We like Sicily!

On an overnight train from Nice to Venice, Stan and I and a young French man discussed how lucky some of us are to have inherent advantages in life just because of when and where our mothers gave birth to us. One born in Canada, for example, might have a head start over a baby born in Ethiopia.   In our case, Stan and I were musing how lucky we are to have been born in the USA, but then our French friend said to us, “Ah, but we are luckier.” 

I’ve thought of that conversation many times, and in our recent lovely times spent in France, I can see what our friend was talking about. 

Then, we arrived in Sicily.  Sicily!  I had no idea it might be such an idyllic place! This just may be my favorite destination yet. 

As far as one can see, there is raw natural beauty, from winding roads below rocky bluffs and sheered cliffs, to groves of grey-green olive trees and deep green citrus, to hillsides dotted with white and tan villas, to the surf-fringed azure Mediterranean Sea below it all. 

And the food!  Real Italian.  Yesterday I had authentic Parmigiana, their name for eggplant parmesan. The eggplant was not breaded, but gently cooked and baked in layers with a light, fresh tomato sauce and lots of cheese. It was to die for!  Between the food, the scenery, and the friendly, welcoming people, I will absolutely love the month we spend here. 

But getting here was a litany of things gone wrong.   

Bad plane trips.  Our flight plan included three flights, which is bad enough, but the first and second flight legs were delayed, causing us to miss the last flight of the night, Rome to Palermo.  There were not enough hours to find a hotel, settle in, and return to the airport the next morning, so we dozed in the airport.  That is always nice; thank goodness that does not happen often.  Next morning, at 6 am at the airport, after having all bags checked for free on the previous flights, the agent advised we had to check all bags and must pay extra for the two smaller bags we ordinarily carry on . . . and on the same airline as the previous flight.  We could not argue, but there went an extra 185 euros.   

Things just weren’t going well.

In Palermo, after a long time to process, we picked up our rental car and finally headed to our apartment in Altavilla Milicia, south of Palermo.  We had splurged on this villa, spending far more than we ordinarily might.  We wanted an ocean view,  a pool, and at least three bedrooms.  Our daughters will visit us here, so we wanted something very special.  Tired? Yes, we were tired; in fact, we were exhausted and in need of some solid food, but we were very excited to see our new place. 

Oh boy. . . 

A welcoming agent met us there.  Right out of the chute, as we drove through the gated entry, the agent held out a wad of keys and said there was a problem with the gate’s remote control.  We’d need to use a key to open and close the gate each time we drove through.  Ok . . . we reluctantly thought.  Then, while the place was described as one property, the lot held two separate villas, one with the pool and another villa located a few steps below . . . all part of our rental. There was no mention of that in the Airbnb ad.  “Well,” we thought, “that explained the big bunch of keys.” Then he began telling us about the WIFI – one system for the upper villa and another for the lower.   Another “hmmmm . . .”  

While the Airbnb photos were correct, they were probably ten years old.  The place was in dire need of maintenance and a heavy-duty clean-up.  As we looked over the rental, Stan and I tried to be open-minded, but it just didn’t work.  Finally, it just blurted out, “I’m not liking this place.  I’m calling Airbnb.” 

The welcoming agent recognized our disappointment, listened to our concerns, and called his management team.  It took a little doing, of course, but with no Airbnb prompting, they ended up moving us to another, more villa in a village north of Palermo.  It usually rents for far more, but as a courtesy, they merely exchanged properties for us.

After that experience and before we reached the new place, we were understandably anxious, but finally, our two days of aggravation were worth it.  Our new villa is pure heaven.  Fabulous!   Stan and I could get used to this and may never leave. We are grateful to get to enjoy this together!

And as if it could not get any better, the dark, night sky here is full of dazzling stars.  I’m one happy woman!