Breakfast in the courtyard at hotel l'abbye

Waiting for that car

Midnight in Paris

Paris!!

Easy plane trips and professorial cabbie listening to opera from CDG into Paris!

Out to explore!

WindJet: belly up-O

Postings all over Catania airport!

Marco e Marco

The first Marco is at the travel agency in town. It's a small operation-not air conditioned and a lot of fans roaring. Marco is in charge and when we tell him we have tickets on a Windjet flight tomorrow morning he says "ayyyeee". Which we assume is the Italian version of "Oy". He tells us "this is a problem" We know. There are several options. He tells us we need to call the airline and they will get back to us but that seems unlikely based in our attempts last night. In the end Marco helps us out and manages to purchase us new tickets- there goes that dinner at Arpege- Alitalia to Paris via Roma. Not exactly what we intended when we were originally planning the trip but now there is no choice. There is another choice that would have been about 300 Euro cheaper- fly EasyJet through Milan but we would have needed to change airports once in Milan. Lol. We secure new tickets and will visit Marco later in the day to print our boarding passes. We head back to Villa Carlotta. It looks like a day of poolside relaxation is in order (refer to Sarah's posting). Later in the day we walk back up to town to see Marco and also the famous amphitheater. There is ballet there tonight- NY Ballet Company. But we can't interest the girls. Isabelle??
For some reason we have a wine tasting scheduled for us. Something to do with Small Luxury Hotels membership that Marc must have joined during some 2AM work session. We think that 7pm would be good. We think that they will just bring some wine and cheese to the room but it turns out it is formal wine tasting with accompanying snacks up on the rooftop terrace. Marco (different one) is our server. We taste two wines (local) and some olive oils with accompanying cheeses and snacks. Good enough to count as dinner when we are through. We head up the hill after dinner for one more taste of cannoli.
Early to bed (before 1am) because our taxi to the Catania airport is coming at 7:30. Alitalia (read "not WindJet") to Rome at 10:30.

Aloha, Taormina

Let's just say the most physically strenuous thing I did all day was walking back and forth to the snack shack to order more poolside service. Unfortunately, this means my FitBit did not rack up enough steps to compete with my previous bests this trip (which were well into the teens and twenties). I didn't even get enough steps to compete with the average American (five).

But that was the day's only downside. We started off the morning lounging on the chez-lounges in the garden, which are shady and relaxing but ultimately less desirable and competitive than those by the pool. We spent an hour or so keeping a close eye on the pool-side setups (most of which were uninhabited except for towels reserving them for their owners, who selfishly saved the lounges without using them for the rest of the day) to see if any would open up.

Two finally did, and the next few hours were spent relaxing in the chairs or enjoying the refreshingly cool water. There was also a snack shack that delivered right to your setup. We had bruschetta, insalate caprese, and a norma panini.

We also enjoyed a wine and cheese tasting later in the evening. Our waiter gave us a lecture on his love life.

Tomorrow we'll be in Paris! (fingers crossed, because who really knows with that plane debacle). If we do make it, I'll be sure to get in any old-fashioned car that comes my way at midnight.

p.s. the trailer for the new season of Downton Abbey is out. Cora has a new flapper-esque haircut.
p.p.s. This is Sarah.

Breakfast

Not sure it really qualifies but yum!

Train to Taormina

We get the 1pm train- but this one stops in Catania and we have to change trains. Probably should have taken a non stop but they weren't at good times (too late or too early). The train to Catania (1hr) leaves 10 min late from the station so our 11 minute connection in Catania isn't looking good. The conductor/ticket taker takes pity on us and we think he calls ahead because when we get off he is shooing us down the stairs and across the tracks (under the tracks!) to the train to Taormina. The ride is another hour and we get a cab up the mountain to our hotel. The hotel is lovely and one room
Has a large terrace with loungers. The city is up he hill further and filled with shops- some nice, most touristy and some feel just like the Ponte de Vecchio in Florence- a lot of tchotchkes but the views are just Magnificant (see photos). We have a late lunch and an even later dinner on the rooftop terrace restaurant of the hotel. Pasta for the Wishingrads and caponata for Deb. We all agree that Marc's "Norma pasta" is the best (eggplant, onions etc) but Sarah's gnocchi are so light and delicious too. We have a few problems with our room. The first is that there is a sewage smell that we can't get rid of. Pretty unpleasant but nowhere to move tonight. We sleep with the windows open. The second is that we can't figure out the TV so someone comes
up to turn it on and just as he leaves Marc catches something about "WindJet"- the local airline that we are booked on tomorrow morning for our direct flight to Paris. We can't understand he Italian so we google
it and sure enough, our worst fear- it's gone belly up in the last 24 hours- canceling all flights and stranding passengers all over Italy. We spend the next 3 hours (until about 1:30AM) trying to come up with alternate plans for departure. No one can help us on the phone so we give up, go to sleep and hope to wake up to find the smell gone and the news of WindJet a bad dream. No such luck.
We get up early and ask advice of the front desk- a travel agent in town may be able to help. They open at 9AM. So we go up to the terrace to wait and drink a ton of espresso. The buffet is the most elaborate of any we have seen so far (photos). Who ever heard of cannoli for breakfast? Really? Why not? The girls are still sleeping when we head up into town to try our luck with the travel agent.

