Shortly after we returned from Malta a few weeks ago, Jordan and I spent a long weekend in Lyon, France. We had debated for awhile if we should visit Lyon, or just go to Paris, affectionally known as the city of love. We chose Lyon, and as we found out, Lyon and “the city of love” might be one and the same.
Jordan and I had planned to just explore the city by foot, but eventually caved and decided to take a car to Parc de la Tête d’or, a 19th century park, which was supposed to be lovely and was a bit too far to walk from our airbnb.
It turned out to be very hot that day, but we enjoyed our time there anyway. The park was beautiful with a few rose gardens, statues, a lake in the middle, and luckily, tons of trees. We spent a few hours there, mostly on the side of the park near where we entered, but I decided that we needed to walk around the WHOLE thing. So, we did.
I’m so glad we did because we just happened to run into Natalie and Rob… the cutest couple, who had just gotten engaged!!!
I honestly have no idea HOW it happened. All I know is that Jordan saw a “really cool” weeping willow that formed a cave right by the water and had to go in to check it out. Once we entered the cave, we overheard Rob telling Natalie how nervous he was trying to hide the ring while packing for the trip. And that’s when we knew… he had JUST popped the question!!
So, of course I asked them if I could snap a couple of photos to mark the occasion. And, then we left them to enjoy their engagement day!!
Natalie and Rob, congratulations again!! It was such a pleasure running in to you and we hope you are having tons of fun planning for the big day!
P.S. Check out Natalie’s ring!! (It’s was Rob’s grandmother’s – what an honor!)
Living in Sicily certainly has its perks… like flights to Malta for less than 40€!
Prior to our move here, visiting Malta was #1 on my travel list. Why, you ask? Because Malta (along with Gozo and Comino) is an alluring jewel of an island that is beyond rich in culture, history, and charm. Not to mention, the food and wine are AMAZING and completely underrated. Malta is conveniently located in the Mediterranean Sea just south of Sicily. Most people ask me if Malta is part of Italy or Spain. The answer is… neither! Malta actually declared independence from the UK in the 70’s! So, it’s its own country. Most people also speak English there (and Maltese), so it’s super easy to get around.
We were completely overwhelmed with the plethora of options for our adventures. Three days were definitely not enough to take in all Malta had to offer. So, I thought I’d create a little guide for anyone interested in making the most out of a breathtaking trip in the most remarkable place.
Things to Know
The attractions in Malta are quite spread out, as the island’s size can be deceptive. Distance-wise, you’d think traveling from point A to point B would only take 10-15 minutes, when in reality, traffic. And a much longer ride (especially if traveling by bus).
Public transportation is incredibly cheap (1.50€ for a two hour bus ticket) and easy to use. However, if you are in a hurry, it’s best you rent a car. We did not rent a car and occasionally spent an hour or so waiting for a bus. Sometimes the bus was on time, but full. Other times we had to stand the entire time on the hour-long bus ride to our destination or back. In short, I’d recommend renting a car (P.S. They drive on the left side of the road!).
Prior to booking a hotel, you should decide what “feel” you are going for. Do you want a resort vacation where you lay out on the beach all day? Malta has that! Do you want to explore historical cities and sites? Malta has that! Do you want to feel excluded from the rest of the world? Malta has that! Where you stay is indicative of what type of trip it will be.
**We stayed in St. Juliens at the Gold Lion Holiday. It was near this beautiful rocky shore and the bay (shown above) and all of the hoppin’ night life. And boy, was it hoppin!
Valletta
The capital and cultural and historical hub. If you go to Malta, you’re going to want to check out Valletta. The historical capital is well preserved with many points of interest to explore. We spent a whole day here and it was worth it. We did not stay in Valletta, as the hotels were over 200€ per night, which was a bit over budget for us! However, Valletta does host some luxurious accommodations in some historical places (I’m talking, 4-star and 5-star hotels).
Upper Barrakka Gardens
Public garden offering a panoramic view of the Grand Harbour.
