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Hello From Sicily: My Italian Language Learning Adventure - Exploring The Beauty Of Sicily And Sailing Through The Eolian Islands
Sicily - the name alone conjures up images of an exotic island, a mysterious and fascinating past. I have wanted to explore Italy for some time now since I had not been there for a long, long time, and when I was pondering which region of Italy to explore Sicily came to mind. I figured this island would offer a combination of fascinating history, rich culture, scenic beauty, and an opportunity for a wide variety of activities. One activity I definitely wanted to pursue was to combine my journey with language studies: my earlier language study trips to Havana and Cuernavaca, Mexico, not only got me closer to the Spanish language, but these on-site language learning experiences really allowed me to explore the culture from within.
So this time I was going to focus on learning Italian, and I was able to locate two language schools in Sicily that would both provide a totally different experience and a different way of exploring the island. Armed with no prior knowledge other than having read through an Italian grammar book, I was going to see how much of this beautiful language I would pick up in my three weeks in Sicily.
My first eight days were spent in Taormina, a gorgeous mountain-top town on the eastern side of Sicily, whose main distinguishing feature is an ancient Greco-Roman Theatre that is still in use today. The town itself has to be among the most picturesque destinations anywhere, with its beautiful buildings, narrow streets and passageways and stunning views of Mount Etna and the Mediterranean.
Shortly after my arrival I got to meet the people at the Babilonia Language School where I would be learning Italian for a week and exploring the culture of Sicily. My accommodation was in a lovely 13-room privately owned hotel that has been operated by the Sciglio family for more than 50 years.
Mr. and Mrs. Sciglio are in their mid-eighties and continue to work extremely hard, without even a thought of retirement, and their son Salvatore works with them. In an interview I learned more about the hotel's history and the family's involvement in this business. On the second day I joined my first guided excursion with the Babilonia language school: a guided hike to the ancient village of Castelmola which was followed by a tasting of Sicilian delicacies in a local bistro.
My first weekend in Sicily promised to be great: an excursion to the ancient town of Siracusa and an exploration of the gorgeous coastline just east of Taormina, including the town of Mazzaro and Isola Bella. The following Monday was my first day of language studies: first we went through the placement test, and then we had our first lesson which included some unique yet effective teaching methods. The next day was May 1, Italian Labour Day and a national holiday: a perfect opportunity to rent a car and drive into the countryside surrounding Mount Etna, Europe's largest volcano, which by the way, had erupted the night before.
The next day it was back to school, and Alessandro, the director of the Babilonia language school, gave me a personal history lesson about Sicily and also explained the origins of that famous Sicilian institution, the Mafia, to me in detail. That evening I joined in a cooking class in a private home offered by the language school. I was going to see first-hand how a real multi-course Italian meal was prepared, using authentic, locally grown ingredients. And of course, I would have a chance to taste the finished delicacies afterwards and partake of a nice meal with other language students and the local Ferrari family.
My language studies the next day were followed by a visit to a local pottery painting artist, as Babilonia also offers pottery decoration courses, in addition to hiking, biking, golfing and diving programs. Perched on the rooftop patio of a Taormina hotel, with a perfect view of an ancient palazzo right next to Mount Etna, I learned about Sicilian pottery painting techniques. In the late afternoon I joined another excursion to hike up the southern flanks of Mount Etna. A visit to a winery and a nice dinner followed.
Then I had reached my last day in beautiful Taormina and after my final language lessons it was time to say goodbye to the folks at Babilonia, and to my co-students, whom I had gotten quite fond of. With the exception of the occasionally grey and drizzly weather, my experience in Taormina had been great: the language learning, the interesting excursions and activities and the interaction with my international co-students had been a really great experience. I was a bit sad to leave Taormina where I had gotten so comfortable.
