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	<title>Taormina - Babies With Backpacks</title>
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		<title>Taormina: a delicious recommendation</title>
		<link>https://babieswithbackpacks.com/taormina-a-delicious-recommendation/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=taormina-a-delicious-recommendation</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Kasey]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 22 Jul 2017 15:36:29 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Sicily]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Taormina]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Day trips]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://babieswithbackpacks.com/?p=1281</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Those of you who follow my Babies With Backpacks Facebook page already know that I recommend Bam Bar in Taormina, but here&#8217;s [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/taormina-a-delicious-recommendation/">Taormina: a delicious recommendation</a> first appeared on <a href="https://babieswithbackpacks.com">Babies With Backpacks</a>.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/taormina-a-delicious-recommendation/">Taormina: a delicious recommendation</a> appeared first on <a href="https://babieswithbackpacks.com">Babies With Backpacks</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;" class="sharethis-inline-share-buttons" ></div><p>Those of you who follow my Babies With Backpacks Facebook page already know that I recommend Bam Bar in Taormina, but here&#8217;s some visual evidence as to why.</p>
<p>I feel like we&#8217;ve eaten our fair share of granita in the last few months, but <strong>Bam Bar</strong> is far and away the best. It&#8217;s not even close. Today we took the family who we are sponsoring there, and they agreed with our assessment.</p>
<p><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1282" src="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_3559-1.jpg" alt="" width="2448" height="2448" srcset="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_3559-1.jpg 2448w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_3559-1-150x150.jpg 150w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_3559-1-300x300.jpg 300w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_3559-1-768x768.jpg 768w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_3559-1-1024x1024.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 2448px) 100vw, 2448px" /></p>
<p><em>Lemon for Owen, coffee for Chris, raspberry for me and and chocolate for Fiona. And brioche for all. </em></p>
<p><img decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1283" src="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_3563-1-e1500735562961.jpg" alt="" width="2448" height="2448" srcset="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_3563-1-e1500735562961.jpg 2448w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_3563-1-e1500735562961-150x150.jpg 150w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_3563-1-e1500735562961-300x300.jpg 300w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_3563-1-e1500735562961-768x768.jpg 768w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_3563-1-e1500735562961-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_3563-1-e1500735562961-730x730.jpg 730w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_3563-1-e1500735562961-365x365.jpg 365w" sizes="(max-width: 2448px) 100vw, 2448px" /></p>
<p><i>The raspberry is AMAZING. And so is the cream. Best thing ever. </i></p>
<p><img decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1284" src="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_3568-e1500735588979.jpg" alt="" width="2448" height="2448" srcset="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_3568-e1500735588979.jpg 2448w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_3568-e1500735588979-150x150.jpg 150w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_3568-e1500735588979-300x300.jpg 300w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_3568-e1500735588979-768x768.jpg 768w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_3568-e1500735588979-1024x1024.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 2448px) 100vw, 2448px" /></p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1285" src="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_3581-1-e1500735541380.jpg" alt="" width="2448" height="2448" srcset="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_3581-1-e1500735541380.jpg 2448w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_3581-1-e1500735541380-150x150.jpg 150w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_3581-1-e1500735541380-300x300.jpg 300w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_3581-1-e1500735541380-768x768.jpg 768w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_3581-1-e1500735541380-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_3581-1-e1500735541380-730x730.jpg 730w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_3581-1-e1500735541380-365x365.jpg 365w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2448px) 100vw, 2448px" /></p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1286" src="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_3594.jpg" alt="" width="2448" height="2448" srcset="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_3594.jpg 2448w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_3594-150x150.jpg 150w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_3594-300x300.jpg 300w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_3594-768x768.jpg 768w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_3594-1024x1024.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2448px) 100vw, 2448px" /></p>
<p><em>Waiting times can allegedly be long, but Chris and I haven&#8217;t had to wait more than about 10 minutes. Including today, when we had 11 people (took three tables, ha). I suspect the key is going in the morning rather than afternoon, though I haven&#8217;t yet tried the latter.</em></p>
<p>So pretty much my take-away mesage is, don&#8217;t go to Taormina without getting some granita here.</p>
<p>Another recommendation &#8212; if you are looking for a quick meal, try <strong>StritFud</strong>. (Conveniently located near Bam Bar!). They have a ton of different types of Sicilian street food, and it is pretty cheap for Taormina. We ended up with a hot dog wrapped in pastry, two giant pieces of pizza and a slice of a ham and cheese calzone for 10 euro. We got the hot dog for Owen, but my anti-sauce kid ended up eating the calzone after declaring that it having sauce was &#8220;ok because it is so good.&#8221;</p>
<p>And finally, here are just some cute pictures of my kids.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1287" src="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_3595-e1500735519450.jpg" alt="" width="2448" height="2448" srcset="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_3595-e1500735519450.jpg 2448w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_3595-e1500735519450-150x150.jpg 150w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_3595-e1500735519450-300x300.jpg 300w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_3595-e1500735519450-768x768.jpg 768w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_3595-e1500735519450-1024x1024.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2448px) 100vw, 2448px" /></p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1288" src="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_3606-e1500735483703.jpg" alt="" width="2448" height="2448" srcset="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_3606-e1500735483703.jpg 2448w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_3606-e1500735483703-150x150.jpg 150w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_3606-e1500735483703-300x300.jpg 300w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_3606-e1500735483703-768x768.jpg 768w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_3606-e1500735483703-1024x1024.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2448px) 100vw, 2448px" /></p><p>The post <a href="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/taormina-a-delicious-recommendation/">Taormina: a delicious recommendation</a> first appeared on <a href="https://babieswithbackpacks.com">Babies With Backpacks</a>.</p><p>The post <a href="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/taormina-a-delicious-recommendation/">Taormina: a delicious recommendation</a> appeared first on <a href="https://babieswithbackpacks.com">Babies With Backpacks</a>.</p>
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		<title>New sights at familiar spots: Taormina, Siracusa, Mount Etna</title>