War HQ Tunnel / Liscaris War Rooms
Under the Barrakka Garderns lies Malta’s best kept secret from WWII…a secret underground complex that housed Britan’s War Headquarters. Extremely interesting and impressive!
Casa Rocca Piccola
A Maltese Noble family’s 16th Century Palace. Definitely worth the $!
St. John’s Co-Cathedral
Super unimpressive from the outside, right?
But when you step in, BREATHTAKING!! The most impressive church I’ve seen so far, and it should be, as it is considered to be one of Europe’s finest examples of Baroque architecture. It houses nine chapels and some notable works of art including Caravaggio’s only signed painting, The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist. Despite the massive number of tourists visiting, the church and Caravaggio’s painting are still very moving.
The ornate interior, with gold walls and painted ceilings that appear like carvings.
The intricate details are impressive.
The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist and another ornate ceiling.
Valletta is a beautiful and historic city that we really enjoyed visiting!
Mdina
A fortified city founded in the 8th century BC, Mdina will wow you with it’s beauty. While Valetta was gorgeous, I was just smitten with Mdina.
Mdina Gate
The first thing you see as you walk into the city is the fortified wall and medieval gate.
Hand Blown Glass
Next, are some really cute glass shops. My favorite was Mdina Glass:
I really wanted to buy some adorable little glasses for myself, but alas, I packed too much and there was no room in the carry on!
St. Paul’s Cathedral
Like Valetta, Mdina’s church, St. Paul’s Cathedral, was also a sight to behold and worth exploring.
There was also an attached museum that we loved which had some panoramic views from the windows.
Old Town
Mdina has some of the cutest little doorways and streets!
Mdina also hosts St. Paul’s Catacombs, which we skipped because, after Naples, we are catacombed out.
Dingli
Definitely not an area to stay in, but views for sure!!
Dingli Cliffs
The cliffs were near nothing, but worth the 1.5 hour bus ride. You can walk up and down the cliffside for quite a ways. The view is gorgeous and despite the tourists, it’s very peaceful and serene.
Qrendi
Blue Grotto
The only reason we traveled to Qrendi, was for the blue grotto! We traveled there a bit later in the day, so we skipped the boat tour and just opted for the shore views (which weren’t half bad!!).
Mgarr
Għajn Tuffieħa Bay
Għajn Tuffieħa Bay was our destination in Mgarr. One of the most popular beaches is Golden Bay, but we were told by a local to try Għajn Tuffieħa Bay instead, as it is less crowded since there are a set of stairs leading down to it. I actually loved that there were stairs because
LOOK AT THIS VIEW!!!
The water was gorgeous, but maybe a tiny bit chilly for my liking. There was a seaside restaurant there, where you could dine on the outdoor patio or grab some food for takeout. We got a pizza and some beers to enjoy on the beach. It made for a nice and relaxing day!
Food & Wine
Maltese Mama – For traditional Maltese cuisine, I’d make a reservation for dinner here! The traditional Maltese platter was a HUGE and amazing appetizer (shown below). We felt like we didn’t need entrees after that one. We also had the rabbit, which was also a very large dish and extra tasty!
Bianco’s – Great spot for a nice, relaxing dinner with great wine! Order the fried cheese appetizer – you will not regret it!!!
Marsovin Wine – Their sauvignon blanc was some of my favorite wine! Malta is full of amazing wine. I’d definitely give Marsovin wines a try!
Cisk Beer – Maltese beer is light and refreshing! Perfect for lounging seaside.
Things we wanted to do:
Like I said, 72 hours in Malta was definitely not enough time. There were many things we wanted to do that we were not able to. Here are a few:
Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum – Apparently this underground cavity and monument is THE attraction in Malta and is booked out for M O N T H S in advance. Make sure to make a reservation a solid 3+ months ahead of time.
Ħaġar Qim Temples – Megalithic temples from 3600 to 3200 BC. Sad we missed these!
