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