		<link>https://babieswithbackpacks.com/new-sights-at-familiar-spots/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=new-sights-at-familiar-spots</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Kasey]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 26 Jun 2017 21:02:34 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Aci Trezza]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mount Etna]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sicily]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Siracusa/Ortigia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Taormina]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Day trips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Traveling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Visitors]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Weekend trips]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://babieswithbackpacks.com/?p=1131</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>One of the best parts of having visitors is being inspired to revisist some of our favorite places! When my in-laws were [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/new-sights-at-familiar-spots/">New sights at familiar spots: Taormina, Siracusa, Mount Etna</a> first appeared on <a href="https://babieswithbackpacks.com">Babies With Backpacks</a>.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/new-sights-at-familiar-spots/">New sights at familiar spots: Taormina, Siracusa, Mount Etna</a> appeared first on <a href="https://babieswithbackpacks.com">Babies With Backpacks</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;" class="sharethis-inline-share-buttons" ></div><p>One of the best parts of having visitors is being inspired to revisist some of our favorite places! When my in-laws were here, we visited our two favorites &#8212; Siracusa and Taormina &#8212; and checked out places we hadn&#8217;t seen.</p>
<p><strong>Taormina </strong></p>
<p>Taormina is one of our favorite places! Despite that one time that we ended up going during a <a href="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/index.php/2017/03/12/visitors-a-recap/">massive power outage</a>. Since we missed going to the beach on <a href="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/index.php/2016/10/17/our-first-day-trip-taormina/">our first trip in October</a> and it wasn&#8217;t really beach weather after that, we took the opportunity to pop down and check out the beach and Isola Bella.</p>
<p>The beach itself is pretty, but rocky. There were also a fairly startling number of jellyfish. This wasn&#8217;t necessarily important to us that day since we weren&#8217;t planning to swim, but it didn&#8217;t make us eager to come back and jump in. I&#8217;ll have to ask someone if the jellies are a regular feature or if we just showed up on a weird day for them.</p>
<p>We didn&#8217;t go all the way to Isola Bella, a small island that is connected by a small sand path through the water. Not having planned to swim, we didn&#8217;t really have the footwear to go across to the house on the island, which was once the home of Florence Trevelyan, an English-born conversationist and gardener. Another day, I suppose.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1141" src="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/isolabella.jpg" alt="" width="460" height="613" srcset="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/isolabella.jpg 460w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/isolabella-225x300.jpg 225w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 460px) 100vw, 460px" /></p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1142" src="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/isolabella2.jpg" alt="" width="460" height="613" srcset="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/isolabella2.jpg 460w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/isolabella2-225x300.jpg 225w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 460px) 100vw, 460px" /></p>
<p><em>See the path in the background? </em></p>
<p>To get to the beach, we parked in the cable-car parking lot. We also took the opportunity to ride the cable cars into the city, and we all thought that was pretty sweet.* I have been wanting to ride on the cable car for a while, but when my parents were in town in March it was still closed. It drops you off at a convenient spot right near the city center and you get a cool view along the way as well. Unfortunately I don&#8217;t have any pictures of this because I was too busy making sure my daredevil daughter didnt try to force open the doors or something.</p>
<p>*And I especially liked the part where I didn&#8217;t scrape the hell out of the front of my van again trying to go up the narrow parking garage ramp at our usual spot.</p>
<p><strong>Siracusa </strong></p>
<p>I haven&#8217;t written as much about Siracusa, a town about an hour south of us, but it is one of our favorite places to visit. We checked out the archeological park on our first visit there, but these days we most often go to Ortigia. Ortigia is a small island connected by two bridges to the rest of Siracusa, and it is the prettiest part of it. In Greek mythology, it is the birth place of at least one, possibly both, of the twins Apollo and Artemis.</p>
<p>With Gail and David in tow, we wandered through a farmer&#8217;s market and then stopped by some of the traditional sites, including the Temple of Apollo, Archimede Fountain and, of course, the gorgeous Duomo di Siracusa (cathedral of Siracusa). I talked a bit about the history of some of these in <a href="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/index.php/2017/03/12/visitors-a-recap/">this post,</a> so I&#8217;m not going to recap all that just now but feel free to check out that post and refresh your memory.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-705" src="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitSiracusafountain.jpg" alt="" width="459" height="612" srcset="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitSiracusafountain.jpg 459w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitSiracusafountain-225x300.jpg 225w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 459px) 100vw, 459px" /></p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-703" src="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitSiracusaDuomo.jpg" alt="" width="459" height="612" srcset="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitSiracusaDuomo.jpg 459w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitSiracusaDuomo-225x300.jpg 225w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 459px) 100vw, 459px" /></p>
<p><em>Ok, these two pics are technically from March. But they were already loaded and our internet here sucks so just trust me, they still look like this. </em></p>
<p>We also took them to La Volpe e L&#8217;Uva (the Fox and the Grape), one of our favorite places, for a meal. I&#8217;ve said this before, but seriously &#8212; I really recommend this place. And not just because you can get pizza at midday (this is rare here; pizza is a dinner food because of the time it takes to fire up the ovens).</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1148" src="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/siracusarestaurant.jpg" alt="" width="460" height="613" srcset="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/siracusarestaurant.jpg 460w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/siracusarestaurant-225x300.jpg 225w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 460px) 100vw, 460px" /></p>
<p>This visit&#8217;s highlight, however, was a stop at Maniace Castello. This is somewhat embarrassing, given that Ortigia is not overly large, but I wasn&#8217;t actually aware that there was a castle until Chris found it in a list of recommendations for things to do in Ortigia the evening before we left.</p>
<p>It is certainly not a fancy-pants castle in the way of <a href="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/index.php/2017/05/15/france-day-seven-castles-castles-castles/">Chambord or Chenonceau</a>; I would describe it more as a fort? Given the huge number of times that Sicily has changed hands over the centuries, however, it makes a lot of sense that it would be more utilitarian in style. This particular castello dates back to the 1230s and was built by Frederick II, Holy Roman Empire. I wish there had been a tour because <a href="http://www.castles.nl/maniace-castle">looking up the history</a> after the fact shows that it is pretty interesting. However, for only 2 euros to get in it was still interesting to wander all over the property.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1150" src="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/siracusacastlegrounds.jpg" alt="" width="817" height="613" srcset="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/siracusacastlegrounds.jpg 817w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/siracusacastlegrounds-300x225.jpg 300w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/siracusacastlegrounds-768x576.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 817px) 100vw, 817px" /></p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1147" src="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/siracusacastle.jpg" alt="" width="460" height="613" srcset="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/siracusacastle.jpg 460w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/siracusacastle-225x300.jpg 225w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 460px) 100vw, 460px" /></p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1146" src="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/siracusa.jpg" alt="" width="460" height="613" srcset="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/siracusa.jpg 460w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/siracusa-225x300.jpg 225w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 460px) 100vw, 460px" /></p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1134" src="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/chrisswingsowensiracusa.jpg" alt="" width="460" height="613" srcset="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/chrisswingsowensiracusa.jpg 460w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/chrisswingsowensiracusa-225x300.jpg 225w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 460px) 100vw, 460px" /></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Mount Etna</strong></p>