Gozo & Comino – We really wanted to explore these islands, but we just did not have enough time (or a car). I’d recommend a car for full exploration, as they both have their own attractions!
If you’ve been following me on Instagram, you know that I have been on planes more than I have been at home as of late. At one point, I was home for less than 24 hours before I was off again. And, while exploring new cities is exciting and fun, jet-setting isn’t as glamorous as it may seem. Especially, when you like to travel light (let’s be honest, checking a bag is a pain in the ass). Over time, I have developed an essential packing list with items that I simply do not travel without. After all, if it cannot fit in my backpack, it isn’t going. And, even if it does fit, I still have to leave room for all of the little knick knacks I’ll want to buy. Here are my travel essentials – the items I simply do not travel without:
Mandalyn’s Top Six Travel Essentials:
A supportive pair of shoes
Whether it’s sandal or boot weather, it’s imperative to wear a good pair of shoes. I realized when I moved to Europe that all of the tiny-heeled little pumps and non-supportive flip flops I had just weren’t going to cut it. Thus, my mission for a great pair of walking shoes (and sandals) commenced.
For walking shoes, I finally discovered Geox’s Nebula trainers (my favorite pair), which are stylish, provide breathability from the bottom, and are slip-ons (but you’d never know)! My only regret is that I didn’t own these sooner.
The sandals I swear by are the Sabrina sandal by Naot. I was able to wear them straight out of the box for immediate travel. Not only do I wear them when I’m traveling, but they are also my go to for everyday wear.
Moisturizing lip balm
Airplane air can be extremely dry, so I can’t stress the importance of carrying a good lip balm. After trying lip balm after lip balm, I finally found a keeper: Aquaphor Lip Repair. I like this lip balm because it is extremely moisturizing without feeling greasy. It also doesn’t contain any fragrances or ingredients that make my lips tingle and it lasts for so long! I have been unsuccessful at finding this product in Europe, but luckily there is Amazon. I also just realized Aquaphor also makes one with SPF 30.
An essential carry-all
I’m a woman of many bags. If you ask my husband, he will agree. Since I don’t check any bags, fitting everything in cabin with me is essential. In Europe, you don’t get a carry-on bag AND a personal item. You only get one. Thus, my “personal item” aka purse, must also fit into my backpack.
After much trial and error, I’ve found the Le Pliage Tote in large is the best bag for the job. It’s water resistant and folds up into a tiny little sac that easily fits into the front pouch of my backpack, so it takes up minimal space. I remove my wallet (and all other items) and store them separately. Once I get to my destination, it’s easy for me to pop them out and go!
A quality backpack that meets airline standards and still fits all my essentials
When I pulled out my “roller backpack” I think Jordan may have snickered a little. However, this High Sierra bag fits it all AND I don’t have to carry it on my back if I don’t want to. Don’t worry – you can’t even tell it rolls when you have it on!
Sanitizer wipes
I carry a small liquid bottle as well, but I can’t stress the importance of the wipes. The first thing I do once I find my seat on the plane is bust them out and wipe down everything: the service tray, arm rest, window shade, tv (if there is one). The last thing I want to do is get sick!
Rain protection
Even smaller than carrying an umbrella is folding up the Columbia Arcadia II Rain Jacket. For less than $35, you can’t beat it. I make sure to carry it with me where ever I go. It folds up so small I don’t have to worry about it taking up much room. I have needed this jacket much more than I originally thought. Now I won’t leave home without it!
Note: I was not compensated for this post in any way, shape, or form. These are just the items I love!
Images via: Geox, Nordstrom, Amazon, Nordstrom, Amazon, Columbia
So you might be thinking… “Wait, I thought stromboli was a food.” Well, it is, but it’s also an island off of the coast of Sicily. Kind of like Turkey, you know?
Anyway, Jordan had an unexpected three-day weekend, so instead of just hanging around the house, we decided to check out the Aeolian Islands. The Aeolian Islands: Vulcano, Lipari, Salina, Panarea, Stromboli, Filicudi and Alicudi, each have their own unique features. When deciding where to go, we read about each island and looked up their main “attractions” online and in a Sicily travel guide we own. When we learned that you could hike up to the top of a volcano AND see it explode, we decided Stromboli would be our first stop.
