Our Sicilian Adventure
After the "big adventure", I wasn't sure when we would travel internationally again. I assumed that it would likely be once the baby was a bit older but alas, the universe felt differently. My sister-in-law and her family had been talking about a European Adventure before their eldest heads to college and they asked if we would like to join them. Interestingly enough unlike many American tourists who have never been abroad their plan wasn't to rush to Paris and London and run back home in a week. They wanted a longer term travel plan where they didn't have to go from sights to sights and follow an itinerary everyday. Exploring and learning about a culture along with a chance to rest and relax was the ultimate goal. THIS was what drew us in because that is very much our style of traveling, especially with little ones. The planning began by heading to our favorite accommodations website, Airbnb, and checking out available and affordable options for a family of 12, for 30 days, as we scrolled through a map of Europe.
We considered Spain, Italy, Austria, Greece, and to our surprise ended up choosing a beautiful home near the beach on the west coast of Sicily! We went knowing pretty much nothing about this soccer ball that sits next to the boot on world maps, but we came home with not only a lot of knowledge about this small island but also many many wonderful memories.
“I have found out that there ain’t no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them.”
And yes we all returned still liking each other.
Sicilia
For a month we called a small but quaint house right outside of Marsala, our home. We lived about a 100 steps away from the beach and most days were lucky enough to enjoy the breeze from the sea throughout the house.
But enjoying the beach wasn't all we did. Read on to find out more about our Sicilian Adventure and how much there is to see and do on this Island.
A Slice of Roma
While making travel plans we decided we couldn't go all the way to Italy and not see Rome. So, on our way back to the United States we decided to spend the weekend in Rome. With less than 72 hours in this incredible city we felt quite rushed but truly enjoyed the beauty and the history.
I definitely left a piece of my heart in Rome.
Continue reading to learn about our Vatican City visit and also who not to book a tour with when going sightseeing in Rome!