Well, my week in Solitaire II, studying Italian and sailing around the Aeolian Islands, had come to an end. Last night our sailing group officially said goodbye and my departure date from Sicily was fast approaching. Only four more days of discovery remained.

A week on a sailboat does a lot, but one thing is for sure: it creates a lot of clothes. All the suitcase I had brought on board the ship was in desperate need of a good cleaning, so it was time to use the washing machine in the spacious five-bedroom apartment above the Laboratorio Lingüístico language school. Claudia, who was from Germany, was in charge of selecting the wash settings on this European machine, and soon after, my dirty clothes and those of two of my shipmates were happily spinning in the front-loading washer. We then hung our clothes on our bedroom balcony and Lorenzo, our favorite Catholic priest, joined us to sit outside for a while. After a while he went to get a haircut while Claudia and I met our other shipmates, Franco and Agnieszka, who were going to take us on a tour of Milazzo.

Milazzo is a city with a population of about 30,000 people on the northeast coast of Sicily, located about 50 km from Messina. It has a long history, dating back to Greek colonization as the city of Mylai in 716 BC. Milazzo is located on a narrow peninsula on the Tyrrhenian coast that juts out some six or seven kilometers into the sea. The tip of the peninsula is called Capo Milazzo, which boasts a variety of restaurants perched on a cliff above the sea, as well as natural areas and an 18th-century lighthouse.

The center of Milazzo is located on the eastern side of the peninsula around a bay and the southern side of the bay is characterized by a variety of industrial and refinery buildings. Our local expert, Franco, explained that Milazzo is quite a popular tourist destination for Italian travelers in the summer, but it is not particularly well known internationally. It is a reasonably priced destination, much more affordable than other extremely popular destinations in Italy.

Our apartment in Laboratorio Linguistico is very centrally located on Via Nino Riolo, a few steps from the Chiesa di San Giacomo, which dates back to the 15th century, and from the Lungomare Garibaldi, Milazzo’s beautiful palm-fringed promenade. Franco led us down Via Medici to the fish market which features two rows of seafood vendors, selling a variety of locally caught seafood delicacies. One local fisherman in particular seemed to enjoy the camera, hauling up several different fish with a big smile as his co-worker eyed him suspiciously. We also saw a huge swordfish, it must have been about two meters long and it was looking at us with its empty silver eyes. Another fishmonger only had a swordfish head on display, the body already cut and filleted. Fish markets are always an assault on the senses, mesmerizing visually, but the smell is a different story.

We stopped briefly at the municipal tourist office in the Municipio building to get information on the bus schedules that would take us from Milazzo to Catania for our return flights and were quite impressed by the friendly service provided by the gentleman behind the counter. . . Now equipped with the knowledge of how we would get to Catania airport, we continued our walk along the Lungomare.

The Lungomare is a seafront promenade, fronted on the east side by a long row of terraced houses that are several hundred years old, with a paved walkway that is separated from a busy street by a narrow lawn and a fringe of palm trees. On the east side there is a sandy beach that serves as a starting point for the dozens of fishermen who have their boats permanently parked along the waterfront. The Chiesa di Santa Maria Maggiore forms the northern end of the main section of the promenade, from where things get a little quieter.

Franco pointed out a fascinating classical building that used to be an orphanage, but is now in ruins. We turned left into Erta San Domenico, an interestingly patterned cobblestone path that would take us past a series of steps towards the castle, the “Castello di Milazzo”.

Like all of Sicily, Milazzo has thousands of years of history. Settled since the Neolithic, Milazzo has always had a strategic location along the Tyrrhenian Sea, used by the Romans and then by the Arabs. The current castle was originally built under Norman rule around AD 1000 and then reinforced in the 15th century by Alfonso of Aragon. During the 18th century and the subsequent Bourbon era, it suffered extensive damage and later became a prison, which remained until 1960.

The structure was extensively renovated in the 1980s and 1990s. The castle sits on a rocky promontory with views in all directions and features imposing stone walls intended to deter would-be invaders. The main area of ​​the castle was closed to the public at this time of day (the siesta time) and would not reopen until 3 p.m. from the castle The view from the south side of the castle towards the Nebrodi mountains and Mount Etna was impressive. The snowy fields on top of Mount Etna were clearly visible, and not a single cloud hid the largest volcano in Europe.

Near the castle there is an entertainment area that has many different bars and restaurants. Although quiet now, this area becomes vibrant and alive at night. We continued our trek further north along the peninsula and Franco took us to a private residential complex where the Linguistic Laboratory rents out some villas for some of its language students. Hidden behind a large steel gate is a beautiful property with beautiful gardens and subtropical flowers that has several houses that can be rented by foreign travelers. Franco introduced us to an older couple who were also here to study Italian, and their cliff-edge abode with a perfect view to the west of the Sicilian coastline, with Milazzo Castle to the south, was stunning.

We decided to explore the western side of the Milazzo peninsula and took a steep path down to the beach, with the Milazzo castle looming on our left side. The flat pebble beach is several kilometers long and this Saturday afternoon was quite deserted. Only a few sun worshipers were outside and enjoying their time on the boardwalk. The water was a light turquoise blue, but when we looked closer we saw huge swarms of jellyfish washing up on shore all along the shoreline. That may have explained the reason for the absence of bathers.

After this long walk in the warm sun, it was time for another granita, a typical Sicilian sweet containing crushed ice in a variety of flavors. So Claudia and I walked back into the city center and found a small local bar where we sat for a full hour to relax and enjoy a cold drink. Franco and Agnieszka had already returned to the apartment, while the two of us, really sailing friends, were enjoying our last evening together as Claudia was flying back to Germany early tomorrow morning. We both realized how much we had enjoyed this sailing trip and how intense such an experience can be.

On our way back we pass Piazza Roma and the Monumento ai caduti (Monument to the Fallen Soldiers), built in 1924 during Italy’s Fascist era. Back at the apartment we cooked some pasta with fresh tomatoes and enjoyed our home cooked meal.

Our afternoon lunch eliminated the need for dinner, but we still planned to take one last stroll through Milazzo before Claudia’s departure. Around 8 pm we admire the daily ritual of the “passegiata”, the daily promenade where men, women, children, families and the elderly, many of them dressed to the nines, go for a walk along the Lungomare. This traditional ritual exists in most Italian communities and is a perfect opportunity to see and be seen. Many older men sit together on benches, discussing the latest news and sports, while women walk together, probably discussing church and family issues.

A large crowd gathered at the Chiesa di Santa Maria Maggiore as the Virgin of Fatima was on display in the church. The church was beautifully lit and many pious locals entered the church to pay their respects. We wandered around the area near the Milazzo Castle, and many of the restaurant’s patios and terraces were filled with people socializing, talking, and having fun.

The pleasant evening turned into a beautiful starry night and we stood on top of the castle hill and gazed at the surrounding panorama, captivated by the twinkling lights of the city and the farther lights in the surrounding mountains. Our bonding session, which had started on the boat trip, continued and we decided that if I was ever in the Frankfurt/Mannheim area I would definitely visit Claudia, as she would always be welcome here in Toronto.

Around midnight we finally fell into bed, quite exhausted. Claudia was to leave early tomorrow morning while I planned to take the train to the medieval town of Cefalu. After our intense experiences we definitely needed the break…