<p>Chris and I have <a href="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/index.php/2017/04/09/conquering-mount-etna/">hiked one of the trails on Mount Etna</a>, and my sister Torie and I made an ill-fated driving trip toward the top when she was in town. However, when Gail and David were in town we drove all the way to Etna Sud (the highest point you can drive to by us, there is a hotel and shops and tour companies there). From there we made a very impromptu decision to climb up just a tiny bit onto the Silvestri Craters. I was woefully unprepared for this footwear-wise, not having planned to do any hiking, but it was totally worth it.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1145" src="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/silvestrycraterpano.jpg" alt="" width="1366" height="294" srcset="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/silvestrycraterpano.jpg 1366w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/silvestrycraterpano-300x65.jpg 300w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/silvestrycraterpano-768x165.jpg 768w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/silvestrycraterpano-1024x220.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1366px) 100vw, 1366px" /></p>
<p><em>Panoramic picture to give you an idea of the area; on the right is the hotel. </em></p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1144" src="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/silvestricrater.jpg" alt="" width="817" height="613" srcset="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/silvestricrater.jpg 817w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/silvestricrater-300x225.jpg 300w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/silvestricrater-768x576.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 817px) 100vw, 817px" /><em>I didn&#8217;t think to bring my big camera, and these pictures don&#8217;t really express the size of this thing. I wore Fiona so she wouldn&#8217;t plummet into the crater. </em></p>
<p><strong>Aci Trezza</strong></p>
<p>Ok, this one isn&#8217;t actually new &#8212; but I don&#8217;t think I&#8217;ve talked about it on here before. Aci Trezza is a lovely little seaside town near us with which we&#8217;ve recently fallen in love. Chris and I have been here a few times for granita or a kid-free date, so we decided to take Gail and David for Gail&#8217;s birthday.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1143" src="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/olympusrocks.jpg" alt="" width="817" height="613" srcset="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/olympusrocks.jpg 817w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/olympusrocks-300x225.jpg 300w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/olympusrocks-768x576.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 817px) 100vw, 817px" /></p>
<p><em>See these rocks? In the Odyssey, the cyclops &#8212; who Odysseus and his men have just blinded during their escape &#8212; starts blindly hurling rocks at their retreating boat. These are those rocks (if you have a believing heart). </em></p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1152" src="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/acitrezzarocks-1.jpg" alt="" width="817" height="613" srcset="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/acitrezzarocks-1.jpg 817w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/acitrezzarocks-1-300x225.jpg 300w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/acitrezzarocks-1-768x576.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 817px) 100vw, 817px" /></p>
<p>We had dinner at Le Muse, a place we&#8217;ve eaten at twice now and loved both times.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1151" src="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/acitrezza-1.jpg" alt="" width="460" height="613" srcset="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/acitrezza-1.jpg 460w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/acitrezza-1-225x300.jpg 225w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 460px) 100vw, 460px" /></p>
<p><em>David was surprised by a tiny fried octopus! </em></p>
<p>Overall, it was a great visit for us because we got out and saw more of our island, and I hope it was fun for Gail and David too. Our next round of visitors comes in September, so we&#8217;ll have to start brainstorming what we can explore with them!</p><p>The post <a href="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/new-sights-at-familiar-spots/">New sights at familiar spots: Taormina, Siracusa, Mount Etna</a> first appeared on <a href="https://babieswithbackpacks.com">Babies With Backpacks</a>.</p><p>The post <a href="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/new-sights-at-familiar-spots/">New sights at familiar spots: Taormina, Siracusa, Mount Etna</a> appeared first on <a href="https://babieswithbackpacks.com">Babies With Backpacks</a>.</p>
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		<title>Visitors! A recap</title>
		<link>https://babieswithbackpacks.com/visitors-a-recap/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=visitors-a-recap</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Kasey]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 12 Mar 2017 10:15:45 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Catania]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mount Etna]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Siracusa/Ortigia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Taormina]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Day trips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Driving]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Visitors]]></category>
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					<description><![CDATA[<p>So, the past couple of weeks marked the first visit from family members to our new home! My mom came for almost two weeks, [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/visitors-a-recap/">Visitors! A recap</a> first appeared on <a href="https://babieswithbackpacks.com">Babies With Backpacks</a>.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/visitors-a-recap/">Visitors! A recap</a> appeared first on <a href="https://babieswithbackpacks.com">Babies With Backpacks</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;" class="sharethis-inline-share-buttons" ></div><p>So, the past couple of weeks marked the first visit from family members to our new home! My mom came for almost two weeks, and my dad and sister were in for five and six days, respectively. As I mentioned in <a href="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/index.php/2017/02/23/planning-for-visitors-woohoo/">this post</a>, we love our island and have been eager to share some of our favorite places with friends and family. I&#8217;m pleased to say we made it to almost all of the places we wanted to go, even if we didn&#8217;t have as much time to explore some of them as I&#8217;d originally intended. AND my mom even got to see a volcanic eruption!</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-677" src="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/volcano1ZOOM.jpg" alt="" width="274" height="231" /></p>
<p>That said &#8230;</p>
<p>I should preface this by saying that my family in general (and me in particular) is sort of famous for drama on vacation. Sometimes funny, sometimes annoying. For instance, growing up I don&#8217;t think there was a single vacation that didn&#8217;t involve someone ending up in the ER for some reason (usually ear infections). Whenever we talk about <a href="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/index.php/2016/09/19/the-original-babies-with-backpacks/">our family trip to Europe</a>, we always go back to the various &#8220;incidents&#8221; throughout the trip, like getting yelled at in German because my youngest siblings were (we found out after) pushing rocks off a wall and onto the man&#8217;s new car. As for me? I&#8217;m kind of a walking disaster. The first one that pops to mind is having to take a last minute, middle-of-the-night cab ride across Melbourne, Australia, because we didn&#8217;t realize our plane was leaving from a different airport than the one at which we had arrived. Or the one where we had to take a train, bum a ride from a friend, ride a bus, grab a cab and walk (between midnight and 5 a.m.) to get to Sydney&#8217;s airport because we didn&#8217;t realize that after midnight the trains would stop running because it was Easter. WHOOPS.</p>