As a side note, I can’t overstate the utility of buying actual travel guide BOOKS and not just researching what to do online. They are soooo helpful.
To get to Stromboli, we drive north to Milazzo. Milazzo is located in the north-eastern “corner” of Sicily. It took us about 1.5 hours – granted we left home around 5AM, so there was virtually no traffic. Once we arrived, we parked at Garage Delle Isole and they transported us to the port. We arrived at the port around 30 minutes before our hydrofoil. I was surprised at how long the line was for tickets! We purchased our tickets online the day before, so we already had spots reserved. However, we still had to wait in line to pick up a physical ticket. Silly, I know.
The line for the hydrofoil.
Once we picked up our tickets, we boarded the hydrofoil and were off to Stromboli. The hydrofoil stopped at a few of the islands before arriving in Stromboli and it was fun to see how vastly different each island looked.
Stepping off the hydrofoil, the beauty of the black sand beaches and colorful fisherman boats were remarkable. The sheer size of the volcano also hit me in the face and I immediately wondered if perhaps I wasn’t quite ready for this!
The hydrofoil, Calypso.
From the port, we walked to our accommodations for the night, La Nassa. I was glad we actually had a room reserved, as they didn’t require a deposit, and because of this, I was skeptical. They also didn’t require a credit card on file or ANY money up front. It was a cash payment at the end, which is virtually unheard of (at least in places I’ve stayed). The staff were extremely friendly and accommodating and the room was very cute and quaint.
After dropping our stuff, we explored the town a bit before we went to check in with the tour company.
We also stopped for lunch at Bar Ristorante Pizzeria da Luciano Stromboli. It was nothing short of amazing.
We took a stroll along a black sand beach.
We booked (also no deposit) our night hike with MagmaTrek. The guides at MagmaTrek let us know that, because of the weather, it wasn’t guaranteed that we would be able to see any explosions that night. Since we traveled all that way, we decided to do it anyway. And boy, it was a hike!
We started from the very bottom of the volcano.
See how happy I look. I had no idea what was coming for me.
The hike took a total of about 7 hours from start to finish. First we went through a lot of vegetation and then we did what I like to call, the “rock climb,” where the path turned rocky.
Some shots from the vegetation part.
If you look very closely at the top of this photo, you can see the TINY people at the top.
The rocky part.
Halfway though our hike, it began to get dark, and I was DYING, so I didn’t take as many photos. The hike up was super hot. I was sweating like no other and I know Jordan was too. As soon as we make it to the top, it was suddenly freezing cold, mainly because the sun was gone and it was windy. So, we all changed into dry shirts and put on our coats. Unfortunately, the layers were not enough for me and standing on the crater ledge for an hour was a little painful.. in more than one way! Our guide also passed out masks, as the air was not very safe to breathe. We had to wear them until we made it back to the bottom.
Once we made it to the edge of the crater, our guide told us to pray we would see something (because it was soooooo foggy!). We got really lucky, because the clouds cleared and we were able to see all of the explosions clearly by the end!
Guys, I SAW A VOLCANO EXPLODE!!!!!!!!!!!
The way back down was drastically different than the way up. After walking down a rather rocky path for awhile, our guide stopped us and let us know that we were about to walk though sand… and that we couldn’t stop because avalanches were possible in this area!! The sand was over the ankle deep and the slope was steep!! Eventually we made it back down to the vegetation area and the path leveled off again. From there, we continued for what felt like forever until were back at Magmatrek.
After the hike was over, I thanked my lucky stars because, holy hell that was H-A-R-D! We grabbed a pizza and a beer and settled in for the night before we retuned back home tomorrow.
