I'm so jealous-3 yrs in Sicily!
Oct 25th, 2006, 07:40 AM
#1
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I'm so jealous-3 yrs in Sicily!
My sis and bro in law leave Seattle this morning for their 3 yrs stint at the Naval base in Sicily. Obviously they are both excited and a bit nervous so I told her I would post here looking for any travel and living abroad advice for Sicily. If you have any tips to share, please do!
Oct 25th, 2006, 07:55 AM
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I think it's the Navy itself that has an informative Web site about Sigonella; I found it through Google.
There are dozens of Web sites about Sicily that are full of travel, hotel and restaurant information. They just have to google Sicily to find them.
For that matter, there is an awful lot of information about Sicily right here; it can be found by putting >Sicily< in the Search Box.
For a time (I haven't seen any recent posts), someone at Sigonella was posting here as "mousireid" - if I remember correctly. Put it in the Search box to bring up her (I think it's a she...) messages.
There is a Web site for expats in Italy; it is not aimed primarily at military personnel, but it might be useful:
http://www.expatsinitaly.com/
There are dozens of Web sites about Sicily that are full of travel, hotel and restaurant information. They just have to google Sicily to find them.
For that matter, there is an awful lot of information about Sicily right here; it can be found by putting >Sicily< in the Search Box.
For a time (I haven't seen any recent posts), someone at Sigonella was posting here as "mousireid" - if I remember correctly. Put it in the Search box to bring up her (I think it's a she...) messages.
There is a Web site for expats in Italy; it is not aimed primarily at military personnel, but it might be useful:
http://www.expatsinitaly.com/
Oct 25th, 2006, 09:00 AM
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Here is a blog from a woman who teaches at the US base. Unfortunately, she hasn't been keeping it current lately, but there is a lot of info on life in Sicily, like dealing with car repair, etc.:
http://sicilianodyssey.blogspot.com/
http://sicilianodyssey.blogspot.com/
Oct 25th, 2006, 09:06 AM
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In three years, she should be able to see almost all of Sicily, even though the island is larger - and has more to offer - than most people think.
For starters (there is a lot of information about all these places on the Web):
Taormina (resort town, fairly heavily touristed but worth it for the Greek theater with a splendid view of sea and Etna);
Cefalu (beach town with an interesting Arabo-Norman cathedral);
Siracusa (Ortigia and the archeological area and museum);
Noto, Ragusa and Modica (Baroque towns);
Piazza Armerina (with a Roman villa that has the largest Roman mosaic floor ever uncovered);
Caltagirone (for ceramics, and a splendid staircase each riser of which is in a different pattern of ceramic tiles);
Agrigento (Valley of the Temples with Greek temples better preserved than most in Greece);
Selinunte (another Greek archeological area);
Segesta (Greek temple and theater); Erice (a Sicilian hill town only to be tackled in clear weather);
Palermo (the capital; driving in the city is only for those with nerves of steel, but well worth several days; too many attractions to list); Monreale (a suburb of Palermo with a splendid Arabo-Norman cathedral whose interior is completely covered in gold-ground mosaics).
There are also a number of wonderful natural attractions: reserved wildlife areas, etc. Two worth mentioning: Zingaro, Scopello.
The mountainous interior of the island is also well worth exploring to discover small towns where tourists rarely go.
For starters (there is a lot of information about all these places on the Web):
Taormina (resort town, fairly heavily touristed but worth it for the Greek theater with a splendid view of sea and Etna);
Cefalu (beach town with an interesting Arabo-Norman cathedral);
Siracusa (Ortigia and the archeological area and museum);
Noto, Ragusa and Modica (Baroque towns);
Piazza Armerina (with a Roman villa that has the largest Roman mosaic floor ever uncovered);
Caltagirone (for ceramics, and a splendid staircase each riser of which is in a different pattern of ceramic tiles);
Agrigento (Valley of the Temples with Greek temples better preserved than most in Greece);
Selinunte (another Greek archeological area);
Segesta (Greek temple and theater); Erice (a Sicilian hill town only to be tackled in clear weather);
Palermo (the capital; driving in the city is only for those with nerves of steel, but well worth several days; too many attractions to list); Monreale (a suburb of Palermo with a splendid Arabo-Norman cathedral whose interior is completely covered in gold-ground mosaics).
There are also a number of wonderful natural attractions: reserved wildlife areas, etc. Two worth mentioning: Zingaro, Scopello.
The mountainous interior of the island is also well worth exploring to discover small towns where tourists rarely go.
Oct 25th, 2006, 11:02 AM
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Tell her to attend the international couscous festival which is held in San Vito Lo Capo every fall. We happened upon it and it was wonderful! There are street vendors all through this lovely little beach town with free samples of their wines, oils, cheeses, and, of course, couscous! The northwestern coast of Sicily is quite scenic with all the vineyards. We loved it there.
Oct 25th, 2006, 11:14 AM
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Eloise has given you some great advice. Here are some images to make it real.
http://www.slowphotos.com/photo/show...y.php?cat=3828
http://www.slowphotos.com/photo/show...y.php?cat=3828
Oct 25th, 2006, 12:33 PM
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Picking up on Nankar's post:
There are constantly festivals (pl. feste; sing. festa) of all kinds in Sicily. Many of them honor patron saints of specific places; there are many that take place around Easter.
