I “met” Caitlin before either of us ever moved to Sicily and I instantly knew we would be friends.  Caitlin is kind, empathetic, and loves animals. She also is a mom to two ADORABLE littles! I always hoped I’d get to photograph her beautiful family.  You can image how excited I was when we put a date on our calendars for a one-year anniversary shoot in the lush parks of Catania.  It’s the perfect place for littles to run around and for a nice Sicilian backdrop for family photos.

While the backdrop was gorgeous, the Larvicks were STUNNING!  I already knew they would come ‘dressed to impress,’ but they really went above and beyond!  Bella’s little tutu dress, mom’s formal gown, dad’s suit, and Axil’s cute little button-up shirt were all just what every photographer dreams of!

One year in Sicily down, three more to go for the Larvicks!  Happy one-year Sicily anniversary, you guys!  I’m so glad to know you and thankful you asked me to document this time in your lives.  I hope you love the photos!

 

The Larvick Family

I’ve written about quite a few of my favorite areas to explore in Sicily – Agrigento, Mount Etna, San Vito Lo Capo… the list goes on. But one place I’ve featured before (see Maddie and Justin’s farewell to Sicily shoot here), but never really talked about, is Cefalù. If you pick up a travel book about Sicily, the photo on the cover is likely to be Cefalù. That’s because Cefalù is insanely beautiful and 100% worth the visit if you are planning a trip on island.

Photo: Jordan Gilles

 

Cefalù is approximately two hours from our home, so we can make a fabulous day trip out of it. For everyone who doesn’t live in Sicily, it’s on the Tyrrhenian (north) coast. If you are flying in to Catania or Palermo and want to visit, it’s probably best to rent a car. Cefalù also holds one of my favorite hotels in Sicily, Hotel Kalura, so making a long weekend out of a visit is definitely well worth it.

So what are some of my favorite things to do in Cefalù?  Great question!  Here are my top 5:

 

Top Five Things to do In Cefalù

 

1. Leisurely stroll around the town and take in the splendor.

As I mentioned before, Cefalù is easy on the eyes. Part of the fun of going there are the views!

 

2. Pay a visit to Cefalù Cathedral.

One of Sicily’s most important structures from the Norman domination, Cefalù Cathedral will not disappoint. Built in 1131 (what?!) is decorated with some of the best preserved and earliest mosaics in Sicily. If you take a look a the image of Christ below, you will notice that he is holding his hand in what could be misinterpreted as a “gang sign.” This is actually a depiction of him blessing the congregants, as he is “holing his fingers as the faithful do when making the sign of the cross.”

 

3. Hang out or take a swim in the crystal clear waters of Spiaggia di Cefalú.

The beaches in Cefalù tend to be a bit rocky, but boy, the waters are gorgeous!

 

4. Take a hike.

La Rocca offers over the top views of Cefalù – literally. The hike takes about an hour (and isn’t a leisurely stroll, so don’t do it if you aren’t wearing proper shoes). As an extra perk, you will pass the ruins of Temple of Diana on the way up.

 

5. Enjoy delectable Sicilian cuisine.

Our personal favorite spots to grab a bite are Enoteca Le Petit Tonneau (at sunset) and La Brace (for dinner). Thanks to Maddie and Justin for recommendations of both!

We were supposed to do thaaangs this weekend, but funny enough they all fell though. About 30 minutes before sunset, I had the idea to bike around our neighborhood and snap some photos for fun.  It’s almost the end of orange season in Sicily, so we decided to stop by the orange trees. The photos are silly, but we had a lot of fun.  So, here you go!

 

Orange Season in Sicily

Out of the many day trips we have made in Sicily, our visit to Agrigento was probably my favorite. While Taormina has classic Sicilian charm, and San Vito Lo Capo is a beach town of dreams, Agrigento just utterly fascinated me. Agrigento is a hilltop city on the southwestern coast of Sicily. There lies the ancient city of Akragas (582 BC), which you can visit in what is known as the Valley of the Temples. Sounds like there would be many temples located in this valley, right? Well, there are many temples – eight to be exact. But, the location is not in a valley, but instead on the top of a hill overlooking Agrigento. What strategic placement!

The temples available to visit include the Temples of:

• Hera
• Concordia
• Heracles
• Olympian Zeus
• Castor and Pollux
• Hephaestos
• Demeter
• Asclepius (the God of Medicine).

All of the temples were built between 510 BC and 430 BC and are in varying conditions. As you can see in the photos below, some of the temples are incredibly well preserved.

