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Went there to meet my friend Mike, local man, and stay for a couple of weeks. Driving south from Palermo airport Punta Raisi, I experience the first impressions. Hot and humid. And it takes me about 2 second in Mike´s car to realise that Sicilian Driving takes the concept of caos to a previouly unseen level. Totally unpredictable. The days to follow were gonna be really busy. Beach, nightlife, great food, nice scereny, unfinished constrution, learning italian in a couple of days coz nobody speaks anything else (few exceptions). The cost of living is really low by european standards, you can have a really good meal for around 4Euro. Everyone, at least my age, is really relaxed, outgoing, friendly, and obsessed with their look. Even more than mainland Italians. Mazara doesn´t have tourist, so I was something or a rarity there. My friends introduced me to everyone, so after only two days there, people I had met were calling me on the street and talking to me like a life-long friends.
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| Favourite spots: |
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Maracana beach is really loud and full of young people, sunbathing, playing volley, talking to each other. Mazara isn´t a beatufull place, but out of the vilagge there are some nice areas. At night it as a life of it´s own, as the locls go out for a giro, meeting outside and having a drink. This gives the local girls and some guys the chance to show off their new clothes and acessories. These are among the friendliest people I´ve ever met, accepting you immediately and stimulating conversation beyond soccer and motoring. Altough it increases the quality of the conversation if you´re in a smaller group. Also, maybe it´s me, but there´s something in the Italian language that just makes you feel good. The if you´re a friend of X, you´re a friend of mine prevails, and all in all one feel really welcome. There are quite a few good restaurants and even the fast food is really, really good. Feed free to walk into any restaurant at all. I don´t think you can go far wrong in Sicily.
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| What's really great: |
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Sunbathing at the beach - it was, after all, a Summer holiday. Limoncello - lemon liqour, drank ice-cold. The friendly friendly people. Arancino. A rice pastry with meat and pea or mozzarella and ham filling. Delicious. Granita - Drizzled lemon, or strawberry, or Almond, must try (I´m could kill for one right now just remembering it!) Nightlife is very social and outgoing. DJ´s are kind of crap but hey, nothing is perfect and this was pretty close! Riding around on a scooter or moto. I have one at home, but riding a scooter in Italy makes it feel more of a genuine thing. Lunch at mamma - coz at mummy´s house you always eat better. And, in this case, I think it´s true. Italian mothers really are something else.
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| Sights: |
Cartibubbo
Marsala
Trapani
Erice
Trefontani
The coast in general
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| Accommodations: |
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I always stayed in friends houses. Mike and Faboi rented a 5 room villa for the summer, 5 min from the beach, with 3 bathrooms and a huge terrace for 300 Euros a month. Amazing, I think. Also, if you´re invited to someone´s house the whole family tries their best to make you feel welcome.
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| Nightlife: |
Antenati.
Excstasy
Some other don´t rally remember the name
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| Hangouts: |
Il Carbonari
Santa-Cruz
A few here and there, specially in the lunghomare
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| Restaurants: |
Profiterole. The best fast food: Arancino´s rule, and the ice-cream on pastry is really good. Cannolli rule, too, a hard pastry filled with Ricotta cheese and chocolate chips. Better in wnter.
All the restaurants that I tries were good and cheap, so try as many as you can.
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| Other recommendations: |
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I recommend Erice, the medieval village, ans Marsala, if only for the excellent wine.
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Published on Friday December 5th, 2003
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Tue, Sep 28 2004 - 01:02 AM
 by saleha
| Nice report...different way of expression...gives a more personal touch to the travel experience...n nice to know about places other than the famous ones... |
Sun, Dec 07 2003 - 10:59 AM
by marianne
| This was a good read especially since I am going to visit Secilia in May (still a long wait!) |
Fri, Dec 05 2003 - 09:13 PM
by whereisliz
| It's great to learn about a part of Italy I've never been to... I love your writing, full of color, energy and personality. |
Fri, Dec 05 2003 - 05:37 PM
by paulobeli
Boa miúdo!
estou a ver que ficaste a "trabalhar" até mais tarde!
Com esse jeitinho para escrever devias ter ido para copy!
Abraço
paulo |
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