Travel
Hello From Sicily – Language Studies
by admin on Sep.15, 2009, under Travel
With the images from my beautiful excursion around Mount Etna still etched freshly in my mind, I got ready for another day of Italian studies at the Babilonia Language School. After a relaxing breakfast on the scenic terrace of the Hotel Villa Nettuno, admiring the gorgeous view over the Ionian Sea, I was prepared for another day of school..
Punctually at 9:30 am our lesson started and our language teacher Carlo taught us the intricacies of Italian pronouns and prepositions. These are always complex topics in any language, but with all the exceptions to the rules, Italian has definitely introduced a few additional complexities. I really enjoyed Carlo’s teaching style because he provides feedback and corrections in a consistent but humorous way. After some grammar practice we got to apply what we had just learned, so we closed our books and Carlo threw sentences at us that we had to put into the correct grammatical form.
Just before noon I sat down with Alessandro Adorno, the founder and director of the Babilonia Language School. He had invited me to have a typical Sicilian treat: a “granita” – refreshing ice with a taste of lemon, orange, peach, strawberry, melon, coffee or various other flavourings. We sat down on the sunny terrace outside the “Mambar” and each enjoyed a granita, accompanied by a sweet brioche, a favourite breakfast for Sicilians. The brioche is dipped into the ice-cold granita and savoured with each bite. Alessandro explained that granitas are consumed at all times of day, as breakfast, as a snack and a dessert. He also explained that Italians usually only drink cappuccino for breakfast while tourists will have cappuccino at all sorts of other times of day.
We started to talk about the specialty courses that Babilonia offers: programs that include hiking, biking, diving, golfing, cooking and pottery offer additional challenges and rewards to language students. Alessandro pointed out that hiking often happens in very small groups or even one-on-one which provides a very intense nature experience. The cooking courses take place with local families and really give students a great taste of Silician home cooking which always uses high-quality fresh local ingredients to create an aromatic dish. During the lesson the students help with the food preparation, and afterwards the meal is enjoyed with the local family, providing many more opportunities for cultural and linguistic immersion and a reason to actively communicate.
I also commented that the local merchants and restaurateurs that I had met were surprisingly friendly and willing to chat with foreigners. Alessandro indicated that this is generally their nature, and the fact that it is not high season yet makes it easier to communicate with the locals. He mentioned that in the summer time when Taormina gets really busy, many of the merchants are taxed to the limits with work and there is less time or opportunity to communicate.
Alessandro explained that Taormina is a favourite tourist destination, and the Greek Theatre is a definite tourist draw. He explained that Taormina Arte is a local arts organization that brings art, theatre, music and dance programs into town during the summer months. World-renowned musicians such as Peter Gabriel, Alanis Morissette, James Taylor or the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra are all artists that have played in Taormina’s famous ancient theatre. Many other events are held for free in different venues throughout town.
I learned that Taormina first became famous in the 1800s when writers such as Johann Wolfgang Goethe, Guy de Maupassant or D.H. Lawrence visited this picturesque place. Alexander von Humboldt, the famous German natural scientist and explorer discovered Taormina already in the late 1700s. I mentioned to Alessandro that in my recent travels in the last few years I had stumbled across Alexander von Humboldt several times: first in Havana, then in Taxco – Mexico and most recently on the Canary island of Tenerife. Somehow unknowingly I had been following some of the footsteps of this famous historic world traveler.
There was one particular topic that I wanted to learn more about: not unpredictably I wanted to get a more in-depth understanding of this renowned Sicilian organization: the Mafia. Alessandro has extensive knowledge of history, politics and social science and started explaining that in southern Italy’s agricultural south a feudal power structure ruled by the aristocracy prevailed for centuries. These feudal landowners put in charge so-called “campieri” where managed their “latifundios” or large estates. The campieri were in charge of checking and managing the territory, administering justice and they were given absolute power as well as weapons for enforcement. Usually “justice” was determined on the spot and arbitrarily, without any kind of due process or court proceedings.
The vast majority of the population were absolutely poor, had no education, held many superstitious beliefs and had a deeply engrained fear of “the system”. This feudal administrative and enforcement system represented the beginnings of the Mafia which over the last 150 years or so has evolved into an international business organization which includes such things as drugs, weapons, prostitution, various illegal rackets, gambling and often the misappropriation of public funds. The Mafia today not only exists in Italy, but throughout Europe and North America. Organized crime from other sources such as Russian or Asia is also often referred to as “mafia” although this term did indeed originate in Sicily.
