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Article #244: Hello From Sicily - Goodbye Taormina - Hello Milazzo!

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My last day in Taormina had started: I Islands with a different language school
woke up at daybreak to pack my suitcase called Laboratorio Linguistico, based in
since later today I would be relocating Milazzo.
from Taormina to the city of Milazzo. I After a 10 minute bus ride, I arrived at
enjoyed my final breakfast on the the Taormina - Giardini Naxos train
gorgeous terrace of Hotel Villa Nettuno, station and had to wait for about 45
the place that had been my home for the minutes before my train showed up. The
last seven nights. Pictures of commuter train that arrived was a
yesterday's hike up Mount Etna flashed to beautiful sleek and modern train and I
my mind. The view over the Ionian Sea grabbed a seat in the corner. A few
continued to fascinate me and I hope that rambunctious teenagers were playing loud
one day I will make it back to beautiful music, singing and ribbing each other.
Taormina. Obviously teenagers will be teenagers, no
My last day of classes had started and matter where you go...
our strict yet witty language teacher A local gentleman sat down across from me
Carlo continued to teach us the and introduced himself: Giorgio works as
intricacies of Italian pronouns and a security guard at Taormina's Greek
adverbial phrases of time and place. His Theatre and enjoys his job. He told me
colleague Simona took over at 11:40 for about his family: his wife stays at home
our communications exercise and we with their three children while he is the
started to listen to a recording of a sole income earner. His job gives him
real-life Italian call-in show where a sufficient income to look after his
person called into a radio station to family and he said he keeps his expenses
talk to two psychiatrists to discuss low. The family only has one car and he
fears and phobias. still drives around all year on his 30
Each equipped with headsets, we listened year old Vespa. Giorgio also commented
to the recording twice and recounted what that a few years ago Trenitalia, the
we had understood. Then we embarked on an Italian government-owned railway system,
unscripted discussion of our own fears invested in new commuter trains. Giorgio
and phobias. In addition, Simona had smiled when he said that the remainder of
prepared cardboard cards with questions. the rolling stock is pretty much "museum
Each one of us got to pick from the stack quality".
of cards and we got to choose who we were He also mentioned that the strange spring
going to ask the question we had picked. weather that we had been having (a fair
This provided another great opportunity amount of rain, fog, overcast skies), is
to talk and apply our Italian language rather unusual. Normally at this time of
skills. An animated philosophical year the weather is clear and sunny. He
discussion ensued and everyone had a summed up his feelings by saying that for
chance to express their thoughts and the last three years or so the climate
feelings. has been strange. A side effect of global
After taking pictures with my class mates warming maybe?
and our teachers, I dropped by the office After Giorgio left about a half hour into
to say goodbye to Alessandro and his the train ride I had a chance to reflect
team. The entire crew at the Babilonia on the 8 days that I had already passed
Language School had been extremely in Italy, and the new adventures that
helpful over the past week of my stay, I were still to come. I was starting to
had indeed picked up my Italian skills feel a bit apprehensive about the sailing
(and was officially at Intermediate level trip that was supposed to start tomorrow.
now), and I had thoroughly enjoyed all I was wondering about sea-sickness, the
our various excursions: from our hike to small confined space on a sailboat and I
Castelmola Friday a week ago, to our was praying to God that I was going to
archeological and cultural excursion to have good shipmates. On a small sailboat
Siracusa, to our walking tour of even one really strange character can
Taormina, my glimpses at Babilonia's make the trip unpleasant for the rest of
cooking and pottery decorating classes, the group.
our hiking excursion to Mount Etna and Another part of me was really looking
various dinners and social events, the forward to the experience, and my
last seven days had been packed full of anticipation was growing. After changing
exciting activities and opportunities for trains in Messina I arrived just shortly
learning and forging new friendships. after 9 pm at my destination for today:
I sincerely thanked Alessandro and his Milazzo, headquarters of the Laboratorio
team and hoped to come back some time in Linguistico Language School, and the
the future. Together with two of my embarkation point for my sailing trip
new-found friends, Jill from the UK, and tomorrow.
Connie from Switzerland we went for a Francesca, the wife of the school's
little walk and decided to have lunch at co-owner, graciously came by to pick me
a local restaurant called Panoramic Bella up from the train station and took me to
Blu which is located on Via Pirandello my home for the night: a fully equipped
right next to the cable car station that 5-bedroom apartment right above the
connects hill-top Taormina with school's offices. Francesca took me into
beach-front Mazzaro. We enjoyed a nice my room which I was going to share for
late lunch with a stunning view over the one night with my new travel partner:
Mediterranean, and about an hour later I Claudia, a Lufthansa flight attendant
had to say goodbye. I had double-checked from Germany, was also going to go on the
at the bus station when my bus would come sailing trip with me tomorrow.
to take me to the railway station at While Claudia was sleeping I headed out
Taormina - Giardini Naxos so I would be for a very late dinner. It was already
able to make the trek to my next about 10:30 pm before I found a local
destination: Milazzo. restaurant two streets over. I had a
Before departing I went back to Hotel delicious Insalata Cappriciosa and at a
Villa Nettuno to quickly download my price of 3 Euros the salad was less than
photos and take a few more shots of the half the going rate of the restaurants in
beautiful garden that is part of the Taormina which had charged about 7 or 8
Sciglio family's estate. At the top of Euros for a salad. I realized very
the garden is the so-called "Tempietto" quickly that tourists in Taormina are
("little temple"), a temple-shaped paying a premium rate for everything and
lookout point with benches and a sweeping that Milazzo was definitely more
view over the Ionian Sea and part of affordable terrain. Back at the apartment
Taormina. I took a few quick photos with I downloaded my photos and briefly met
Vincenzo Sciglio, the patriarch of the two of the other teachers at Laboratorio
family, and two of my German Babilonia Linguistico: Jean-Claude from Ireland,
co-students and at 5:30 pm I sadly said who teaches English at the school, and
goodbye. Vincenzo promised that when I Francesco (Franco) Pozza, an Italian
come here next time he will take me to teacher and co-owner of the school. I
the family's country retreat where they found out that we would be gathering
make home-made wine. He said he produces outside the school tomorrow morning at
the grape juice for the wine by stomping 9:30 am to meet Francesco Di Santi, the
on the grapes with his bare feet. Well, other co-owner of Laboratorio
next time I come to Taormina I definitely Linguistico, and our skipper for the
want to see that. week.
Although my departure was a little sad, I felt into bed exhausted, wondering what
my next adventure was already waiting: the next week was going to hold. I was
tomorrow I would embark on a one-week excited - looking forward to my first
sailing trip around the gorgeous Eolian sailing trip.






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