<p>Anyway, in true Hawrysz form there was some kind of incident almost every day (sometimes my fault, sometimes not). I think in some cases it really gave my family a feel for the beautiful craziness that is Sicily. So, without further ado &#8230;</p>
<p><strong>Saturday </strong></p>
<p>With my dad and sister not due to arrive until after 5 p.m., I had big plans for the five of us (me, Chris, the kids and my mom) to visit Caltigirone in the morning. We were all packed and ready to go when, of course, I <a href="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/index.php/2017/03/04/this-one-time-we-got-locked-out-of-the-house/">got us locked out of the house</a>. Fail. By the time we got that sorted out, it was too late to drive to Caltigirone so we went to Taormina instead. There aren&#8217;t many places to park close to heart of the city, so we always park in a structure nearby and take the free shuttle into the city center. Last time we were there, we had a tiny little car and it was no big deal. Now that we have our van, we&#8217;ve discovered that the ramp up to the higher levels of the parking structure is TINY. Minuscule. Lilliputian. The result was Chris and Mom spent three harrowing levels trying to give me advice on when I was about to hit the stairs &#8212; because this tiny ramp included a narrow stair for people to walk on &#8212; or about to hit the wall. We hit both.*</p>
<p>*Future visitors: as we found out on Monday, going down the ramp was slightly easier than going up, and if you have a big-ass vehicle like ours I suggest trying that (or parking elsewhere).</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-696 size-full" src="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitHuskfampicTaormina.jpg" alt="" width="816" height="612" srcset="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitHuskfampicTaormina.jpg 816w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitHuskfampicTaormina-300x225.jpg 300w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitHuskfampicTaormina-768x576.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 816px) 100vw, 816px" /></p>
<p>Once we made it into the city, we had a fabulous lunch at <a href="http://www.granduca-taormina.com/">Ristorante Granduca</a>. It was a little overpriced because of a fairly huge table charge, but it was a gorgeous view and the food was probably the best I had all week.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-710 size-full" src="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitTaorminalunch.jpg" alt="" width="612" height="612" srcset="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitTaorminalunch.jpg 612w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitTaorminalunch-150x150.jpg 150w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitTaorminalunch-300x300.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 612px) 100vw, 612px" /></p>
<p>My dad and sister arrived in the evening (my sister making her connection despite a really close call!) and we went out for drinks and a dinner in nearby Acireale that evening. Three cheers for our babysitter, Antonella!</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-687 size-full" src="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitAcireale.jpg" alt="" width="816" height="612" srcset="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitAcireale.jpg 816w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitAcireale-300x225.jpg 300w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitAcireale-768x576.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 816px) 100vw, 816px" /></p>
<p><em>Duomo di Acireale</em></p>
<p><strong>Daily Drama: </strong>Me locking us out of the house, obviously. Have I mentioned that our door isn&#8217;t closing quite right now? I&#8217;m sure it is completely unrelated to the big chunk of metal they had to cut out and solder back into place.</p>
<p><strong>Sunday</strong></p>
<p>Everyone was kind of relaxing in the morning (though I did take my dad for a walk around Aci Sant&#8217;Antonio), but we had a great 3-hour lunch and wine tasting at <a href="https://www.murgo.it/en/">Murgo Winery&#8217;s restaurant Tenuta San Michele. </a>We loved several of the wines, and the food was (mostly) delicious. The evening brought just hanging around the house, binge watching Friends and watching the kids get into shenanigans with their grandparents.</p>
<p><strong>Daily drama</strong>: To my surprise, none? That I can remember.</p>
<p><strong>Monday</strong></p>
<p>Monday morning brought our second sick kid of the week (Owen had been sick the previous week with what I thought was bronchitis but proved to be officially diagnosed as &#8220;just a cough&#8221;). But we still had a good day, starting with a visit to the farmer&#8217;s market in our own town and followed by a second trek to Taormina. We are so lucky that one of our favorite places is only about 40 minutes away &#8230; or less if I drive fast enough. While we had just been there Saturday, we wanted Dad and Torie to be able to see it too and we hadn&#8217;t visited some of the other sights. We had been hoping to ride the cable cars into the center of town, but unfortunately they weren&#8217;t scheduled to be reopened until the following day so it was back to the terrible parking garage for us. We strolled down the main drag, Corso Umberto, hung out in Piazza XI Aprile and had a nice lunch outdoors. We considered going to see the Greek Theater, but the big price tag (10 euro per person) and general lack of interest led to us instead deciding to pop into this cool hipster-ish bar for drinks instead. (If you are interested in the theatre, I did a post about it <a href="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/index.php/2016/10/17/our-first-day-trip-taormina/">here</a>.)</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-708 size-full" src="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitTaorminachurch.jpg" alt="" width="459" height="612" srcset="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitTaorminachurch.jpg 459w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitTaorminachurch-225x300.jpg 225w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 459px) 100vw, 459px" /></p>
<p><em>Chiesa di San Guiseppe is in the Piazza XI Aprile, which is one of my favorite places to hang out in Taormina. There is a gorgeous view of the sea, lots of restaurants, this church, and (on both Saturday and Monday) live musicians playing. </em></p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-715 size-full" src="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visittaorminaview.jpg" alt="" width="883" height="662" srcset="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visittaorminaview.jpg 883w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visittaorminaview-300x225.jpg 300w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visittaorminaview-768x576.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 883px) 100vw, 883px" /></p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-707 size-full" src="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitTaorminaalley.jpg" alt="" width="459" height="612" srcset="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitTaorminaalley.jpg 459w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitTaorminaalley-225x300.jpg 225w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 459px) 100vw, 459px" /></p>
<p><em>Just a peek down an alley. </em></p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-711 size-full" src="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitTaorminathumbwrestling.jpg" alt="" width="816" height="612" srcset="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitTaorminathumbwrestling.jpg 816w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitTaorminathumbwrestling-300x225.jpg 300w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitTaorminathumbwrestling-768x576.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 816px) 100vw, 816px" /></p>
<p><em>Dad teaching Owen how to thumb wrestle at the hipster bar.</em></p>
<p>After our cocktails, we headed over to the Villa Communale Gardens for a quick walk before we went home. One of the nice things about Taormina is that it isn&#8217;t very big and is well marked with signs, so finding things is never an issue. We had a nice little walk through the gardens, which include some WWII memorabilia and a great view of the coast.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-709 size-full" src="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitTaorminagardens.jpg" alt="" width="459" height="612" srcset="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitTaorminagardens.jpg 459w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitTaorminagardens-225x300.jpg 225w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 459px) 100vw, 459px" /></p>