Alessandro enlightened me about the phenomenal economic significance of the Mafia and gave me a simple numeric example related to the drug trade: if of the roughly 60 million Italians 1 million has a drug problem that might require 100 Euros a day, this would result in a daily revenue of 100 million or 3 billion Euros on a monthly basis. Annualized this works out to 36 billion Euros just for Italy and numbers of similar magnitudes would have to be added up for the various other nations in the European Union. To this would be added the revenue from all the other branches of organized crime. Given these numbers I was no longer surprised when Alessandro referred to the Mafia as a “company”.
I learned that the Mafia comprises a large network of people in a hierarchical structure: from the frontline drug pushers and enforcers to drug and arms wholesalers to politicians and lawyers who, according to Alessandro, make up the “educated Mafia”, to bankers and financiers who generate and move money at the highest national and international levels. The Mafia is an intricate organization with tentacles in many cities, regions and countries across the world.
Historically the Mafia spread from Sicily, starting in the late 1800s when a lot of Sicilians emigrated to the United States. They were looking for new opportunities and ways to escape the ancient feudal system, but brought many of the old ways of doing things with them. In many ways the Italian Mafia in the United States became better organized and looked for new business opportunities. The Prohibition Era of the 1920s and 1930s became a fertile ground for profitable, yet illicit business activities that involved bootlegging of prohibited alcohol, prostitution and a variety of other illegal activities.
The Sicilian Mafia also played a key role at the end of World War II: the Allies wanted to organize a landing, one in the north near Dunkirk, and one in the south in Sicily. Alessandro explained that accordingly to recently discovered documents, former members of the CIA contacted US Mafiosi to get the Sicilian Mafia to help with the Allied Landing. With the help of the Mafia, the incursion of Allied forces in southern Italy near Syracuse indeed went very smoothly and there were no major battles until Montecassino south of Rome on the Italian mainland.
The Allies freed Sicily and removed the Italian fascist mayors and instead installed mayors and administrators with Mafia connections. In this manner Mafiosi were given access to powerful political and public positions after World War II, a situation that still occurs to some degree today. After the War, the US often supported Mafiosi candidates in local elections against the prevailing Communist candidates, and this created a situation were Mafia-linked candidates were often thoroughly entrenched in local and regional politics. As a result, public money is sometimes misappropriated for illicit purposes.
Alessandro has a thorough understanding of Italian history and the connections were fascinating. He also suggested that I drop by tonight at a cooking class organized by Babilonia, an offer I was definitely planning to take him up on.
By: Susanne Pacher
About the Author:
Punctually at 9:30 am our lesson started and our language teacher Carlo taught us the intricacies of Italian pronouns and prepositions. These are always complex topics in any language, but with all the exceptions to the rules, Italian has definitely introduced a few additional complexities. I really enjoyed Carlo’s teaching style because he provides feedback and corrections in a consistent but humorous way. After some grammar practice we got to apply what we had just learned, so we closed our books and Carlo threw sentences at us that we had to put into the correct grammatical form.
Just before noon I sat down with Alessandro Adorno, the founder and director of the Babilonia Language School. He had invited me to have a typical Sicilian treat: a “granita” – refreshing ice with a taste of lemon, orange, peach, strawberry, melon, coffee or various other flavourings. We sat down on the sunny terrace outside the “Mambar” and each enjoyed a granita, accompanied by a sweet brioche, a favourite breakfast for Sicilians. The brioche is dipped into the ice-cold granita and savoured with each bite. Alessandro explained that granitas are consumed at all times of day, as breakfast, as a snack and a dessert. He also explained that Italians usually only drink cappuccino for breakfast while tourists will have cappuccino at all sorts of other times of day.
We started to talk about the specialty courses that Babilonia offers: programs that include hiking, biking, diving, golfing, cooking and pottery offer additional challenges and rewards to language students. Alessandro pointed out that hiking often happens in very small groups or even one-on-one which provides a very intense nature experience. The cooking courses take place with local families and really give students a great taste of Silician home cooking which always uses high-quality fresh local ingredients to create an aromatic dish. During the lesson the students help with the food preparation, and afterwards the meal is enjoyed with the local family, providing many more opportunities for cultural and linguistic immersion and a reason to actively communicate.
