Sicily at its Best - outside Noto

A week before the wedding, Debora and Vincenzo had to make some final preparations for the wedding party/lunch that would follow the actual ceremony. We didn't want to miss the chance to see the Prince's villa, where they'd be having their celebration, in advance. This little jewel of a place is found in a little town called Ispica. Apparently the Prince lives here during the summer and then rents it out for weddings and other big events during the rest of the year. 

Marc and I wandered around the outer courtyard while the bride and groom went about their official business inside. As you can see, it was a beautiful evening in a beautiful setting.

On another day, we took a day trip down to the very southern tip of Sicily, where apparently on a clear day you can see the northern tip of Africa, namely Tunisia. The following photos are from a little town called Portopalo. 

They told us that this little lookout is a popular place for teen lovers to come make-out... catching them in the act seemed fitting.

Proof that I got in the Mediterranean Sea. The water, for mid-October, was surprisingly warm. The sand was so soft and loose... my feet just naturally sunk right in. It wasn't hard and compacted like our sand in Northern California.

The following photos are taken on the same day we were in Portopalo, but these are from another little town along the southern coast called Marzamemi. We were totally mesmerized by the pure ancientness that still stands in this historic little fishing town.

On our last full day in Sicily, we made a day trip to Syracuse, which is famous for it's Greek architecture that dates back hundreds and hundreds of years. This particular Duomo was once a Greek Temple that was bought by the Catholic Church at some point and re-constructed to look more like a duomo. Along the side of the outer walls, you can see where the columns are and how they just filled in walls in between the columns. Really, quite amazing. I love that they didn't tear down the original structure and start over, but that they just added to what was already there. 

Stopping for a little chat, before heading to a Chinese restaurant for dinner. I was surprised at how much they loved Chinese food. I wasn't such a big fan, especially after daily meals for two weeks made by a real Italian Mama cook. 

Sicily at its Best - Noto

The main reason for our trip to Italy was to celebrate the wedding of a close friend. Debora and I met on a quiet street in Pisa back in October 2000. I was a missionary for my Church, she was a student at the University of Pisa. We became fast friends - one of those friendships that comes so naturally and easy. I'm happy that it has stayed that way even after all these years. She came to visit us for three months back in 2005. Earlier this year when I found out she was getting married, I decided I had to take advantage of the chance to go back to Italy. Marc didn't argue. He was equally excited at the idea.

I was a little nervous about how my perceptions of Italy would change since I only knew it through my experiences as a missionary. I wasn't really sure what to expect going back as a tourist. But, once we arrived I realized we were in a much different situation that your average tourist.

The majority of our two weeks in Italy were spent in Debora's hometown, Noto. For the first week, we lived in a little studio-like apartment owed by some cousins of Debora on a little narrow street that can only be accessed by foot and by Vespa. We had a huge 5-course lunch every day with Debora's family, prepared at the hands of Giuseppina, her sweet mother. We were involved in all the pre-wedding traditions. We felt like we were part of this amazing Sicilian family... and we felt lucky beyond words.

One thing you might notice is how nearly every view looks postcard-worthy. We were constantly catching our breath with every view we saw.

This is the tiny little street (alleyway) where we stayed for the first week we were in Italy. Our front door is the green shutter door on the far right of the photo. The red portion of the building is where Debora and Vincenzo are now living as newlyweds. This is Vincenzo on his phone. 

This is Salvatore's (Debora's dad) Vespa that he purchased when he was 14. He's had it for forty-something years. It reminded me of my Dad and his '51 Chevy that he still owns.

The photos below are of us (purposefully) getting lost through the tiny streets of a maze that led to our little street.

Here's an evening view of our little place... its quaintness is so endearing. Directly behind me, attached to the building is a water fountain that only provides water until about 3pm everyday. It's constant drip was soothing during our afternoon naps. And, we loved waking up every morning to the old Sicilian man with his cart, selling carrots, bananas, and other fresh produce that wasn't understood as clearly.

 

Just a view of a nearby neighborhood.

Here are some photos of the more historical, downtown Noto.

Here's the street where every May there is a huge festival held, called the Infiorata. Different designs are chosen, and the artists create their designs using only flowers. I think our next visit to Noto will have to be in May.

For our second week in Sicily, we moved out to the family's country home. They apologized for the inconvenience, but we quite enjoyed the calm and beauty we found there. Even more breathtaking views. This was also the gathering place the day after the wedding, where we feasted on delicious food, and I got private lessons from Giusi on how to make all of it! (Pictures of the meal will come in a separate post, coming soon.)