<p><strong>Daily drama: </strong>So as we walked into the center of Taormina, the first thing we noticed was that almost everything seemed to be closed and there weren&#8217;t many people on the streets. We had a terrible time trying to find a restaurant that was open. At first we were guessing that a lot of places were closed on Mondays (though this seemed odd for a tourist town) and that maybe people were staying home because it wasn&#8217;t very warm. We finally found a restaurant that was open and sat down on a nice terrace, but it wasn&#8217;t until the waiter had to lead me and Fiona to the bathroom with his cell phone as a flashlight that we found out the real problem: a major power outage throughout Taormina. From what the waiter could tell us, it was related to construction work being done in the run-up to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/43rd_G7_summit">G7 Summit</a> being held in Taormina in May (I was unclear whether it was a planned outage or an accident). We kind of shrugged it off at first, but it wasn&#8217;t until after we had ordered and started eating a whole bunch of food (and beer) that it occurred to us that no power = no credit card payment. Cue panic mode. I had almost no cash because we&#8217;d spent it all paying the guy to cut open our door Saturday and I hadn&#8217;t yet found a working ATM yet in Taormina (mystery solved on that one). My dad, fortunately, had some that we thought would juuuuuuuuuuuust cover it, so we breathed a bit easier. Until the bill arrived and we saw that the table charge had bumped our bill up by 20 euro, and therefore beyond the amount of cash we actually had by about 10 euro (plus tip). We debated offering them some U.S. dollars on top on the euro, but in the end we talked to the owner and promised we&#8217;d come back another time. Luckily they were cool about it and sent us on our way.</p>
<p>To be fair, a &#8220;table charge&#8221; for a restaurant that was literally empty seemed a bit silly anyway &#8230; but it was pretty embarrassing still.</p>
<p><strong>Tuesday </strong></p>
<p>Tuesday dawned with Fiona even sicker, so she and Chris had to stay home while Owen, Mom, Dad, Torie and I headed out for the day. First stop was the Oleificio Peltom olive oil factory, as there was a critical shortage at our house and the family was interested in picking some up anyway.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-701 size-full" src="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitsickFi.jpg" alt="" width="459" height="612" srcset="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitsickFi.jpg 459w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitsickFi-225x300.jpg 225w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 459px) 100vw, 459px" /></p>
<p><em>Sick Fiona. </em></p>
<p>From there, it was on to Siracusa, a city about an hour south of base that was once the biggest city in the world. They have a great archaeological park with the largest Greek amphitheater in Sicily, which Chris and I have taken the kids to in the past. There wasn&#8217;t a lot of interest though, so we headed instead for Ortigia, a small island connected to Siracusa by a couple of bridges. According to legend, it is the place where the goddess Leto gave birth to one or both of her twins, Artemis and Apollo.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-700 size-full" src="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitOrtigiawater.jpg" alt="" width="459" height="612" srcset="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitOrtigiawater.jpg 459w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitOrtigiawater-225x300.jpg 225w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 459px) 100vw, 459px" /></p>
<p>We parked near the ocean, then set off through the twisty alleys and roads until we ran into the area&#8217;s various landmarks. Chris is usually the one who knows where we are going at all time (I have no sense of direction at all), but in his absence it was my sister who kept tabs on where we were. Thanks, Torie!<em><strong> (Travel tip: my own advice for keeping track of your car when you are directionally challenged is to take picture of the closest landmarks around you, so you can ask for directions or look them up when you need to get back. If your GPS isn&#8217;t busted like mine is, dropping a pin is also a great idea).</strong></em></p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-705 size-full" src="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitSiracusafountain.jpg" alt="" width="459" height="612" srcset="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitSiracusafountain.jpg 459w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitSiracusafountain-225x300.jpg 225w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 459px) 100vw, 459px" /></p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-695 size-full" src="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitGriffindorsinSIracusa.jpg" alt="" width="459" height="612" srcset="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitGriffindorsinSIracusa.jpg 459w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitGriffindorsinSIracusa-225x300.jpg 225w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 459px) 100vw, 459px" /></p>
<p><em>Fountain of Diana (Artemis!) with a couple of Gryffindors in front of it. </em></p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-703 size-full" src="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitSiracusaDuomo.jpg" alt="" width="459" height="612" srcset="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitSiracusaDuomo.jpg 459w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitSiracusaDuomo-225x300.jpg 225w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 459px) 100vw, 459px" /></p>
<p>We also visited the Duomo di Siracusa (Cathedral of Siracusa), another UNESCO World Heritage Site as of 2005. It was fascinating because apparently it was built on the site of an ancient Greek temple sometime around the 7th Century A.D., then converted into a mosque a couple hundred years after that when the Moors captured Sicily, then converted back when the Normans took over about 200 years after that. The exterior is that Baroque style we&#8217;ve seen a lot of here, especially on our trip to <a href="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/index.php/2016/11/19/our-weekend-away-continued/">Modica, Noto and Ragus</a>a, because it was also largely rebuilt after that 1693 earthquake that destroyed so much of this part of the island. Inside, however, it is a bit more of a mix from throughout the centuries: rustic columns in some places, ornate, gilded surfaces in others. And according to its signage, they have St. Lucia&#8217;s left arm there as a relic. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-704 size-full" src="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitSiracusaDuomoinsdie.jpg" alt="" width="459" height="612" srcset="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitSiracusaDuomoinsdie.jpg 459w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitSiracusaDuomoinsdie-225x300.jpg 225w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 459px) 100vw, 459px" /></p>
<p><em>This photo is a little dark, but you get the idea with the columns. </em></p>
<p>Included in the entry fee for the Duomo was a visit to the nearby Municipal Building, which has the remains of an ionic Greek temple in what is effectively its basement. It wasn&#8217;t the most exciting thing ever, but it did have signs in English explaining what things were (always a plus).</p>
<p>From there, we wandered over to the Temple of Apollo en route to our car. The Temple dates back to the 6th Century B.C., which is fairly boggles the mind. Obviously, the only thing to do in the face of such ancient history was to take a selfie.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-697 size-full" src="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitmeandTorSiracusa.jpg" alt="" width="459" height="612" srcset="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitmeandTorSiracusa.jpg 459w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitmeandTorSiracusa-225x300.jpg 225w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 459px) 100vw, 459px" /></p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-688 size-full" src="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitapollotemplesiracusa.jpg" alt="" width="816" height="612" srcset="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitapollotemplesiracusa.jpg 816w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitapollotemplesiracusa-300x225.jpg 300w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitapollotemplesiracusa-768x576.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 816px) 100vw, 816px" /></p>
