the burn.

Waking up the next morning was great because we enjoyed an American breakfast for the first time in a long time. The energy we obtained served us well as we parted for a long day on our feet in two bellissime città! Ragusa e Modica were both awesome baroque style cities that didn't resemble much of the many medieval cities I have seen in the north. We had lovely tour guides that showed us beautiful churches, shared some cool legends, and most notably, took us to a chocolate factory! La cioccolata di Modica is a special recipe that actually comes from the Aztecs, preserved in Sicily from the reign of the Spanish Empire. It is unique, without a doubt, and it's not everyone's taste- but it certainly was mine! (Mama Bear, I bought plenty for you) We even tried a form of chocolate in which the Modicani preserve meat in this delicious treat! It was truly a day full of great memories and plenty of sugar (oh I forgot to mention the gelato...)

Saturday, we continued our academic activities....after a stop at an outlet mall (it was the most beautiful mall I've ever seen surrounded by hills of almond trees). We ate some lovely cassatelle e cannoli and boarded the bus to Piazza Armerina to visit Villa Romana del Casale. This 3rd-4th century Roman's summer home is covered in awesome mosaics. We had a scavenger hunt and played around in the flower patch among an eruption of Etna. Not only was it scenic but spirits were soaring high and the atmosphere was just as happy as the lovely mosaics inside. This Roman was a wild animal supplier for the Roman tetrarchs' gladiator games, and he decorated his house to show that off as well as show off his luck with the ladies. 

When our time at the villa was up, our art history teacher's in-laws swung by to bring us some even more sweets! Sicilians are too kind. All sugared up, we came upon our next hotel in Agrigento for some beach time! It was a tad chilly, but we had some brave souls go right in the water and the whole class watched the sunset on the beach. 

Early Sunday morning the Archaeological Museum of Agrigento opened it's doors just for us to see, according to our Ancient History professor, the 2nd best collection of Greek artifacts apart from that in Athens. It was quite cool, but nothing could've prepared us all for Il Valle dei Templi con I Templi di Era, Concordia, e Zues. It was AMAZING to see so many Greek temples so well conserved. They were large but also in such harmony with such a pretty location- it was serene. The pictures can't even do them all justice. Put this one on the bucket list people, it's an amazing spot I simply can't justify to you all here.

As we parted Agrigento the following morning, we made several stops along the way. First, there is a lady that has a fruit stand off the side of the island that SYA has stopped at to buy oranges for every student for years, and we didn't stop the tradition for the class of 2014. We then continued on until una pausa per pranzo in a small city called Sciacca (pronounced shock-a) with an incredible view of the bluest water ever that is just under 200 meters to Tunisia. Once our stomach's were full, the next stop was Segesta for a hike up to a STUNNING Greek theater and "pagan" temple. All the hard work on our feet was worth it for the incredible views and beautiful weather- at the theater we even had some more student performances! Our last stop was the famous assassination place of Giovanni Falcone. Both he and Paolo Borsellino were amazing men who gave their lives fighting against the mafia and have incredible stories.

Upon arriving to another amazing city, we had a day with your guides around Palermo. They showed us amazing churches such as La Capella Palatina and Santa Maria Dell'Ammiraglio as well as important fountains and markets around Palermo. They were so sweet and they didn't steer us wrong when it came to how to pass the time or where to eat. I had a lovely Sicilian specialty called arancina that was filled with ragù (no not the jarred red stuff, but a hearty meat sauce (yes Poppop MEAT) that was incredible) and risotto. It's fried goodness to say the least. In the afternoon, we saw Zisa, an old castle of a Muslim from the 12th century. It was simplistic but with hidden surprises that brought out the beauty of the place. It was a great way to end our tour, and for the afternoon we all had some free time to really get to know the city. I went shopping and hung out in a park with some friends, and I have to say I really think I could live there.

More city touring awaited us Wednesday as we prepared ourselves for La Villa Palagonia o La Villa dei Mostri in Bagheria. Since the wealthy people of the 18th century in Sicily were very set on maintaining their influence for generations, they always married their children off to other wealthy and powerful families. However, there were so few that the marriages were basically kept in the same family, and the inbreeding created many strange people. The owner of this particular Villa had a very interesting style....he surrounded his home with monster statues! Salvador Dalí claimed he would've loved to live in this house, so you know it's a strange place. We wound up writing love poems to each other and having waltz lessons inside....I'm not entirely sure how to explain that one. It was a fun afternoon though, and everyone got to see a very residential Sicilian city.

In the afternoon, we went to the beachside town of Cefalù. It has an amazing duomo with a Romanesque chiostro or cloister. The entire city looks over the stunning Mediterranean and after our tour of the beautiful church and sugar break, everyone got to watch the sunset over the water. It was a nice stop, I only wish we had more time to get to know Cefalù a little better.

Our last day in Sicily was spent in Monreale. The Duomo di Monreale is a SPECTACULAR example of the many cultures that the Normans stole from those they conquered and embraced as they ruled Sicily in the 13th century. William II built an amazing place of worship that truly still stands strong today. There is clear evidence of Islamic, Byzantine, and Romanesque influence. I was blinded by mosaics inside the church, awed by the view of Palermo I got by climbing to the top of the roof, and got a chance to be really pensive as I walked through the most beautiful cloister I have ever seen. Aside from loving the city's most famous landmark, I truly enjoyed wandering Monreale. I got my last sense of Sicily in a truly great place.

I cannot believe how fast my nine days in Sicily flew by. Boarding the ferry one last time back to Napoli seemed unreal - my first step on and I wanted to go back! I really hope I get to return soon. It was an amazing place and I highly recommend a trip for anyone who wants to discover a truly remarkable culture in a stunning location with some of the most welcoming people on the planet. (Gary and Sal, sign me up for the next tour!)