Aaaalora :)
To kick off my final month in España, I joined the Sabbadini sisters for a jam-packed couple of days in Italy. We began our travels in the city of Catania, Sicily and rounded out our trip in Rachel's temporary home-"town" of Milan. Despite a few hiccups, we had a wonderful time together and got our fill laughing, eating and exploring.
Since my school turned Spanish Labor Day, a national holiday on May 1st, into a long weekend, I had two more travel days for this trip than normal. Emma and I had coordinated her Europe visit with this in mind so we could maximize our time together. We decided on Italy as our meeting place so that Rachel could get in on the action too.
Our adventure began late Tuesday night since Emma, Rachel and Juliana's (one of Rachel's friends from abroad) flight did not get into Catania until almost midnight. We had a quick, overtired catch up and made a tentative plan to train to the beautiful town of Taormina in the morning ~weather permitting~. It was so nice to be reunited with the Sab sisters and to meet Juliana!
After a restless nights sleep for both me and Emma (you could hear every single outside noise from our bedroom), we changed into beach-y outfits, crossed our fingers that it wouldn't rain on us and headed across town to hop on the train. The day before we had all gotten weird vibes from Catania because it felt a bit seedy and rundown. Emma had been hopeful that in the daylight it would be better, but on our walk to the train station we all came to the conclusion that it wasn't the best spot in Sicily...
Thankfully however, Taromina was a different world completely! The cliffside town was much more quaint and charming than Catania and it was refreshing to not feel as if our every move was being watched.
We decided to kick off our morning by spiking our blood sugar with the typical Sicilian breakfast of a brioche bun and granite (a flavored frozen dessert that is made from a sugar and water base). One of the most famous places to enjoy this speciality is called Bam Bar and after waiting for a few minutes, we got a seat outside and enjoyed a lovely (and quite unique) breakfast!
Fuelled on sugar and caffeine, we walked all around Taormina, stopping in some of the cute shops along the main street to buy some gifts and other items. We decided to visit the Teatro Antico di Taormina (Ancient Greek Theatre of Taormina) since it is one of the most well known spots in the town. This amphitheatre is the second largest in Sicily and was built in the third century BC.
The clouds has really started to roll in at this point in the day so our view of the ocean from this high vantage point was unfortunately blocked. Despite this, we still enjoyed our short tour of the theatre and the views of the town that we were able to see.
We ventured back down into town and walked to the recently very famous Four Seasons Hotel. This hotel is featured in the second season of the popular HBO show White Lotus and the name of the series has become synonymous with the hotel itself. Apparently, after the show aired, the popularity of the hotel and Taormina in general skyrocketed and now it is even more expensive to stay there. Our group inquired about getting a drink at the bar but decided against it when we were told of the $50 minimum...per person.
In lieu of drinks, we opted for a small, bustling shop selling arancini, the signature Italian fried rice balls stuffed with cheese, meat and vegetables. I ordered a spinach and cheese one and even though was absolutely delicious, Emma's cacio e pepe rendition was the fan favorite! Being so rich, we filled up really quickly and just one was the perfect amount for lunch.
We decided to wait out some of the cloudier weather with a drink in a swanky wine bar that served very refreshing Hugo spritzes. It was nice to get off our feet for a bit and make a plan for the rest of our afternoon and evening.
Emma had spotted a cable car on our way into Taormina and our group decided that it would be fun to ride that down to the beach so we could see the coastline from the air. Since the weather had mostly cleared up, we were hoping to get some great views during the short trip. Being a little slap happy, the four of us laughed at nothing for most of the way down.
Once we were at sea level, we walked from one beach to a different spot where it was possible to access the Isola Bella (a small island with a nature preserve) by foot. We had to take off our shoes to wade through the ankle deep ocean water to reach the island and the temperature of the sea definitely quashed any dreams of swimming.
The area along the coast was absolutely stunning and we decided to enjoy another drink at a beachside restaurant so we could soak in the sight. The drinks we got were lovely but we all (Rachel especially) ended up with wet butts since the outdoor furniture had not dried completely from the rain earlier in the day. Rachel and I both ordered a type of spritz that had the flavor profile of a Moscow mule (delicious!) and Emma and Juliana got rose water flavored spritzes. These were hands down the prettiest drinks we got all trip!
