Fall

I tried carving a pumpkin...Hello Kitty did not quite look like herself, but I tried :) We then met a wine bar owner from a wine bar on Mt. Etna that was in a book about Sicilian wines. The owner was very nice and invited us to his event this weekend where wine makers met to try different wines and socialize. We had a great time at the wine bar, Cave Ox, and stayed at a wonderful Bed and Breakfast we found through the wine bar owner, Sandro.

I took this picture in pitch black and didn't know Stripes was there until the flash went off. 

Gene and I with Sandro, the owner of Cave Ox

Quattro Formaggi

The view from our Bed and Breakfast

The view when we woke up

the sheep roaming around our room

ram

a very cute horse

the horse eating with the sheep

my new friend

Mt. Etna

Gene's Birthday

Happy 32nd Birthday to my boo!!!!!

The Birthday Boy <3

dinner with friends at a Brewery in Aci Reale

Me and Jenna :)

squash dip I made for appetizers before dinner :)

My Sicilian porch cat, Tiny. He has become my little baby and comes inside every day for a little love and then goes back to the porch to sleep and eat. 

Dum Dum, this is Tiny's father. Unfortunately his mother is gone now :( RIP Lil Stripes. But Dum Dum takes good care of Tiny and also lives on our balcony. 

Navy Ball at the Sheraton, Sicily

Jenna Liz Me

cheers to the night

our handsome sailors :)

Michael and Jenna

Captain Butler

our lava tile gift

Our group - Julio Liz Jenna Michael Gene Me

Calabria, Italy

Gene and I decided to head to the mainland of Italy for Labor Day. So we drove 1.5 hours to Messina and took the ferry to Reggio Calabria on the mainland of Italy. We drove to Capovaticano which is near Tropea, another 1.5 hours from the port and stayed at a resort and spa for a relaxing weekend. Calabria is famous for their red peppers, so vendors all over the streets sell strands of dried red peppers. The water is a beautiful blue color and the Aeolian islands are visible when it is clear. Stromboli is one of the islands and is an active volcano (a very beautiful view from the beach). If we had time there are tours that take you on a boat around Stromboli at night to see the flowing lava. It erupts/flows daily.

The first day of our weekend was cloudy so we headed to the spa and used the pools and had massages and I had an exfoliating peel. The second day was perfect weather so we layed on the beach all day until our massage and facial appointments at 6pm. I have never had a "spa weekend" but there is something very tranquil about sleeping on the beach, waking up, and realizing you get to walk right over to the spa. It was a great break from work and screaming preschoolers yelling, "Ms. Lindsay" every second of the day.

When driving back to Messina to catch the ferry we drove along the Strait of Messina and saw the very top of Sicily. It was cool to see how close Sicily and the mainland of Italy really are.

Our resort, Capovaticano Resort and Thalasso Spa

the beach for our hotel

Gene enjoying our "welcome punch"

the pool

relaxing with an Aperol Spritz

Our first sunny day :)

the city of Tropea

a very cool apartment building in Tropea

back to our hotel

Capovaticano

a walk after dinner

a full moon at dinner

a view of Stromboli

bellissima!

the Strait of Messina and the very top of Sicily

the ferry back to Sicilia...Arrivederci Calabria!