I like to keep it pretty positive on Sicily Ciao here, but at the same time I think its important to point out disapointments as well. We had a group of about 8 of us that were starving after a night at Teatro Massimo Bellini. Luckily we were still early in “Italian time” for dinner and were able to sit down right away as we basically opened the place. Eat Pizzeria is a place that I have been wanting to try because it is ranked as one of the top 3 restaurants in Catania on TripAdvisor. I use TripAdvisor a lot and especially Continue reading “Eat Pizzeria Catania – An Eating Let Down”
Surfing in Sicily
Before moving to Sicily we lived in San Diego for 10+ years. When I moved to San Diego from Michigan I immediately got in the water. Surfing was my daily obsession after work and whenever I had any free time. Eventually I learned how to avoid drowning and then moved onto actually surfing and I was hooked. I was lucky to have a bunch of friends through hockey that were also excellent surfers. They taught me and protected me when I made stupid mistakes with the locals. These are the negative types of experiences that end surfing for a lot of people. To say that surfing Continue reading “Surfing in Sicily”
Mm Restaurant Catania – Freshest Fish in the World
Okay maybe Im being a bit dramatic with the whole “Freshest fish in the world”, but it has to be at least in the top percentiles. Mm has it made because they are literally located right in the square of the fish market in downtown Catania. They don’t need to worry about fish delivery trucks breaking down or ice melting… they just walk out their front door and grab the fresh fish. In my opinion freshness makes a HUGE difference when it comes to seafood. From my days of catching fish in San Diego or Michigan, if you caught and ate a fish in the same day it was guaranteed to be Continue reading “Mm Restaurant Catania – Freshest Fish in the World”
Super Fast AVE Train to Madrid Spain
I found a new love in traveling…. Trains. Let me count the ways:
- Easy on and off compared to Airports – No rubber gloves 🙂
- Relaxed enviornment on the train compared to planes – Especially if you pay a little extra for a quiet car 😉
- Smooth ride with the ability to enjoy the countryside of the country that you are traveling in.
- Speed – This AVE train from Seville to Madrid made it in less than 2.5 hours, where driving would take over 5 hours!!!
- City Center to City Center traveling.  Eliminating airport transfers makes a huge difference in the amount of time to be enjoyed in your destination.
I had heard that trains were the way to go in Europe, but after this 3rd train ride in Europe it became glaringly clear. With the time spent getting to the airport and getting through everything, the time advantage for flying is shrinking more and more it seems.
Needless to say we arrived in Madrid in Continue reading “Super Fast AVE Train to Madrid Spain”
An Introduction to Tapas in Seville Spain
Growing up I remember my dad having a joke that he was whispering to my grandparents. He was whispering so that my brothers and I couldn’t hear what the joke was about. My dad (we call him Pop.. might be a mid western thing ) didn’t realize that I have super hero hearing and heard most of the joke. At the time I was around 8, so I didn’t really get the whole joke, but it was about bulls, matadors, and meatballs. A man repeated a restaurant Continue reading “An Introduction to Tapas in Seville Spain”
La Siciliana Restaurant – A Classic in the Catania Area Delivers
Before we moved to Sicily, (almost 2 years ago now! 😯 ) I did what any normal red blooded American does… I bought a guide book. The guide book was The Rough Guide to Sicily
Ninnetti Restaurant – A Hidden Gem in the Outskirts of Catania
Blogging is tougher than it looks! Especially for someone that doesn’t know how to read. Im being dramatic, but I don’t know how to enjoy reading like a typical human being. I like to listen to music and have a slight addiction to music videos on YouTube. And my inability to multitask does not allow for both music and reading to happen at the same time. Especially when I am Continue reading “Ninnetti Restaurant – A Hidden Gem in the Outskirts of Catania”
Lipari Island – A Sicilian Getaway
What do you do when you are on an island for an extended period of time? You go to a smaller nearby island. Sorry for the random thought, but I think its funny how many islands we have been to over the past couple years. We might have an obsession with them or maybe some type of “hermit” psychological brain condition that we should spend some time looking into. But who has time for that when there are so many islands to visit in the Mediterranean. MUST SEE more islands. One thing that I like about islands is that they always have their own identity. Lipari definitely has its own identity despite the fact that it is less than an hour away from Sicily via hydro boat (or is it hydrofoil? Continue reading “Lipari Island – A Sicilian Getaway”
Blanc a Manger – A French restaurant in Catania Italy?
Catania! I have to yell its name because I have a love hate relationship with this city. If thats possible. It has such beautiful sights, but has graffiti nearby. It is pretty close to where we live, but yet so far away due to the possessed Fiat drivers and triple occupied scooters trying to run me off the road. Tremendous food and market options, but nowhere to park. Or if you do find parking you need to haggle with the guy who waved you into the completely free parking. Catania is so close to being a great city, but it hangs onto its dark side. At the same time I love Catania for this because it has refused to give Continue reading “Blanc a Manger – A French restaurant in Catania Italy?”