Then there are "sagre" (sing. sagra), which are local festivals devoted to a single food that often involve massive amounts of food at very low prices.
But to find those, one has to know a little Italian.
There are constantly festivals (pl. feste; sing. festa) of all kinds in Sicily. Many of them honor patron saints of specific places; there are many that take place around Easter.
Then there are "sagre" (sing. sagra), which are local festivals devoted to a single food that often involve massive amounts of food at very low prices.
But to find those, one has to know a little Italian.
Oct 28th, 2006, 11:03 AM
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I am sure they will enjoy their time in Sicily and perhaps you will get to visit?! LOL!
I Do recommend they live out in town as opposed to on base housing, a small pain to get started but well worth it. Unless they are working out of Niscemi, Mineo housing can be further away and Sometimes problematic for those with only one car - especially if they have kiddies. Maranai is nice but many who are posted in Sicily get stuck in the Nas I, Nas II, housing triangle....don't let it happen to them!!!!!
I Do recommend they live out in town as opposed to on base housing, a small pain to get started but well worth it. Unless they are working out of Niscemi, Mineo housing can be further away and Sometimes problematic for those with only one car - especially if they have kiddies. Maranai is nice but many who are posted in Sicily get stuck in the Nas I, Nas II, housing triangle....don't let it happen to them!!!!!
Oct 28th, 2006, 11:22 AM
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Just ran across this on another travel forum:
Quote:
Lovely Siracusa! It was definately my favorite so far in Sicily. It was
founded in 734 BC by the Greeks from Corinth and became THE world power
between 400 and 200 BC (my B and B landlord said, "The America of its day"
until it was defeated by the Romans in 211 BC. This was a battle in which
the mathamatician, Archimedes---it's most famous citizen---was killed.
The 6th century BC theatre wa gorgeous. It is the only ancient Greek theatre that was carved right out of the rocky hillside rather than being built out of cut stones. It seated 16,000 people When it was a 700 year old ruin, the Romans built an amphitheater nearby in 200 AD.
The archeological museum was one of the best! In about 1910 Paolo Orsi excavated a whole lot of tombs in the area and the museum had the grave goods arranged and exhibited so that it really told a story, but it went on and on until it nearly wore me out.
Additionally there are castles, palaces and, oh yes, the Cathedral. It was
built by the Greeks in the 5th century BC as a Temple to Athena; the Romans
used it for a temple, then the Byzantines, then the Arabs (a mosque) and then in about 600 AD it became a Christian church. It has been in
continuous use as a religious building for 2500 years! (Or so my landlord
said) You can plainly see the Greek columns supporting the church on both
ther exterior and the interior. I've never seen anything like it.
Siracusa has lovely fountains, medieval streets, good restaurants, and, of
course, one is never more than a few blocks from the blue, blue Mediterranean! I have often thought of where I will hang out when I get too
old to hop on a bus every other day. My thought would be to rent a little
apartment a few months at a time---cook a little, read a little, walk a
little, entertain family and friends, and Siracusa will definately be on
that list of plkaces to stay.
I spent three nights there and then hopped a bus (actually two buses) to go
to Agrigento to see some more Greek temples. They were wonderful but
somehow not as satisfying as the ones, for example, at Paestum. I'm becoming jaded with 6th century BC temples!
It happened again in Agrigento. I asked directions from a young woman one day, and the next day when I waited for a bus to go to the temples, there she was! She laughed too, and helped me get the right bus.
I took another bus (I really like seeing the countryside from the buses) to
Castelvetrano from where I got to a tiny out of the way place on the Sea
called Marinella Selinunte, which has yet another Greek ruin site. These
temples were very dramatically situated but only one was really complete.
The city was founded in 651 BC but was sacked by the Carthigenians in 409
BC. Here I also went for a dip in the beautiful Mediterranean, if only
going up to my waist counts as a dip. The weather was perfect even if the
water was a little cold, but very clear.
Yesterday morning before dawn I got a bus in Marinella Selinunte to go to
Castelvetano to catch a train to Marsala. I didn't sleep very well as I
didn't trust the alarm on my watch which I have just started using and it's
complicated! But yes, it did go off on schedule. At one point the conquering Arabs named this city Marsa Allah (Port of God) which got shortened to Marsala. The sweet dessert wine comes from here, and yesterday at lunch I tried some---not my cup of tea but KIND of good in a funny way. And Marsala is unique in another way---it has streetsigns on almost every corner. I've been somewhat lost all over Sicily because of a scarcity of streetsigns.
Marsala also has several Internet Points which I was glad to see as I had
been without Internet for five days. Now I was able to book my Palermo hotel which I did using Hostelworld.com---a nice service that I have been using quite a bit on this trip.
Today I visited the Marsala archeological museum which has a reconstructed Phoenician ship that sank in the first Punic War in 263 BC. There was only about 10% of the ship but from that they could infer the shape and method of shipbuilding. It was 120 feet long and 15 feet wide and used 68 oarsmen.
