Hi Everyone,

South of the Italian Peninsula, Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, andit is separated by the narrow Strait of Messina. I've only been to Sicily once, back in 2013, so it's high on the 'revisit' list. If you're spending a few days, I recommend renting a car to get the most out of your experience on the island. Also, it's easy to pack up and move onto the next city, so plan ahead and book a night in each location. I flew in via London intoCatania, which is located on the east side of Sicily, at the base of the (active) volcanoMount Etna. From Catania, head southwest to Porto Empedocle. Here you'll find one of the primary reasons for my trip, a beautiful rock formation named Scala dei Turchi (nick named The Turkish Steps). It's unusual white color and stunning setting makes for quite an attraction. The _Scala_lies between two sandy beaches, and is accessed through a limestone rock formation in the shape of a staircase, hence the name.

Excerpt from 2013 Travel Journal ~

The water was a beautiful turquoise blue, and the white rock against the sea was really a sight to behold. All of the people who had come to see it really added to the scene, many of them laying out on the rock to sunbathe. I had to actually rock climb up to the top to get to the perspective I wanted- and it was totally worth the scare when I had to climb down backwards.

After you've enjoyed the beach and the beautiful Scala, I'd suggest finding some local seafood for a late lunch, then make your way to your next destination, the bustling town of Palermo. If possible, stay at a hotel with a view of the beach, you'll notice right away in the morning that the beach begins to fill up quick!

Excerpt from 2013 Gray's Travel Journal ~

It's hard to capture people without them knowing I'm capturing them. I'll sort of leave it as a secret for now how I've been doing it, but one trick I learned was to play like a dumb American tourist and ask the life guards to let me climb up to their perch so I can take a picture. So far, it's worked like a charm! I love the vantage point from being about 15 feet in the air.

Along the top of the beach was a walkway with a great perspective looking down on the sands below. It was like crack photographing down on these hundreds of beautiful beach umbrellas.

You'll definitely want to get your fill of picnics on the beach and enjoying the packed local beach of Palermo before driving about an hour away to Cefalu. This extremely old Sicilian town is on the water, and has a long narrow beach that's split between public areas and private beach club areas.

Lastly, it's time to trek back north to embark on our final destination (and my personal favorite in all of Italy) Capri!

x GM