Sicilia

Sicily in a nutshell is amazing! The landscapes serene, the waters as delicious as their gelato, and the people are nothing short of splendid!

Sicilia is where Italians go to vacation. It is an island hence a little hard to get to..however well worth the trip.

The beauty of this island can stand on its own but it would not be what it is if not for the people that make this place shine. I was tripping through Sicily with my little sis and bro-in-law...our entourage seemed to attract attention and we were greeted with large smiles and an honest intrigue by the locals. During our time together we were invited aboard 4 boats, given numerous rides (by car), and were treated like family in Trapani at what I believe was our favorite Ostaria (in short a restaurant) in all of Italy. We arrived in Trapani at 9:30 PM and had not yet found a place to stay nor had we had any dinner. Immediately upon stepping off the bus, a Captain of a yacht and his crew spotted us and he directed us to a fine place for a meal. We took his advice (since most advice given to us by the locals- has been spot on) and found ourself at the Ostaria. The wait to eat was long being Saturday night and given the fact that Italians take at some times painstakingly long to finish their meal (getting up to smoke at least once if not twice during courses). The wait was of course worth it. We were immediately put in the care of the owners, Antonio and Catia. They not only fed us splendidly, but they also got us a fabulous place to stay, and the meal ended with a magical moment. We were some of the last to leave the Ostaria that night and out of nowhere this gentleman at the table next to us starts playing this guitar..and then people around start singing these familiar- what I presume to be Italian folk songs...then at first sheepishly this beautiful Italian woman with a sultry voice starts singing these incredibly soulful songs that you only could dream of hearing..and to0 coincidental to believe it actually was happening. After hearing many encores we then left the Ostaria and headed to our B&B....Antonio and Catia came to check up on us 3 times while we were waiting to get in to our apartment! Once we met them it was as if they felt we were theirs to care for...and it was this immediate love from them that got us hooked! We visited their Ostaria every night we were in Trapani...not to mention the food is out of this world! The same care they gave to us they give to each of their patrons. They joke all night with customers, grin from ear to ear, sit down with you to take your order (their isn't a menu on site), and engage with one another in the most loving way- out of the corner of our eye we saw Antonio as he was walking by Catia stop for a moment kiss her on the back and keep on his business of serving his customers. Its this loving manner that Antonio and Catia shared with us that Trapani and Italy will forever have a warm place in our hearts.