Summer in Italy 2021: Como, Sicily, Dolomites
Our 3rd summer while living in Italy had arrived. After spending the early part of the summer visiting family in the US, we were returning and bringing my in-laws with us. They hadn’t been able to visit us while we have been living here thanks to the pandemic. The told me how excited they were to finally be able to see how our life in Bergamo has been for the past 2 years.
Vacationing in Italy
Although we live here, it still seems like we’re in a fantasy. I look around and pinch myself because I can’t believe this is my home. The summers in Italy are just a dream! Once it starts getting warmer, the vibe around town changes. People look forward to their summer holidays, typically taken in August around ferragosto. It’s a specific day in the middle of August that companies close and their employees take their holidays. My husband usually has the week before and the week after to enjoy.
This year would be much more special with my in-laws in town. After the long 8 hour flight we arrived in Milan and had a driver take us to Bergamo, about an hour and a half from Malpensa. We arrived exhausted and ready to relax and rest after the trip. The next few days we enjoyed Bergamo together, introducing them to the typical foods here in the north including: polenta, casoncelli (typical Bergamasc ravioli), cotolleta (breaded and fried veal cutlet) and many others from the region. We went to Milan, showing them all the sights. A spa day in San Pellegrino was just what we needed to get over the jet lag and they especially enjoyed that very much.
The lakes including Como and Garda are each about an hour drive from Bergamo. We enjoyed both including a boat ride from Bellagio on Lake Como and going for a swim and another boat ride while in Sirmione, on Lake Garda.
Sicily
We booked a week long getaway to Sicily, one of my bucket list places in Italy. We arrived in Catania and spent two nights there. We loved the fish market, visited Mt. Etna and climbed the Crateri Silvestri, a series of craters that is worth exploring. Then headed to Taormina, a small town, and stopped at Isola Bella, a tiny island you can walk to from Taormina beach. It really does get crowded so finding a spot to lay our things was difficult but so amazing, you should not skip.
Syracuse was our next stop on our way to Marina di Ragusa. We stopped at the Greek theater and saw the ear of Dionysius. It was one of the hottest days and it was so hard to walk without getting exhausted and drenched in sweat. We did it and survived! When we made it to Marina di Ragusa, our airbnb was so hard to find, but once we did, we were surprised the air conditioning was only in the bottom floor of the flat and the only full bathroom had the tiniest shower. It was quite comical to hear my father-in-law explain how he had to shower in this bathroom.
Our friends from Bergamo who are Sicilian, invited us to a typical Sicilian dinner at their summer ocean front house. We were delighted by their hospitality and loved watching the sunset from their balcony and watching people walk by right next to the sea. One of the nights there, they invited us to another nearby town for dinner. We stopped in Modica along the way to try their famous chocolate made there in an ancient chocolate factory. When we made it to the dinner, we ate in this restaurant outside. The food was delicious and the ambience was just perfect with outdoor lights adorning the garden.
Our last stop in our trip was Palermo. But first, we stopped in Agrigento, a Greek area with an archaeological museum. We visited the Valley of the Temples and again, because of the heat, we were happy to just see that and be on our way. In Palermo, we saw the Quattro Canti, a famous square, did more sight seeing and then spent a day in the beach of Mondello. It was so full we could not make it into the paid beaches because they were sold out, so we had to find a spot on the public side of the beach. It was so crowded that people were on top of each other and we were so close to the sea, we had to be careful the waves would not wet our stuff. We made the best of it, and learned, if it can be avoided, do not go to Sicily during ferragosto.
Dolomites
The Dolomites are the Italian part of the Alps. Summer in this region is so different. The last time we were in this part of Italy, it was October, and there was already snow on the mountains. This time the weather was so nice because it doesn’t get too hot or too cold. We had a nice hotel and would drive to the nearby spots. The food is particularly different. It has a lot of influence from Austria and Germany and you could see that in the food. Our favorite dishes are canederli (bread balls stuffed with speck a smoked bacon in a broth), game meat like venison, speck, and apple strudel, just to name a few. We stayed in Marlengo, took them to Valley of Funes, and Lake Carezza. In Bolzano, we saw the oldest person found, named Otzi, known as the Iceman. So cool to have seen this naturally made mummy found in the Dolomites in the border between Austria and Italy. He was thought to have been living 3350 and 3105 BC.
The month went by so fast. We packed so much in from the southern most part of Italy in Sicily to the north in the Dolomites. After spending so much time with my in-laws it was hard to see them go. We were so used to spending so much time with them, every weekend. One month living on vacation was amazing, but it was time for all of us to get back into a routine and start school. Let’s hope this school year will be completely in person.