Ticket prices range from 10€ to 15€, depending on which ticket you purchase (park only, or combined with garden or combined with archeological museum). You can purchase your tickets ahead of time here or at the park. You must also have euro cash to pay for parking (varies on time you spend there). Upon entering the park, you must go through a security screening. No drones are permitted.

Just west of Agrigento, you can find another of my favorite attractions, Scala dei Turchi (also known as the Turkish Steps; pin here). The Turkish Steps are natural cliffs of white marl that have been carved into “steps” with centuries of wind and rain. The bright white color of the steps in contrast to the turquoise waters of the sea are simply stunning. You can drive by and view the steps from the top (there is a pull off with an overlook) and travel down to the beach where you can start at the bottom and climb up! You get to the bottom, you simply need to park and enter though the nearest lido – Lido Scala dei Turchi (entrance was free, but we did not go in season.

 

Valley of the Temples

Turkish Steps

I really can’t believe it’s been a full year since we moved to Sicily!  Sicily is an amazing place and we have loved getting acclimated to our new home.  However, that’s not to say there haven’t been a few surprises along the way. To be completely honest, it has probably been the fastest year of my life.  Looking back now, it all seems like a big blur.  Luckily, I have kept up fairly well with blogging, so I can reminisce about all of my travel over the last 12 months (see my 2018 recap here).

To say I’ve learned a lot in this past year is an understatement.  I’ve not only learned about what it’s like to live in Europe, but also sooo much about myself.   While you probably don’t care that much about what I’ve learned about myself, but you might be interested to know what I’ve learned while living in Sicily!  So, here are ten things I’ve learned while living in Sicily…

 

Ten things I’ve learned while living in Sicily:

 

1. You can indeed survive in a place where you don’t speak the language.

I had every intention of learning Italian when we moved here, but I have been so busy with work, travel, etc., that I honestly haven’t prioritized it.  While life would be much easier if I could communicate more effectively, I can definitely get by without being able to do so.  On that note, it is definitely important to know some things and to better understand what is/isn’t socially acceptable.

For example, greetings are valued here.  When you step into a store, restaurant, market stall, etc. you should immediately need to say ‘good morning’ (Buongiorno) or ‘good evening’ (Buonasera).  Additionally, the idea of morning differs from ours – morning is until 2pm here! Not, 12pm as it is in the US.

 

2. Public transportation and driving is…different than I expected.

I was told before we moved here that driving in Sicily was crazy.  It is definitely different than what I have experienced in the US.  There are basically no rules.  Some people drive 120mph, while others drive 20mph; it’s all up to you.  I have seen people stop in the middle of the road and reverse if they miss their turn, or simply create their own lane.  Stop signs serve as more of a suggestion.  While this style of driving was a bit shocking to me when we initially arrived, I’ve acclimated to it now and I’m not sure how I will be able to go back to driving with so many rules in the States.

Sicily is also incredibly spread out, which makes public transportation between cities impractical.  There is public transportation within cities and some trains between cities.  But if you want to see more of the countryside, you will definitely need a car.

 

3.  Don’t take clean water and air quality for granted.

Let me start out by saying, I know not all water and air quality is superb in the US, but I’ve personally never lived in a place where I have to be cognizant of these things.   A lot of the tap water here isn’t potable and a volcano in your back yard + Sahara sand storms that blow over seasonally are both good reasons for staying indoors.

 

4. Variety is the spice of life, but eating Italian food every day is okay too.

The food is ALWAYS good here.  No matter where we go or what we eat (except that one “sushi” restaurant, Justin and Maddie). But most of our choices of cuisine are literally Italian or… Italian.  There are quite a few restaurants that offer non-Italian menus, but it’s not the variety I was used to back in the States.  This means there is a lot of pizza, pasta, seafood, and aaahhhmazing desserts.  Luckily for me, I LOVE all of that.  My body, however, could use a few more salads.

 

5. ‘Sicilian’ could be considered different than ‘Italian.’

Life in Sicily is different than life in Italy.  Sicilians even have their own dialect and cuisine.  I didn’t realize until we went to Rome that much of what we eat and love in Sicily is purely Sicilian!  The pasta norma (pasta with eggplant sauce), pistachio on everything (pizza, pasta, ice cream), arancini (fried balls of rice with fillings inside), granita (a dessert somewhere between sorbet and Italian ice) are all Sicilian specialities. This feels so special to me, as I would have never had the opportunity to experience these things had I not come here.

6. You can live without Amazon Prime and 24 hour shopping.

This was a hard one for me, but mail for me here takes at least two weeks to receive.  When I see my friends receiving items in the mail back home, I honestly don’t even feel like I can relate anymore!  Also, I don’t know of any 24-hour stores (but maybe they exist and I just don’t know about them).