<p>We also stopped and got gelato, because that&#8217;s basically a requirement for every day when you are visiting Italy.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-706 size-full" src="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitsiracusaicecream.jpg" alt="" width="816" height="612" srcset="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitsiracusaicecream.jpg 816w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitsiracusaicecream-300x225.jpg 300w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitsiracusaicecream-768x576.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 816px) 100vw, 816px" /></p>
<p><strong>Daily Drama: </strong>A lot of little things. I forgot my jug for the oil at the olive oil factory, I forgot gas coupons and had to pay (gasp!) full price for gas and the restaurant we spent some time hunting for proved to be closed on Tuesdays. Also, I got my first parking ticket in Italy.</p>
<p><strong>Wednesday </strong></p>
<p>The theme of the day was TRAFFIC. This time it was Fiona&#8217;s turn for a solo trip with the family, as Owen needed to return to preschool after several days off. We set off for Catania (Sicily&#8217;s second-largest city) but our GPS proved to be a major problem. While admittedly it did ultimately get us there, it chose to send us directly through the city rather than a more logical route that was a little longer but avoided the traffic. Driving in Catania makes driving in the rest of Sicily &#8212; which had already alarmed my parents and sister at several points on this trip &#8212; look like an easy jaunt in the countryside. The place was absolutely packed, and the streets are tiny. In a couple places we had to ignore our GPS directions because we didn&#8217;t believe the van would make it down such a tight street. At several points, phrases like &#8220;You aren&#8217;t going to like this, but it will be fine &#8230;&#8221; or &#8220;Don&#8217;t freak out, but we&#8217;re about to do something weird&#8221; came out of my mouth before I made some moves in the car. The good news, however, is that I really have gotten so used to driving in Sicily that it didn&#8217;t actually make me anxious &#8212; just annoyed because it took at least twice the amount of time it should have to get there, both on the way in and way out. What a difference five months makes!</p>
<p>Because we got a late start and the drive took so long, we didn&#8217;t have much time in Catania. Basically, we just parked near Elephant Square and walked through the fish market. My sister got sprayed by a clam/mussel, while my mom was grossed out by the calf intestines hanging in one shop. It was quieter than it normally would be because it was nearing closing time, but still an impressive sight.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-689 size-full" src="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitCataniamarket.jpg" alt="" width="816" height="612" srcset="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitCataniamarket.jpg 816w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitCataniamarket-300x225.jpg 300w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitCataniamarket-768x576.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 816px) 100vw, 816px" /></p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-691 size-full" src="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitCataniasnails.jpg" alt="" width="459" height="612" srcset="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitCataniasnails.jpg 459w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitCataniasnails-225x300.jpg 225w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 459px) 100vw, 459px" /></p>
<p><em>Most of the snails, mussels, clams, etc. we saw were still alive. We could have brought home a wiggling bag of snails to cook if I didn&#8217;t think that was so gross. </em></p>
<p>From there, we just decided to have a little coffee and wine at a restaurant right on the Piazza del Duomo, otherwise known as Elephant Square. They also turned out to have a bit of a tapas situation going on (free baby pizzas, mini arancini and small ham rolls) so we ended up with some lunch too. The Basilica Cattedrale Sant&#8217;Agata is right on the square, so we had a great view even though we didn&#8217;t go inside.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-690 size-full" src="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitCataniaSantAgata.jpg" alt="" width="459" height="612" srcset="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitCataniaSantAgata.jpg 459w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitCataniaSantAgata-225x300.jpg 225w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 459px) 100vw, 459px" /></p>
<p><em>A picture of the girls since it was International Women&#8217;s Day, which in Sicily was celebrated by people selling bunches of yellow flowers absolutely EVERYWHERE. At dinner, we also got some free drinks because it was La Festa delle Donne. </em></p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-388 size-full" src="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/cataniaelephant.jpg" alt="" width="460" height="613" srcset="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/cataniaelephant.jpg 460w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/cataniaelephant-225x300.jpg 225w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 460px) 100vw, 460px" /></p>
<p><em>This is a picture from a different visit, but as a reminder this is where the &#8220;elephant&#8221; part of the name of the square comes from. </em></p>
<p>Since it was my parents&#8217; last night in town, we got a babysitter again and went out for dinner at the restaurant only a couple blocks from our house, which doesn&#8217;t open until 8 p.m. The size of Torie&#8217;s wine compared to Chris and Dad&#8217;s inspired some mirth.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-712 size-full" src="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitToriebigwine.jpg" alt="" width="459" height="612" srcset="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitToriebigwine.jpg 459w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitToriebigwine-225x300.jpg 225w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 459px) 100vw, 459px" /></p>
<p id="I-SI-CATCT" class="sitename"><strong>Daily drama:</strong> The GPS tried to send us THROUGH Elephant Square, and we actually did briefly try to go that way since I&#8217;d seen other vehicles driving through. We ended up doing a U-turn in front of Sant&#8217;Agata&#8217;s  when the passengers in the backseat expressed some, er, reservations about driving through the piazza.</p>
<p class="sitename"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-386 size-full" src="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/cataniacafe.jpg" alt="" width="345" height="613" srcset="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/cataniacafe.jpg 345w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/cataniacafe-169x300.jpg 169w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 345px) 100vw, 345px" /></p>
<p><em>This is an old picture, but for reference this square (between the restaurant and the cathedral) is what we were trying to drive through. </em></p>
<p><strong>Thursday</strong></p>
<p>This morning started off rocky, as we thought Fiona had an ear infection but an accident on the highway meant I couldn&#8217;t make it to base in time for the only available doctor&#8217;s appointment). Fortunately, I learned that you can buy amoxicillin for 3 euros in the local pharmacy without a prescription.</p>
<p>I dropped by parents off at the airport in the morning (sob!) and then Torie and I just hung around with the kids for a while, recovering from the night before. Eventually, we mobilized to try to drive as far as we could up Etna with a vague idea of hiking along a trail I&#8217;d read about on another blog. We didn&#8217;t have solid directions, but over the last five months I have learned that the directional signs all over Sicily are actually very helpful. We just started following signs for Etna Sud, and next thing we knew we were driving up the mountain. We had to pull over several times to take pictures because it was just too gorgeous.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-699 size-full" src="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitMtEtnasnowy.jpg" alt="" width="816" height="612" srcset="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitMtEtnasnowy.jpg 816w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitMtEtnasnowy-300x225.jpg 300w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitMtEtnasnowy-768x576.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 816px) 100vw, 816px" /></p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-698 size-full" src="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitMtEtna.jpg" alt="" width="816" height="612" srcset="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitMtEtna.jpg 816w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitMtEtna-300x225.jpg 300w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitMtEtna-768x576.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 816px) 100vw, 816px" /></p>
