Sun and sand in Sicily!

This past weekend was not only my last weekend in Italy, but also a 4-day weekend because of a holiday last Thursday. So, Lexi, Max, Sam D, and I spent 4 relaxing days in Trapani, Sicily.

We left at the crack of dawn Thursday morning, took a bus to Pisa, a plane to Trapani, and a bus into the city center. Once we got there, we found our way to the hostel/B&B but had to wait a few hours until our apartment was ready and we could check in. So, we walked around to see the area and, of course, the beach! We found a grocery store and so picked up things for lunch and dinners, and then made our way back to hang out on the beach for a while.

We stayed at a Bed & Breakfast, but it was an apartment set-up, so the four of us shared one apartment, with 2 bedrooms, a living/eating area, kitchen, and bathroom. It was really nice and thanks to having our own kitchen we saved a ton of money by cooking most of our own meals.

Thursday afternoon, we all relaxed/napped for a few hours before heading out to explore some more. We then made eggplant parm. for dinner with some bread and cheese and great conversation. Following dinner, we all gathered on the 2 twin beds pushed together that Lexi and I shared, to watch Back to the Future!

Friday, we ate breakfast and set out for a beach day - that turned into a beach-morning because the rain came...so we headed back to the B&B to relax, shower, and get in some WiFi time (for the other 3 that have iPhones..) The sun was back by the afternoon so we set out to walk around and explore the city some more. We were out for a couple hours before getting some gelato and heading back to make lasagna for dinner! During and after dinner we had some great conversation and continued to learn more about each other. We headed to bed early-ish because we were getting up early.

Saturday we went to San Vito Lo Capo, which we have been told is the most beautiful beach in Sicily! We left the B&B around 8, got the bus at 8:40, and made it to the beach before 10am. It was so beautiful! The water was so clear and blue it was incredible! Naturally, the beach brought out the inner children in all of us, so we set out to dig a giant hole. We added a bench along the wall and proceeded to have our lunch there.

After lunch, and for much of the rest of the afternoon, we all just relaxed on the beach soaking up the sun (and getting burned...) I didn't get burned too bad, just a bit around my armpits and the edges of my clothing etc. but the others got pretty painful-looking burns..

We got the bus back, showered, and got ready for our one fancy dinner out. We went to watch the sunset for a bit, and then ate at a near-by restaurant. I had pasta with Trapanese pesto, while the other three all had pasta with sea food: Lexi's had shrimp, Sam had muscles, and Max had clams.

After dinner, we walked around, browsed through the local market stalls that were still up for their once-a-month "white-night" festivity. We then got gelato and made our way back to the B&B for another movie before bed: 500 Days of Summer. It was a great movie, but I fell asleep for part of it. It's funny how we didn't really do anything all day, but just laying in the sun zapped all our energy.

Sunday we had to check out of the B&B by 10, so we got up, got breakfast, packed, cleaned up, and stored our bags before heading out to relax on the beach for a bit. Max had to head to the airport, because he accidentally booked his return ticket for the end of May (instead of the end of April) so he wanted to get it fixed.

Lexi and I enjoyed the sun for a few hours - while Sam did his own thing. Unfortunately, the beach was nothing like San Vito, it had more rocks and had lots of litter, so we were only there for about 2 hours before heading off to meet up with Sam to get some lunch.

That afternoon, we hung out at the B&B for a while, Lexi and Sam enjoying the WiFi, and I enjoying my book. After a while, though, we headed back out to soak up some more rays walking around/exploring some more.

For dinner, we did an apperitivo, where we pay for a cocktail and eat as much as you can. We each got 1 drink and 2 plates, it was all so delicious! After that, it was time to head back to the B&B, grab our bags, and catch the bus back to the airport.

Our plane left a little before 10, and the 1.5 hour flight took under an hour to get back to Pisa...we then had a little wait on the bus, before we left at 11:30, getting into Florence around 12:45, and getting back to the house around 1am, where I then showered, unpacked, and crawled into bed.

Monday was filled with classes, studying for my final Italian test, and finishing an Art History Presentation with Amy. This morning was my test, I think I did well, but I'll get my grade back Thursday.

This afternoon we presented for Art History, which I also think went well; and now I'm relaxing for the night and looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow - it's May 1st: International Workers' Day. I will be spending the day studying for my Art History final, starting to pack, and soaking up as much of Florence as I can in my final days here.

Thursday is the last day of classes, my Art History final, and the last day of my internship. Friday I'll be meeting to do an "exit interview" about my time/experience abroad with AEF - being the first Bay Path student and all that jazz; and packing, packing, packing. Then Saturday my flight leaves around 8:30am - Florence-time, and I'll land in Boston around 8pm - Eastern-Standard-Time!