 

7. Religion is prominent.

Generally, the most prominent landmark in Sicilian towns are the basilicas.  And, boy are they stunning! I don’t consider myself to be a religious person, but as I told Jordan when we were in Naples, the experience walking though these grand churches is very moving.  The sheer size of the structures, along with all of the tiny details, is just incredible.

Sicilians also love their saints.  Each town has its own saint and many of the people born in that town are named accordingly.  For example, in Catania, the patron saint is Saint Agata.   Thus, many of the women there are also name Agata.

8. There is this thing called “riposo.”

Riposo is a daily event which equates to a really long lunch break where every store closes during the middle of the day.  In America, normal business hours are 8AM – 5PM.  In Sicily, they are 8ish to 8ish, with a three hour break in the middle of the day from 12PM – 3PM.  I get why Sicilians need this nap – dinner doesn’t start until after 8PM, so they stay up late.

 

9. Pets are allowed most places!

One of the coolest things to me is seeing pets in the mall! Pets in the Apple store just waiting to get the latest iPhone.  Dogs at restaurants. YESSSS! I love how pet friendly everything is.

 

10. Make sure to pack your own toilet paper.

The public toilet experience here is much different than in the US.  There aren’t many public toilets available. If you do find one, you will need to pay and *might* also need to supply your own toilet paper.

Want to see more of Sicily? Follow me here!

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One of the first experiences Jordan and I had in Sicily was visiting an agriturismo.  At the time, I don’t think I fully understood what an agriturismo really is (we were visiting for Maddie’s birthday).  So, we recently paid another visit to Murgo with our friends Rachel and Aaron. This post is all about the agriturismo experience; one you won’t want to pass up if you visit Italy!

So, what is an agriturismo? Basically, agriturismi (plural) are working farmhouse Bed & Breakfasts (e.g. “farm-stays”).  That is, an agriturismo is an independently-owned farm that you can stay in while visiting Italy.  Thus, the owners of the “hotel” or agriturismo, are primarily farmers and your room is in the farmhouse or somewhere along the grounds.  This all sounds very “unofficial,” however, agriturismi are legitimate businesses and some can be quite fancy!  If you want to know the basic historical rundown, essentially, the Italian government began providing tax relief for family farms that opened their doors to visitors in 1985.  However, to be legally considered an agriturismo, more income must be generated from farm activities than the B&B.

I have to admit, I have not actually stayed overnight at an agriturismo. Perhaps we will do this later in Tuscany!  However, there are so many near our home that I have made several visits for what I consider to be the best part – the food.  As they are working farms, the food is local (most from the farm) and AMAZING!!  We have been to several agriturismi, and the food has ranged from 30 to 50 euros per person.  This includes all courses of a meal.  The menu is pre-planned.  Some agriturismi serve meals family style (like Murgo) or individually (like Barone di Villagrande).  Some include full bottles of wine or wine tastings from the farm’s winery.  It all just depends on where you go!

The one thing that I must note is that agriturismi are generally not conveniently located.  Since they are working farms, they are usually out in the country.  Thus, transportation to-and-from may be difficult to coordinate. Therefore, planning ahead is essential (I always reserve, even for the meal).  However, they agriturismi I have been to have been 100% worth the trouble!!

I snapped a few shots of our HUGE meal at Murgo so you can see what 35€ got us (spoiler: a lot!!!) We also spent some time casually wandering around the grounds with Rachel + AJ, so I’ve also included a few shots from our impromptu photoshoot. Enjoy!

 

Our Meal at Murgo Agriturismo

Murgo

 

Rachel + AJ’s Impromptu Photoshoot

Jordan and I REALLY wanted to go skiing on Mount Etna, but we honestly had no idea where or how (remember the Christmas eve eruption?!).  Even with Google translate, I wasn’t able to find much information online, so I decided to share the information I obtained here.

Mount Etna Ski Areas

Etna Nord (North Etna)

 

We chose to ski at Etna Nord because we had friends going there on the same day. The pin to the ski lift area is here. If the pin doesn’t work for you, simply use Google maps and type in “Etna Nord Chairlift” HA!

When you get to the ski area, it costs 3€ to park. After parking, you can walk over to the little huts and rent your gear.

 

I rented skis and Jordan rented a snowboard. You can also rent a sled and go sledding there. Both rentals were 20€ each (I’m not sure of the cost of a sled). Once you have your ski/board, walk over to the lift and purchase a lift ticket. The ticket is 30€ and reduces in price after 12:30.