After we wrapped up our happy hour, we took the train back to Catania and hit the grocery store to pick up sandwich making supplies for our Mt. Etna hike the next day. Looking for an early night to catch up on sleep, we got pizza and cannolis to-go and went back to our apartment for a chill dinner in. Although the cheese on our eggplant pizza wasn't melted (?), we all really enjoyed it and there is nothing that quite compares to a post-shower cannoli for dessert.
Juliana taught us all how to play the card game Euker and the two of us beat the Sab sisters in our first of two games of the trip. We were all full and sleepy and ready for our excursion up the most famous Sicilian volcano the next day. All in all, a great first day of our trip!
Our last day in Sicily started off at full speed as we packed up our stuff, prepared sandwiches and prepped for our half day hike. By the time our tour guide, Raffaele, arrived at 9 to pick us up, we were somehow ready to go despite a few minutes of rushing around.
Raffaele drove us (and all of our overstuffed backpacks) from the city center to the starting point for our hike. Along the way he explained some of the history of the volcano, when it last erupted and what we were going to see on our walking route. He was so kind and informative that I knew we were going to have a great day with him as our guide!
The five of us did a loop that led us up the side of Mt. Etna facing Catania and the ocean before reaching the Valle del Bove (Valley of Oxen). This valley used to be covered in grass and used for pasturing oxen (hence the name) but now it is a massive depression of cooling lava. We were all struck by the complete "otherworldliness" of this enormous area and I think we all had the impression that we had somehow hiked to Mars.
When we were done ogling at the valley, our group followed Raffaele on some less well-marked paths to a cave that formed years ago from a lava flow. He explained how the difference in temperature between the lava on the surface and below can create hollow structures like caves. We all tasted the leaves from a small, green, endemic shrub (I can't remember the name now) that was a favorite for shepards long ago (and Rachie now).
I think everyones favorite part of the day was returning to the car: we ran down the sandy/rocky side of the volcano and it was impossible to stop! It was so freeing and even though we all had mini deserts in our shoes afterwards, it was one of the most fun parts of the whole trip :)
Raffaele was kind enough to drop us and our luggage off at the beach since we had a late flight and wanted to spend some time relaxing by the water beforehand. After a quick (ish) debacle with finding an ATM and getting cash to pay him (thank goodness Emma Sab stays calm in all situations!), we began an interesting afternoon of sunbathing.
Our group of four had a quick bite in the Catania airport over a game of Euker before we flew back to Milan. We arrived close to midnight and were all exhausted by the time we made it back to Rachel's apartment. Emma and I had booked an Airbnb for the next two days, but for Thursday night the three of us shared Rachel's little double bed.
Since Rachie had to go to class on Friday, Emma and I entertained ourselves all morning running around the city of Milan. After just a few days in the city, she already had it down and brought me to so many cool spots! We took the metro across town to a famous croissant place where we both ordered our favorites: pistachio for Em and cream for me. They were massive and so delicious :)
We walked around the Brera district after breakfast and admired the beautiful shops and pedestrian-only streets in this area. Emma had told me it was her favorite part of Milan and I can say now that I wholeheartedly agree with her.
When we had our fill, we said a quick hello to the Duomo and stopped by L.O.V.E. which is a huge statue of a hand with only a middle finger. Apparently the exact meaning of the statue has never been determined but it certainly has the feel of "f society".
There is a famous sandwich shop around the major cities in Italy, including Milan, called All'Antico Vinaio where there is almost always a line to get a delicious focaccia creation. Emma had tried one earlier in the week and since she loved it so much, we decided to wait so I could experience the magic for myself. I ordered a vegetarian sandwich which came with savory pistachio cream, stracciatella, sundried tomatoes, basil and zucchini. The picture does not do it justice but I have to say it truly lived up to the hype and I am so glad we decided to stop here for a lunch on the go!
After reuniting with Rachel, checking into our goregous Airbnb and taking a quick siesta, the three of us met back up with Juliana and headed across town to make some jewelry. They had discovered a small, women-owned business where you could choose different charms to make a bracelet or necklace. Wanting something special to commemorate our time together, our group decided we would each make one! It was a little overwhelming trying to choose the charms out of all of the options, but I think we were all very happy with how they turned out.
