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