Conte D'Antares

For one week in Sicily I'm ashamed to say I took a ridiculous amount of photos, the majority of which were taken of the wedding, my cousins gorgeous daughter Piccola Grazia, and last but not least - the food! It's almost taunting to look back at the photos of all of the delicious food I ate in Sicily, but if there's any that I feel I have to share it's of the family run restaurant in Allume, Conte D'Antares. It is run by the family of my cousin's new husband (which I promise doesn't affect my opinion of the food whatsoever) and it has to be some of the best Italian food I've eaten in my entire life.

We were lucky enough to have the entire restaurant to ourselves one lunchtime during our Sicily visit, and I guarantee the photos will have you drooling over your computer screens. It's a long shot but if you ever happen to be on the east coast of Sicily it's well worth checking out, your tastebuds will thank you for it!

Buon appetito!

-Melissa 

The Sicilian Road Trip

The best way for a bit of family bonding? A road trip of course! 

We headed off on a 2 day adventure after the wedding visiting Agrigento, Scali dei Turchi, Agate, Marzamemi and Note. Typically it was full of food and the boys crazy antics, which proved to be as entertaining as ever! Check out some of the photos I took along the way. 

Ciao for now! 

-Melissa 

The Wedding Saga

The whole trip was leading up to this moment - the day when my beautiful cousin got married! The whole affair began fashionably late (a.k.a. typical Italian time), with the ceremony happening at a beautiful local church before the reception at the infamous city of the godfather Savoca. The whole experience was like nothing I'd ever seen, with the whole night spanning from approximately five o'clock until the early hours of following morning. The food was probably the most notable (I'm talking 8 courses), with numerous antipastos, pastas, main dishes and then dessert which I can't even begin to explain! It was a great night with all of the cousins both from Australia and Italy, full of food, bad jokes and staged bouquet/garter toss photos (because we're a bit special). Not to mention the Australian cousins (myself included) ended up under the table, wine glasses in hand, when it started to rain on our poolside set up. In the end our obviously very classy night ended at around three in the morning, because Italian wedding.

The beautiful bride

Garter toss

The church

Bouquet toss

Fireworks at the end of the night

Moral of the story - if you get invited to a wedding in Italy, SAY YES! 

-Melissa

Ciao Sicilia!

After a quick reunion with my mother and aunt in Rome, the three of us hopped on a plane down to Catania and soon enough we had arrived in the town our family live by the beach and had quickly made ourselves at home. A day in the life included granita with brioche for breakfast, lying on the beach of a morning, eating excessive amounts of carbs and all things delicious, all around lots of family catch ups. 

The beach was within metres of our apartment and we got straight into the task of becoming a more Sicilian acceptable colour, because due to my fathers Irish heritage I get lots of teasing about my paleness (all in good fun). Despite the beach visits (which were frequent) we naturally made the most of the Sicilian coastal views, one of my favourite places being Taormina, which I would recommend a visit to for anyone travelling to Sicily. 

Spiaggia Furci Siculo

Photos of Nonna outside the local church

The view from Taormina

So overall, a week of eating in one of (some personal bias here) the most beautiful places in the world? Heaven! 

-Melissa

The Last Supper

My next stop was in Milan, inspired by my desire to see 'The Last Supper' in person. Arriving in the afternoon I made quick friends with a Polish guy in my room, who I spent my night with eating delicious Italian food and seeing the beautiful city at night (he even bought me roses, Aussie men - take note!) The next day was spent seeing the cultural sights before getting the afternoon train to Rome. Here's a few things I picked up in the 24 hours I spent in the majestic city. 

Milan's Lady Liberty

Hostel

As a last minute decision I booked myself into Zebra Hostel; which despite being affordable, offered free wifi, free breakfast, clean facilities and a great common area. I can't say much for the cities other hostels, but if you're looking for somewhere budget friendly where you can meet others whilst travelling alone - this is the place for you!

