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