| Sicily - the name alone conjures up
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| | time. After we had nourished our brains,
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| images of an exotic island, a mysterious
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| | a Sicilian seafood feast capped off our
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| and fascinating past. I have wanted to
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| | second day on the boat.
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| explore Italy for some time now since I
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| | On the third day we set sail for the
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| had not been there for a long, long time,
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| | island of Stromboli, which is still an
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| and when I was pondering which region of
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| | active volcano. The town of Stromboli
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| Italy to explore Sicily came to mind. I
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| | features such narrow streets that they
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| figured this island would offer a
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| | are impassable to regular vehicles. No
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| combination of fascinating history, rich
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| | wonder the local "carabinieri" (Italian
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| culture, scenic beauty, and an
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| | police officers) have to ride in golf
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| opportunity for a wide variety of
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| | carts.
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| activities. One activity I definitely
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| | After a somewhat turbulent late-night
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| wanted to pursue was to combine my
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| | voyage from Stromboli to Panarea we
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| journey with language studies: my earlier
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| | arrived late and anchored in a bay off
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| language study trips to Havana and
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| | the island. On a gorgeous morning the
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| Cuernavaca, Mexico, not only got me
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| | next day we first had another language
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| closer to the Spanish language, but these
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| | lesson - where else but on the outdoor
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| on-site language learning experiences
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| | patio of a bar in Panarea, surrounded by
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| really allowed me to explore the culture
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| | gorgeous sunshine and beautiful flowers.
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| from within.
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| | Panarea is an extremely photogenic
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| So this time I was going to focus on
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| | destination and offered great
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| learning Italian, and I was able to
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| | opportunities for hobby photographers
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| locate two language schools in Sicily
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| | like me.
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| that would both provide a totally
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| | Our voyage continued to Lipari again
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| different experience and a different way
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| | where we would end an eventful day with a
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| of exploring the island. Armed with no
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| | scrumptious outdoor feast on the main
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| prior knowledge other than having read
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| | square. The next day three of us went on
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| through an Italian grammar book, I was
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| | a driving tour of this beautiful island
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| going to see how much of this beautiful
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| | and from the south end we already saw our
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| language I would pick up in my three
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| | next destination: the island of Vulcano,
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| weeks in Sicily.
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| | which also features an active volcano. We
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| My first eight days were spent in
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| | anchored in a bay off this island,
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| Taormina, a gorgeous mountain-top town on
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| | enjoyed some Italian lessons on the boat
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| the eastern side of Sicily, whose main
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| | and after a delicious on-board dinner,
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| distinguishing feature is an ancient
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| | our shipmates Franco, a gifted guitar
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| Greco-Roman Theatre that is still in use
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| | player, and Agnieszka, a talented singer,
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| today. The town itself has to be among
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| | entertained us with soulful melodies by
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| the most picturesque destinations
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| | candlelight on the back of the boat -
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| anywhere, with its beautiful buildings,
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| | magical moments that I will not forget
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| narrow streets and passageways and
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| | for a long time.
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| stunning views of Mount Etna and the
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| | Then our final day on the boat arrived:
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| Mediterranean.
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| | we hiked up to the "Gran Cratere", the
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| Shortly after my arrival I got to meet
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| | active crater of Vulcano. Yellow rocks
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| the people at the Babilonia Language
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| | and thick clouds of sulphur announced
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| School where I would be learning Italian
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| | that the forces of geology were indeed
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| for a week and exploring the culture of
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| | active right underneath our feet. And the
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| Sicily. My accommodation was in a lovely
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| | view from the top over the six other
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| 13-room privately owned hotel that has
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| | Eolian Islands was breathtaking. After
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| been operated by the Sciglio family for
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| | another Italian lesson on an outdoor
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| more than 50 years.
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| | patio overlooking the Mediterranean we
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| Mr. and Mrs. Sciglio are in their
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| | had to say goodbye to the Eolian Islands
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| mid-eighties and continue to work
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| | and start to head back to Milazzo.