Sights 

Naturally my first priority was The Last Supper, which I had booked prior to arriving in Milan. I hadn't booked far enough in advance to solely secure a pass to see the mural, so I opted for the far more expensive option which included a city tour. I've never before paid for a tour, but I would highly recommend it if it's the only option to securing a ticket to see the painting. In the end, if you're off to Milan and keen to see Da Vinci's work book as far in advance as you possibly can, tickets are on sale months in advance. Milan has lots to offer in the way of architectural greats, from the duomo to the castle. On from that, if you're fashion savvy I would recommend doing some shopping (even if it's just of the window variety). I didn't get much of a chance, but I would have loved to have had a more leisurely time around the gorgeous boutiques and fashion houses the city has to offer. 

The Duomo

First and foremost, food glorious food! If you're in Italy, I hope you're eating pasta, pizza and all things delicious. I'll be here in Australia, living vicariously through you! 

 -Melissa

Viva Italia

Leaning tower of Pisa

Pisa
Pisa was my first stop after Rome, and unfortunately my cousin studying there was still in Sicily for the holidays, so I found myself alone in a pretty average hostel. I only spent one night in the city, with the sole purpose being to view the infamous leaning tower, so I headed straight over there in time to get in on one of the last entry slots of the day. A slippery walk up the tower, and several obligatory tourist photos later, I bought myself yet another (totally necessary) gelato before having a whole pizza to myself for dinner. I can't say Pisa was a favourite, but I managed to fit in eating and ticking off a bucket list item, so it was ultimately worth the train ride up.

Verona

Verona, city of love! I may be somewhat biased in my dislike of Verona, first and foremost because of my hugely cynical nature regarding all things love, but also because of the time of year that I found myself there. The hostel I was staying at was run by nuns, and was closed for the most part of daylight hours, leaving me to find entertainment out in the dreadful cold approximately 8 hours of the day. I was also one of two people staying at the hostel, with the other girl leaving the morning after I arrived, leaving me feeling a bit alone (an unfortunate side effect of travelling to smaller cities in the middle of winter). The highlight was again an act of an obnoxious tourist - copping a feel of Juliet's breast (for good luck of course haha).

Statue of Juliet

Venice

Venice was an amazing experience, although I think I would have enjoyed it even more had I been there in the warmer months. The unique experience of this city on water was quite surreal, and the views were quite beautiful. One of the first places I visited was la Piazza San Marco, and it was definitely a standout of the many gorgeous places of worship to be found throughout Venice. One of my favourite experiences in the Venetian city, as with many places I've visited, was the art of getting lost in the city. The beauty of this is extremely prevalent within the canal ridden nooks of Venice, and I proved to get a bit snap-happy due to all of the beautiful scenery. This was particularly prevalent in my favourite Venetian island, Burano, with the canals being lined with brightly coloured buildings, striking murals and quirky shops. 

Venetian Canal 

Burano

Florence
Florence was home to what was probably my favourite Italian hostel, Archi Rossi Hostel. Not only was it right next to the main train station and nearby the infamous Duomo, they offered free breakfast, dinner and a computer in each dorm room - what more could a backpacker want! The hostel was quite social, and the muraled walls of the hallways gave it a personal touch and a great vibe. The only downside was the single toilet/shower combination on each floor, as frequent backpackers will know that their peers are not always as clean as they are friendly. The art culture of Florence drew me in, along with the scenic views from Piazzale Michelangelo and the beautiful nearby city of Siena. Had I not been particularly stringent with my money at this point I probably would have gone crazy with shopping for the gorgeous leather goods Florence is famous for!

View from Piazzale Michaelangelo

Naples

I found Naples to be one of those places that I didn't experience much in the context of cultural landmarks, however it was a memorable experience none the less. I was staying at Hostel of the sun, which I couldn't recommend more highly (no surprise they've won numerous awards for excellence in their field) and the atmosphere was extremely engaging, making it easy to make fast friends. I spent my time with said people playing drinking games, bar hopping, shopping and taking walks to view the scenery over the city. Food wise (I've got my priorities straight here), my favourite place would have to be the famous pizzeria Gino Sorbillo, which was incredibly hard to find but completely worth it. My quick culture fix was a visit to Pompeii, which was quite chilling, but also a fascinating and ironically quite peaceful experience overall. That is of course if you disregard my brief encounter with a young local male who decided to expose himself to me asking 'ti piace', causing a quick getaway on my behalf - though I've got to claim it as a very unique story, how many can say they were flashed at Pompeii? 

