December 6.

We woke up to the sight of Mount Etna.  Such a great view from our hotel room!  After our quaint breakfast we headed back to Modica.  Why? Because Sara’s mom invited us over for lunch and John COULD NOT pass up a chance to be in the same kitchen as an authentic Italian “nonna” (grandma).  So, the ride there was much easier than the ride from Modica the night before.  It took us a quick two hours (quick for me because I got a nap in on the way)

Mt. Etna right outside our hotel room.

We pulled into her driveway and were so excited for this very unique experience.  When we arrived at her house, she was in the process of making tagliatelle.  While we spoke to her husband, Santo in their own kitchen, we brought them back to their days in Chicago.  They had lived there for 25 years and really enjoyed the city.  John was so excited to have this Sunday meal with them as a family and really looks forward to having Sunday lunch or dinner when we have our own family.  I can’t express how intimate and special it was to spend this afternoon with such a generous, kind family.  We met Francesca, Sara sister’s daughter and enjoyed an authentic Italian lunch of ravioli with ricotta cheese, tagliatelle, meatballs, pork belly, and her own chicken.  Everything was perfect.  After the enjoyable meal, we had desserts from her daughter’s pastry shop down the street.  Before we left, I spent some time talking to Francesca who was too shy early in our visit to speak English.  She has a passion for reading and showed us all the (very big) books she has read.  She’s only 16 and has read bigger books than John and I have put together.  I gave her an opportunity to practice her English since she doesn’t have a chance very often. I have a feeling that we will meet them all again in the future.

John and I were off just north of Modica- to Noto which is a baroque city.  Very old and historic.  We took great photos in the ancient streets and enjoyed gelato at what’s known as the “best ice cream shop in the world.” (says Lonely Planet) charming town.  Quiet, and romantic.  Oh yeah, and great gelato!

Tenuta San Michele, and John ;)

Next stop: Siracusa.  Since our stop in Siracusa was just a few hours long, John decided we should go to the old town of Ortygia.  It’s a really cute island that is way more posh than we expected.  We felt totally underdressed walking around the cobblestone streets of Ortygia.  Everyone was dressed in dresses, leather boots, and definitely had a different attitude than the other little towns we have visited in Sicily. We spent a lot of time walking down the very charming streets and checking out the expensive shops.  I love getting lost with John.  We didn’t know where we were walking but somehow it felt very safe.  The crime level is so low in Sicily, you don’t really have to watch your back like you do in the US.  We walked from one cobblestone road to the other and before we knew it, we had no idea where we were.

:)

We did know one thing: dinner this night would be pizza since we hadn’t had pizza yet in the 10 days we have been in Sicily.  Interestingly enough after walking around for a few hours, we stumbled upon our car.  We decided to ask a local where we should find some pizza.  We found two very nice older women who directed us to what would be the perfect pizzeria.  I got a pizza with sausage, ricotta, and mozzerella, and John’s pizza had tuna, sweet onions, and a hard cooked egg.

Gas is expensive here!!  It cost about 70 Euro to fill up a tank of Diesel fuel in our Mercedez.  Right now, the dollar is equal to 1.60 Euro.

Very sad tomorrow will be our last day.  Although very enjoyable, our vacation went too fast.  Sicily will always hold a very special place in our hearts.  John and I shared some incredible memories here, and I’m so fortunate to have the opportunity to travel with my favorite person in the whole world.

December 7.

John and I decided to watch the sunrise this morning.  I took out my camera, with tripod and we set it up at approximately 6:55am.  It wasn’t that difficult to wake up since it was our very last day here.  After taking some cool shots of the sunrise with different exposures, it was, however, hard to stay awake. So, before we started our day for good, we took a quick nap.

Today was spent in the city of Taormina.  Rumor has it, many celebrities spend time in this picturesque (I know, what city isn’t picturesque in Italy!?) I could see why celebrities would be drawn to this city up in the mountains.  There were many expensive stores and everyone I saw was very put-together.

almondfarm

John and I spent our very last day (In a long time) in Sicily just walking in and out of the cute streets.  I did some last minute Xmas shopping, and we had a nice lunch at Maffei’s.  We didn’t want to hit a spot that was too touristy- as this town can be, so we walked down a few side streets before finding Maffei’s.  Lunch was good. I had farfalle with parmesan cream sauce with pistachio.  (Yum!) John started with marinated anchovies, then had spaghetti with botarga, and finished with Sicilian style tuna dish with vinegar onions.

Mime and Me

After walking off our lunch we headed back to Tenuta San Michele to pack (ew) and relax.  Our flight is at 6am so we have to leave around 3am.  We will be pulling an all-nighter (that is, until we hit the plane) and will arrive in Chicago around 10:30am.  We will be stopping in Rome, and Washington D.C. on our route home.

Although sad to end this very amazing trip, I am trying to focus on how lucky we are to even have this opportunity.  John told me tonight he feels so lucky to be able to share these special moments in such amazing places, with just me.  Whether it’s Sicily, Dyer, IN, or Chicago- I feel so lucky to create moments everywhere in the world with John.

Thanks for being a part of our experience to Sicily.  Here’s to many more!