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Only one word can explain the wedding ceremony and reception… “super-perfecto.”

As one of the groomsman, I got “tuxed-up” and met the rest of the guys from the wedding party in the early afteroon; we had to leave Milazzo early to get to the church and prepare for the ceremony.  The church was 20 minutes or so away from the hotel, in the village of Tracoccia.  Christina has an abundance of family still in Tracocia, the Di Stefanos.  My impression was the entire village was full of her family members

The church was quaint, old, and amazing.  I’m not sure of the details, but it was quite old.  A traditional ceremony, it was done only in Italian.  The whole experience was Perfecto!

Following the ceremony, it is traditional for the entire wedding to walk through the streets of the village.  The bride and groom hand out candy coated almonds to the locals who throw flowers and rice at them.  During this “march” from the church to the reception we were accompanied by an Italian singing quartet, which made the entire experience that much better.  Perfecto!

The reception was held at a house belonging to one of Christina’s cousins.  Fully catered with an 8 course feast.  Upon arrival, an immense spread of Italian appetizers was made available to us.  No sitting.  No waiting.  Just eating.  As soon as we walked in.  “Multi-perfecto!”

The house had two terraces (top and bottom), with the reception being on the top terrace, which was easily 50 yards long with an amazing view of Sicily.

We eventually found our table, and we ate (and ate, and ate, and ate) and drank, and sang with the quartet.  Following the feast and the speeches from the wedding party and family, the DJ kicked in, and the party really started.  About an hour into dancing, a surprise for all, a full fireworks show.  Oh, and the dance floor was surrounded by two immense dessert “towers” with a multitude of italian pastries and such.  Can I say perfecto again?  “Super-perfecto!”

We drank.  We ate.  We danced.  Eventually, we had to leave.  An incredible night.

Icing on the cake?  On the way back to the hotel via the bus, Mount Etna was erupting, with lava flowing down the side.

Thank you Christina & Dave!

Here are the pictures…

Day 10: Sicily Wedding

The weather this day was amazing.  Fortunately, a group of our friends who were already in Milazzo (the location of the wedding Saturday) had decided to rent a bus and come to the beach in Mazzuro.  We’d all agreed to meet back up at the beach mid-day for some fun in the sun.

Before we met up with the group, Tash and I went out to do some shopping and to take some pictures of the garden on our hotel property.   We’d met a family of stray cats in the garden at the hotel, which we had to take pictures of as they were quite cute.

Following the fun at the beach, we packed up and head to our hotel in Milazzo, the Hotel Il Principe.  Tonight was the night of the rehearsal dinner at Il Covo del Pirata, a nice restaurant down the street from the hotel.

Unfortunately, we didn’t get many pictures from the dinner (only two!).  Take a look at the pictures though; they’re still great.

Day 9: Sicily Wedding

Though the weather wasn’t optimal (overcast skies), we all awoke and decided to head to the beach a few minutes away in Mazzaro, which can be reached quickly and easily via the funiva (cable car).  It’s a beautiful ride down on the cable car, and a beautiful beach once you’re down there.

After hanging out at the beach for a few hours with overcast skies (I managed to get a burn!), we head out for lunch at Bella Blue, near the top of the cable car.  At lunch, we agreed to take a drive to get a bit of a closer view of Mount Etna.  We’d heard of a city near the volcano, Randazzo, that’s got some amazing architecture built using stone made from lava rock.  See the pictures we took of the Church of Santa Maria; the black lava building stone contrasts beautifully with the white window and door surrounds.

Following our trip back to Taormina, we returned to our hotels, cleaned up and met for dinner at Granduca.  While there, we celebrated Ashley’s birthday, which was the following day.

Here are the pictures.  You’ll see two friends Tash made while in Randazzo, who asked us to take their picture and mail a print back to them

Day 8: Sicily Wedding

Day 7 had Tash and I returning our rental car and hitching a ride for the rest of our trip through Sicily with Ashley and Joe.  Before leaving Siracusa, we got up early and went to see the Catacombs of St. John - miles of underground tunnels that contain some 20,000 Early Christian tombs.  It was quite an amazing place to visit, but unfrotunately you are not permitted to take photos while underground; though, we did take some great pictures of the Church above ground.

