After weeks and weeks of writing and revising, choosing and uploading photos, my friend, Marie, and I are proud to present to you Melinda Trips 2007, about Gino’s and my recent trip to Sicily and Peloponnese.
I must let it be known that without Marie’s technical expertise and impeccable artistic eye, there would be no Melinda Trips. We have spent countless hours, she on the east coast, me on the west coast, conferring by email and telephone. Her encouragement and unfailing enthusiasm has made this one spectacular endeavor. This website is as much hers as mine, and for that I am eternally grateful.
For more about me, see the About page on the Melinda Trips main site.
By the way, I’m 4′ 11″.
Why Sicily? I have been to Europe seven times and have visited Holland, Germany, Spain, France, Greece, and parts of Switzerland. But each and every trip also always includes Italy. Being of Italian descent, I am possessed with “the Boot” and all things Italian. My goal is to eventually see all 20 of its regions, plus the islands. Never having yet seen Sicily, this year it was time.
As with each trip, I knew there was not enough time to see everything in Sicily. How then to decide on an itinerary? Picking Palermo was easy. How could you come to Sicilia and not go there? After much research, I realized this city deserved several days. It was a good choice.
Gino and I are both are fascinated by ancient ruins, so we picked what seemed the best and easiest to get to without a car. Selinunte and Agrigento fit the bill. Gino’s passion for pottery drove the decision to put Sciacca and Caltagirone on the list. For me, a tangle of medieval steps and alleys always tickles my imagination and feet. Mixing in a day of adventure on a famous volcano and some beach time for Gino made Giardini Naxos/Taormina/Mt. Etna a perfect choice.
Still, there were so many places we missed: Siracusa, Marsala, Erice, the Aeolian Islands off the coast. You must trust that you will return someday.
Why Greece…again? Although I am not Greek, I love the people, the music, the architecture, the colors. Hues of the Middle East tinge the edges of Greek culture, and that draws me too. I had been to Athens, Delphi, Mykonos, Santorini, Crete. But having heard that the Peloponnese is the “true heart of Greece,” I knew I must also go there. Rich with famous ancient sites, quaint port villages, and stunning scenery, we had but to close our eyes and jab at the map. Again, time and geography assisted in the final choices. And again, we were forced to cross so many places off our list. Saved for another time.
Guide books and internet research guided our delegation of days and picks of hotels. We prefer family-run pensioni or small hotels. After first determining a hotel’s location (go for the historic center!), the next thing I check is its number of rooms. Fifteen or less is good -– eight is even better. Finally, I always go to Trip Advisor to read through the reviews. (Of course, price also plays a part in the decision.) The only thing left is to contact the hotel and make reservations. Then sit back and wait for that departure date. It’s always an adventure seeing how your carefully researched perception comports with reality!
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