In my top of the top locations for a vacation enters Sicily with a spectacular breakthrough. Here am I, back in Torino after 15 days on the beautiful island between Europe and Africa. Sicily is a spectacular place that needs to be seen and no photo or story can substitute the unique experience of seeing, touching and feeling the island, its nature, places and people. I consider myself lucky as I had the chance to see so many cities - Trapani, Agrigento, Palermo, Cefalu, Catania, Siracusa, Noto, Ragusa, Acireale, changed some spectacular beaches and most importantly got the know the people and try to understand (not sure I really did) their culture and life. The story begins with me and 4 Italians moving around the island like decapitated chickens for 10 days and then I went to visit my flat mate Paolo in an area close to Catania. One of the first breath takers was a beach called La Scala dei Turchi(the Turkish staircase) which is a mountainous form made from snow-white rock that look down on a beautiful azure sea.
One of the most spectacular cities I have ever seen was Parlemo with its stylish Baroque architecture, lively streets and frantic open markets but also the striking poverty that you can see just one hand away from the central streets. Indeed it's a very diffent Italy - a world of contrasts, beauty, chaos, wealth and poverty.
The Palace of the Normans in Palermo is 1st class museum and it astonishes you with the beauty of the Byzantine chapel and the headquarters of the Sicilian parliament. I just stood there like an idiot and the WOWs kept coming out of my mouth for 3 hours.
Then I went to see the Greek-like Siracusa, the masterpiece of baroque art Noto and the charming Ragusa with its green gardens.
Never could I forget my trip to see Etna (it's a volcano, yes...) and although I didn't reach the top (where I am sure, some of you bastards would push me down...hehe) I still can’t get out of my head the images of the alien landscapes where the laves had passed. A special thanks to my roomy Paolo for taking me there.
But Sicily is not only places - Sicily is smells, tastes, views and noises that come all to you at once. Beautiful, striking, shocking, stylish and disgusting. All at the same time, no order, no warning. How can I explain that in Palermo you can take the amazing dessert canolo and you ghave to walk 15 minutes to find a place that doesn't stink so that you can eat it. BTW - the canolo is just great, a sweet orgasm of ricotta cheese and sugar.Or can I forget the granita that I took in Catania or Acireale. An icy creamy thing that is so thick that you think there's milk in it but there's none.
And of course the people - can I use words...how many? Friendly, generous, direct, rude, aggressive, warm, loyal, discreet, loud, unmovable, joyous, sad, angry, open and very conservative at the same time. Can I really use words?My very humble attempt to re-create the atmosphere of the island with my photos. If anyone ever has the chance to visit Sicily, GO THERE, don't miss this unique place between two worlds.
P.S. If anyone is interested in the famous Sicilian mafia, I have only thing to say: I didn't see it, I didn't hear it, I didn't understand anything :)