From there, we hit the road and head to Taormina - one of the most beatiful cities I’ve ever been to.  See the pictures to understand what I mean - Baroque architecture, tons of flowers and incredible views.  We stayed at the Hotel Villa Schuler - yet another great hotel in Sicily.  It was down the road from a public garden that Tash and I made a few visits to on our way to other destinations while there.

The four of us made a visit to the Greek Theater, ate gelatto (probably the 15th time this trip!) and simply toured the city (lots of shops and such).  Later we washed up at our hotels and met up for dinner at a nice little restaurant recommended by our hotel, Tirami Su.

Another great day.  Take a look at the pictures..

Day 7: Sicily Wedding

Day 6, Tash and I woke, had breakfast at the hotel and then drove to Noto, another UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Noto is famous for its early eighteenth century buildings, considered among the masterpieces in the Sicilian baroque style.

Following Noto, we had back to the hotel to wait for Ashley and Joe, who were coming in from Agrigento.  Upon their arrival, the four of us hopped into their car and head out to see the Greek Theater and the Orecchio di Dionisio (Ear of Dionysius) - an artificial limestone cave carved out of the side of a hill near the Theater.  Following the theater and cave, we made a visit to the Sanctuary of the Weeping Madonna of Syracuse, built specifically to accommodate the crowds that continually gather in prayer before a plaque of Madonna that wept real tears in 1953.

From there, we returned to the hotel, cleaned up and head to Ortigia (again) for another great dinner at a restaurant I cannot remember the name of!

Here are the pictures from this day…

Day 6: Sicily Wedding

Day 5 had us leaving Ragusa on our way to meet up with our friends Joe and Ashley in Siracusa.  On the way out, we made a few stops along the highway to snag some great pictures of Ragusa.  See the pictures, I’m sure you’ll agree that the view was stunning.

A “pitstop” on our way to Siracusa was a stop in Modica for some of their famous chocolate; specifically, we went to the family run chocolate shop Antica Dolceria Bonajuto.  The Bonajuto family has been making chocolate in Ragusa since 1880 using an ancient, secret recipe brought over from Aztec with the Spaniards.

After getting our fill of some seriously amazing chocolate and getting lost for an hour or so, we arrived at our next hotel, the Caol Ishka.  Caol Ishka is Gaelic for “the sound of water” - one of the owners is Irish, and the hotel is on the bank of the Anapo river.

After checking in, we drove to the island of Ortigia in Siracusa.  Ortigia was the name given by the Greeks to the island south of the city of Syracuse, “the greatest city in the Greek Empire after its capture in 415 BC.”  It’s got restaurants, shopping and beautiful scenery.

After lunch, we went back to the hotel and relaxed for a few hours at their pool.  Later, we returned to Ortigia for a phenomenal dinner at an outdoor restaurant… of which, I cannot remember the name

Here’s a link to pictures from that day…

Day 5: Sicily Wedding

Day 3

Day 3 had us flying from Rome to Palermo, where we rented a car for our 3 day drive through Sicily.  Our first stop was in Agrigento, where we stayed in the picturesque Villa Diana bed and breakfast.  Arriving late afternoon, we relaxed a bit, cleaned up and went out to dinner.  The owner of the B&B recommended Kokalos, a restaurant with a spectacular sunset view of the Valley of the Temples.

Day 4

Upon awaking from a great sleep at the B&B, we packed up the car for our trip to Ragusa, with a stop at the Valley of the Temples.  Just as stunning as the Colosseum and the Roman Forum, this archeological park is comprised of eight Greek temples that were built between 510 BC and 430 BC.  The fact that such structures are still standing today is amazing.

Following our tour of the Temples, we got on the road to Ragusa (we actually stayed in Ragusa Ibla), arriving later in the afteroon at our hotel, the Locanda Don Serafino.  Another beautiful hotel, they also have an associated restaurant where we ate dinner later that evening.

