The More You Weigh, the Harder You are to Kidnap - Sicily
Restful June days in Giardini Naxos, a serene Sicilian seaside resort.
The A-frame sign on the footpath says ~
“The more you weigh, the harder you are to kidnap. So stay safe - eat Sicilian food and our Icecream"
and is enough to draw me inside. With dinner only 3 hours away, a light lunch of a simple salad and a glass of wine is all I am seeking. Whilst I shouldn't add too much to my girth with this light meal, which does put me at risk of kidnapping, the sense of fun of this restaurant, on Via Jannuzzo in beautiful Giardini Naxos in Sicily, is attractive.
A tall, handsome waiter welcomes me and ushers me to a table of my choosing. He hands me a menu. I promptly order a Caprese Salad and a glass of white wine and am soon relaxing whilst watching a mix of locals and other tourists making their way up this quiet street of a tourist precinct. My hotel, the Hilton Giardini Naxos is immediately across the road, making it ideally located among a number of eateries.
My morning had been spent on the beach on the other side of the hotel. I enjoyed a relaxed start to the day, eventually removing myself from a soft mattress and pillows which gave the feeling of sleeping on clouds. I just managed to get to the Dining Room in time before the 10 am close of breakfast. Back to my room to pop on my bikini before I headed down to the private beach attached to the Hotel. For the cost of 17 euros, I hired a towel, sun lounge and umbrella, to be set up on the coarse sand and pebble beach.
With the temperature around 28 degrees and a brilliant blue sky, there were already a number of people reclined on their lounges as the attendant set me up in the front row. I enjoyed laying in the sun for about an hour before deciding to tackle the pebbly course to the water. I had noticed how others had precariously walked into the sea struggling underfoot. With the heightened sensitivity in my feet from suffering Guillain Barre Syndrome some 11 years previous, I didn't look forward to walking the gauntlet from the safety of my sun lounge to the crystal clear ocean.
Wow! I was swimming in the cool, azure blue Ionian Sea, off a Sicilian beach, with Mt Etna as the backdrop!
With plenty of oohs, aahs, and ouches under my breath, I eventually found myself deep enough to dive in. The water was refreshingly cool and I was soon floating on my back wallowing in glory. Looking around me I was uplifted by the sight of Mt Etna, one of the world's most active volcanoes, steaming peacefully in the distance. Wow, that was simply superb; what an amazing experience. I felt truly blessed and reminded of my motto of 'the best things in life aren't things.'
I reach for the olive oil and balsamic vinegar as my Caprese Salad is placed in front of me by the waiter who now introduces himself as Roberto. Reading the labels, I can see the olive oil is produced and bottled here in Sicily. The balsamic vinegar is from Modena, in the food bowl region of Emilia-Romagna in the North of Italy, famous for not only balsamic vinegar but more so as the home of Ferrari. My mind drifts back to this time last year when I was in Modena and visited a producer of authentic traditional artisan balsamic vinegar and also the Galleria Ferrari - the ultimate Ferrari Museum.
As I pour the oil and vinegar liberally on my fresh tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, oregano and basil, I know I'm in for a healthy and satisfying meal. I'm not disappointed. The local white wine complements the Caprese Salad superbly and, with some extra conversation with Roberto, my afternoon is complete.
Cafe Sikelia Winebar and Restaurant is the perfect venue to relax in for a few hours. The staff are professional and attentive without being intrusive. The seating and table sizes are adequate, the décor classy and the free WiFi means I can catch up with the outside world and spend time writing. Oh, I'm in heaven. I love my life!
Cafe Sikelia Winebar and Restaurant
Via Jannuzzo 12
98035 Giardini Naxos, Sicily, Italy
