When you are not busy caring for anyone else, my grandmother loves to travel.
It is the person who really instilled a feeling of wandering around our entire family. It is often initiated on a solo trip, or at least in search of its next journey throughout Europe.
For the longest time, her biggest dream was to visit Italy, and she spent years planning and saving a trip.
When my grandfather was diagnosed with cancer, her travel plans were suspended and completely dedicated to her care. The past few years were to impose severe taxes on my body and emotional, and left my grandmother burned and in a state of sadness after my grandfather’s death in the spring of last year.
On her seventy -fifth birthday, my husband and I decided to surprise her with a trip to Italy to achieve her life for life. It ended up going to Sicily and left unforgettable memories.
We chose Sicily for several reasons, including access
We decided to stay at Giardini Naxos, a comfortable city that presented an amazing view of the etna mountain.
Gloria Costadenova
With many beautiful cities in Italy, it was difficult to choose the best place to go to.
My grandmother has already mentioned cities like Portovino and Cenk Ter, so we knew that we had to remain coastal. In addition, since her birthday in May, we wanted to go to the far south as much as we could to enjoy some warm weather and sea breeze.
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We landed on Sicily and chose a strange hotel at Seapront in Giardini Naxos, which is located in northern Katania. It turns out that this is the perfect place and the time of the year to visit, especially with the life of my grandmother, my comfort and its needs.
With international airports in Catania and Permo, as well as a suitable railway system and a comprehensive bus network throughout the island, it is very easy to reach Sicily – easy to move.
There was a direct bus from the airport to the city, giving my grandmother an opportunity to indulge in the scenes and take pictures along the way.
May was the perfect time to enjoy warm weather with fewer crowds
The scene from the General Tourmina Park was unforgettable.
Gloria Costadenova
The weather was warm enough to take a diving in the swimming pool in our hotel, but we did not have to deal with the Sicilian sun in the summer months.
Since it was not the peak season, the city had a comfortable feeling with fewer tourists and crowds, which we might see in a different time. We never had to wait for long lines as well.
From Giardini Naxos, we took a 15 -minute bus trip to the famous city of Taormina. A bus, which works every 20 minutes, left us directly at the foot of the old city, which my grandmother was very appreciated.
Although we have crossed a “white Lotus” personal photo in immediately in the seasons of Tormene, we were exposed to the side streets, indulged in the generators, and we take a panoramic view of Jebel Inna in Villa Commonali, the public parks in Tourmina.
I felt as if we had experienced an authentic Italian experience, with excellent hospitality and great food
I am still thinking about fresh seafood and homemade pasta that I ate in Sicily.
Gloria Costadenova
Sicily taught me that the stereotype around Italian hospitality exists for some reason. Everywhere we went to, we received “Ciao Ragazzi” and warm smiles, which makes us feel at home.
We ate fresh seafood dishes such as meal fonggol (pasta with invalida). Although she did not participate, my grandmother liked my husband’s adventure when Richie de Mary (the sea hedgehog) tried, a Sicilian candy.
Throughout the island, we saw the amazing ceramic heads of a man and a woman (Teste Di Moro), often in the form of vases. Deep heads oscillate in Sicilian folklore, and presidents contain various stories that explain their origins, most of which involve love and betrayal topics.
To remember our journey, I bought and found small pine cones, another strong symbol in the Sicilian culture, representing prosperity and we wish you success.
My grandmother made a smile on her birthday the greatest gift ever
It was the best part of my trip to Sicily spent time with my grandmother.
Gloria Costadenova
Although her first birthday was without my grandfather, it was a beautiful experience for all of us.
As for my grandmother, this meant not to feel lonely in its sadness and achieve a life dream to visit Italy. For me, this means making memories with my grandmother and seeing her smile.
We remind us of the loss of someone we love that we must make the most of every moment. I will always cherish this memory with my grandmother and I am very grateful because I was there for its first trip to Italy, although it will not be our last.