 

Jordan and I rented our gear from different outfitters. I preferred the one I wandered into AND they spoke English. Big pro for me. The shop owner also told me I could call her to check the conditions before driving up. If you’d like to call, her information is: Baita Mareneve (shop name) Phone: 3478546266

 

Also offered are shops with food and a small lounge area. The rental shops also appear to rent apparel and other items of interest. They also sell items like gloves, hats, goggles, etc. There are quite a few shops to select from. With that being said, this is not a typical resort that you would find in the US — you should plan to spend most of your time on the slopes.

Etna Sud (South Etna)

 

I have never been skiing at Etna Sud! Being totally transparent here. I am providing this information just because I know you CAN ski on Etna Sud and if that’s more convenient for you, here is a website that might help. I chose Etna Nord over Etna Sud due to views (but from what I can find, it looks like the skiing is better too).

 

Know Before You Go

 

If you snowboard, you can rent a board from MWR for $25/weekend. MWR also offers ski trips. If you decide to go on your own, chains on tires are required from November through April. We did not use chains (neither did most anyone else) and were totally fine. We do have a four-wheel drive vehicle though, so I would suggest at least having them in your trunk.

 

It takes approximately 1.5 hours to travel from Marinai to Etna Nord. I’d recommend arriving a few minutes prior to opening (9AM). I believe the resort closes around 4PM.

 

The drive and entire experience was lovely!  I highly recommend going up at least once while you’re here!!

Needless to say, 2018 was a HUGE year for us that was full of exciting change!  The moment that topped it all off was our move overseas from Virginia to Sicily, Italy in February.  So much has happened over the last 12 months, I thought it would be fun to relive the best of 2018!

I really loved going back through all of my photographs from this year and reliving so many memories!  So, without further ado, here is a recap of my 2018 including some of my favorite memories:

 

The Best of 2018

The BIG Move

• 2018 started off with a BIG announcement that were moving overseas! The next month was completely insane as we shipped off all of our things, sold my car and our home, and made arrangements for our new digs in Sicily!  Once we arrived, we immediately moved into our Americanized-Sicilian townhome and patiently awaited the arrival of our car and household goods. That period of time was truly crazy!

 

Exploring Our New Home – Sicily

• We began our time in Sicily with some trips around the island. I (sadly) didn’t get around to blogging most of them, but here are a few of my favorites:
• Agrigento (photos below)
• Catania
• Taormina
• Syracuse & Ortigia Island
• San Vito Lo Capo & Erice
• Enna
• Caltigerone
• Noto
• and Cefalú

You can find “highlights” of all of these trips over on my Instagram, if you are interested: click here.

Exploring Europe

• Our first trip off-island was fast-paced, fun, and exciting! We ventured to Naples, Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast (Positano) during Easter weekend.  It was a quick trip FULL of hilarious stories.  From visiting catacomb after catacomb, to our friends’ car getting locked in a parking garage before our trip to the airport.  Our Naples trip was one we will never forget!

 

• Malta was GORGEOUS and a literal dream of mine. We traveled all over the main island, but would still really like to go to Gozo and Comino if we go back.

 

• Lyon, France (blog post coming soon!) for a long weekend was ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS!! In particular, I enjoyed the shopping and the food, but I never got around to blogging this one. Whoops!

• In the heat of summer, we visited one of my old faves – Berlin. Berlin is always amazing, the food is always delicious, and the weather is HOT in the summer.  Nevertheless, it was refreshing to hang out with my friends Pauline and Michele again, and meet Pauline’s boyfriend, Ben.

 

• For our week long “vacation,” we flew to London for 24-hours (STAAAAAP, London, I love you!!!!!) and then to Dublin, Ireland, where we embarked on a 5-day road trip around southern Ireland. This was my favorite trip of 2018 for sure – the nature was just breathtaking and the people, so kind.   If you have ONE trip you could take to Europe, I’d recommend this one, hands down. See why I’m so in love here and here.

 

• For my birthday, we jetsetted off to Sofia, Bulgaria – a country I’ve wanted to visit for a long time!! I got to visit with my college buddy, Rashko while I was there, and my best friend Ashley’s college buddy, Niya kindly picked us up from the airport and sent me lots of information about things to do. It was a cool experience and I’m so glad we went.  Blog post on this one is TBD!

 

• In September, we flew to Munich to meet up with Ashley, John, Maddie, and Justin for OKTOBERFEST!!! I personally was not that excited about the actual festival before we went (I know, I’m so weird), but I actually enjoyed it and had a fabulous time!  The city of Munich was clean and beautiful, and the people were seriously, so kind.  Also, Bavarian food!!!!