<p>We could see the lava fields, and the higher we got up the more we felt like we were disappearing into the clouds. We actually only made it to about the snow line, but the roads were good and we could have gone further. Have I mentioned that Etna is huge?</p>
<p><strong>Daily drama: </strong>Annnnnd here&#8217;s the stupid part. I left the house with not all that much gas, but failed to notice until we were beyond all the gas stations. Because idiot. So we were driving up and realized that soon enough we were going to have to turn around, since the range was getting under 40 miles. So, we whip around and &#8230; the range hits ZERO.</p>
<p>Thinking about it logically now Torie and I agree that the most likely it was just the massive change in angle from uphill to downhill that made the sensor go to zero. Even at the time we agreed that we &#8220;probably&#8221; still had gas. But that didn&#8217;t make it less freaking TERRIFYING as we were driving back, growing increasingly sure that we were going to run out of gas ON the mountain. And remember how our GPS the previous day had taken us the most populated possible way home? Ha. On the way back, it decided we needed to drive through the most isolated possible spots for maximum worry. And naturally it was riposto, so the first couple of gas stations we managed to find were closed.* At the end of the day, we actually did make it to a gas station near our house without incident, but I probably shaved a year or two off my life with all the anxiety during that trip.</p>
<p>Yes, I realize that one is completely my fault, by the way.</p>
<p>Torie and I wrapped up her visit by going out to dinner on our own in Motta Sant&#8217;Anastasia, the town where we lived for about six weeks after we arrived here. It was great to spend time some one-on-one time with my sister!</p>
<p>Torie left Friday morning, and since then I think my kids are having a bit of an adjustment to everyone being gone. They&#8217;ve both been absolutely crazy the last couple of days, and are talking about wanting Aunt Torie, Oma and Don Tomas. Luckily, we&#8217;ll get to see them again in September!</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-692 size-full" src="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitDadandOwenshenanigans.jpg" alt="" width="459" height="612" srcset="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitDadandOwenshenanigans.jpg 459w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/visitDadandOwenshenanigans-225x300.jpg 225w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 459px) 100vw, 459px" /></p>
<p>*It has since been pointed out that some of these gas stations do have self-service that still works with a credit card even when they are closed; I&#8217;ve never done this since we have gas coupons so it didn&#8217;t occur to me to check when I saw them all locked up.</p><p>The post <a href="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/visitors-a-recap/">Visitors! A recap</a> first appeared on <a href="https://babieswithbackpacks.com">Babies With Backpacks</a>.</p><p>The post <a href="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/visitors-a-recap/">Visitors! A recap</a> appeared first on <a href="https://babieswithbackpacks.com">Babies With Backpacks</a>.</p>
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		<title>Our first day trip &#8212; Taormina!</title>
		<link>https://babieswithbackpacks.com/our-first-day-trip-taormina/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=our-first-day-trip-taormina</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Kasey]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 17 Oct 2016 20:13:17 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Taormina]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Traveling with kids]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Day trips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Traveling]]></category>
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					<description><![CDATA[<p>Well, yesterday was the one week anniversary of our arrival in Sicily so to celebrate we took our first day trip! As [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/our-first-day-trip-taormina/">Our first day trip — Taormina!</a> first appeared on <a href="https://babieswithbackpacks.com">Babies With Backpacks</a>.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/our-first-day-trip-taormina/">Our first day trip &#8212; Taormina!</a> appeared first on <a href="https://babieswithbackpacks.com">Babies With Backpacks</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;" class="sharethis-inline-share-buttons" ></div><p>Well, yesterday was the one week anniversary of our arrival in Sicily so to celebrate we took our first day trip! As an added bonus, we made it through an entire day with only three major messes and one wardrobe change: </p>
<p>1) Fiona and Owen covered in chocolate ice cream from their first-ever gelato <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/taorminaIceCream-225x300.jpg" alt="taorminaicecream" width="225" height="300" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-251" srcset="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/taorminaIceCream-225x300.jpg 225w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/taorminaIceCream.jpg 460w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" /></p>
<p>2) Fiona&#8217;s random blow-out diaper, during which I realized that I&#8217;d blown through waaaaaay too many of the wipes from the ice cream mess. Thankfully no picture here.</p>
<p>3) Fiona dumping a massive amount of sunscreen on herself while I was trying to put some on Owen. Fortunately she just ended up really well protected from the sun. </p>
<p>Man, I&#8217;m seeing a theme here &#8230; </p>
<p>But I digress. We went to Taormina, a gorgeous tourist town about an hour north of us on the coast. We&#8217;d heard and read that we should go there at first opportunity and we weren&#8217;t disappointed. </p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/taorminaKids-300x169.jpg" alt="taorminakids" width="300" height="169" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-253" srcset="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/taorminaKids-300x169.jpg 300w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/taorminaKids-768x432.jpg 768w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/taorminaKids-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/taorminaKids.jpg 1090w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><br />
<em>&#8220;Could that water BE any bluer?&#8221; &#8211; Chandler Bing</em></p>
<p>We had meant to try and find the cable cars that will take you up to the city, but we ended up spotting a free shuttle and jumping on that instead so that we didn&#8217;t have to waste time searching further. The drive itself was really nice, a quick hop on a very nice highway along the coast &#8212; few potholes and separated lanes for traffic moving in different directions. After today&#8217;s accidental jaunt on a two-way road lined with fences but literally only big enough for one small car (I have so many questions) I&#8217;m even more grateful for nice roads. </p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/taorminaBus-225x300.jpg" alt="taorminabus" width="225" height="300" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-245" srcset="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/taorminaBus-225x300.jpg 225w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/taorminaBus.jpg 460w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" /><br />
<em>The kids liked the shuttle bus</em></p>
<p>So Taormina is a city on the east coast of Sicily that has been inhabited since around 700 B.C. (Thanks, Google). Its most famous site is the Ancient Theatre, which, if I remember correctly, is thought to date back to around 300 B.C. When we arrived, we basically just followed the crowd  and wound up at the theatre almost immediately. It was very impressive, to say the least. </p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/taorminaTemple-300x169.jpg" alt="taorminatemple" width="300" height="169" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-262" srcset="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/taorminaTemple-300x169.jpg 300w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/taorminaTemple-768x432.jpg 768w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/taorminaTemple-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/taorminaTemple.jpg 1090w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/taorminaKeyhole-225x300.jpg" alt="taorminakeyhole" width="225" height="300" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-252" srcset="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/taorminaKeyhole-225x300.jpg 225w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/taorminaKeyhole.jpg 460w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" /></p>