These are views of Noto, from the countryside home, with the Mediterranean in the background.

La Bella Italia

Italy.

I'm left without words again and again. I don't know how to properly share our trip to Italy in such a way that will convey the way it really was for us, as we experienced it. Maybe that is an unrealistic expectation. Maybe it's enough to just put it out there, knowing that there will always be so much more that deeply resonates within us that cannot be shared, even with photos and videos. 

For most of you, the photos will be photos and the videos will be videos, but for us they are merely representations of deeply moving memories that run through our veins in such a way that viewing them again transports us back, reliving it all again.

Rather than sharing our trip to Italy as a string of chronological events, we'll divide it into different groups - Sicily at its Best, The Wedding, The Food, A Day in Rome. Those are the categories for now, but might change as I go along.

I hope in the following entries you'll enjoy some of the sights and sounds, even though it's only a tiny glimpse of the beauty we experienced.

Halloween Half Marathon

Back in May I coerced my parents into doing a half marathon with me. We trained all summer, going on morning walks/jogs through the streets of our little town. The hours we spent training were just as fun and memorable as the hours we spent this morning participating in the actual event. The weather was perfect, the autumn-colored wine country we walked through was absolutely stunning, the excitement of the other two-thousand runners was contagious. (Just a random fact - 68% of the runners today were women. How 'bout that?)

We even had our own personal cheer section right before mile 5. Thanks, Scott and Rachel!

And, I just have to say... my parents are awesome! They are the grandparents of 27. And, today they completed 13.1 miles. I was so proud to be on the course with them today. Definitely a moment saved among the most precious of memories to relive.

** There is a really good story behind why I had to catch a ride to the finish line at mile marker 9, but that's a story for another day... sure to be told soon, though.

First Stop: London

When I booked our tickets to Italy on a mid-summer day, I noticed the flight plan option that would give us a five-hour layover in London. We decided to go for it. In hindsight, I'm not sure we would have made the same decision. 

We landed at Heathrow on very wet pavement, ominous gray clouds, and continuous pouring rain. Since we couldn't connect with an earlier flight to Rome, we bought roundtrip tickets on the Heathrow Express and made our way directly to Paddington. Without an umbrella or proper rain-proof jackets, we wandered the streets of this section of London until finally finding a little hole-in-the-wall cafe. We enjoyed the warmth and cover from the rain, while eating some delicious fish-n-chips. It was good. But, I have to say, not nearly as good as the little fish-n-chips place I've known since childhood, in Sausalito.

After lunch, we wandered some more, hoping around the next corner we'd finally find a street with awnings or some sidewalk covering of some sort. No such luck. We should have bought an umbrella at the train station. We went from wet and annoyed to more wet and more annoyed. Clearly not the best first impression of London. Even though we still had a couple of hours to waste, we decided to waste it back at the airport, where we could dry off and gather our happy spirits back together in time to arrive in Rome a few hours later.

London, I promise we'll give you a second chance, someday.

Well, at least we got an extra stamp in our passports.

Back home

(where we stayed for our first week in Sicily)

To say that our trip to Italy was wonderful would be an absolute understatement. There is so much to share. As soon as I've had a chance to sort through approximately 600 photos and 200 videos, I promise to bring you all the good, the funny, and the totally unique glimpses we enjoyed while in Italy. It is a vacation never to be forgotten.

Much more to come very soon....

The land of my Heart

image credit: panoramio.com

Yesterday afternoon, while watching a movie with Marc and my parents,  I found myself transported back to a moment almost nine years ago. I was sitting on a plane, looking out the dark window, with fearful tears that the land I was leaving would be left behind, never to be visited again. I decided in that moment to leave (at least a piece of) my heart there, desperately hoping that my heart strings would pull me back for future visits. Yesterday, as my mind went back to that moment, my heart was filled to overflowing with the most incredible feeling of joy and excitement, knowing that in mere days I would set foot in that same sacred land, discovering again how it captured my heart the first time. Things to look forward to - reunion with a dear friend, a big Sicilian wedding, a toast (in Italian) by yours truly, gelato, real Italian food, walking the cobblestone streets, the sounds, the smells, the sights, and sharing it all with my Love.

Leaving tomorrow! Incredible pictures and surely some hilarious stories soon to follow.... Ci vediamo!