Rach took Emma and me to a famous pasta place called Osteria da Fortunata in the Brera district for dinner and man, it did not disappoint. We each ordered a pasta dish and the combination of the homemade sauce with the hand rolled pasta made for a delicious meal! We rounded out the experience on a high note by sharing the best tiramisu I have ever had. 10/10 recommendation from Rachel :)
After a quick drink in a smaller square, we started our walk home and got caught in a rain shower on the way. Trying to avoid getting drenched, we ran through the vacant Duomo square, something you rarely get to see or say, and made it to our tram with plenty of time to spare. I took some very blurry selfies to remember the moment and I think they capture the joy of our night perfectly.
On our last full day in Italy, the Sab sisters and I woke up early to catch the train from Milano Centrale to Varenna, one of the towns on the shore of Lake Como. Since there were rumblings of a train strike, every single car was jammed full of people and we got some of the last seats available. The one hour ride seemed to take so much longer since we were all crushed together like sardines, but our day on Lake Como was something out of a movie and it made the uncomfortable ride very much worth it.
We bought day passes for the ferry so we could skip the ticket line each time we wanted to travel to another town, and this ended up being one of the best decisions we made. Despite the crowds of people, we had a wonderful time exploring Menaggio, Bellagio and Varenna.
Rachel, Emma and I started off our day with a lovely breakfast of croissants and yogurt parfaits at a shoreside café in Menaggio. While we ate, we were kept very entertained by a group of British tourists who were absolutely terrified of the harmless ducks wandering around the tables...I guess if you aren't used to ducks they could be scary?
When we were done we took some pictures and strolled along the side of the lake back to the ferry dock to hop on the next boat to Bellagio. Luckily, we grabbed some of the last available seats on the top deck so we had incredible views of the lake during our ride.
Once in Bellagio, we wandered around before stopping at a cute, casual pasta place for lunch (another Rachel rec) and split two dishes of rocket pesto and aglio e olio (garlic and olive oil and possibly the most fun word to say). Emma wanted to bring some Italian olive oil with her back to the States so we had a quick tasting at a nearby shop and she was able to choose the perfect option!
The three of us got back on the ferry for the last time to return to Varenna so we could explore the famous gardens that are a part of Villa Monastero. This estate has a beautiful mixture of plants and statues with some of the most stunning views of the lake. The lighting was not conducive for taking photos that captured the natural beauty of the area, but we were very much in awe of everything around us.
We sadly said goodbye to Lake Como and rushed for seats on yet another packed train back to Milan. Due to the amount of people, the conductor had to reduce the speed of the train and we were a bit too late to make our dinner reservation. Thankfully however, we were still able to enjoy yet another one of Rachel's recommendations after waiting a little bit for table to open up. Emma and I went halfsies on the eggplant ragu and safron, shrimp and zucchini pasta (yes, more pasta but when in Italy am I right). Both dishes were delicious and unique and I am so glad I got to try both!
The Sab sisters, Jess (another one of Rachel's friends) and I finished our Italy adventure with a gelato for each of us and a quiet stroll back to Rachel's apartment and our Airbnb. We had had a long, full day and I was very much looking forward to falling into bed. Emma and I stayed up chatting and packing for a bit but we were both completely wiped out and we soon fell asleep.
I cannot understate how absolutely beautiful Lake Como and the towns lining it are. It felt like we were living in a movie all day long and it exceeded all of my expectations. I wholeheartedly recommend a stop there to anyone looking to take a trip to northern Italy. It simply is a must-see spot!
On Sunday morning, Rachel and I said our goodbyes to Emma and wished her well on her journey back to the US. The two of us grabbed one last breakfast of coffee and croissants together before I too headed off to catch my flight back to Spain. My trip back was much lower energy and quieter than our previous travel days together and I found myself instantly missing my upbeat Sab sisters <3
Our trip from start to finish was a bit of a whirlwind and we certainly packed a lot into a short amount of time. A huge thanks to Rachie for being a wonderful Milan tour guide and for taking us to the best spots and best eats in the city! And an equally huge thank you to Em for planning out our adventures and being on top of all the little details along the way! It was such a joy to get the chance to travel together once again and I cannot wait for our next European reunion!!
Hasta pronto chicas <3
The best travel buddies!