Off to Sicily

Wednesday, 29 June

A goal to leave Amalfi at 9, turned out to be 10:30. We were so unprepared for this drive. We didn't have a single map or know where the ferry terminal to Messina, Sicily was. So after packing up our room we just went to the town hoping to buy a map in town. Maps apparently do not exist, so we just had to wing it.

Anders read that there was a small fishing town called Cetara that we should visit. It is supposed to have really fresh seafood, especially anchovies and tuna. Along the drive there we drove through Erchie, which was a really nice beach town. I'm a bigger fan of these smaller towns. It feels so much more personal and local.

Cetara was also very pretty. It had a big duomo with a ceramic dome in the center. Typical of Anders, we drove through the town first and had to make a U-turn. It just happened we stopped at the number one restaurant on trip advisor. It had a gorgeous view but was not serving lunch yet, and it was full with reservations.

We drove back into town, but had trouble finding parking. Eventually we parked in a lot that I thought cost only €1 a hour, but the guys said €2 because it was a holiday. I was so sure we were getting scammed. But we didn't. There was a band playing for some event there. When I say band, I'm talking about police uniform people with shades playing marching band music. It was neat to see.

We searched for the two other seafood restaurants for lunch. At the first one we found it took us about 10 mins before we realized it didn't open until one. Apparently our Italian is really crap. The next restaurant was also closed. This time we didn't even bother asking. Guess what we ate eventually? We went to a shop with a deli and got a pomodoro with mozzarella and proscuitto crudo sandwich again! It was still good. We just sat by the street and ate it.

We arrived at the parking lot at five to the hour, but somehow Anders still let the guy charge him €4! He said it's small money, no worries. Ugh! I was annoyed!

Next destination...we had no clue. We tried to take a scenic road towards Salerno, which just resulted in us getting lost. We wanted to stop by other towns, but decided to be safe and stay on the highway to make sure we get to Messina in time for dinner.

Along the drive I realized I'd forgotten to stop the papers! They must be piling up on my doorstep. Of course I blamed it on Anders, and said he should have postponed it. He said that's not possible and that they will continue charging me. How is that possible! I bet him they will. But then again it's Norway.

We only made one stop for a quick bite on our way to the strait to pick up the ferry to Messina. We stopped by a lake and ate a €20 lunch that didn't consist of much. The service charge alone was €6! Anyhow it was ok and off we went with full bellies. During lunch Anders also spoke about how the guys were planning their trip in Croatia. They want to all chip in to buy a boombox and a video camera to record the seven days. The boombox I get, but I suspect there's a sound system on the boat. The video camera I don't. With technology these days, most cameras are equipped with a decent recording camera. Do they really need a hd one to see everyone's pimples and hair follicles? Sigh boys and wasting money. Trying to be high rollers without rolling in the dough..yet. I wonder what they will end up doing. Anders did suggest to borrow his dad's camera, but there's a risk of losing/breaking it too. Dunno.

The whole car ride was pretty uneventful. Anders drove while I read about Sicily and things we should do there. Around 7:20pm, we finally arrived at the ferry dock to Messina. For €33, we get to bring our car and drive to Sicily. Finding the entrance to the dock was an easy task, but pushing our way in was not. Crazy drivers were trying to squeeze their way in front on the left and right. Being aggressive was a definite must. Thank goodness we made it into the ferry.

The ride over to Messina was only around 20 mins. Pretty straight forward. When we got there we decided to just go straight to the restaurant for dinner. The town itself looks like a normal city in Spain. Doesn't look too pretty. On trip advisor and in the rough guide, we saw that the restaurant Al Padrino was recommended. It was in the outskirts of town, and felt a bit ghetto. We made sure everything in the car was hidden before leaving it.

Al Padrino was a family owned restaurant with no menus. The daughter and father came to us and asked us if we wanted antipasti, pasta, and fish. Sure we did. We were starving. The food was excellent. It tasted and felt so local, as if you went to a local Sicilian house to eat. Anders had the pasta with beans, which was O-shaped pasta with mashed beans served cold and spicy. We also had the local swordfish, which surprisingly I liked. We also had house wine and some desert wine and lots of desserts The whole experience was fantastic and it only cost us €44, for which we gave €50.

It took us about 40mins to find our Villa Sara B&B. It was located on top of Taormina. It was a bit difficult to find, and when we did find it around 11, I had to ring the doorbell of a huge house. Ding dong!! Lau? Yes, Priscilla Law. Buzz...the door opens and I walked up the stairs of this beautiful interior. An old skinny grandma that looks exactly like the small grandma in golden girls comes walking down to show us where the garage was and escorted us to our room. The room was very nice, it looked like something out of a history book. She then proceeded to the window and drew up the blinds to a view of the whole town and Mt. Etna. Omg it was unbelievable. We also had a balcony to enjoy. This place is unreal and it was only €65 a night! We had a great night's sleep.