I also commented that the local merchants and restaurateurs that I had met were surprisingly friendly and willing to chat with foreigners. Alessandro indicated that this is generally their nature, and the fact that it is not high season yet makes it easier to communicate with the locals. He mentioned that in the summer time when Taormina gets really busy, many of the merchants are taxed to the limits with work and there is less time or opportunity to communicate.
Alessandro explained that Taormina is a favourite tourist destination, and the Greek Theatre is a definite tourist draw. He explained that Taormina Arte is a local arts organization that brings art, theatre, music and dance programs into town during the summer months. World-renowned musicians such as Peter Gabriel, Alanis Morissette, James Taylor or the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra are all artists that have played in Taormina’s famous ancient theatre. Many other events are held for free in different venues throughout town.
I learned that Taormina first became famous in the 1800s when writers such as Johann Wolfgang Goethe, Guy de Maupassant or D.H. Lawrence visited this picturesque place. Alexander von Humboldt, the famous German natural scientist and explorer discovered Taormina already in the late 1700s. I mentioned to Alessandro that in my recent travels in the last few years I had stumbled across Alexander von Humboldt several times: first in Havana, then in Taxco – Mexico and most recently on the Canary island of Tenerife. Somehow unknowingly I had been following some of the footsteps of this famous historic world traveler.
There was one particular topic that I wanted to learn more about: not unpredictably I wanted to get a more in-depth understanding of this renowned Sicilian organization: the Mafia. Alessandro has extensive knowledge of history, politics and social science and started explaining that in southern Italy’s agricultural south a feudal power structure ruled by the aristocracy prevailed for centuries. These feudal landowners put in charge so-called “campieri” where managed their “latifundios” or large estates. The campieri were in charge of checking and managing the territory, administering justice and they were given absolute power as well as weapons for enforcement. Usually “justice” was determined on the spot and arbitrarily, without any kind of due process or court proceedings.
The vast majority of the population were absolutely poor, had no education, held many superstitious beliefs and had a deeply engrained fear of “the system”. This feudal administrative and enforcement system represented the beginnings of the Mafia which over the last 150 years or so has evolved into an international business organization which includes such things as drugs, weapons, prostitution, various illegal rackets, gambling and often the misappropriation of public funds. The Mafia today not only exists in Italy, but throughout Europe and North America. Organized crime from other sources such as Russian or Asia is also often referred to as “mafia” although this term did indeed originate in Sicily.
Alessandro enlightened me about the phenomenal economic significance of the Mafia and gave me a simple numeric example related to the drug trade: if of the roughly 60 million Italians 1 million has a drug problem that might require 100 Euros a day, this would result in a daily revenue of 100 million or 3 billion Euros on a monthly basis. Annualized this works out to 36 billion Euros just for Italy and numbers of similar magnitudes would have to be added up for the various other nations in the European Union. To this would be added the revenue from all the other branches of organized crime. Given these numbers I was no longer surprised when Alessandro referred to the Mafia as a “company”.
I learned that the Mafia comprises a large network of people in a hierarchical structure: from the frontline drug pushers and enforcers to drug and arms wholesalers to politicians and lawyers who, according to Alessandro, make up the “educated Mafia”, to bankers and financiers who generate and move money at the highest national and international levels. The Mafia is an intricate organization with tentacles in many cities, regions and countries across the world.
Historically the Mafia spread from Sicily, starting in the late 1800s when a lot of Sicilians emigrated to the United States. They were looking for new opportunities and ways to escape the ancient feudal system, but brought many of the old ways of doing things with them. In many ways the Italian Mafia in the United States became better organized and looked for new business opportunities. The Prohibition Era of the 1920s and 1930s became a fertile ground for profitable, yet illicit business activities that involved bootlegging of prohibited alcohol, prostitution and a variety of other illegal activities.
The Sicilian Mafia also played a key role at the end of World War II: the Allies wanted to organize a landing, one in the north near Dunkirk, and one in the south in Sicily. Alessandro explained that accordingly to recently discovered documents, former members of the CIA contacted US Mafiosi to get the Sicilian Mafia to help with the Allied Landing. With the help of the Mafia, the incursion of Allied forces in southern Italy near Syracuse indeed went very smoothly and there were no major battles until Montecassino south of Rome on the Italian mainland.
