There are a few countries that I always imagined spending lots of time in—Italy is one; Nepal another; and New Zealand, Morocco, and Peru also. These countries that I dreamed of most (except Peru where I haven't been yet) have been so powerful to visit. On my very first day in Italy, Nepal, New Zealand, and Morocco I felt a very strong connection to the land and people immediately...it's so hard to know if this feeling comes from some intrinsic connection to these places or from fulfilling the longtime dream of visiting them. Most likely it is a combination. But from this experience, I think if we have a strong inkling to travel somewhere, that is a good enough reason to go.
 |
| Mount Etna at sunset |
I always imagined Italy as a place I'd like to live for some time, and on my first day in Sicily, I already felt at home with many warm interactions with people and great feelings from all my surroundings. In Sicily, I have loved the casual, relaxed ambiance; the lively and cheap outdoor markets; the fresh, delicious meals; the comfortable climate; beautiful landscapes; the evening
passeghiata; and especially the warm, passionate people.
 |
| Catania Fish Market |
In my two weeks here, I have really enjoyed meeting Sicilian people. I find them warm, friendly, and passionate, and also full of some fire... like their volcanic Mount Etna :) All of my Servas and AirBNB hosts have been very warm and I especially loved the honesty, enthusiasm, and firery personality of my first Servas host, Roberta, who is a chef and baker. She and I walked and cooked together and picked many kilos of strawberries from her garden to make jam.
 |
| A view from Roberta's place |
 |
| Frutti di mare dinner |
 |
| Fresh strawberries from Roberta's garden |
Also with strangers, I felt a lot of warmth. A few shopkeepers and cafés overcharged me a bit when they saw I was an outsider, but many more actually treated me more favourably, like a fruit vendor in the market not letting me pay for my apricots, a bus driver who let me ride free, a museum receptionist who let me enter at no charge, and a local man who I hitch-hiked with down from Mount Etna buying me a coffee and cookie when he dropped me off in the small town of Nicolosi.
I spent the two weeks with three different Servas hosts and some days alone also, walking around the volcanic Mount Etna, the Alcantara Gorge, and hill towns and Mount Venere along the coast. During my time in Sicily, I also had the chance to explore many historical sites. Over its very, very long history (neolithic settlements dating back to about 8,000 BC!), Sicily has been inhabited by many different peoples from all different backgrounds (Romans, Greeks, Arabs, Spaniards, Normans, Germans, Jews, and more) and I found it fascinating learning about the island's rich history and traditions from all these different cultures.
 |
| Walking around Mount Etna |
 |
| Exploring Corleone with Maria |
 |
| Picking amarena cherries with Gino |
 |
| Corleone countryside |
From what everyone tells me, every part of Italy is quite distinct in many ways. I'm looking forward to exploring the next region—Tuscany, where I'll explore, visit more Servas hosts, and help one family for two weeks in their gardens and with their children's English. More on Tuscany next time.. Hope all is well with you, too!
 |
| Nicolosi at dusk from Monti Rossi |
No comments:
Post a Comment