Time: Mid-February, 2020

In mid-February, I took a mini-break from work for the Italian national holiday called “settimana bianca”. Where many friends and co-workers were heading towards the mountains for snow or to seek out the sun for a bit, I wanted to work on one of my major O:KR (objective: key result) goals of learning functional Italian. 

Another goal this year is to go on short trips, but not to break the bank with travel. This trip also helped me to realize that I can travel without overspending and still have a satisfying trip. 

I went with friends who have some similar goals and are better planners (and people, in general) than I am. They had decided on the Italian Academy in Syracuse, on the island of Sicily. We shared a lot of costs and this really helped to keep the total of the trip down, even with some splurges on meals. No regrets!

How we got there: We took a quick flight from Linate (best if going from Milan) to Catania, rented a car, and stayed a night at a little hotel/apartment called Casa D’Aria before heading to Syracuse.

In Italy, people drive on the same side of the road as in the USA so if you can rent a car and have an AAA International Drivers license it is pretty easy to get around! It was less than $10 per person for the week (there were 4 of us) and it made getting around so much faster and easier. For example, on the way to our Airbnb, we stopped a bit outside of the city at a great slow foods restaurant called San Giovanni. We wouldn’t have been able to get there without a taxi or a day of walking. 

(In saying that, there is also a train that goes from Catania to Syracuse so it is still possible to get to Syracuse.)  

What to do: (I would suggest three main things)

1. Take a language course at the Italian Academy! The classes are small, there is a focus on speaking, the teachers are friendly, and there are a variety of ages and nationalities that go to learn. The schedule is pretty flexible, based on student needs and you can get a certificate of completion at the end. The school is next door to Catacombe di San Giovanni. It is also a short walk from Roman and Greek ruins. One recommendation: if you buy a book, make sure to ask for it the first day. https://www.theitalianacademy.com 
2. Walk around, or stay in, Ortega and eat. It is a smaller island city to the south of Syracuse and gives the feeling of a dignified, small town on the water (because that is what it is). There are many beautiful streets and sites to visit and enjoy, the sunset is beautiful when the sky is clear and they have great restaurants, including one of the best plant based restaurants I’ve been to called MOON (Move Ortigia Out of Normality). I would also recommend a stop for a delicious gelato or treat at Belfiore and look up a few slow food restaurants. If visiting during the day, there is a daily market around a temple of Apollo and various other daily life shopping experiences. 
3. If you have a car, take a short trip to a nearby town. This is the time of year for Carnival so a lot of the small towns have festivals. Children and adults dress up and there is a feeling of fun surrounding these quiet places. One evening, we ended up in a beautiful town called Palazzolo Acreide, walked around the ruins of a beautiful medieval castle that we had to ourselves, had some slow food street food (yes… but it was for the Carnival I think) and desert before going home. I was very pleasantly surprised that multiple places had alternative food options and everyone left full and happy.