Overall, the experience itself was a 10/10. I’d say it was a ‘once in a lifetime experience’ because I probably could not be talked into making that hike again!! A two to three mile run a few times a week is not enough for scaling Stomboli. However, I am ready to visit the island again. It was relaxing, low key, and gorgeous.
I miss your solitude already, Stromboli.
It’s been a month since our Easter trip to visit our friends Jon and Amber in Naples and I am finally sitting down to write about the bulk of our travels. Our ventures in Naples were… well, a little bit creepy at times, but overall, fun!
Jordan had a long weekend off from work for Easter and so we decided it would be a good time to explore mainland Italy. We booked our trip about a week (or less in advance) and didn’t really have much of a plan, except to have fun. And, we did.
We had a really big wish list: Pompeii, Positano/Amalfi Coast, and Naples. The very first day we visited both Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast and on days two and three, Naples. I already talked about day one in two other posts, so I’m going to talk about days two and three here.
Day 2
We woke up EXHAUSTED from day one, but early because we had things to see!! Jon drove us into downtown Naples and while trying to find parking, we drove into a street market. Common in Italy, but distressing none-the-less. Once he was able to navigate out of the tiny little market streets, we found a parking garage (with no market) and set out to explore Naples.
The first thing we did was take in the general atmosphere of Naples downtown and do a little window shopping! We had planned to go to the National Archaeological Museum, but the entrance line was down the street. We also attempted the Veiled Christ, but again, the line was wrapped around the block (because, Easter). As much as I love lines (I don’t love lines AT ALL), I was happy not to have to wait in these. So, if we ever go back, we will attempt again.
While window shopping and taking in the general scenery, we saw a man singing beautiful Italian songs from his balcony (see top, right photo). It was fun and romantic!
After our stroll and shopping, we stopped in at a little bar (aka pastry shop in Italy) to have a rum baba (small yeast cake filled with cream and saturated in rum syrup). We had eaten them before – but never in Naples. And, they were amazing. I had the pistachio filled one!
Note: not the only sexual statue we saw in Naples.
After our pastry stop, we stopped to check out the random little chapel
And the Naples Cathedral
And then things started to get a little creepy! We decided to make a stop at Santa Maria delle Anime del Purgatorio ad Arco (Saint Mary of the Souls of Purgatory)- also known as the church of the dead. Surprisingly, there was no line for this one! Upon walking in, it looked like just another church. Once inside, we had to pay an entrance fee to go to the church’s hypogeum, or underground crypt… Yep, that’s right – underground crypt. Here, the “Neapolitan Skull Cult” filled the crypt with the remains of the poor and unfortunate for whom were not able to be afforded a proper Catholic funeral. It was believed without a proper burial, their souls would languish in purgatory, so people went here to pray for them.
Photos were not allowed here, so I can only tell you about it – but basically there were skulls everywhere lining dark hallways and an alter – with skulls 🙂
We did however, visit two catacombs and a cemetery on day two. More on that soon.
After visiting the underground crypt, we visited Naples underground, where we got to check out the historic old city of Naples, which just so happens to be… underground!
At the end of that tour, we checked out some art and then headed out for dinner.
Day 3 – Easter
My main mission for this day was to check out the catacombs, because ever since I took an art history class in college, I’ve wanted to check them out! Luckily Amber and Jon were down, so the Catacombs of San Gennaro was our first stop.
San Gennaro is an underground burial site that consists of two levels. There were once three separate levels, but now, to my disappointment, there were no bodies there. So, we just explored the crypt space and art.
After visiting San Gennaro, we decided to walk a few kilometers to Catacombs of Saint Gaudiosus. I know sounds really different. Kinda was though.
The Catacombs of Saint Gaudiosus is located under the Basilica of Santa Maria della Sanità. So, as we walked into the Basilica, we actually walked into Easter mass.
Because it was a church service, I only snapped a couple of photos.
We stood in the back for the service. Even though I had no idea what they were saying, It was still a pretty amazing experience to be in one of the largest churches in Naples for Easter service! It was definitely a moving experience.