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| extremely hard, without even a thought of
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| | Just as I thought our 7 day sailing trip
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| retirement, and their son Salvatore works
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| | would come to an anticlimactic end, one
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| with them. In an interview I learned more
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| | of my shipmates announced "DOLPHINS!!!",
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| about the hotel's history and the
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| | and indeed four of these playful sea
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| family's involvement in this business. On
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| | creatures were accompanying our sailboat,
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| the second day I joined my first guided
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| | jumping in and out of the water, and
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| excursion with the Babilonia language
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| | having fun with us. The excitement
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| school: a guided hike to the ancient
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| | continued when we ended up catching three
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| village of Castelmola which was followed
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| | tunas on a fishing line we had been
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| by a tasting of Sicilian delicacies in a
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| | dragging behind our boat. The following
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| local bistro.
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| | decapitation and evisceration scene
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| My first weekend in Sicily promised to be
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| | though was a bit hard on my tender
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| great: an excursion to the ancient town
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| | vegetarian soul...
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| of Siracusa and an exploration of the
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| | So we had reached land, and to celebrate
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| gorgeous coastline just east of Taormina,
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| | the conclusion of a wonderful sailing
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| including the town of Mazzaro and Isola
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| | trip and one of my shipmates' birthdays
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| Bella. The following Monday was my first
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| | we enjoyed another big Sicilian feast in
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| day of language studies: first we went
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| | Capo di Milazzo. The next day, we had a
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| through the placement test, and then we
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| | chance to relax a bit in our five-bedroom
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| had our first lesson which included some
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| | apartment conveniently located above the
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| unique yet effective teaching methods.
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| | Laboratorio Linguistico Language School
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| The next day was May 1, Italian Labour
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| | and do simple things like laundry and sit
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| Day and a national holiday: a perfect
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| | on the balcony. Franco, our language
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| opportunity to rent a car and drive into
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| | teacher took us on a guided walk of
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| the countryside surrounding Mount Etna,
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| | Milazzo which features a huge
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| Europe's largest volcano, which by the
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| | fortification that dates back more than
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| way, had erupted the night before.
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| | 1000 years.
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| The next day it was back to school, and
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| | After saying goodbye to my roommate
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| Alessandro, the director of the Babilonia
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| | Claudia I spent my final Sunday in Sicily
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| language school, gave me a personal
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| | in the picturesque medieval town of
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| history lesson about Sicily and also
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| | Cefalu, about a two-hour train ride from
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| explained the origins of that famous
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| | Milazzo. That city's medieval core and
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| Sicilian institution, the Mafia, to me in
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| | huge Norman cathedral together with the
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| detail. That evening I joined in a
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| | ruins of an ancient castle on top of the
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| cooking class in a private home offered
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| | rock that towers over the town left me
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| by the language school. I was going to
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| | with many vibrant treasured memories. Now
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| see first-hand how a real multi-course
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| | I only had two full days left in Sicily.
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| Italian meal was prepared, using
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| | Following a tour of the Milazzo
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| authentic, locally grown ingredients. And
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| | headquarters of Laboratorio Linguistico I
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| of course, I would have a chance to taste
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| | went on a country excursion into the
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| the finished delicacies afterwards and
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| | surrounding Nebrodi Mountains with my two
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| partake of a nice meal with other
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| | Italian teachers Francesco and Franco. We
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| language students and the local Ferrari
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| | visited the Rocks of Agrimusco, a cluster
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| family.
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| | of mysterious-looking rocks on a high
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| My language studies the next day were
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| | plateau with a gorgeous view of Mount
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| followed by a visit to a local pottery
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| | Etna. Then we headed into the hilltop
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| painting artist, as Babilonia also offers
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| | town of Montalbano Elicona, an authentic
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| pottery decoration courses, in addition
| |
| | small Sicilian town, completely untouched
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| to hiking, biking, golfing and diving
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| | by tourism. I finally had a chance to
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| programs. Perched on the rooftop patio of
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| | snap some pictures of the locals who love
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| a Taormina hotel, with a perfect view of
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| | to congregate next to the church and
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| an ancient palazzo right next to Mount
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| | discuss important issues of the day.
