Monday, December 9, 2013

TRAVEL GYPSY SMART : SICILY

Hi Gypsies,

Has Sicily ever piqued your interest? The culture, the food, the mafia, the weather? This small island off the mainland Italy is heavily influenced by Africa and Greece. But anyway, we're not here to educate you on its history. You can read and walk around yourself. Let us give you the low down on everything else!

On the west, you'll find the big city of Palermo and when we say big city we mean BIG CITY.  It's the industrial and commercial center of Sicily. You can fly here from anywhere into it's international airport and take a sip of its' diverse culture, beautiful grand buildings and churches, and of course...the nightlife! Again, it's like any other big city....but prettier.

We spent most of our time on the east coast checking out Catania, Siracusa, and Taormina. Catania seems dirty upon arrival, but if you make friends with a local (which we highly advise or else, don't even go) then have him or her drive you around to the better parts, because the center will throw you off completely. DO NOT RENT A SCOOTER. They will rip you off, double charge your card, steal your license plate and ask you to pay for it.

Siracusa is a cute small town with a few clubs around and a tinier island called Ortigia which is where all the shopping, eating, and a little bit of nightlife can be found. Taormina was our favorite. The laid-back, mature, beachy atomsphere already has us planning to come back for 2014. Love love love. And with the lovely Mount Etna always looking over you, who could ask for more? Definitely spend most of your time there.

Sicily is an attractive place to be since it's much warmer than the rest of Italy, so bring your swimsuits even in October! With that said, make sure to join a gym (Palestre Massimino in Catania is much recommended) and bring some running shoes to burn off those calories because the food is absolutely amazing! Get some ricotta pastries and eat them everyday, you'll never have anything like that again. And arancinos for lunch...hot damn!

SIDENOTES:

*Be mindful with every transaction you make, use cash, ask for a receipt
*Learn a little bit of Italian
*Have your navigation on in a taxi (good habit for any new place)
*Ask your taxi driver how much it is to A. Have him take your luggage in and out of the trunk, B. Have another person ride with you, C. Have a pet in the car with you because you probably will be charged with all of the above.
*Don't rent a scooter, don't rent a scooter, don't rent a scooter ( Hollywood Rental across the train station will 150% rip you off)
*Wear a tracksuit and look like a legit gangster if you can't remember any of our advice and act tough

If you have any questions about this place, hit us up at holla@ourgypsysouls.com

Clubbin at 420/Catania
Jipse in beach Fontane Bianche


Mr Fox, gypsy dog, at the Duomo in Catania

Kim Tank at Mount Etna, Taormina

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