DO NOT COME TO SICILY IF....

Have you ever wondered what brings tourist to the other side of the world just to hang around other tourist?

I truly don't know and it is a controversial theory. On one hand I think that there are far more un-adventurous people who are too keen in feasting around fish and chips in Thailand or pizza Margherita in India than Real travellers who aim to sample the Real essence of the country they are visiting. On the other hand I wonder if this mass-migration of tourists who converge into a particular area or resort actually occurs by pure chance all over the world.

The point is that both myself and my husband feel extremely blessed when we travel to Sicily, where even the most touristy place like Taormina offers the real authentic flavour of Sicily and certainly does not promote Fish and Chips to the Brits, Sausage and Sauerkraut to the Germans and McDonald's to the kids.

This is the evident sign of an unspoilt and authentic culture that is undeniably preserving its own identity.

I am actually writing this post from Thailand as I am on my 5 weeks holiday leave (therefore I apologise for not having updated this blog lately) and after having travelled all over the world – literally - I do get extremely disappointed to see crowds of tourists hanging around westernised environments in South East Asia.

Perhaps this is the down-side of globalization, but I still believe in authenticity and that certain things must be preserved.

In Sicily you won't find big shopping malls but small, often family run boutique shops. You won't find such things like English-style pubs but colourful trattorias and cafes. And if you will be driving around the island independently, you are much less likely to find another co-national if not by pure chance!

So, if you are the kind of tourist who is expecting “your-country-style-menu” and touristy entertainment, please DO NOT come to Sicily!