See you soon! My day in Agrigento was pretty uneventful. Actually, very uneventful. From the bus I headed down to my B&B and almost immediately set out to find another delicious pizza. Back in the hostel, where there was no tv or internet access and not one other person staying there, I read for about six hours straight finishing my last book. Being that this town shuts down around eight pm I changed my plans and decided to leave the next morning and head to Taormina. Arriving in Taormina I walked the short distance to Gianni House Hostel. I was greeted at check-in by the owner, you guessed it, Gianni, and was given a brief tour. He gave me a map and pointed me in the direction of the nearby beach, Giardini di Naxos. It was still raining so I grabbed my umbrella and headed out. Even though it was a bit cold and wet, my walk to the beach and along the esplanade was very enjoyable.
I passed many boats sitting in the sand, I assume much like me, waiting for the busier and warmer summer months to arrive to really appreciate the beauty if this town.
Passing the boats I headed down the beach for sometime before walking onto the esplanade itself to find a snack and an espresso before heading back to the hostel for the included pasta dinner. Sitting with Gianni and his helper were four other Americans and myself. Even though the weather was not very good, Gianni’s hospitality, home cooking, and natural way of making you feel as if you were part of the family made up for it. Finishing the delicious dinner of pasta with a fresh sage and tomato sauce, homemade bread, and marinated olives and cheeses, the seven of us sat for hours talking over a bottle of homemade wine and getting to know each other. Gianni, a plumber by trade quit his job after doing a bit of traveling himself and decided to open the hostel. It was pretty amazing that he had followed his dream and created a truly special environment here at his house, making every person that stayed there feel as though they entered a guest and truly left as a friend. When I left the following morning he kissed me on both cheeks, told me it was a pleasure to meet me and would hope to see me again in the summer months when I could really see how beautiful his home town was. I promised to return and told him that I looked forward to it very much. Back in Catania I checked back into the hostel I stayed at when I first arrived in Sicily, only this time having no trouble finding it at all. Since the rain finally held off for an entire day I headed out on the town to see the sights and just enjoy being a part of the Italian lifestyle. When I returned to the hostel I was happy to see that the clouds had been gone long enough for me to finally get a view of Mt. Etna.
The giant volcano sits just outside the city and is so large that even in early march it was still covered in snow. Quite an impressive sight to say the least. Later that night, as dinner time once again fell upon me, I decided I would head back to Taverna Coppola to enjoy one last Sicilian dinner before heading off to London the following day. Upon walking in I was once again greeted by the friendly staff and shown to a nice table near the back of the restaurant. As the waiter began talking to me in English, the other waiter, the one who had served me earlier in the week, came over to let his partner know that I spoke Italian and that he would like to take care of me. I returned this night because the food was so good the first time I dined there, but I will be back again because of the combination of the food and the warm individualized service. This night I decided to skip the appetizer and start with a first plate of cheese ravioli served in a delicious cream sauce accented with pan simmered pancetta and pistachio. Absolutley delightful. For my second plate I enjoyed a nice piece of beef, simply grilled, topped with fresh garlic and olive oil, and served with a deliciously fresh salad tossed in olive oil, balsamic, and a light squeeze of lemon. I sat and talked with the waiter for a little time after finishing my meal and let him know that I would be back in a month or two. He said he would be there and would be waiting for me. What a nice way to finish off my stay in Sicily. I had heard that Sicily could be a bit rough. My experience, on the other hand, was nothing short of spectacular thanks to the warm friendly nature of the locals and the absolutely amazing cuisine, which by far made me forget that the sun did not shine on the beautiful Island the entire time I was there. So with these sunny thoughts in my head I boarded my plane and waved good bye to Sicily. More appropriately, I said, “Ciao. Ci vediamo a presto.”
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