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Hello From Sicily - Goodbye Taormina - Hello Milazzo!

My last day in Taormina had started: I wokeminute bus ride, I arrived at the Taormina -
up at daybreak to pack my suitcase sinceGiardini Naxos train station and had to wait
later today I would be relocating fromfor about 45 minutes before my train showed
Taormina to the city of Milazzo. I enjoyed myup. The commuter train that arrived was a
final breakfast on the gorgeous terrace ofbeautiful sleek and modern train and I
Hotel Villa Nettuno, the place that had beengrabbed a seat in the corner. A few
my home for the last seven nights. Picturesrambunctious teenagers were playing loud
of yesterday's hike up Mount Etna flashed tomusic, singing and ribbing each other.
my mind. The view over the Ionian SeaObviously teenagers will be teenagers, no
continued to fascinate me and I hope that onematter where you go... A local gentleman sat
day I will make it back to beautifuldown across from me and introduced himself:
Taormina. My last day of classes had startedGiorgio works as a security guard at
and our strict yet witty language teacherTaormina's Greek Theatre and enjoys his job.
Carlo continued to teach us the intricaciesHe told me about his family: his wife stays
of Italian pronouns and adverbial phrases ofat home with their three children while he is
time and place. His colleague Simona tookthe sole income earner. His job gives him
over at 11:40 for our communications exercisesufficient income to look after his family
and we started to listen to a recording of aand he said he keeps his expenses low. The
real-life Italian call-in show where a personfamily only has one car and he still drives
called into a radio station to talk to twoaround all year on his 30 year old Vespa.
psychiatrists to discuss fears and phobias.Giorgio also commented that a few years ago
Each equipped with headsets, we listened toTrenitalia, the Italian government-owned
the recording twice and recounted what we hadrailway system, invested in new commuter
understood. Then we embarked on an unscriptedtrains. Giorgio smiled when he said that the
discussion of our own fears and phobias. Inremainder of the rolling stock is pretty much
addition, Simona had prepared cardboard cards"museum quality". He also mentioned that the
with questions. Each one of us got to pickstrange spring weather that we had been
from the stack of cards and we got to choosehaving (a fair amount of rain, fog, overcast
who we were going to ask the question we hadskies), is rather unusual. Normally at this
picked. This provided another greattime of year the weather is clear and sunny.
opportunity to talk and apply our ItalianHe summed up his feelings by saying that for
language skills. An animated philosophicalthe last three years or so the climate has
discussion ensued and everyone had a chancebeen strange. A side effect of global warming
to express their thoughts and feelings. Aftermaybe? After Giorgio left about a half hour
taking pictures with my class mates and ourinto the train ride I had a chance to reflect
teachers, I dropped by the office to sayon the 8 days that I had already passed in
goodbye to Alessandro and his team. TheItaly, and the new adventures that were still
entire crew at the Babilonia Language Schoolto come. I was starting to feel a bit
had been extremely helpful over the past weekapprehensive about the sailing trip that was
of my stay, I had indeed picked up my Italiansupposed to start tomorrow. I was wondering
skills (and was officially at Intermediateabout sea-sickness, the small confined space
level now), and I had thoroughly enjoyed allon a sailboat and I was praying to God that I
our various excursions: from our hike towas going to have good shipmates. On a small
Castelmola Friday a week ago, to oursailboat even one really strange character
archeological and cultural excursion tocan make the trip unpleasant for the rest of
Siracusa, to our walking tour of Taormina, mythe group. Another part of me was really
glimpses at Babilonia's cooking and potterylooking forward to the experience, and my
decorating classes, our hiking excursion toanticipation was growing. After changing
Mount Etna and various dinners and socialtrains in Messina I arrived just shortly
events, the last seven days had been packedafter 9 pm at my destination for today:
full of exciting activities and opportunitiesMilazzo, headquarters of the Laboratorio
for learning and forging new friendships. ILinguistico Language School, and the
sincerely thanked Alessandro and his team andembarkation point for my sailing trip
hoped to come back some time in the future.tomorrow. Francesca, the wife of the school's
Together with two of my new-found friends,co-owner, graciously came by to pick me up
Jill from the UK, and Connie from Switzerlandfrom the train station and took me to my home
we went for a little walk and decided to havefor the night: a fully equipped 5-bedroom
lunch at a local restaurant called Panoramicapartment right above the school's offices.
Bella Blu which is located on Via PirandelloFrancesca took me into my room which I was
right next to the cable car station thatgoing to share for one night with my new
connects hill-top Taormina with beach-fronttravel partner: Claudia, a Lufthansa flight
Mazzaro. We enjoyed a nice late lunch with aattendant from Germany, was also going to go
stunning view over the Mediterranean, andon the sailing trip with me tomorrow. While
about an hour later I had to say goodbye. IClaudia was sleeping I headed out for a very
had double-checked at the bus station when mylate dinner. It was already about 10:30 pm
bus would come to take me to the railwaybefore I found a local restaurant two streets
station at Taormina - Giardini Naxos so Iover. I had a delicious Insalata Cappriciosa
would be able to make the trek to my nextand at a price of 3 Euros the salad was less
destination: Milazzo. Before departing I wentthan half the going rate of the restaurants
back to Hotel Villa Nettuno to quicklyin Taormina which had charged about 7 or 8
download my photos and take a few more shotsEuros for a salad. I realized very quickly
of the beautiful garden that is part of thethat tourists in Taormina are paying a
Sciglio family's estate. At the top of thepremium rate for everything and that Milazzo
garden is the so-called "Tempietto" ("littlewas definitely more affordable terrain. Back
temple"), a temple-shaped lookout point withat the apartment I downloaded my photos and
benches and a sweeping view over the Ionianbriefly met two of the other teachers at
Sea and part of Taormina. I took a few quickLaboratorio Linguistico: Jean-Claude from
photos with Vincenzo Sciglio, the patriarchIreland, who teaches English at the school,
of the family, and two of my German Babiloniaand Francesco (Franco) Pozza, an Italian
co-students and at 5:30 pm I sadly saidteacher and co-owner of the school. I found
goodbye. Vincenzo promised that when I comeout that we would be gathering outside the
here next time he will take me to theschool tomorrow morning at 9:30 am to meet
family's country retreat where they makeFrancesco Di Santi, the other co-owner of
home-made wine. He said he produces the grapeLaboratorio Linguistico, and our skipper for
juice for the wine by stomping on the grapesthe week. I felt into bed exhausted,
with his bare feet. Well, next time I come towondering what the next week was going to
Taormina I definitely want to see that.hold. I was excited - looking forward to my
Although my departure was a little sad, myfirst  sailing  trip.
next adventure was already waiting: tomorrow
I would embark on a one-week sailing tripSusanne Pacher is the publisher of a web
around the gorgeous Eolian Islands with aportal for unconventional travel &
different language school called Laboratoriocross-cultural connections. Check out our
Linguistico, based in Milazzo. After a 10brand new FREE ebooks about travel.



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