Ragusa is an ancient city and what some consider one of the most beautiful cities in Sicily, with a wide array of baroque architecture, including several stunning palaces and churches.  In fact, Ragusa is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a programme that “catalogues, names, and conserves sites of outstanding cultural or natural importance to the common heritage of humanity.”  Simply put, the city is AMAZING.

Fortunately for us, the day we arrived was the final day of the festival of San Giorgio.  The festival involves the procession of a statue of the saint through Ragusa Ibla.  The festival also features a number of sideshows including concerts by famous artists, marching bands and a spectacular firework show.

I can’t reiterate how amazing this city was - a must visit for anyone visiting Sicily.

Click below to see our pictures from both Agrigento and Ragusa…

Days 3 and 4: Sicily Wedding

Day 2, we awoke bright and early to meet our guide for our Vatican City tour.  While in Vatican City, we visited St. Peter’s Basilica, the Apostolic Palace and the Sistine Chapel.  We took a good number of pictures, though the real beauty of the Vatican can really only be seen in person.  The sculptures, frescos and tapestries were amazing, as was the architecture.

When looking at the pictures, you’ll see my unsuccesful attempt at taking two pictures of the ceiling in the Sistine Chapel (two very blurry pictures); cameras are not permitted at all there, so I had to hastily take the pictures without flash.

Following Vatican City, we headed back over the Tiber River to see the the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain (again) and the Piazza Novona.  The Piazza Novona was full of artists selling their pieces - it reminded me of Union Square - though much more beautiful, with an amazing fountain and an abundance of baroque architecture.

Take a look at this map of Rome to get a sense of our visit there, and of course, see here for the pictures we took:

Day 2: Sicily Wedding

As mentioned in a previous post, my good friends Christina and Dave are getting got married in Sicily.  Details of their wedding can be found on their website, http://www.christinaanddave.com/

Tash and I decided to use the wedding as an opportunity to see Rome and Sicily.  The next 10 or so posts will be a day by day diary of our trip.  We took a good number of pictures, all of which are available online, and will be linked to where relevant.

Oh, and others who were at the wedding took pictures, click to see theirs, if my 500 aren’t enough

• The professional’s pics (event key: Christina_Dave)
• Joe and Ashley’s pictures (with video, too!)
• Brett’s pictures
• Bentley’s pictures
• Chris and Jeanine’s pictures

Day 1

We left NYC via JFK to Rome on May 28th, arriving on the 29th.  Checking into to our bed and breakfast, Your Nest in Rome, we wasted no time in unpacking and heading right out to tour the city.  Picking up a 3 day public transportation ticket (Biglietto per 3 giorni B.T.I.) from the hotel, our travel around Rome was a snap.  We used tram, bus, and subway.

We started off with the Colosseum, which was as amazing as I’d expected.  Following the Colosseum, we made our way to the Roman Forum; again, amazing.  Both locations are both architecturally and artistically magnificent.  We could have spent many more hours then we did exploring. Following the Forum, we made our way up to the Trevi Fountain, one of two trips there while in Rome.  Tash has been to Rome, and it’s one of her favorite spots in the city - I agree, and it’s not because of the gelatteria located there

Having flown 9 hours and toured the city, we tired ourselves out sufficiently, heading back to the B&B and eating at one of the many great restaurants near it.  Oh, and while we’re on our B&B… it is located in the Trestevere section of Rome, an area with an abundance of character - I’d compare it to the West Village area of Manhattan.  A great place to stay, especially for the night life.

You can see the pictures for day 1, here:

Day 1: Sicily Wedding

As a part of my company’s annual sales club award, which I received for my 2007 sales attainment, myself and the other recipients took a trip to Palm Springs, California. We stayed at the beautiful Desert Springs Resort for 3 days, where we were able to take advantage of a number of activities including golf, massages, tours, etc.

One of the activities I selected was a ride on the Palm Springs Aerial Tram to the Mount Jacinto State Park. A 2 1/2 mile tram ride, the experience was amazing - we went from 90 degree temperatures, to an area filled with snow. The sights were amazing. See the pictures I took…

Palm Springs, CA