After the service, we went down into the catacombs for the tour.
These catacombs were WAAAYYY different than San Gennaro. Because there bones were of aristocrats and ecclesiastics… and well, the skulls were cemented in the walls, while the rest of the body was frescoed…. yep.
After that fascinating tour, we ventured to the last stop of the day before Easter Dinner – Fontanelle Cemetery.
This was a cemetery a little different than those I’ve been to before… it is in a cave that is filled with bones of victims of the plague and anonymous remains. Another place for “The Neapolitan Cult of the Dead” to come and pray.
The cemetery was HUGE and holds between 250,000 and 300,000 bodies, apparently.
After our busy day, we decided to head back to Amber and Jon’s car. Once we made the uphill trek back, we realized the garage we parked in was closed. So, we ended up going to the hotel next door to inquire. It was currently 3pm and the garage was scheduled to open again at 7pm. Odd hours right? Well, we had an 8pm flight to catch. So we ended up walking to the train station and quickly buying a ticket and r u n n i n g to catch a train. We then had to switch trains (this was our first time taking a train, by the way) and get a cab to John and Amber’s place. They were nice enough to find us a ride to the airport with a friend. So, we made it to the airport and they were able to get a ride back to get their car later that evening.
So, all that’s well that ends well, right?!
We have called Sicily home for T W O whole months now! Our first month flew by. Month two has felt so much longer and so much shorter all at the same time.
We have:
- Received our household goods!!! I finally have clothes, towels, pots, pans, and a couch!! Thanks to the kitchen supplies, I was able to finally bake again and I celebrated by making fresh lemon cupcakes with some amazing Sicilian lemons.
- Traveled to the west (but not the west coast) and visited towns on the north coast (Palermo & Monreale) and south coast (Agrigento, Realmonte, & Centuripe). Posts coming soon… I hope 🙂
- Traveled off the island to mainland Italy. While on the mainland, we visited Naples, Pompeii, Sorrento and Positano.
- Gotten hair cuts (but only mine is on the blog).
We still want to:
- Visit the west side of the island
- Learn more Italian!
- Travel to a different country
- Create a “bucket list” of countries/cities/towns to visit
- Spring clean our home and get rid of some “extra stuff”
- Blog travel excursions faster…. We’ve visited almost 10 places I haven’t blogged about!
If you read about our trip to Pompeii, then you know about our first trip to mainland Italy where we visited Pompeii, The Amalfi Coast, and Naples. If you didn’t get a chance to read it, then you should because this post would make a lot more sense to you 🙂
After visiting Pompeii, we hopped in Jon and Amber’s car and headed on down to the Amalfi Coast.
I guess the scenery was okay… I mean, if you like sparkling blue waters, cliffside towns, and sheer drop-offs that might make you pee your pants a little. I like those things, so I was glued to the window like WOWWWW pretty much the whole time.
Our first stop was in Sorrento for a gourmet lunch at Restaurant Bagni Delfino. Bagni Delfino is a fresh seafood restaurant that is located waterside.
Here is our view from the table and a few shots of our food:
After our amazing lunch, we hopped back in the car and made our way to Positano.
The drive there was breathtaking.
Once we made it to Positano, we parked near the top, which meant we had to walk down to the bottom. There were A LOT of stairs and they were fairly steep.
Once we made it to the beach, we enjoyed the general splendor while walking around and hanging out on some seaside rocks.
We grabbed some snacks on our way back to the car and then headed back to Naples for some much needed sleep.
It’s been a minute since I’ve posted, but that is because we have been super busy!
Last weekend we flew up to Naples for our first trip to mainland Europe. It was very fast paced, as I had a whole list of things I wanted to see and places I wanted to go, and we only had three days. After we returned from that trip, Jordan started working nights. If you or a family member have never worked nights before, the best way I can describe it is… confusing. Ha. He doesn’t work every night, and when he does work, he sleeps before he goes to work and then when he gets home. So, we are always confused about what day it is, and when he is supposed to work, and when we should sleep, and what we need to eat, and when. Bleh. It’s just exhausting to type out.
