O
ur trip began with a 12-hour
non-stop flight from Hong
Kong to Rome, where my
in-laws picked us up for the
drive south. To get to the island of Sicily,
we had to board a car ferry from the tip
of the Italian “boot” for a fun half-hour
ferry ride.
Our gastronomic journey
commenced there, where we munched
on scrumptious
arancini
. Gooey meat
sauce and cheese melted in our mouths
as we bit into these golden deep-fried
rice balls. Just as we finished our last
bites, it was time to disembark from the
ferry. The seaport is close to Catania
airport, one of the two main airports in
Sicily (which, if you’re not meeting family
in Rome, would be a smart place to fly
into). From there, it’s a couple of hours’
drive to famous cities such as Siracusa,
Taormina and Agrigento, but my family
was headed directly to our summer
house in Marzamemi at the southern tip
of the island. From that moment on, we
officially disconnected ourselves – and
our BlackBerries.
Beach bumming
Every morning started with a walk to the
beach where my baby boy played and
roamed freely with the other kids. Despite
my language barrier, the locals were
communicative – I engaged in loads of
“mommy talks” in broken Italian and said
ciao
to many an old lady passer-by.
The Mediterranean Sea was warm
and soothing to the skin. The water was
unpolluted and, visible through the crystal
clear water, were wild algae and tiny
fish. My husband, a seasoned swimmer,
ventured out to a deeper part of the sea
and came back with a little octopus!
The ill-fated creature became our son’s
playmate, living in his little bucket until
it ultimately became an addition to our
lunch menu.
If a swim in the beautiful sea is on
your list of must-do experiences in Sicily,
then a visit to the
Scala dei Turchi
beach
close to Agrigento offers a unique beach
experience that no tourist should miss.
This stair-like hill right off the shore is made
of white natural clay, with tanned bodies
scattered all over it like little ants. We
rubbed this natural clay, known to be a
fantastic moisturiser, all over ourselves
to hydrate our skin against the fierce
Mediterranean sun.
Foodie paradise
Tucked at the bottom of Italy’s mainland,
Sicily is surrounded by squeaky-clean
water nurturing the finest seafood,
which is fetched every day by bronzed
fishermen before arriving fresh at our
dinner tables. For us, a perfect summer
holiday in Sicily meant following our
morning swims with pre-lunch nibbles,
massive lunches, long afternoon naps,
early evening aperitifs and massive
dinners.
Our days started with nice bowls
of almond or pistachio slushy
granita
Siciliana for
breakfast, just the right
Ti amo
Sicily
Sicily is renowned for its stunning
beaches and rich cultural heritage;
however, my family fell in love
with this little enchanting island
because of its warm, Southern
Italian hospitality… and delicious
food, writes
Crystal Lee
.
34
Playtimes
travel-writing
contest winner
