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