You might think I have given up on writing, but actually, I have been knee-deep in planning our 2016 adventures. As spring unfolds, we will be heading to the south of Italy, exploring the areas where my maternal grandparents were born, around Napoli and Salerno. I know many cringe at the thought of Napoli, but as Benita found two years ago as a student, it’s so worth taking the time to visit.
We’ve already been to the Amalfi coast, Capri, Pompeii, Herculaneum, etc. This trip is to see and experience Napoli, (beyond the graffiti and dirt), and especially its people. And of course, pizza making and eating are high on our to-do list.
Then, after an overnight ferry to Palermo, also recommended by Benita, we will work our way around Sicily, a first for Len and me. My Sicily travel board looks like this:
©Blogginginitaly.com
Travel planning is such a great way to learn about an area before heading there and why we like to do our own planning. We always welcome advise and suggestions from others and then couple that information with our own research to map out our trip.
We have spoken to each of the proprietors of the places we will be staying, all who have been extremely helpful. Only one speaks no English at all, but surprisingly, his Sicilian Italian was not difficult for me to understand. Watching all the Montalbano shows has paid off! And speaking of Montalbano, yes, we will visit the many sites where the filming occurred.
All of this, of course, will provide incredible photo opportunities and stories I look forward to sharing. If you have suggestions from your own Napoli or Sicilia travel experiences, I’d love to hear about them.
Ciao,
Judy
Blogging In Italy 
Sounds fantastic!!
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Sounds wonderful and very, very exciting.
If you drive through Termini Imerese (next bay east of Palermo) look for the name Filicicchia – That’s the town my mom’s (Marie) parents Francesco Filicicchia & Josephina LaMantia Filicicchia.
Bon Voyage & God Speed!
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will do!
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I so look forward to traveling vicariously with you!
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Thank you so much
Please keep me updated!
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We are going to Napoli and Sicily in spring as well, with a couple of stops in Calabria on the way…can’t wait.
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I just recommended your blog to another friend and his wife who are also touring the South of Italy in the Spring.
Thirty years ago when I lucked into getting the penthouse of a hotel overlooking the beautiful Castel dell’Ovo in the harbor, we watched as a fisherman harvested mussels off the rocks by hanging out a rowboat and using a bucket with a glass bottom to see underwater. My kids still talk about that experience and the subsequent delicious seafood feast we had in a small restaurant hanging over the ocean (unfortunately my daughter dropped her fork into the water).
I hope it is as wonderful for you as we remember.
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We so look forward to the freshest seafood. (Len is a bit more adventurous than me!)
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