Chris and Deborah's Guide to Milazzo
Easter 2012 visit to Villa Flavia
We had always wanted to visit Sicily and having watched the BBC programme ‘Sicily Unpacked’ we determined to go at Easter. We booked ‘Villa Flavia’ by chance and had no idea what Milazzo would be like. We hired a car from Palermo airport and within 2 hours we were driving up to Villa Flavia to be greeted warmly by the owner, Aldo Bevacqua. We soon realised that Aldo was more knowledgeable about Sicily than Andrew Graham-Dixon and Giorgio Locatelli, what luck!
Our accommodation was in converted farm outbuildings next to Aldo’s farmhouse. Our apartment was very clean, comfortable and gave a flavour of the real Sicily. We were given free reign of the gardens and orchard and were lucky that the fruit trees were full of lemons and the deliciously juicy and sweet blood oranges, of which we had many during our stay! Best of all, 50 metres walk up the road, was Al Torchio a trattoria that served superb local dishes at very reasonable prices. The swordfish was the best that I have ever had, succulent and fresh and 7 euros! If we wanted to eat at home however, what must be one of the greatest Co-op’s is just a 5 minute drive away! The delicatessen counters are just amazing! What a great start to our adventure on Sicily!
The centre of Milazzo is just a ten minute drive from Villa Flavia. The town was a very pleasant surprise, being a lively port and fishing town. It is a great place to stroll, particularly along the promenade. It also has a castle and some magnificent churches. Aldo recommended some local restaurants that served amazing food, especially fish, at very reasonable prices. We also discovered that it was a great base for the ferries and hydrofoil to the Aeolian Islands.
Having spent two days familiarising ourselves with the Milazzo area and knowing there is so much to see and do on Sicily we decided it was time to travel further a field. This is where Aldo came into his own as he has vast experience of the travel business and of Sicily and was keen to give us his personal recommendations. Our first trip was to Taormina, but not via the motorway. Rather than using the excellent Autostrada (a one hour journey) Aldo recommended driving around the base of Etna to get there, visiting picturesque mountain villages including Randazzo, with spectacular views of Etna and the surrounding area. Taormina itself was as one would expect, an elegant town in a fantastic setting with views of the coast and Etna.
As our holiday coincided with Easter we were more than keen to take part in an authentic Sicilian experience. Aldo’s response to our brief was to send us to San Fratello, a small village in the Nebrodi Hills, about an hour and a half drive from Milazzo. Here every Good Friday, and unique to this town, is a rather peculiar procession called ‘Feast of the Jews’. Local men dress garishly and wear masks and bright costumes and roam freely around the town playing trumpets and cornets loudly and joyously as the sombre procession of Christ and the Virgin Mary pass by. Well worth seeing!
On Aldo’s recommendation we also visited Tindari which is less than an hour’s drive from Milazzo along the north coast. The church here was built to house the famous Black Madonna which is a site of pilgrimage. There are also some excellent Greek and Roman excavations, a Greek Theatre and buildings with superb mosaics.
We decided that given the close proximity of the ferry and hydrofoil departure points in Milazzo it would be a shame not to visit the Aeolian island of Lipari for the day, stopping at Volcano on the way. We went out by hydrofoil and returned by ferry and saw dolphins cutting across the bow of the ship! Lipari itself was a beautiful island from which a smoking Stromboli was clearly visible. This excursion was so easy to do and on our next visit to Sicily we have decided to spend longer there.
Our next major day out was to Syracuse which was a two hour drive from Milazzo on the Autostrada. Syracuse did not disappoint, it is a beautiful city. The Piazza Duomo in the Old Town is stunning, the best in Sicily. We managed to see a lot in one day but obviously there is so much to see and do we have made a repeat visit a priority when we return.
For our final trip we decided to have a rest from driving and took the train to Palermo, again a very straightforward excursion. Milazzo has its own station and we discovered that rail transport is very reasonably priced in Sicily. Palermo was as vibrant and diverse as we had been led to expect and we spent a thoroughly enjoyable day there.
In two weeks we had a fantastic holiday and felt that with Aldo’s help and advice we gained an insight into the ‘real Sicily’ and its culture. Our good fortune was that Milazzo proved to be a great centre from which to explore and returning to Villa Flavia was a relaxing way to end the day. It was a real eye opener to us to discover what excursions were possible – from Sicily’s third largest city (with its breathtaking views of mainland Italy) Messina, to quiet mountain villages such as Santa Lucia, where you can sample the best of Sicilian cooking. Obviously in such a short time one is limited as to what one can see and experience but we felt that we gained so much more from our stay with Aldo. His knowledge, advice and friendship were invaluable. We look forward to returning next Easter!