But a new adventure was about to begin: I took the train to Milazzo on the northeastern side of Sicily, where the next day I would embark on a seven-day sailing trip through the beautiful Eolian Islands, offered by Laboratorio Linguistico, a Milazzo-based Italian language school. After meeting some of my six shipmates, who were really cool by the way, we were off on our sailboat, the 4 cabin "Solitaire II", to our first destination: the island of Lipari, the largest of the Eolian Islands, and an extremely scenic place.
Our expert skipper Francesco, a licensed captain, also happened to be the co-owner of the language school, and one of our two resident language teachers on this sailing trip. After Lipari we continued our sailing trip to Salina, a neighbouring island, where three of us went on a driving tour to see local villages and also the house where "Il Postino" was filmed. An Italian lesson on the backyard patio of a bar was our first introduction to Laboratorio Lingustico's language teaching program. Of course Francesco and Franco, our second teacher and co-owner of the school, conducted all conversations during the entire sailing trip in Italian only, which allowed us to be fully immersed in the language all the time. After we had nourished our brains, a Sicilian seafood feast capped off our second day on the boat.
On the third day we set sail for the island of Stromboli, which is still an active volcano. The town of Stromboli features such narrow streets that they are impassable to regular vehicles. No wonder the local "carabinieri" (Italian police officers) have to ride in golf carts.
After a somewhat turbulent late-night voyage from Stromboli to Panarea we arrived late and anchored in a bay off the island. On a gorgeous morning the next day we first had another language lesson - where else but on the outdoor patio of a bar in Panarea, surrounded by gorgeous sunshine and beautiful flowers. Panarea is an extremely photogenic destination and offered great opportunities for hobby photographers like me.
Our voyage continued to Lipari again where we would end an eventful day with a scrumptious outdoor feast on the main square. The next day three of us went on a driving tour of this beautiful island and from the south end we already saw our next destination: the island of Vulcano, which also features an active volcano. We anchored in a bay off this island, enjoyed some Italian lessons on the boat and after a delicious on-board dinner, our shipmates Franco, a gifted guitar player, and Agnieszka, a talented singer, entertained us with soulful melodies by candlelight on the back of the boat - magical moments that I will not forget for a long time.
Then our final day on the boat arrived: we hiked up to the "Gran Cratere", the active crater of Vulcano. Yellow rocks and thick clouds of sulphur announced that the forces of geology were indeed active right underneath our feet. And the view from the top over the six other Eolian Islands was breathtaking. After another Italian lesson on an outdoor patio overlooking the Mediterranean we had to say goodbye to the Eolian Islands and start to head back to Milazzo.
Just as I thought our 7 day sailing trip would come to an anticlimactic end, one of my shipmates announced "DOLPHINS!!!", and indeed four of these playful sea creatures were accompanying our sailboat, jumping in and out of the water, and having fun with us. The excitement continued when we ended up catching three tunas on a fishing line we had been dragging behind our boat. The following decapitation and evisceration scene though was a bit hard on my tender vegetarian soul...
So we had reached land, and to celebrate the conclusion of a wonderful sailing trip and one of my shipmates' birthdays we enjoyed another big Sicilian feast in Capo di Milazzo. The next day, we had a chance to relax a bit in our five-bedroom apartment conveniently located above the Laboratorio Linguistico Language School and do simple things like laundry and sit on the balcony. Franco, our language teacher took us on a guided walk of Milazzo which features a huge fortification that dates back more than 1000 years.
After saying goodbye to my roommate Claudia I spent my final Sunday in Sicily in the picturesque medieval town of Cefalu, about a two-hour train ride from Milazzo. That city's medieval core and huge Norman cathedral together with the ruins of an ancient castle on top of the rock that towers over the town left me with many vibrant treasured memories. Now I only had two full days left in Sicily.
Following a tour of the Milazzo headquarters of Laboratorio Linguistico I went on a country excursion into the surrounding Nebrodi Mountains with my two Italian teachers Francesco and Franco. We visited the Rocks of Agrimusco, a cluster of mysterious-looking rocks on a high plateau with a gorgeous view of Mount Etna. Then we headed into the hilltop town of Montalbano Elicona, an authentic small Sicilian town, completely untouched by tourism. I finally had a chance to snap some pictures of the locals who love to congregate next to the church and discuss important issues of the day.
