Travel Our World
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      • Northern Italy - 2018
      • South Korea & Japan - 2018
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    • 2016 Trips >
      • Ultimate Africa - 2016
      • France's Finest - 2016
      • Discover Scotland - 2016
      • Enchanting Ireland - 2016
    • 2015 Trips >
      • Flavors of Southern Italy & Sicily - 2015
      • Norwegian Coastal Voyage & Lapland - 2015
      • Eastern Europe to the Black Sea - 2015
      • Machu Picchu & Galapagos - 2015
    • 2014 >
      • Hidden Gems of the Dalmatian Coast and Greece - 2014
      • Turkey's Magical Hideaways - 2014
      • Essence of the Elbe: Prague to Berlin - 2014
    • 2013 and earlier >
      • Inside Vietnam - 2013
      • Russia Revealed - 2013
      • Untamed Iceland - 2013
      • Safari Serengeti - 2012
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Internet Problems

9/28/2015

 
Sorry about the lack of blog postings the last few days.  We've had very slow internet connections the last couple hotels which means I can't upload photos.  I have tons of them just waiting to be published - from both groups.  After several frustrating hours of trying to get them to you, I'm giving up until I get home. I'll publish tales and photos of the last half of our trip when I have that lightening fast internet connection.

Saying goodbye to Sicily

9/24/2015

 
By Lyn Whaley - Lyn is on the Sept 16 departure date.  Her blog post so perfectly captured our Sicily experience I asked if I could re-post it and she graciously said, "yes".

I believe Sicily is a relatively undiscovered gem to Americans.  Its rolling hills, sunwashed beaches, blue skies, multi-cultural society and amazing history has something for everyone. 

We spent our last evening in Sicily Tuesday night enjoying a delightful meal al fresco with a lively Sicilian band serenading us.  We watched the sun set over the Ionian Sea, a branch of the Mediterranean Ocean.
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Lyn and Carol enjoy their last dinner in Sicily
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Goodbye to our hotel
Here are a few of the things I learned about Sicily :
  • 85% of the terrain is hills or mountains 
  • Palermo saw the beginning of the Mafia when 46 clans/families started dividing up territory, but today the "Cosa Nostra" is much more active on mainland Italy than in Sicily
  • It has only been part of Italy for about 150 years
  • It has been ruled by many diverse cultures in its long history including the Carthaginians, Romans, Greeks, Muslims, Normans and Spanish.  Each civilization has left its distinctive mark on modern Sicily.
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Last views of Sicily from the ferry
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A ferry transporting people between Sicily and the mainland

Flavors of Southern Italy and Sicily - Part 2

9/24/2015

 
Continued from Part 1 - Photos by Joni

One of our favorites was Caponata, a sublime dish with eggplant, onion, capers, tomatoes, etc.  We had it with almost every meal when near Palermo.  I found dozens of recipes on-line but this is the one I liked best because it has such a good explanation preparation techniques and how to select the eggplant.  Click here for the Caponata Recipe.
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These photos require no explanation.  Southern Italian wine is wonderful

Flavors of Southern Italy and Sicily - Part 1

9/23/2015

 
By Terri Dion.   Photos by Lyn and Terri
In 1861, when the Italian peninsula was finally united into a single political entity, only 2.5 percent of "Italians" spoke the Italian language. In fact, the citizens of every major Italian city - Rome, Venice, Florence, Milan, and others - each spoke a different language. Many regional dialects and language still exit today.
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Typical antipasti
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Scampi
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Melon and prosciutto
Like the language, the foods of Italy vary from region to region.  Flavors of Southern italy and Sicly is the title of this itinerary and the tripi is aptly described.  Here's a sampling of some of our experiences...
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Even the truck stop food is delicious - these are pastries we saw during a short stop.
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Grab a sandwich for a quick lunch. They'll heat them in a panini press and they are delicious. Only a couple euros each.
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Did I mention cannoli were invented in Sicily? No calories - we wish. We'll diet when we get home!

Friends and Family - September 16 Departure Group

9/22/2015

 
Travel is a wonderful way to enjoy quality time with friends and family. Travel Our World trips were originally designed for Sun City Grand residents, their friends and families.  While many of our travelers are from Sun City Grand we've been amazed at how many friends and families are traveling with us.  We're all friends now!
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September 16, 2015 Southern Italy and Sicily Travelers
People have come from near and far for this wonderful Flavors of Southern Italy and Sicily trip.   

Check out some of the special relationships within the larger group. 
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Ralph, Lori, Corrine and Jerry (SCG) at Taormina. Lorrie and Jerry are brother and sister.
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John (SCG), Monica and Dominic (Rochester, NY) at Mt. Etna. Monica and Dom are married. John is Monica's brother.
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Ken, Debbie and Margaret (Calgary) at Mt. Etna.. Ken and Debbie are married and Margaret is their frequent travel companion.
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Janey (Kansas City), Steve (Scottsdale) and Carol (SCG) are brother and sisters.
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The California Mafiosa - Howard, Nancy, Pat , Carol, Janine, Frieda, Laurel, Pat, Pam (LA) and Margie (SCG) at Taormina - long time friends.
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