So, other than our trip to Naples and Jordan’s new schedule, we also got our household goods!! This means I now have a couch and clothes and alllll the other things I have missed so much. However, after living out of a few suitcases for the last few months, I now feel quite overwhelmed with all of our “stuff.” It literally just feels like a lot of “stuff” and not things we need. So, I’ve decided to purge a bunch of things just to clear out our home and feel like I can breathe again. As we are putting things away, we are tossing things we don’t use frequently into the “goodbye” box(es), and they will go on craigslist ASAP.
So, that has been us for the last two weeks.
As for our trip to Naples (and surrounding area)….. it was a blast!! We had three main stops we wanted to make while in the area:
1. Pompeii – Who doesn’t want to see Pompeii?!
2. The Amalfi Coast – Probably one of the most popular places on Instagram (if I were to guess)
3. Naples – Duh!
Thanks to our amazing friends (from Virginia that now live in Naples), Amber and Jon, we were able to see everything we wanted to see and more! We can’t thank them enough for hosting us. They really went out of their way while we were there and we can’t wait to host them in Sicily!
When I uploaded photos from our trip, I had 900+!! So, that means each of the three main stops get’s it’s own post.
First up, Pompeii!
Beautiful right?!
There’s a lot I can say about Pompeii, just as there is a lot to see in Pompeii. Pompeii is around 25km (15ish miles) from Naples, so Jon and Amber drove us there early on Friday morning. You could definitely spend the entire day there, walking around and exploring the city. But, because I also really wanted to see the Amalfi Coast, and there was supposed to be only one solid day of our trip without any rain (Friday), we decided to conquer BOTH in one day, What a task.
Like many of the places we have previously visited, Pompeii has a couple large amphitheaters. The weather was perfect that day, so Pompeii was slammed with tourists (like myself, obvi). Here is the first one:
Pompeii is famous because the massive volcano in which the town sits at the foot of, Mt. Vesuvius, erupted in 79 AD, destroying the city (along with Herculaneum and other nearby towns) by submerging them under volcanic debris, and killing t-h-o-u-s-a-n-d-s. It really is a site to behold considering the eruption wiped such a big city off the map.
We got to walk around and explore some of the homes that had been unearthed, along with shops and streets and squares.
Don’t worry – he didn’t actually drink from this “street” fountain.
Apparently these holes were for “fast food”: terra-cotta bowls went into the holes and contained snacks for the locals.
We got to tour the inside of homes – some still had original frescos and mosaics!!! Some were also quite large.
During our exploration, we got to check out the city center which was overwhelmingly impressive.
Mt. Vesuvius in the background.
There were also casts of people (and animals – also seen here is a dog in the elevated clear box. Sad.) that were taken from their bodies of those unearthed there. We were told that the volcanic eruption was so hot, it sucked the moisture out of the bodies of the people there before the volcanic debris ever reached them.
Incredibly tragic.
I did tell Jordan, that based on the number of terra-cotta pots that survived, they look like a rather safe place to crawl into…
Here is some actual bread (charred, ofc) from 79 AD. Wow! Still actually looks kinda good.
They also had some lovely gardens, in which I got to capture Jordan and Jon twinning it up. Just observe.
I am also incredibly bad at selfies. Oh well.
The second amphitheater was HUGE, but missing most stairs, and unlike most of the others we have visited, you could not enter (or climb to) the top.
We did not get to see the Villa of the Mysteries or Herculaneum (which is apparently better preserved), but I was satisfied with what we did see.
Just standing on the streets and thinking of all of those who walked there before me…. It was quite surreal.
After Pompeii, we journeyed to Sorrento and then Positano…. Which is a post for another day! 😉
Last weekend, our friends Justin and Maddie took us to Taormina, which is located about an hour away from where we live, on the north-eastern side of the island.
Taormina is the cutest little hilltop town that has incredible views of Mount Etna and becomes a huge attraction in the summers. After visiting, I can see why!
