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