The Allies freed Sicily and removed the Italian fascist mayors and instead installed mayors and administrators with Mafia connections. In this manner Mafiosi were given access to powerful political and public positions after World War II, a situation that still occurs to some degree today. After the War, the US often supported Mafiosi candidates in local elections against the prevailing Communist candidates, and this created a situation were Mafia-linked candidates were often thoroughly entrenched in local and regional politics. As a result, public money is sometimes misappropriated for illicit purposes.
Alessandro has a thorough understanding of Italian history and the connections were fascinating. He also suggested that I drop by tonight at a cooking class organized by Babilonia, an offer I was definitely planning to take him up on.
By: Susanne Pacher
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
http://www.chatotex.com/
Sicily travel guide
by admin on Sep.13, 2009, under Travel
Sicily has made an indelible mark on the European traveling scene. Is it because of the Volcano that is still burning, or is it because of the rich cultural heritage that the city carries? The European experience has been adorned by the Italian influence. The Greek domination has left such marks on the settlements around Rome and rest of Italy including Greece and Sicily that it has become next to impossible to miss it. The roman leftovers are grand enough to attract the historians as well as the tourists.
Sicily is one of the most sought after destinations in Italy. The tourism advantage that Sicily can give is just an added feature. The reason for this is that it is essentially a culturally charged city. The city has in itself treasured the exploits of the second Great War as well as the ancient historical facts that a significant part of world history. The city holds a distinct aura as differentiable as its language, which is a mixture of many nearby languages. The Mediterranean influence on the place can be felt by the cuisine that is served in its lavishly decorated restaurants.
Sicily holds a unique history that is flanked by the exploits and rule of many dynasties. The geographical location of the place gives a very wrong picture of it being part of the Italian rule. Though it is now a part of Italy but its origin and history is different from that of Italy. The main land of Sicily is separated from the Italian land and thus it finds many indigenous people living in it. How ever it has been a favorite of almost all the empires. The Carthage, the Greeks and the Normans fought over the land too much and it saw the changing the hands. Rome was finally the victor and they ruled it for a long time. Then in the late 19th century Italy took over the control. However the impact of mafia on the island is too much and large part of the land is still under its influence. The city also has the honor of perpetrating the mafia concept.
The Greek and the roman influence on the city can be seen by the architecture that is seen around the city. The enormous size of the cathedrals and platforms dazzles the mind of the visitors. The Sicilian backdrop has been used by many film makers and performers. The sheer grandeur of the roman and Greek constructions makes it one of the most sought after destination in southern Europe.
Mount Etna is one of the volcanoes that is still active apart from being the tallest in Europe. The rich thick forest cover around the Etna region is an added attraction to the tourists. Apart from the seldom traffic problems and delays in flights and trains, the city offers a vista of traveling experiences.
The city is easy to approach, as it is a part of most of eastern and southern European tours. The individual visit can also be a good idea. From romanticism of the mafia to the raw power of nature Sicily has it all.
By: Mansi Gupta
About the Author:
Sicily is one of the most sought after destinations in Italy. The tourism advantage that Sicily can give is just an added feature. The reason for this is that it is essentially a culturally charged city. The city has in itself treasured the exploits of the second Great War as well as the ancient historical facts that a significant part of world history. The city holds a distinct aura as differentiable as its language, which is a mixture of many nearby languages. The Mediterranean influence on the place can be felt by the cuisine that is served in its lavishly decorated restaurants.
Sicily holds a unique history that is flanked by the exploits and rule of many dynasties. The geographical location of the place gives a very wrong picture of it being part of the Italian rule. Though it is now a part of Italy but its origin and history is different from that of Italy. The main land of Sicily is separated from the Italian land and thus it finds many indigenous people living in it. How ever it has been a favorite of almost all the empires. The Carthage, the Greeks and the Normans fought over the land too much and it saw the changing the hands. Rome was finally the victor and they ruled it for a long time. Then in the late 19th century Italy took over the control. However the impact of mafia on the island is too much and large part of the land is still under its influence. The city also has the honor of perpetrating the mafia concept.