After arriving and parking, we walked through the town toward the Teatro Antico di Taormina, which is another ancient Greco-Roman theater. While walking through, we stopped at many shops and churches along the way and enjoyed the general splendor of the town, weather, and atmosphere.
The wall that surrounds the old city, and a mosaic contained within it.
Duomo di Taormina
The old town.
The village itself is perched on a cliff overlooking the Ionian Sea. When walking though the old town, we noticed that there were many, many stairs and tiny little alleyways.
One thing I love about Italy – all the dogs! Unlike in the US, dogs are welcome almost everywhere. My favorite place I’d seen them might be in the Apple store at the mall. We saw this cute little one all dressed up with its owners in the old town. I’d take more photos of the dogs here, but I’m waiting until I know enough Italian to ask permission first!
Along the way to the Teatro Antico di Taormina, we stopped at Bam Bar for a granita. A granita is a dessert that is somewhere between sorbet and Italian ice. It has may traditional flavors including strawberry, almond, mandarin, and lemon. I had mandarin and Jordan had strawberry. They were incredibly delicious.
Eventually, we made it to the Teatro Antico di Taormina! They offer discounts based on age and citizenship for entry into a many historical sites here, and there was quite a debate at the ticket counter about Jordan’s age… it must be the mustache!!
The Teatro Antico di Taormina is the second largest ancient theatre in Sicily. The fact that it is a brick structure dates it to Roman times, but the plan and arrangement of the structure are Greek. Thus, it is assumed that the current theatre was rebuilt on an older theatre of the Greek period. It overlooks the ocean, which is quite a site to behold!
On the way back to the car, we checked out some art and stopped by La Pignolata Guinness Cannoli for the best cannoli I’ve ever had!! And, Maddie picked us some fresh clementines straight from the tree.
Once in the car, Justin drove us down the hilltop a bit to an amazing overlook.
After the overlook, Justin drove us up the hillside to Bar Turrisi. The walk to the bar was beautiful.
Walking in, it looked just like any other restaurant, except for all of the discreet decorations of… well, penises. From the floor tiles to the menu, there were penises everywhere!
We selected a table on the top floor and watched the sunset with a traditional appetizer and drinks (I had a “kamasutra”).
After our drinks and snacks, we then went to Catania for dinner before retiring for the night. We were exhausted, but the trip was SO MUCH FUN!
Look out for our next post to hear more about our first solo day trip. We chose to check out some place new.. and I can’t wait to blog about it!!
Our first weekend in Sicily, we explored Catania. For our second weekend, we joined our friends Justin and Maddie at Murgo for Maddie’s 23rd birthday! Murgo is a winery, restaurant, and B&B that sits at the foot of Mt. Etna just north of Catania. The drive there was quite beautiful.
Once we arrived, we located our table and then took a walk around the grounds to take in all of the general splendor.
Our table, specially reserved for Maddie!
The grounds were breathtaking! And, there were plenty of dogs to go around, as is typical in Sicily.
We then moved inside for lunch. Murgo’s resturant features agriturismo style food, which is freshly made food served family style. They served course after course (I think there were 5 all together), along with their speciality crafted wines.
And those were just the second course!
The third course was pasta.
And fourth, meat!
The last course was dessert, which was yummy, but the real favorite was Maddie’s cake from Caroline’s Soulfood. Not only was it beautiful, but it was DELICIOUS!! The cake was unicorn themed toped with a vanilla bean Swiss meringue frosting, pistachio Macarons, fruits, and cotton candy.
After lunch, we took some empty liter water bottles to the barrel room for a fill up (seriously, straight from the hose). For 2€ each, we got to bring back two liters of wine for later! We also got a tour of their cellars and factory to see where the wine is made. However, it was in Italian, so don’t ask me a lot of questions!!
Maddie and Jordan also took turns getting weighed on an old school scale.
Hopefully, it was a birthday for the books for Maddie! I know we had a great time.