More shenanigans coming soon, ciao for now!

-Melissa

When in Rome

Next stop, Rome! One of the top destinations for tourists, Rome is home to an abundance of must-see attractions, and as it was my first time in the city I was quite keen to experience them all. The beauty of the city was being able to walk around this modern area and simply turn a corner to be surprised with the beauty of a gorgeous landmark like the Colosseum. The standout attractions were the typical landmarks including the Pantheon, Italian forum, Vatican city, the catacombs and the all important Trevi fountain visit (to of course ensure my return to the Italian capital). Spending over a week only just gave me a grasp of what Rome has to offer, but I had an amazing time exploring the cultural aspects and eating all the pizza and pasta I could get my hands on. Here's a few pictures of my time in Rome, featuring my lovely North Face jacket to give me a true 'tourist in Europe' vibe.

Central Rome

Trevi fountain

Inside the Colosseum 

The Vatican

In front of the Colosseum

Till we meet again Rome!

-Melissa

The tale of La Befana

With my mother growing up in an Italian household, and myself having a close relationship with my nonna in my younger years, I was always told stories of La Befana who would bring sweets to the good children and coal to the naughty ones at christmas time. This nostalgic childhood memory made me increasingly excited for an Italian christmas, especially upon arriving in Sicily and getting a taste of the culture (and importantly the food, oh the food). 

Sicilian weather is quite mild at this time of year, especially in comparison to the subzero temperatures I'd encountered just days prior in Spain. In search of the feeling of a 'white christmas', we took a day trip part way up Mount Etna where I was able to see the snow, and we saw some absolutely gorgeous Saint Bernard puppies! My first authentic Italian christmas was nothing short of delicious, and the celebration steadily continued well into the new year. 

We celebrated the coming of the new year in true European style, having a family celebration that lasted into the early hours before finally heading out to party once the new year was already upon us. We were simultaneously celebrating the 91st birthday of my mothers aunt, who comically received an oversized mobile phone as a birthday present, and when her son called the phone to test it she insisted he shut up so she would be able to hear the person on the other end of the phone (she was completely oblivious to the root of our laughter!) At around 2 or 3am on the morning of the 1st of January we made our way to the real new years party, which was scenically set beside La Isola Bella. Dancing, drinks and good times ensued, and we later found ourselves by the beach watching the sun rise, which was a beautiful way to bring in the new year. My remaining few days in Sicily were filled with food and family, and without a doubt that christmas and new years was one of the most memorable to date. 

The snow up Mount Etna

The cousins

Family

Pilú getting into the Christmas spirit

Buon Natale e felice anno nuovo!

-Melissa

Scoping out Sicilia

After the South American sector of my trip, finally making it to the home country of my late grandparents was an almost surreal experience, as it was an something I'd been looking forward to for a great portion of my life. I had been lucky enough to be in contact with, and even had previously been visited by some of my Italian cousins in Australia, so being able to reconnect with them in Sicily was an amazing experience.

My few weeks spent in Sicily with my Italian relatives were filled with a ridiculous amount of food (think a six course meal within a day of arriving, that's right SIX courses). Arriving in Italy left me in food heaven, I've never eaten more in my life, and amazingly didn't gain a good deal of weight, which was definitely a huge relief on my behalf! Sicily was full of beautiful landscapes and coastal features, and I spent a jam packed few weeks visiting all the cultural sights the island had to offer, including visiting areas like Catania, Taormina, Mt Etna and Palermo.

Visiting two of the towns, Savoca and Forza d'Agro, that were featured in the Godfather movies was one really cool experience that I was able to have in Sicily. Food wise, I absolutely fell in love with all things pistachio - I'm talking pizza, pasta, desserts and more! Another favourite is mimmo, which is a dessert made in my families home town of Furci Siculo. But above all it was just amazing to meet a whole other sector of my family, despite the sometimes comical effects of our language barriers.

Isola Bella

Prickly Pear, or 'big bastards'

View from Taormina

Mount Etna

The Greek amphitheatre

Scali dei turchi

Ciao bella gente!

-Melissa