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