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