Ciao, da Taormina, Sicily!

As I sat on the 3rd floor school terrace in Sicily, speaking in my choppy Italian to my multi-national classmates, I found myself drawn beyond the people, to the spectacular view of the Bay of Naxos, and the active and ever-fuming, magnificent Mt Etna. My week studying at our Taormina school was an experience simply not to be missed and I am now hooked on Sicily, on Sicilian wine, Sicilian cuisine and ... Sicilians!

I studied Italian several years ago in Roma and Perugia, but neither location was as picturesque as this hilltop town and the schools weren't anything like this one; perched above lovely public gardens, originally owned by an Englishwoman, and now tended to by the town of Taormina itself. The school location, however, was only the one aspect of my perfect Sicilian adventure. the amazing school staff are what really impressed me the most.

I arrived at the Languages Abroad school in Sicily in mid-January, on the first day of school after the month long winter break and was immediately struck by the friendliness and familiarity of the school staff. They all seemed as pleased to see me, as I was to BE there!

I attended their informative and informal (and all-Italian) presentation to all the new arrivals, then wrote my 2 hour, fill-in-the-blank placement test (I got into the Intermediate Level, which was a shock, but also a challenge I was geared up for.) I then went out for a lunch "al fresco" with a few of my new found friends at the school. I quickly realized that we had a small United Nations forming at our trattoria table. There were eight of us and we were from; Canada, Sweden, Japan, Germany, Belgium, France, USA and Switzerland. The only common language between us was Italian, so that's what we spoke - in the true sense of the "imperfect" tense!

That afternoon was spent on an information-packed tour of Taormina (including a stop at the spectacular Greek Amphitheatre on the edge of town) led by the director of the activities at the school, "Peppe". The school also organized activities like dinners out together, movies screened in the school lounge, weekend excursions including a hike up Mt Etna , local cooking classes, scuba diving courses and golfing in season (although it actually snowed the day I visited the golf course, which is VERY unusual for Sicily). All in all, it was a full immersion into the life and culture of north-eastern Sicily that I would recommend without hesitation.

My only word of caution would be that if you are under 30, I suggest you wait until the spring or summer months to go to Taormina, because in January, the town is wonderfully, deliriously sleepy - even for this 40-something year-old gal! Many of the town's several discos and pubs and ristorante, "hibernate" during the cooler winter months. Come mid-March, I understand, the town is buzzing with international students and tourists alike. If you go in winter, take lots of warm clothing (heating is a rare indoor bird in Sicily) and make plans to visit nearby Catania, which is a hotspot for local university students and young visitors alike.

I learned so much Italian in only four days of grammar and conversation classes, that I suspect I would have made a huge improvement in a second week, but sadly, I could only study for one week. I know this because the staff really encourages you to speak up, even if you make the odd (sometimes hilarious) mistake! I guess I will have to go back to our Sicily school very soon, to find out....ci vediamo, sicilia!!!

Margot

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