Mediterranean Trip Part III: Oh Sicilia!

Our next stop was Catania on the island of Sicily. After our day of Malta car rental excitement, we decided to hire a driver to take us around Sicily. We hired a Sicilian named Salvo thanks to the awesome translating skills of my bro-in-law. He sat pilot and entertained our driver and himself as we navigated the island.

On the road with Etna smoking in the bg.

Our first stop: Mount Etna. I don't know why I'm so obsessed with volcanoes, but I am. I love their awesome power, and it intimidates me to no end to think that towns and cities can be wiped out by these mountains of destruction. This trip we got to visit two, and Mt. Etna was the first.

Overlooking Catania

Etna is huge. It's one of the most active volcanoes in the world (thanks Wikipedia!) and was definitely smoking when we were there. We took plenty of pictures, hiked around some craters, and oogled at the amount of lava rock spewed around this massive mountain.

An unfortunate house caught in a lava flow

Next stop, Taormina. Taormina is a quaint little tourist town along the coast with beautiful beaches and a history that stretches back before 734 BC. Crazy. It was fun to walk the town, explore the crooked alleyways, and eat the Sicilian way.

Eating my gelato "the Sicilian way" in a brioche bun.

One from Salvo's roadside photo shoot

That coast, tho <3

The cacti! So many cacti on Greece and Malta and Sicily! I couldn't believe it.

Mediterreanean Trip Part II: A Day on Malta and a little note on Mykonos, Greece

Due to our troubles at Ataturk airport in Turkey, we missed our cruise ship departure and one day at sea. We caught up with our ship in Mykonos, Greece. An incredibly touristy and fun little town full of white stucco and blue trim and delicious eats. 

As soon as we got to the cruise ship, we jumped in the ocean. It felt oh so nice. We roamed around the island that night, exploring the streets, the five huge windmills, and a couple more beaches, before we left for Valetta, Malta.

View from the cruise ship

Valetta, Malta. A city built by gentlemen, for gentlemen. I love that tagline. Aaanyways, this was one sweet little island. We rented a car and had a grand ole time driving on the left side of the road with round abouts galore! I don't know how close we were to covering the entire island, but by the end of the day it definitely felt like we covered the entire island! Our highlights and stops included:

The Blue Grotto: This little gem was beautiful. We took a little boat ride from a fisherman's harbour and explored different sea caverns. The water was so blue and it looked fake at times, like kool-aid.

That water, though

The Dingli Cliffs: Offered excellent views of the ocean and this really delicious, all-local and natural restaurant. 

St. Peter's Pool and other Swimming Holes: The best cliff jumping. Though it was swarming with French teenagers, this place was awesome. We had a great time jumping and swimming.

We followed these signs...

To this.

Valetta: This yellow-stoned, walled city was beautiful. I loved the views from the Upper Barrakka Gardens and the old cathedrals throughout the city. 

Mediterranean Trip Part I: Why I Haven't Written and Istanbul

I don't want to take a lot of time excusing why I haven't written in over a year, so I won't. The cross-country move, the purchase of our first home, being back in Utah, the milestones of our small and growing family are all post-worthy and I'm sure they will make appearances in future blog posts. I fell off of the blogging wagon, but I miss documenting and I miss going back and reminiscing (life is SO much cooler and better when you're reminiscing!) so I'm back on. The bandwagon, that is. And I'm starting off with a bang.

We went on a 12-day Mediterranean adventure.

And so I am going to blog about it. With pictures. I'm so excited! Travelling is my passion. I love it. It illuminates my soul, it beautifies my life, every time I do it. I don't know why I didn't go into travel guide or cruise ship professions. I always thought I had to find something academic which would then allow me to travel, but I should have just gone for the jugular: travelling itself. Because I love it.

Tyler and I had this incredible opportunity thanks to his parents. Tyler's brother served his LDS mission in Rome, Italy and the surrounding area and so we had the opportunity to travel back with him and Tyler's parents. However, Ty's brother chose to do it cruise-style so not only did we get to see the beautiful city of Rome, we also made stops in Greece, Malta, Sicily and the Amalfi coast.

The travelling crew outside of the Sultan Ahmed Mosque in Istanbul

We began in Istanbul, Turkey, an exotic place that I have always wanted to visit. This city didn't disappoint, though the government did as an hour after we landed there was a military coup which left us hostage in this beautiful country for three days.

A surreptitious shot of a military tank outside of Ataturk airport

 Though the circumstances were stressful, we kept away from large political gatherings and instead explored the charming and deserted streets. We heard the calls to prayer and took in the breathtaking skyline filled with minarets. The mosques and the minarets made this city very different from other places I have visited. I found them beautiful. The minarets seem so fragile, but the mosques are strong with their large domes and thick stone walls. Many, like the Hagia Sophia and the Sultan Ahmed (Blue) Mosque, have lasted for hundreds and, in the former case, thousands, of years.

That skyline, though

So, the must-sees and must-dos of Istanbul (even in a coup):

• Sulta Ahmed Mosque or Blue Mosque: my favorite cultural site we visited. Stunning inside.
• Hagia Sophia: this place has been around since 537 AD, how can it not be amazing?
• Basilica Cistern: cool, subterranean and ancient, this stored over 21 million gallons of water 
• The Grand Bazaar: where I promptly purchased leather gladiator sandals, an all-seeing eye, and apple herbal tea. And a tile. And a bunch of other presents. And a t-shirt. I love markets.
• Eat baklava: seriously. I've never liked baklava. But then I ate it in Istanbul. Fresh is best!
• Drink apple tea. It's herbal. And good.
• Kebabs, anyone?
• Topkapi Palace: I loved the holy relics display especially, and the beautiful views from the garden. 

Outside of our charming hotel

The Hagia Sophia at night

Grand Bazaar, before I spent all of my money

Inside the Hagia Sophia

 And because the Blue Mosque was my favorite, I went picture crazy. Here were my tops:

The execution could have been a little better on this one...

The Basilica Cistern

Oh kebabs

and Baklava

Istanbul, you are beautiful.