A Sicilian Postscript
Apr 24th, 2023, 06:26 AM
#61
Congratulations and best wishes. How exciting! I'm sure the family support will be helpful.
Just caught up with this report - interesting to see Taormina empty but not sure I need to go back. Ortigia, on the other hand...
Just caught up with this report - interesting to see Taormina empty but not sure I need to go back. Ortigia, on the other hand...
Apr 24th, 2023, 12:14 PM
#62
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Apr 24th, 2023, 09:12 PM
#64
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Thank you and same to you.
Thank you. I wish you the best as well.
Thank you. We have four wonderful kids and 8 grandkids, so US time continues to be important. Hoping they all come visit often. But, they are all scattered in the US: my Mom in Vermont, most of both our siblings in New England, daughter in Florida, son in North Carolina and another in New York. Our oldest son and his family are re-locating to Spain on a digital nomad visa, so we will be closer to them part of the year. We are planning to be happy vagabonds.
Thank you. The anxiety has subsided. This is the most exciting thing we have done since we moved to an island off the Maine coast in the late 1970's, with little money, gave up a really good job, bought a giant mansion for a song that also had not been lived in for many years, and turned it into one of the first so-called bed and breakfasts in New England (there were plenty of inns and guest houses then but practically no b and b's)
Thank you. As we noted, we are currently restricted to two 90 day periods a year. Right now, we are feeling we want the max.
Thank you. One life to live. And, happily you are never "done."
Thank you and keep us posted on your trip. Maybe we will bump into each other in the Fall.
BTW, our first national holiday, Liberation Day (1946) is tomorrow. Not sure if we will get our first Amazon order.
View from our terrace on Sunday
Thank you. I wish you the best as well.
Thank you. We have four wonderful kids and 8 grandkids, so US time continues to be important. Hoping they all come visit often. But, they are all scattered in the US: my Mom in Vermont, most of both our siblings in New England, daughter in Florida, son in North Carolina and another in New York. Our oldest son and his family are re-locating to Spain on a digital nomad visa, so we will be closer to them part of the year. We are planning to be happy vagabonds.
Thank you. The anxiety has subsided. This is the most exciting thing we have done since we moved to an island off the Maine coast in the late 1970's, with little money, gave up a really good job, bought a giant mansion for a song that also had not been lived in for many years, and turned it into one of the first so-called bed and breakfasts in New England (there were plenty of inns and guest houses then but practically no b and b's)
Thank you. As we noted, we are currently restricted to two 90 day periods a year. Right now, we are feeling we want the max.
Thank you. One life to live. And, happily you are never "done."
Thank you and keep us posted on your trip. Maybe we will bump into each other in the Fall.
BTW, our first national holiday, Liberation Day (1946) is tomorrow. Not sure if we will get our first Amazon order.
View from our terrace on Sunday
Apr 25th, 2023, 09:30 AM
#65
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I have so thoroughly enjoyed your report with all of those fabulous pictures! And the surprise ending with your own home there on the piazza - priceless. Congratulations and Happy Anniversary, a little late.
Apr 25th, 2023, 11:15 AM
#66
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Thank you. Kind comments like those are what makes writing trip reports and sharing photos all worth it.
Apr 26th, 2023, 10:34 AM
#68
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Apr 26th, 2023, 09:46 PM
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And me: “Dreams themselves can keep you going; acting on them even better.”
And as snows melt into Spring, another beautiful morning here in Sicily.
Apr 27th, 2023, 09:49 PM
#72
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BTW, this is a mountain town, 40 minutes drive, yet only 18 miles from the sea at Giardini Naxos. It was a delight at dawn today to get a glimpse of the Mediterranean from our terrace. It is usually too hazy to see.
Apr 27th, 2023, 10:27 PM
#73
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Congratulation! The people on this side of Etna are so nice.. I think it will be a perfect place to base half the year while exploring the rest of the time! And you are lucky to have friends and family to watch over you while you are there and over your place when you are not.
In Randazzo there is a enoteca, Il Buongustaio that is a bit of a community center for that town, probably you already know it but if you do not, check it out. The owner is so nice and has excellent meat and cheese plates, also great sandwiches. I was there a few days ago and who walks in, someone I know from Giarre. I love that place. Also worth visiting in Randazzo is Giuseppe Severini and his house of music. https://www.liuteriaseverini.it/
But you probably already know about him, too
enjoy your new place, there is something very spiritual about living next to an active volcano!
In Randazzo there is a enoteca, Il Buongustaio that is a bit of a community center for that town, probably you already know it but if you do not, check it out. The owner is so nice and has excellent meat and cheese plates, also great sandwiches. I was there a few days ago and who walks in, someone I know from Giarre. I love that place. Also worth visiting in Randazzo is Giuseppe Severini and his house of music. https://www.liuteriaseverini.it/
But you probably already know about him, too
enjoy your new place, there is something very spiritual about living next to an active volcano!
Apr 27th, 2023, 11:52 PM
#74
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Congratulation! The people on this side of Etna are so nice.. I think it will be a perfect place to base half the year while exploring the rest of the time! And you are lucky to have friends and family to watch over you while you are there and over your place when you are not.
In Randazzo there is a enoteca, Il Buongustaio that is a bit of a community center for that town, probably you already know it but if you do not, check it out. The owner is so nice and has excellent meat and cheese plates, also great sandwiches. I was there a few days ago and who walks in, someone I know from Giarre. I love that place. Also worth visiting in Randazzo is Giuseppe Severini and his house of music. https://www.liuteriaseverini.it/
But you probably already know about him, too enjoy your new place, there is something very spiritual about living next to an active volcano!
In Randazzo there is a enoteca, Il Buongustaio that is a bit of a community center for that town, probably you already know it but if you do not, check it out. The owner is so nice and has excellent meat and cheese plates, also great sandwiches. I was there a few days ago and who walks in, someone I know from Giarre. I love that place. Also worth visiting in Randazzo is Giuseppe Severini and his house of music. https://www.liuteriaseverini.it/
But you probably already know about him, too
enjoy your new place, there is something very spiritual about living next to an active volcano!We have only been to Randazzo a few times, mostly to shop, but we couldn't miss the lava rock cathedral. We did walk around a bit last Tuesday, but it was a national holiday (Liberation Day), so a lot of places were closed. We appreciate the suggestions and will seek out Il Buongustaio. We did hear about the Severini workshop, and last May shared that same link with our granddaughter, who has dreams to go to school to learn how to make violins (Cremona is on her list for that).
Last May, we were shopping at Lidl in Randazzo and watched Etna explode behind us (attached). The drive into Randazzo is very instructive about the reality of Etna, as there are piles and piles of lava on both sides of the road from the last major eruption in that area (1981). It is clear that all construction in that area, outside of town, is more recent than that. I think we prefer living next to the extinct, and once very powerful, volcano cone that is a couple minutes walk from our new home (also attached).
May 2nd, 2023, 06:00 AM
#75
Your trip report and photos are wonderful. I enjoyed it all so much, and love the very touching house and family story. May you enjoy for many years!
My traveling days seem to be over, but I can still dream. 🥀
My traveling days seem to be over, but I can still dream. 🥀
May 4th, 2023, 10:37 PM
#77
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Last edited by whitehall; May 4th, 2023 at 10:53 PM.