The Greek and the roman influence on the city can be seen by the architecture that is seen around the city. The enormous size of the cathedrals and platforms dazzles the mind of the visitors. The Sicilian backdrop has been used by many film makers and performers. The sheer grandeur of the roman and Greek constructions makes it one of the most sought after destination in southern Europe.
Mount Etna is one of the volcanoes that is still active apart from being the tallest in Europe. The rich thick forest cover around the Etna region is an added attraction to the tourists. Apart from the seldom traffic problems and delays in flights and trains, the city offers a vista of traveling experiences.
The city is easy to approach, as it is a part of most of eastern and southern European tours. The individual visit can also be a good idea. From romanticism of the mafia to the raw power of nature Sicily has it all.
By: Mansi Gupta
About the Author:
Mansi gupta writes about. sicily travel Learn more at . http://www.destinationsicily.com
http://www.chatotex.com/
Where To Find The Best Low Cost Car Hire
by admin on May.15, 2009, under Travel
Michael J Lee asked:
Remember when looking for low car hire on the internet you will need to select your vehicle and put in some additional information such as the dates you would like to pick the car and a preferred destination in Spain. You will need to make some comparisons with lots of other low cost car hire companies who are advertising their low cost cars that are available in Spain. When you have found a company which offers low cost car hire that looks attractive and is highly competitive do not forget to put it in your favourites on your computer. This is for reference purposes as you may wish to go back to it again at a later stage to either confirm the booking or to book low cost car hire again at another time.
Low cost car hire is subject to availability and as such availability and prices will be changing constantly so it is very important that you can find this information again easily on your computer. It may take some time initially to research to find the best deal but it will be worth it when you are satisfied that you have found the lowest cost car hire in Spain around.
Ask family and friends if they can recommend a particular company which they made have used to obtain low cost car hire as personal recommendations are always good to have. They will be able to confirm that the company are efficient and professional and that there prices are low cost.
Low cost car hire does not mean you have to compromise on the type of vehicle. Many companies can offer many models at low cost simply because they have a large fleet of them and they can afford to be very competitive. Do not be suspicious if the price seems to be too good to be true for low cost car hire.
Low cost car hire does not mean cheap and nasty. You may be lucky and find that a certain vehicle is on offer at a special discounted price just at the moment when you make your request for a quotation.
Many low cost car hire companies will offer to upgrade your booking after you have initially booked. Customer satisfaction is of paramount importance to all low cost car hire companies and if a vehicle is sitting idle they will gladly offer this to you at your original low cost price.
So remember that the most important point to remember is to shop around on the internet under the heading low cost car hire in Spain or if you are heading to a specific destination then just type in low cost car hire in Madrid for example and you will find some great deals at great low cost car hire prices.
Remember when looking for low car hire on the internet you will need to select your vehicle and put in some additional information such as the dates you would like to pick the car and a preferred destination in Spain. You will need to make some comparisons with lots of other low cost car hire companies who are advertising their low cost cars that are available in Spain. When you have found a company which offers low cost car hire that looks attractive and is highly competitive do not forget to put it in your favourites on your computer. This is for reference purposes as you may wish to go back to it again at a later stage to either confirm the booking or to book low cost car hire again at another time.
Low cost car hire is subject to availability and as such availability and prices will be changing constantly so it is very important that you can find this information again easily on your computer. It may take some time initially to research to find the best deal but it will be worth it when you are satisfied that you have found the lowest cost car hire in Spain around.
Ask family and friends if they can recommend a particular company which they made have used to obtain low cost car hire as personal recommendations are always good to have. They will be able to confirm that the company are efficient and professional and that there prices are low cost.
Low cost car hire does not mean you have to compromise on the type of vehicle. Many companies can offer many models at low cost simply because they have a large fleet of them and they can afford to be very competitive. Do not be suspicious if the price seems to be too good to be true for low cost car hire.
Low cost car hire does not mean cheap and nasty. You may be lucky and find that a certain vehicle is on offer at a special discounted price just at the moment when you make your request for a quotation.
Many low cost car hire companies will offer to upgrade your booking after you have initially booked. Customer satisfaction is of paramount importance to all low cost car hire companies and if a vehicle is sitting idle they will gladly offer this to you at your original low cost price.
So remember that the most important point to remember is to shop around on the internet under the heading low cost car hire in Spain or if you are heading to a specific destination then just type in low cost car hire in Madrid for example and you will find some great deals at great low cost car hire prices.