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| Etna, I learned about Sicilian pottery
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| | My final day in Sicily had arrived - I
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| painting techniques. In the late
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| | had to say goodbye to the great team at
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| afternoon I joined another excursion to
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| | Laboratorio Linguistico and board the bus
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| hike up the southern flanks of Mount
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| | towards Messina and from there to Catania
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| Etna. A visit to a winery and a nice
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| | from where I would catch a plane in the
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| dinner followed.
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| | early morning the next day. After my
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| Then I had reached my last day in
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| | arrival in the late afternoon I had a
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| beautiful Taormina and after my final
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| | chance to briefly explore this city, the
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| language lessons it was time to say
| |
| | second-largest city in Sicily, and get
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| goodbye to the folks at Babilonia, and to
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| | ready for my flight home.
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| my co-students, whom I had gotten quite
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| | On this trip I found out that Sicily is
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| fond of. With the exception of the
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| | gorgeous, and a visit in the late spring
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| occasionally grey and drizzly weather, my
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| | around April / May is perfect since
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| experience in Taormina had been great:
| |
| | everything is in full bloom and the
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| the language learning, the interesting
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| | hoards of tourists do not really arrive
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| excursions and activities and the
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| | until June, July and August. Sicily has
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| interaction with my international
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| | remained amazingly authentic and is
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| co-students had been a really great
| |
| | fortunately free of many of the signs of
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| experience. I was a bit sad to leave
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| | mass tourism that mar other Mediterranean
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| Taormina where I had gotten so
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| | coastlines.
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| comfortable.
| |
| | Taormina and the Eolian Islands are all
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| But a new adventure was about to begin: I
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| | stunning destinations, but the Sicilian
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| took the train to Milazzo on the
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| | hinterland in itself holds many hidden
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| northeastern side of Sicily, where the
| |
| | treasures. The history, architecture,
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| next day I would embark on a seven-day
| |
| | culture and scenic beauty are astounding.
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| sailing trip through the beautiful Eolian
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| | And seafood lovers will definitely fall
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| Islands, offered by Laboratorio
| |
| | in love with this destination.
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| Linguistico, a Milazzo-based Italian
| |
| | I myself really enjoyed the language
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| language school. After meeting some of my
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| | learning experience at Babilonia and
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| six shipmates, who were really cool by
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| | Laboratorio Linguistico - as a matter of
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| the way, we were off on our sailboat, the
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| | fact, my three weeks in Italy took me all
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| 4 cabin "Solitaire II", to our first
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| | the way up to Intermediate level and when
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| destination: the island of Lipari, the
| |
| | I came back I was quite capable of
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| largest of the Eolian Islands, and an
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| | communicating fairly competently in this
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| extremely scenic place.
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| | new language.
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| Our expert skipper Francesco, a licensed
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| | The people were great: the staff at both
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| captain, also happened to be the co-owner
| |
| | language schools was very helpful and
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| of the language school, and one of our
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| | knowledgeable, and the interaction with
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| two resident language teachers on this
| |
| | my co-students from all different
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| sailing trip. After Lipari we continued
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| | countries was a real treat. Our crew on
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| our sailing trip to Salina, a
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| | the sailboat in particular came together
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| neighbouring island, where three of us
| |
| | really nicely and some close personal
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| went on a driving tour to see local
| |
| | bonds had developed after this
|
| villages and also the house where "Il
| |
| | experience.
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| Postino" was filmed. An Italian lesson on
| |
| | Without a doubt, language study travel is
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| the backyard patio of a bar was our first
| |
| | one of the best forms of travel in my
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| introduction to Laboratorio Lingustico's
| |
| | opinion, giving you the chance to learn,
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| language teaching program. Of course
| |
| | to expand your mind, and to really
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| Francesco and Franco, our second teacher
| |
| | discover the local culture. And without a
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| and co-owner of the school, conducted all
| |
| | doubt I'll be back in Sicily - this
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| conversations during the entire sailing
| |
| | fascinating island has so much more to
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| trip in Italian only, which allowed us to
| |
| | explore.
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| be fully immersed in the language all the
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| |
|
