Mount Etna, Sicily

Italy 2024 Chapter 3 - We participated in a Sicilian cooking class with a local family at their home with a great view of Mount Etna. We made pasta, pizza, arancini, eggplant parmesan and cannoli for dessert, all while hearing stories of Sicily and its culinary history. It was a fantastic experience with a very kind and hospitable family who have lived in the same location for countless generations. The host was named Andrea, about 25 years old, assisted his mom, dad and cousin. Andrea told us his Nonno’s generation only speaks Sicilian, his parents speak Italian and Sicilian. He and his cousin speak Italian, English and some Sicilian. The younger kids only speak Italian and learn some English in school. Sadly, the Sicilian language is slowly being lost, but the food traditions are alive and well.

After an incredible amount of delicious food, we drove back to Siracusa for the night before heading north. We stopped in Giardini Naxos, which is on the sea just below the famous town of Taormina. Naxos was pleasant and less busy than Taormina. We had dinner in Taormina, and while it’s beautiful, it has become so popular it’s too busy and touristy.

The next morning, we set out for the straight of Messina and the ferry to take us to Calabria.