Back to Summer: Sicily

Back to school. Back to school. I've been back in China for almost three weeks now and in my new town of Gaoyao for two. It's been nice to settle in and have somewhere to call home after five weeks of living out of my trusty pink backpack. Now that I have (limited) access to the interwebs, I think it's time for a big photo dump and a recap of my awesome summer. 

Backtrack to Italy. I've already shared the first part of that trip... now it's time for Part Two: Sicily. I'm going to let the photos do the talking for the most part because even though it was only two months ago, it seems like a year ago. Maybe it's because I'm getting older... or maybe it's because I killed too many brain cells on the beach in Thailand...either way my memory ain't what it used to be. HERE WE GO:

Getting to Palermo, Sicily.

Conor a bit nervous to take on the roads.

Arriving at the amazing B&B "Terre di Himera" in Cefalu.

During our stay, we were the only guests and Maria, who owns Di Himera with her husband, was the most incredible host. During meals, she explained each dish to us including where the ingredients were from. Every bite was absolutely delicious. 

Made by Maria's friend with fresh ingredients (this was apricot and some sort of berry), this was probably the best gelato I had while in Italy. 

Breakfast time.

Walking around Cefalu.

I would probably weigh about 300 pounds if I lived in Italy.

Maria recommended a restaurant in town. We walked around for about an hour with the GPS until we finally found it. 

AMAZING.

Cheese, mushrooms, eggplant, bread, cheese, cheese, cheese, bread, wine. Bliss.

Hey, there.

China is rubbing off on me. 

Our next destination was Marsala to meet up with another amazing host and friend, Ivan.

Small swordfish in the market.

Tiny.

Marsala at night

Trying sea urchins!

Conor's not too sure about the oysters.

San Vito Lo Capo for the day. So beautiful.

Ivan the translator/ tour guide/ historian/ awesome person in general.

                  

Really close friends.

The famous brioche: a giant bun filled with gelato. 

Love.

Tour and tasting at the winery that Ivan works for, Donnafugata.

Beach time.

So purdy

Last night out in Marsala.

"The one drink wonder" - I learned that after living in China and rarely drinking, my alcohol tolerance had gone down. A lot. 

Treats from China.

Bye, Ivan!

We made a pit stop at Segesta on our way back to Palermo.

Segesta

Conor and I had one night in Palermo before heading to Rome for one night before we parted ways. After spending the day poolside at our hotel, we thought we should take advantage of the fact that we were within walking distance of the Colosseum.

Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II

After wandering aimlessly for an hour or two, we found a nice little restaurant where I enjoyed my last glass of red wine and plate of pasta before flying out to Guangzhou the next afternoon. 

Amo L'Italia. I will be back!