Dr. Strange Streets or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Sea

So… we realized that among all of this blogging madness, we have neglected to tell you just how fantastically beautiful Castellamare del Gulfo and our hotel are. This is the part of blogging I love – not writing. Photos do a much better job of expressing visual stimuli anyway, so here you go. Wallow in your envy.

Outside our hotel...

Not THE stairs I refer to later, but still steep!

Katie, Matt and Tim enjoy an evening stroll.

After the last two posts, I'm sure you think that we've done and seen everything that the tiny little island of Sicily can provide for its tourists. WRONG. That little rock that's being kicked by the big boot also happens to offer the most beautiful beach I've ever encountered. And by encountered, I mean what Samantha Brown has shown me. San Vito Lo Capo, which was recommended to us by Franco and our hotel's Concierge, Giusy (pronounced Juicy, and yes, that's a girl, and no, she isn't "juicy" at all) provides its patrons with warm, clear waters, immaculate sand, and even some crazy rafts with built-in slides that you can take into the depths of the sea. But sadly, no nudity.

I actually went into the water. And stayed there. I was constantly jerking around looking as if I had a twitch, through, because I was convinced that the array of seaweed was actually fish. Luckily, my eyes have been boycotting a normal level of functioning and I haven’t been able to wear my contacts here, so I didn't see any of the fish that swam around us. But never the type to quell my fears, Matt, Katie and Tim assure me that fish were up close and personal during our swim.


After baking in the sun and surf, we had a delicious lunch at a seaside restaurant and our first gelato at a nearby cafe. By the way... did we mention that Italians reverse the traditional American lunch and dinner? That means we've been having massive, three course lunches on a daily basis. On the plus side, I don't go to bed uncomfortably full. On the downside, every afternoon makes me look 6 months pregnant.


Getting back to the hotel, we realized, was getting progressively more difficult each time. Practically all streets are one way, about 3 feet wide, and have various obstacles like STEPS and zooming Smart Cars passing you on both sides. This time, we didn't even know how to get down to the water we were on, so we just ended up parking on a random side street a few levels up from the ocean. What this meant was... the following morning when we had to leave our hotel, we would each need to hike our bags up the most treacherous stairs EVER BUILT. About 75 steps, uneven pavement, nothing to hold on to, and carrying an extra 50 pounds. I anticipated my impeding death and said goodbye to my fellow travelers over our final pizza dinner in Sicily. Katie assured me that if I did die by falling down the Sicilian Stairs of Death that she would have a good laugh. True sisterly love.


The following morning at 6am, we achieved the impossible and made it to the top of the stairs with no death de Joanna. It appeared that I would live to see the rest of Italy after all with sore muscles and a feeling of personal victory.

- Joanna

We made it!