Sicily: Alcamo Marina

The beach house was so beautiful. They eat outside on a patio by the kitchen for every meal. I LOVE eating outside (it is a shared passion of myself and my mother-in-law Nanette!!). They have a huge outdoor kitchen on the downstairs portion of the porch also, which is where they make pizza.

At a cool little resturaunt overlooking Alcamo Marina the first night

The 'Sicilian way' to get a grill hot...blowdryer!

Dinner time!

Some neighborhood boys and their little dog playing

The second day we were there we went out on the barca (boat) to White Rock and Red Rock. The water was so clear and we swam in a cave. You swim in the entrance and then it is really dark and kinda scary for about 3 meters and then there is a little cavern that is lit up from an underwater passage to the outside. Wonderful. We also ate urchin for the first time. When we came home everyone went to sleep (after a fabulous lunch of course).

At around 6ish we decided to go out and see Sugesta (an ancient Greek temple) which closed at 6:15 so we only got to see it from afar. Then we headed off to a hilltop town of Erice. This was a very cool medieval fortress atop a mountain. I got very carsick on the ride up :( We walked all around the castles and town and then had some drinks where we discussed the differences between America and Italia in education and medicine (Nino is a doctor and Gianluca is in medical school).

As close as we got to Sugesta

That night we went out with the cousins (Antonio, Marianna, and Mariangela) to the first beach party of the season. We met up with Antonio and his cousin, Marcello? Every Thursday during the summer they have a huge party right on the beach with music and dancing and by August apparently the whole beach is packed. There were a lot of people there and Greg's cousins made it an 'English only night.' I am so impressed with how well everyone coul speak english!

Greg and Antonio

Antonio and his cousin

The next morning Greg and I wake up and have our hilarious 20 minute Italian 'conversation' with Grandma Gina before we ate breakfast. This was the standard routine every morning.

Nonna Gina