Taormina

Details to follow

Beach

The oldest Mikva in the world

It's here in Siracusa- about a 5 minute walk from our hotel (if you don't end up walking in a circle and eventually need to turn on your data roaming to use your iPhone's GPS to find it- or for Sarah to find it I should say). It was discovered only 18 years ago as someone was doing construction for a small hotel in what is the Jewish quarter of Ortigia). It's now an archeological site under an upscale bed and breakfast with hourly tours. We walk down a lot of stairs and there they are 5 small pools of clear, fresh water. Stone steps leading into each. These fresh water wells were first known to the Greeks in 1200 BC when the city was first founded and then made into Mikvas in the first century AD. It's cool down there and the water is so clean. We finish the brief tour and walk around the city a bit more. It's such a small island that you can walk one side to another in about 15 minutes. Especially if you have no destination in mind and can't get lost in the labyrinth of cobblestone streets. Its hot and it's Sunday so we decide to go to the beach. It's a cab ride out of town but worth it for the scene: Italian Jersey Shore. The hotel sends us with umbrellas and towels but we can rent chairs and umbrella set ups on the private beach (Lido). It's crowded and hot but he Sea is clear and warm and salty. We stay for a few hours, wishing they had Santa Monica's 'no smoking on the beach' laws. Lunch is pasta and rice salads followed by gelato and the tiniest espresso you have ever seen in a plastic cup. Head back to the hotel for naps (for some). The girls noted earlier that several stores open up at 5:30- so three of us head back out after a bit to explore. Sarah buys a pair of platform shoes she has been eyeing and Em buys a dress. Later, dinner is a casual pizzeria which, because we ended up walking around in circles before settling on a place (that's another story), we end up around the corner from our hotel without even realizing it. Gelato (Em-kiwi and cantaloupe Marc-coco and fig) and head back home. Tomorrow is laundry and a train to Taormina for our final Sicilian city. Sarah is hoping for a couple of relaxation days at the beach/pool.

Sunrise Ortigia

Even at the beach they have espresso

In a tiny plastic cup!

Saturday dinner-Ristorante Porto Marina

Restaurant recommended by our tour guide.

Primi:
Sarah and Em- "tuna burger"
Deb-grilled local cheese on greens
Marc-caponata

Secondi:
Sarah- ravioli with langoustine
Em-homemade pasta with porcini and bay shrimp
Deb-homemade pasta with swordfish and cherry tomatoes
Marc-grilled calamari

Dessert- who knows, but it was great!

Great walk back to hotel- piazzas crowded with music and families out. Beautiful night.

Into bed at 1AM.

Day one in Siracusa

We are staying on the island of Ortigia-a small island connected to the mainland of Siracusa by a short bridge. This is the "old city", where the Greeks first landed. Roads are winding and streets cobblestone. The hotel is in the water and feels carved from stone 1000s of years old.
After another great breakfast (see photo of Deb's yogurt) we head out with Rosa, our guide at 9AM (it's already hot- really have to start early). She has perfect English given the fact she lived in Connecticut from age 7-18 before moving back to Sicily. Our guide on the other side of the island, Jackie, was born in LA and lived in Montebello, east of LA, until she was 16.
First we go to the Archeological park where she fascinates us with the history of the Greeks and Romans in Sicily. There is a Greek theatre (second largest in the world) built out of stone- pretty incredible. This is next to a Roman amphitheater built many years later. The Greek influence here is everywhere. She gives a great tour of the area- she's a great storyteller-and then takes us back to Ortigia where we go to the Duomo ( every city has one) and tour the underground passages built under a former Greek temple. It is so cool down there (18m under) that the girls would be happy staying down there for longer. Never seen them so interested by Greek and Roman history as when we were down in the tunnels.
It's now about 1pm and everyone is hot and hungry. Rosa steers us to a small cafe for lunch and shows us a great fish place for dinner. Lunch is spinach and mushroom tart things that are similar to spanikopata (Greek influence everywhere) and caprese sandwich.
Head back to the hotel for naptime (for 50%). We heard about Mitt's VP pick this AM and are trying to find it on CNN. Already missing the Sunday morning talk shows!

Update: Sarah finds CNN (linked to US CNN!) on the TV. We are watching Wolf Blitzer live. Lol.

More photos and Friday night dinner

Friday night dinner- after a casual happy hour on our terrace we decide to try the hotel restaurant (Michelin starred). Deb starts with a veggie couscous and then shares a farfalle with basil and wild mushrooms with Marc. We also have a grilled veggie plate with fresh ricotta and toasted pistachios. The girls share a potato cake with smoked salmon and the. Em has a potato terrine and Sarah has a octopus salad with fennel and pears. All terrific. Wondering if we need to venture out. But we will. Going to a fish place tonight.

Details to follow

Breakfast-first course

Yum!

Bus trip to Siracusa-8AM leaves from the train station.

We are up early to catch the bus to Siracusa. Another groaning breakfast buffet-pastries, meats, cheeses and the all important espresso maker!
The bus is 13Euros and takes 3 hours with one 15 min stop. What a deal. No car to rent (with reverse gear issues) no crazy traffic to fight and no getting lost! Nice ride. The girls are plugged into music and Marc sleeps as we make our way out of Palermo (is that that Zagarella on the left??) and across the island to Siracusa.
Speaking of The Zagarella-when I mentioned it to our our guide and driver they BOTH confirmed that it ABSOLUTELY was a famous (infamous really) mafia hotel. A place where many meetings took place between told cited officials and the mafia. It finally was closed and the place sequestered for a year before it was reopened under different management!!
We arrive in Siracusa. It is along the sea and we are on the historic island of Ortigia. It's connected to the mainland by a short bridge and is stunning. See attached photos from our outside terrace that has lounges, 2 couches, table and chairs and a jacuzzi. It's too warm for a hit jacuzzi but the girls are in it unheated! See photos!
We have a lunch in town-simple pizzas and pastas and head back to enjoy the deck overlooking the sea.