Last week, we packed our bags and flew 45 minutes to Sicily, where we would be staying during our week-long October break. Getting there wasn't easy; we arrived 8 hours late because of a delayed flight. After the longest day of waiting in our entire lives, we set foot in Italy and stayed in a beautiful hotel in Palermo. Front our rooms, we could see the Mediterranean Sea as well as an impressive cliffside. The mountainous terrain in this region was something we weren't aware and we were taken aback by the grandiosity of the place.
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| Street in Castiglione di Sicilia |
After driving 3 hours in a cramped European vehicle, we finally arrived at our cottage-style home in Castiglione di Sicilia, a small mountain side town near Mount Etna; one of the main attractions in Sicily. Castiglione was beautiful. It featured a medieval castle that lit up at night and a magnificent 360 degree view of the surroundings, including Francavilla di Sicilia, another small town, and of course Mount Etna. Words don't do justice to this breathtaking and charming village, so here are some photos we took during our frequent visits.
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| Castiglione di Sicilia |
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| View from Castiglione di Sicilia |
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| View from Taormina, Sicily |
Another highlight of the trip was the Alcantara gorge, located 20 minutes away from where we were staying. After taking a tour of the place with a top-down perspective, we lowered ourselves into gorge with the help of a trusty elevator. We were amazed at the blue, almost turquoise water and the smooth cliff sides.
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| Top-down view of the Alcantara Gorge |
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| Another photo of the Alcantara Gorge |
I think we most appreciated our visit to Mount Etna, which definitely lived up to our expectations. Although we did not climb to the summit (3,329 metres high), we were speechless looking down from the Silvestri crater, one of the most elevated plateaus in the region. Another interesting thing to point out is the fact that the dirt was red and black. Piles of pumice and black dust covered the place, while basalt formed by eruptions jutted out of the sides of the mountain. It was quite the day, we even got to see an ambulance helicopter take off, to Aidan's delight.
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| Silvestri Crater, Mount Etna |
Even though our flight home was delayed from 1:15pm to 5:00am the next morning, we got home safe and sound the following Sunday. It had definitely been the perfect vacation, with tons of things to do and see.
To see more photos from our trip, click here!
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Small island in Taormina
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