My final day in Sicily had arrived - I had to say goodbye to the great team at Laboratorio Linguistico and board the bus towards Messina and from there to Catania from where I would catch a plane in the early morning the next day. After my arrival in the late afternoon I had a chance to briefly explore this city, the second-largest city in Sicily, and get ready for my flight home.
On this trip I found out that Sicily is gorgeous, and a visit in the late spring around April / May is perfect since everything is in full bloom and the hoards of tourists do not really arrive until June, July and August. Sicily has remained amazingly authentic and is fortunately free of many of the signs of mass tourism that mar other Mediterranean coastlines.
Taormina and the Eolian Islands are all stunning destinations, but the Sicilian hinterland in itself holds many hidden treasures. The history, architecture, culture and scenic beauty are astounding. And seafood lovers will definitely fall in love with this destination.
I myself really enjoyed the language learning experience at Babilonia and Laboratorio Linguistico - as a matter of fact, my three weeks in Italy took me all the way up to Intermediate level and when I came back I was quite capable of communicating fairly competently in this new language.
The people were great: the staff at both language schools was very helpful and knowledgeable, and the interaction with my co-students from all different countries was a real treat. Our crew on the sailboat in particular came together really nicely and some close personal bonds had developed after this experience.
Without a doubt, language study travel is one of the best forms of travel in my opinion, giving you the chance to learn, to expand your mind, and to really discover the local culture. And without a doubt I'll be back in Sicily - this fascinating island has so much more to explore.
This entire article including photos is located at http://www.travelandtransitions.com/stories_photos/sicily_2007.htm
About the Author
Susanne Pacher is the publisher of
http://www.travelandtransitions.com
, a web portal for unconventional travel & cross-cultural connections. Check out our brand new
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Bhalessa - The Next Hub For Tourism
BHALESSA - A HUB OF TOURISM
Bhalessa has a rich history. The area derived its name from the people inhibited in the area "Bhalay Loug" (The immaculate people with perfect destiny). The history of Bhalessa is much old and dates back as early as 200 B.C. and reveloves around the time when the revered Buddhist scholar Nagsena was invited to a discussion by king Mender in his palace at Sakla, some where in Kishtwar. In the discussions Nagsena replied all the questions of the king who then embraced Buddhism and became king Milinda. Nagsena recorded the discussion in "Millinda Panha" a Pali Treatise (article) on the fundamental principles of Buddhist philosophy.
The Bhalessa was initially linked with Bhaderwah and was known as Bhaderwah Jagir and was known to be distributed into 15 tharas or administrative units. The total area of Bhaderwah Jagir (including Bhalessa etc) was 533 sq. miles which included some parts of Udhampur District. On the recommendations of Private Domain Assimilation Committee, the status of Bhadarwah Jagir ended in 1930 A.D. Consequently Bhadarwah became a tehsil of Udhampur District in 1931 and the area was reduced to 213 sq. miles only. The earliest mention of the place is traced from Rajatarangni around (1112-20 A.D.)
After establishment of District Headquarter Doda, Bhadarwah was made a tehsil of this District including Bhalessa as a Niabet. Consequent upon reorganization of District and Tehsils, in 1981 Naibat Thathri and Niabat Bhalessa of Bhadarwah Tehsil also became full fledged Tehsils in. Tehsil Thathri and Tehsil Gandoh were carved out of Sub- Division Bhaderwah. District Doda had one Sub-District Ramban, two Sub-Divisions namely Kishtwar and Bhaderwah. But now as Ramban and Kishtwar have been upgraded as Districts, Tehsil Bhalessa has been upgraded as Sub-Division.
