As we approach the one-year anniversary of our 2022 Girls’ Trip to Italy, this week La Dolce Vita Travels will publish a series of posts recapping our trip last October. I do this for several reasons: as a means of transcribing my travel journal, to provide fellow travelers with names of restaurants/hotels for their own travel journals, and to plant seeds of interest for our next trip (and there will be another one).
This is an overall recap of the official itinerary. There were pockets of free time almost daily, and while I share what my sister and I did during these times, the truth is everyone will have a different story. Some were shoppers, some were explores, and some were diners … there was something for everyone.
The series will be three parts—Part I: Naples (Days 1-4), Part II: Sicily (Days 5-11), Part III: Rome (Day 12). Our time in Naples was the most intense; after all, it is an intense city and we packed a lot into our itinerary. This meant we did the heavy touring the first few days of our trip, then enjoyed the slower pace of Sicily on the back end.
Day 11: Taormina (Oct. 15)
Today is the day we add a city to our itinerary. But more on
that later…
Breakfast this morning overlooked the Mediterranean
Sea. I decided to celebrate with a delicious brioche—a Mt. Etna-sized brioche that paired
most excellently with my cappuccino. Life is grand. (Speaking of Mt. Etna,
which we could see off in the distance. Those weren’t clouds, but puffs of smoke. Etna
is still considered an active volcano and the smoke is the reason it is known as “the
grumbling giant” nickname.")
A short bus ride along the coast took us to the historic
center of Taormina, which is known as the “pearl of the Mediterranean.” We
walked up the main road to the Greco-Roman amphitheater which offered the most
breathtaking views of the Bay of Naxos. All we needed was Luciano Pavarotti or
Andrea Bocelli to walk out on the stage.
Because this was going to be our last day in Taormina (more
on that later) we were given two hours to meander through the narrow streets
and do some last-minute shopping. And shop we did. Taormina is so picturesque,
so quaint, so lovely. After many days of group travel, I enjoyed wandering
alone, taking photos, stopping at a bar for an espresso, and a little later for a
small granita. At one point I entered an antique bookshop looking for an anniversary gift for Nicholas and Lauren. Since gifts for a first anniversary are traditionally paper, I purchased two lithographs that were from rare books
(the owner even made a photocopy of my passport to maintain provenance for his
records). It was exciting handling old papers and books.
When we reconvened at the main plaza, we were given an offer we couldn’t refuse: a Godfather tour of the towns that served as location for the film. We drove to Savoca (incidentally, our bus driver today was named Vito, as in Vito Corleone). Just like the wedding procession in the movie, we climbed to the church of Santa Lucia where Michael Corleone married Apollonia. We also visited Bar Vitelli where Michael asked Apollonia’s father for her hand in marriage. Inside, the bar was filled with movie memorabilia, such as the same table and chairs that were used in the movie.
Finally, a tale of travel woes. If you remember, I was
missing from last night’s dinner due to the fact that ITA Airways canceled our Monday
morning flight (Catania-Rome) which meant we would miss our connecting afternoon flight (Rome-Atlanta). At one point, Jane and I
were on three separate phones talking to ITA, the tour company, and Jane’s
connections at Central Holidays. We went to bed with things still undecided, but overnight the tour company worked magic and by morning we were booked on a Catania-Rome
flight for tomorrow (Sunday) so we could make our connection on Monday. They arranged
transportation and lodging for our overnight stay in Rome (at no extra cost for
us).
While we are sad to leave Taormina one day early, the good
news was an afternoon and night in Rome before our Monday flight to
Atlanta—an unexpected bonus, especially for those in our group who have never
been to the Eternal City.
When life gives you lemons, make limoncello!
P.S. Jane was able to change the date of our Farewell Dinner
to tonight, our last night in Sicily. It was such a wonderful dinner with
speeches, gifts for Jane, and Jane’s announcement that she would be retiring.
We were her last tour group. Did we influence her decision? See video below.
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