 

• TWO DAYS after our Munich trip, we boarded another plane for Paris, France. What a romantic dream trip Paris was!! From sunrise at the Eiffel Tower to strolls around the Louvre, Paris was everything I thought it would be!! Unfortunately, I did acquire some unknown “life-threatening bacterium” (words of my doctor) at some point during this trip and spent nearly three weeks recovering.  As I’ve said before, the bacterial infection (as horrible as it was – truly effing horrible), won’t stop me from returning.  As a matter of fact, I’ve already booked my next trip!

 

• After Paris, we embarked on Barcelona, Spain (blog post coming soon!) for some R&R and more incredible food! We spent the majority of one day at the hotel spa (no regrets!) and the remainder of our trip jaunting around the city!  We also got to meet up with our friends Rachel and AJ and their parents for my first international photoshoot!!

 

• CHRISTMAS MARKETS IN GERMANY was another item on my “bucket list” that I got to cross off this year! We flew to Berlin for a quick weekend trip to visit Pauline and Ben and THREE of Berlin’s MANY markets.  It was a dream trip and we can’t wait to visit more next year 😉

 

We are heading to one more place before 2019, but I’ll wait to post about this one until we have actually returned!

Volcanic Eruptions

• We visited some of the other islands around Sicily. Stromboli (one of the Aeolian Islands north of Sicily), was our first island hop.  We ventured there for one night and a SEVEN, yes SEVEN, hour hike to the top of Stromboli volcano at night.  It was as exhausting and strenuous as it was enchanting!! We got to watch the volcano erupt many times, so it was worth it!!

 

• We got to witness not just one but TWO volcanic eruptions!! On Christmas Eve, Mount Etna erupted with plumes of smoke, over 130 earthquakes and two fresh new craters spouting LAVA! It was an unexpected Christmas surprise that has kept many native islanders on edge!

Time with Family

• Despite ALL of the above, my favorite moments of 2018 were with those I love. Being at home with Jordan, Birdee, and Chalupa was by far my favorite thing I did this year.  As all military families know, time (and holidays) together are not guaranteed.  I think this makes me appreciate every moment with them so much more.

 

My life has changed in so many ways over this past year, reflecting back on it all is really actually quite surreal. I think my biggest takeaway from this past year is that you never know where life is going to take you.  As a person who was extremely “type-A” for so long, stepping back and allowing life to take over a little bit has helped me to realize that sometimes the best things that happen to us are the unplanned ones.  I’ve also developed an even greater sense of YOLO (you only live once, right?!), that I’m a little bit overwhelmed with the fact that I will never get to see or do all the things I want to. So, for 2019, I aim to be more present in everyday life; to enjoy the little moments just as much as the big ones!

It’s well known that Mount Etna is Europe’s most active volcano. Despite this fact, it was a bit of a surprise when we walked outside on Christmas Eve to find that she had erupted. There have been quite a few eruptions in the 10 months we have lived in Sicily.  However, there have been none of this magnitude!

The Christmas Eve eruption was the first flank eruption in over 10 years from Mount Etna.  A new fracture near its south-eastern crater was the source of the spectacle.  Besides the eruption, over 130 earthquakes occurred throughout the day.  Because of the eruption column carrying rocks and ash, the airport had to shut down and some people (on the mountainside) were told to evacuate.

We live ~22 miles away from Mount Etna, so we were able to see the eruption from afar. We did drive up to Linguaglossa for a wine tasting we had previously scheduled (which is on the north side of the volcano).  During our drive, we drove under the eruption column and were met with falling rock, ash, and other debris. It was quite exciting.

Mount Etna appeared to settle down around sunset, but the earthquakes continued.

Something worth noting in the last two photos is the pileus cloud (the circular cloud on the right side of the image).  A pileus cloud is often called a “scarf” or “cap” cloud.  It appears when there are strong updrafts and are indicators of severe weather.  These types of clouds also appear above mushroom clouds from nuclear detonations!   Crazy stuff!!

 

Views from Sigonella

 

From E45 – Drive to  Linguaglossa

 

Views from Motta Saint Anastasia

Pileus cloud in the late afternoon.

 

Pileus cloud at sunset.

 

Views from Catania

It’s our FIRST holiday season in Sicily!! For the holidays this year, Jordan and I joined our friends Rachel and AJ at Murgo Winery on Mount Etna. This was just a couple days before the latest eruptions!

After our lovely lunch and wine tasting, we all went out to explore the grounds and take a couple holiday photos. Thanks so much for AJ for snapping these for us and to Rachel for cheering us on and making us laugh!

Happy Holidays to you and yours!!

Love,

Mandalyn + Jordan

Happy Holidays!