Bhalessa is inhabited by Muslim majority and more than one third of the total population constitutes Hinddu minority. Bhalessa is known for its age old traditional communal harmony. The people generally dominate working class and are inhibiting the area without any political mileage. The two communities continue to live together in the same villages in relative peace. Owing to the commitment and mutual understanding of the Hindu Muslim secular heritage the nefarious designs has been wiped and local inhabitants diverted their attention towards the higher objectives. That is why Bhalessa has now emerged as a hub of higher education, the tattering educational affairs has been altered, there is a rising tide in the sphere of education in Bhalessa. The setting up of a Government Degree College at Kilhotran is another feather to its cap. Internally Bhalessa is divided into several zones which includes Khal Jugasar, Chanti, Neeli, Gandoh, Jitota, Pingal, Chilly and Basnota. It is beyond the doubt that both the communities of the area are living with amity and are competing with the people of the rest of the state.In addition it is known for its well-known and renowned personalities dominating each and every sector of the state and the country. An epitome of peace and brotherhood late Gh. Rasool Azad is a key figure among them. He along with his associated fraternity, which includes, Nil Kanth Parihar, Ab. Aziz Butt, Mir Munwer Din, Mohd shafi Mattoo, Prof. Ummer Din, Munshi Ram Chand Parihar, Habib Malik and many more, contributed a lot for the maintenance of secular heritage of Bhalessa. Besides this, the tattering educational affairs of the area was shaped by the then Director Education Ghulam Rasool Azad an eminent personality of the area who heads the educational cap of the area. Packed with outstanding achievements, Ghulam Rasool Azad left no stone unturned to give a face-lift to the education system of the area. But it was all in the early nineties due to abrupt of militancy in the state which also raised its ugly head in the Bhalessa area, the dream of Late G. R. Azad to built Bhalessa a hub of Education was struggling for its recognition. Though the communal harmony and brotherhood among the two communities remained unaffected yet it marked its great influence in the education sector of the area which suffered a lot as almost all the School buildings, Govt. establishments etc. were raised to ashes by the then revolutionars. Then it was only when some youths led by Mr. Mohd. Ayoub Zargar got together to think of ways in which they could play a role in the development of education in hilly terrain of Bhalessa Doda of J&K state. These young people shared the belief that education will play a significant role in maintaining the old age communal harmony in the area in addition will be an effective catalyst for social and economic change in the area. Thus, an organization with the status of an NGO was formulated with the name of Educational, Environmental, Social, Sports and cultural Society with the aim to promote the educational standard of the area besides strengthening the communal hormony. The same was then registered with the Registrar of the Societies, under Registration act VI of 1998 (1941 A.D.) and thanks to this organization the area flourished a lot in almost all walks of life and still this NGO is playing a key role in the development of the area.
Geographically Bhalessa is one of the most remote and inaccessible parts of Distt. Doda. Expanding its boundaries with Kishtwar, Thathri, Bhaderwah and also exchanges the border with Chamba in Himachal Pradesh. Bhalessa is sprawling over a vast area, topographically mountainous and is vegetated by dense forests. The area of the district under forest cover is also very vast. Bhalessa being hilly one, suffers adequately in respect of infrastructure facilities namely power, trade and commerce, communication as well as availability of modern skills. The scenario of non agriculture sector is also weak. Tourism sector in this area has a lot of potential but is unexplored and abandoned.
The meadows like Kanthi, Soin Bhagar, Roharhi, Dagan, Bal Padri, etc. of the area are extremely beautiful and have tremendous tourism potential. All the area is mountainous, and has umpteen numbers of trekking routes which pass through places with unbelievable captivating scenic beauty. The dense Forest cover all around these meadows and enroute adds to their scenic beauty. Hitherto no person in the echelons of power had ever thought of development of this remote and backward area of the state. Forget the other sectors in the area, while traveling from Thathri to Gandoh by road, one can imagine how government had been working for the upliftment of the people of the area. Full of awe wannabe mountains and having a huge potential of tourism industry here. The narrow road passed all its way through slopes of towering hills thronging up a considerable amount of cloud and dust. However, it is worthwhile to mention here that the road widening though only 30 Km from Thathri to Gandoh, on this track was a difficult and finance consuming that no one could have bothered to think of its widening before that. Azad received accolades for this high heeded task. Now this road is in the process of up gradation which when completed, will make road journey from Thathri to Gandoh shorter and more convenient.
