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