Return to Travel

By: Karen Titus – May 1, 2021

With the potential of return to travel and Europe loosening restrictions and opening borders, I am optimistically creating a trip to Sicily. Sicily is easy to reach, you can connect through Europe to either Palermo or Catania and many carriers offer service year round.

So what to do in Sicily, where to stay, when do you go? Do you drive, ride bikes, vespa? Since I have never been to Sicily it is like a blank canvas that I get to paint

My ideal getaway would be spend a few days on a the beaches of the Tyrrhenian Sea or the Mediterranean Sea and read a book under an umbrella. Ideally, I would be able to walk to a café with a view of the sea to have lunch, enjoy the fresh foods a sparkling water for me please rather than still. Over lunch, try to take in conversations if possible and meet new people. After a long lunch and walk, return to the beach for the late afternoon and watch the change in colors in the sky and water as the sunsets

After a day of sheer relaxation and having your senses touched, jump on a vespa and go to a local restaurant for delicious dinner al fresco that lingers and lingers and then on that most fabulous way home, you know you have tomorrow to do it all over again.

Ideas to consider:

Visit the Eastern part of Sicily, specifically Catania.

Rent a villa, they rates range of course based on time of year but for Spring time, you could rent a villa from a wide range of prices, from $150 USD a night to over $1200 per night or higher, depending on what amenities you may want. During the day, you can spend time on the beaches of Playa. Here you are close to the foot of Mt. Etna, and have history of a volcano and the sea stretching out ahead of you. I may never even open my book because of the beauty of nature. In Playa, are plenty of restaurants along the beach and you can make a reservation in advance for a table. You can enjoy all the flavors of the town.

There are several beaches in the Catania area in addition to Playa, here are few including a dog beach.

Lido Cocoa Beach

Lido Azzurro

Dog Beach by Lido Azzurro

Renting a Vespa is fairly simple to do, as long as you have a valid driver’s license. Or you can even rent a bicycle for a minimal cost per day.

While I am in Sicily, I am going to take some time to try to trace my roots as my grandfather came from Sicily. I will look into the family names and see if I may any extended family. Even if I am not able to trace any distant relatives, I will get a feel of history and bring me a little closer in my heart to my Pop-pop.

Happy Travels!

Karen loves to travel and spent 15 years with Delta Air Lines exploring all parts of the globe. AS an avid animal lover, I have a few rescue animals at home and am involved in the community through volunteer programs, and helping those who are underserved. In between that, I am looking for my next adventure.

For more information about Karen, please visit:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-titus-22b4a1b

Published by spigonaj

Joanne Spigonardo Business Development Consultant Specializing in Sustainability, Higher Education, Career Management, and Public Relations In her former roles, Joanne served as Senior Associate Director at the Initiative for Global Environmental Leadership (IGEL) at Wharton. Joanne was also part of the Communications Office. She held positions as business manager of the Wharton Seminars for Business Journalists and for the Wharton Alumni Magazine. Joanne also served as the media relations coordinator. When with Alitalia Airlines, Joanne worked as a sales representative. Joanne graduated from The University of Pennsylvania with a BA and later graduated from the Wharton Aresty Institute of Executive Education. She has a strong background in development, management, marketing, and Italian language and culture. As a Wharton Mentor, she coached new employees on professional development, and is active in Penn’s Grievance panels. Joanne was on the board of governors for the University Club. Joanne is chair of the Delaware County Penn Alumni Interview Program and oversees alumni volunteers. As an alum of Penn and Wharton, and also a parent of two Penn graduates, she is a strong advocate in promoting Penn. At Wharton IGEL, Joanne had been in partnership with GreenBiz, Sustainable Brands, the Ethical Corporation, Pira Packaging International, Public Relations Society of America, the Green Sports Alliance, World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia, the Italian Consulate, the Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, the Sonoma County Winegrowers Association, and the Nature Conservancy, as well as, many other NGO and government offices. She has brokered hundreds of corporate relationships for Wharton. Joanne is the author of her book, White Widow, published on Kindle and Amazon. The book is a fictional novel about 19th-20th Century Italian immigrants. https://www.amazon.com/White-Widow-Joanne-Natale-Spigonardo/dp/B085DT65DB View more posts

2 thoughts on “Return to Travel”

Karen’s article makes me long for a return trip to Sicily, the home of my grandparents. We visited Sicily a few years ago. We spent a few days in Palermo then rented a car and drove across the island. The main highways were good and we used our Garmin maps to find my grandparents village near the eastern coast of Messina. We visited for only a few hours and took the ferry to the mainland driving up to Rome.
My only regret is not spending more time in the glorious island of Sicily and exploring more of the sights and traditions. Until next time….

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