One more sector which is yet to be explored in this district is its tourism potential. Although a number of tourism development authorities have been created to explore the hidden treasures of the state and also that of erstwhile district Doda, yet Bhalessa area remain unnoticed so far. The meadows of the area are god gifted landscapes full of tourism potential. There are vast natural meadows surrounded by the lush green Deodars and Kails. Beauty of the place is no way less then Gulmarg which has an international recognition. The area has been gifted by narrow rivers with potential for power sector. The old mosque and a temple on the sides and numerous hot and cold springs in and around the slopes of the mountains add in the scene of its beauty. Every one from erstwhile Doda District wants to visit this enthralling place at least once. School children from far off places choose these places for their excursions and annual picnics. Though it takes hardly few hours to track these charming places to shed ones anxieties and boreness their, but all these have remained a dream for the trekkers and tourists, as the area is a neglected gift of nature, as there is no infrastructure and residential quarters etc in and around the site for tourists to stay in and rest.
As the former CM, Azad belongs to the Bhalessa area and was well aware of the topography of this extremely beautiful valley with tremendous tourism potential. He was of the view that a separate development authority for the areas would help in developing the area and thus attracting more tourists. As a first measure the boost the tourism in the area Tourism Development Authority in Bhaderwah was established and then the concrete measures had to be carriedf for constructing motorable roads connecting Bhalessa with Bhaderwah and subsequently, tourist huts and other facilities would be raised there. Several projects thus have been taken by the, then Azad led Govt., like Kahara Jai Road approved with sum of Rs. 20.78 crore under the Central Road Fund (CRF) Scheme. This road will connect village Kahara in Bhalessa area with Jai in Bhaderwah passing through the villages of Malanu, Gugara, Bittola, Kencha, Bagdair, Halaran, Budhi, Joura and Shamdalian before entering the picturesque meadows of Jai in Bhaderwah thus opening up avenues of development for people of all these villages. Besides this Gondoh- Chinta road is also taken which will provide an alternative link with Bhaderwah. Not stoping here, the Gowari- Khaljugasar road was taken for the execution and this road will just lead to the lap of the beautiful meadows of Dagan, Jashoo, Ruhari, Beghar and many more which then will be a single step to cross.The place is now a comfortable base for trekkers and mountaineers, on their way to the Great Himalayas. Bus services from all major towns such as Kishtwar, Doda, Bhaderwah and Jammu connect Bhalessa with the rest of the state. Tiny patches of wheat and mustard, like patchwork quilts, straddled the edge of the stream that rushed down from the snow-capped peaks in the distance with an irrepressible passion to merge into the Chenab beyond. Weather-beaten Gujjer and Bakkarwal men, with their hennaed beards and loosely wound turbans,are often seen to led flocks of hairy mountain buffalos, sheeps and goats which add to the beauty of the amiable meadows. Their children and womenfolk followed after them, driving mules laden with pots, pans and bedding their mobile homes.
And as the tourism sector of this area remained unexplored and abandoned only because of lackadaisical attitude of different successive governments in the past. And now as the new coalition government headed by chief minister Omar Abdullah is ruling the state after change of guard, people of the area expect that they will not have to wait for the development and the completion of on going projects especially roads in the area for a number of years more or so. The development of area in the road sector will revolutionize the adventure tourism in this area. Only the bold efforts and concrete actions are required in this direction to look after the scenic beauties to rejuvenate the social fabric and tourism industry of the area in particular and hence of the state in general.
Prof. (Dr.) Ashiq Hussain
R/O Vill. Kakoo, Teh. Gandoh (Bhalessa),
Distt. Doda (J & K) - 182203
C/O Deptt. Of Chemistry,
Govt Degree College Kishtwar
Teh. & Distt. Kishtwar, J & K.
Email. drashiqhussain@rediffmail.com
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