Then I visited the Museo degli Arazzi which houses eight huge tapestries
that were donated to the city of Marsala in 1589---I don't know how much
earlier they were made. Anyway, they tell the story of a war between the
Jews and the Romans. The detail is exquisite but I always wonder how many
women went blind diong them."
End Quote
Quote:
Lovely Siracusa! It was definately my favorite so far in Sicily. It was
founded in 734 BC by the Greeks from Corinth and became THE world power
between 400 and 200 BC (my B and B landlord said, "The America of its day"
until it was defeated by the Romans in 211 BC. This was a battle in which
the mathamatician, Archimedes---it's most famous citizen---was killed.
The 6th century BC theatre wa gorgeous. It is the only ancient Greek theatre that was carved right out of the rocky hillside rather than being built out of cut stones. It seated 16,000 people When it was a 700 year old ruin, the Romans built an amphitheater nearby in 200 AD.
The archeological museum was one of the best! In about 1910 Paolo Orsi excavated a whole lot of tombs in the area and the museum had the grave goods arranged and exhibited so that it really told a story, but it went on and on until it nearly wore me out.
Additionally there are castles, palaces and, oh yes, the Cathedral. It was
built by the Greeks in the 5th century BC as a Temple to Athena; the Romans
used it for a temple, then the Byzantines, then the Arabs (a mosque) and then in about 600 AD it became a Christian church. It has been in
continuous use as a religious building for 2500 years! (Or so my landlord
said) You can plainly see the Greek columns supporting the church on both
ther exterior and the interior. I've never seen anything like it.
Siracusa has lovely fountains, medieval streets, good restaurants, and, of
course, one is never more than a few blocks from the blue, blue Mediterranean! I have often thought of where I will hang out when I get too
old to hop on a bus every other day. My thought would be to rent a little
apartment a few months at a time---cook a little, read a little, walk a
little, entertain family and friends, and Siracusa will definately be on
that list of plkaces to stay.
I spent three nights there and then hopped a bus (actually two buses) to go
to Agrigento to see some more Greek temples. They were wonderful but
somehow not as satisfying as the ones, for example, at Paestum. I'm becoming jaded with 6th century BC temples!
It happened again in Agrigento. I asked directions from a young woman one day, and the next day when I waited for a bus to go to the temples, there she was! She laughed too, and helped me get the right bus.
I took another bus (I really like seeing the countryside from the buses) to
Castelvetrano from where I got to a tiny out of the way place on the Sea
called Marinella Selinunte, which has yet another Greek ruin site. These
temples were very dramatically situated but only one was really complete.
The city was founded in 651 BC but was sacked by the Carthigenians in 409
BC. Here I also went for a dip in the beautiful Mediterranean, if only
going up to my waist counts as a dip. The weather was perfect even if the
water was a little cold, but very clear.
Yesterday morning before dawn I got a bus in Marinella Selinunte to go to
Castelvetano to catch a train to Marsala. I didn't sleep very well as I
didn't trust the alarm on my watch which I have just started using and it's
complicated! But yes, it did go off on schedule. At one point the conquering Arabs named this city Marsa Allah (Port of God) which got shortened to Marsala. The sweet dessert wine comes from here, and yesterday at lunch I tried some---not my cup of tea but KIND of good in a funny way. And Marsala is unique in another way---it has streetsigns on almost every corner. I've been somewhat lost all over Sicily because of a scarcity of streetsigns.
Marsala also has several Internet Points which I was glad to see as I had
been without Internet for five days. Now I was able to book my Palermo hotel which I did using Hostelworld.com---a nice service that I have been using quite a bit on this trip.
Today I visited the Marsala archeological museum which has a reconstructed Phoenician ship that sank in the first Punic War in 263 BC. There was only about 10% of the ship but from that they could infer the shape and method of shipbuilding. It was 120 feet long and 15 feet wide and used 68 oarsmen.
Then I visited the Museo degli Arazzi which houses eight huge tapestries
that were donated to the city of Marsala in 1589---I don't know how much
earlier they were made. Anyway, they tell the story of a war between the
Jews and the Romans. The detail is exquisite but I always wonder how many
women went blind diong them."
End Quote
Oct 31st, 2006, 03:16 PM
#13
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How wonderful! I would love to have such an experience.
Once your sister is there for a while, you will want to join her for a visit. Sicily has the most beautiful places to see, in all of Europe. You will meet more Euopeans than Americans, vacationing.
Since I have a Sicilian heritage I might be bias, but check out my views of Sicily at: www.geocities.com/gwinnettcf
Be happy to answer any questions, and start studying some Italian
Ciao,
Caterina
Once your sister is there for a while, you will want to join her for a visit. Sicily has the most beautiful places to see, in all of Europe. You will meet more Euopeans than Americans, vacationing.
Since I have a Sicilian heritage I might be bias, but check out my views of Sicily at: www.geocities.com/gwinnettcf
Be happy to answer any questions, and start studying some Italian
Ciao,
Caterina