<p>I spent a fair bit of time trying to impress on Owen exactly how old &#8220;more than 2,000 years old&#8221; is, but I don&#8217;t think I quite made an impression. About the furthest back he can imagine is &#8220;older than great-grandma?&#8221; as far as I can tell. </p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/taorminaMeandO-300x169.jpg" alt="taorminameando" width="300" height="169" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-256" srcset="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/taorminaMeandO-300x169.jpg 300w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/taorminaMeandO-768x432.jpg 768w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/taorminaMeandO-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/taorminaMeandO.jpg 1090w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></p>
<p>The city was exactly the mixture of old, interesting and lovely that I think of when I hear &#8220;Italy.&#8221; Tons of old stone and brick buildings. Hundreds of little restaurants with tables shoved along the outside wherever possible. Wandering streets with a million small side-roads/alleys you can disappear down. Just beautiful.</p>
<p>The kids did quite well all day long (probably helped by the fact that we kept buying them snacks &#8212; so far, this is my top &#8220;traveling with children&#8221; tip), though early on Fiona gave us some scares by her insistence on trying to navigate all the steep, uneven steps alone all the damn time. &#8220;I do it by my big self&#8221; is her catch-phrase lately. However, once we settled that she was actually helping ME navigate the stairs, things went more smoothly. </p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/taorminaSteps-169x300.jpg" alt="taorminasteps" width="169" height="300" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-260" srcset="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/taorminaSteps-169x300.jpg 169w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/taorminaSteps.jpg 345w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 169px) 100vw, 169px" /></p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/taorminaStepsdown-225x300.jpg" alt="taorminastepsdown" width="225" height="300" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-261" srcset="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/taorminaStepsdown-225x300.jpg 225w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/taorminaStepsdown.jpg 460w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" /></p>
<p>The views from near the Temple were absolutely incredible, and we lingered there for what seemed like ages just looking. Because how could we NOT? </p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/taorminaChrisandKids-225x300.jpg" alt="taorminachrisandkids" width="225" height="300" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-246" srcset="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/taorminaChrisandKids-225x300.jpg 225w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/taorminaChrisandKids.jpg 460w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" /></p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/taorminaChrisandKidspointing-225x300.jpg" alt="taorminachrisandkidspointing" width="225" height="300" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-247" srcset="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/taorminaChrisandKidspointing-225x300.jpg 225w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/taorminaChrisandKidspointing.jpg 460w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" /></p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/taorminaKidsStruggle-225x300.jpg" alt="taorminakidsstruggle" width="225" height="300" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-254" srcset="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/taorminaKidsStruggle-225x300.jpg 225w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/taorminaKidsStruggle.jpg 460w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" /><br />
<em>This last one is the outtakes from the first two &#8230;just keeping it real.</em></p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/taorminaKids-300x169.jpg" alt="taorminakids" width="300" height="169" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-253" srcset="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/taorminaKids-300x169.jpg 300w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/taorminaKids-768x432.jpg 768w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/taorminaKids-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/taorminaKids.jpg 1090w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/taorminaCityView-225x300.jpg" alt="taorminacityview" width="225" height="300" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-248" srcset="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/taorminaCityView-225x300.jpg 225w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/taorminaCityView.jpg 460w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" /><br />
<em>City view</em></p>
<p>We had lunch at a nice little restaurant not far from the Theatre, where Owen got super excited about ordering fish with Daddy. Obviously, that enthusiasm didn&#8217;t extend to actually eating it though. </p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/taorminaFish-225x300.jpg" alt="taorminafish" width="225" height="300" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-249" srcset="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/taorminaFish-225x300.jpg 225w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/taorminaFish.jpg 460w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" /></p>
<p>From there, we wandered down some of the streets just looking for a while until we ended up at the public gardens, where we spent a lovely time talking to a pair of British grandparents about their kids and grandkids (and their son&#8217;s ex-wife and her new husband, ha!) and about our little munchkins. And about how worthless Donald Trump is on every level, and how insane the Brexit was and how much people regret it. They were on holiday in Sicily before heading over to Connecticut to see the grandkids and probably give their eldest grandson a lecture about how he should hurry up and propose to that nice girl he&#8217;s dating soon. </p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/taorminaPark-225x300.jpg" alt="taorminapark" width="225" height="300" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-259" srcset="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/taorminaPark-225x300.jpg 225w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/taorminaPark.jpg 460w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" /></p>
<p>After a final snack of fresh cannoli &#8212; the owner pulled the cream out of the shells and stuffed it right there &#8212; we decided to head home. Our usual impulse when traveling in Europe together has been to spend all day out and about walking and try to see everything, but it is so different now since we know we can come back whenever. And with the kids being clearly so tired after miles of walking, we decided to quit while we were ahead. Unsurprisingly, they were asleep before we hit the highway. </p>
<p>All in all, I couldn&#8217;t have asked for a more auspicious start to our European travels as a family of four. There is so much to see here, I imagine we&#8217;ll spend a lot of weekends doing trips like this (though I freely admit most probably won&#8217;t go this smoothly.) </p>
<p>Ah! As I type this, I am remembering one negative of the day &#8230; this mime scared the shit out of Fiona, just by existing. We reassured her that he was trying to be silly, not scary, and I swear to you she spent half the day repeating those words &#8212; &#8220;silly, not scary&#8221; &#8212; like she was trying to convince herself it was true. Today, Owen and Chris were talking about Taormina and she randomly brought up &#8220;that guy&#8221; again. I think he&#8217;s haunting her. </p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="http://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/taorminaMime-225x300.jpg" alt="taorminamime" width="225" height="300" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-257" srcset="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/taorminaMime-225x300.jpg 225w, https://babieswithbackpacks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/taorminaMime.jpg 496w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" /><br />
<em>I mean, he is a little creepy.</em></p><p>The post <a href="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/our-first-day-trip-taormina/">Our first day trip — Taormina!</a> first appeared on <a href="https://babieswithbackpacks.com">Babies With Backpacks</a>.</p><p>The post <a href="https://babieswithbackpacks.com/our-first-day-trip-taormina/">Our first day trip &#8212; Taormina!</a> appeared first on <a href="https://babieswithbackpacks.com">Babies With Backpacks</a>.</p>
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