OP
Prop Joe
Contributor
- Messages
- 940
- Reaction score
- 580
- Location
- NW suburb of Chicago, Illinois USA
- # of dives
- I just don't log dives
I want to thank all that posted. Thank you!
As usual when I travel for work things do not go as expected. My plan was to leave Catania around eight am. By the time I turned in my visitor badge and dropped off some poeple at NAS Sigonella I didn't get on the road till nine am. Upon getting into the central part of Catania on the Autostrada there was a large accident at the toll booth. The police closed the road and I along with thousands of others were forced to wind our way up the coast. My 40 minute trip turned into a three hour ordeal. Unfortunatly I missed the dive boat by about 15-20 minutes or so.
I was very depressed. I hauled my gear 5000 miles and I wanted to go diving. I called Dive Sicily. Alex the owner told me I had missed the boat. I inquired about a good place to stay. As it turns out Alex and his wife Uke had just opened their 250 year old home as a Bed and Breakfast! It was great!!! Alex and Uke have put alot of work into the house and is nice.
I told Alex I was at the cable car terminal in Taormina. Alex met me there after a pre-arranged time. I went down to the water had some food and a couple of drinks then followed Alex the short distance to his house. The house is on the other side of the hills that you see looking towards the island from the town of Taormina. The house sits among some very fragrant Orange, Lemon, Blood Orange, and Olive trees. It is away from the hustle and bustle of the city. It was just what I needed to rest from working and traveling. Alex and Uke also offer home cooked Sicilian dinners for a modest price and I took full advantage of that. I had two wonderful dinners both nites I stayed there. Breakfast before diving consisted of fresh blood orange juice and some wonderful Croissants one of which was filled with chocolate and melted in my mouth!
Diving:
Well i have over 150 dives but none in cool water. Alex set me up with a nice 5mm wet suit, it worked well but I wish I had asked for some gloves. My hands get cold easy. 1st dive was Isla Bella about 60' feet for 45 minutes or so. We took about an hour surface interval. 2nd dive was the Blue cave and I got a few good pictures of a yellow spotted eel. All and all I was very satisfied. I wished I could have done more dives. I was just geting used to everything: Water temp, 5mm, vis new dive buddy's...
Any how I would highly recomend Dive Sicily. The house, the food, the hospitality. I did not want to leave.
Thanks Alex and Uke!!!
Pictures to follow.
As usual when I travel for work things do not go as expected. My plan was to leave Catania around eight am. By the time I turned in my visitor badge and dropped off some poeple at NAS Sigonella I didn't get on the road till nine am. Upon getting into the central part of Catania on the Autostrada there was a large accident at the toll booth. The police closed the road and I along with thousands of others were forced to wind our way up the coast. My 40 minute trip turned into a three hour ordeal. Unfortunatly I missed the dive boat by about 15-20 minutes or so.
I was very depressed. I hauled my gear 5000 miles and I wanted to go diving. I called Dive Sicily. Alex the owner told me I had missed the boat. I inquired about a good place to stay. As it turns out Alex and his wife Uke had just opened their 250 year old home as a Bed and Breakfast! It was great!!! Alex and Uke have put alot of work into the house and is nice.
I told Alex I was at the cable car terminal in Taormina. Alex met me there after a pre-arranged time. I went down to the water had some food and a couple of drinks then followed Alex the short distance to his house. The house is on the other side of the hills that you see looking towards the island from the town of Taormina. The house sits among some very fragrant Orange, Lemon, Blood Orange, and Olive trees. It is away from the hustle and bustle of the city. It was just what I needed to rest from working and traveling. Alex and Uke also offer home cooked Sicilian dinners for a modest price and I took full advantage of that. I had two wonderful dinners both nites I stayed there. Breakfast before diving consisted of fresh blood orange juice and some wonderful Croissants one of which was filled with chocolate and melted in my mouth!
Diving:
Well i have over 150 dives but none in cool water. Alex set me up with a nice 5mm wet suit, it worked well but I wish I had asked for some gloves. My hands get cold easy. 1st dive was Isla Bella about 60' feet for 45 minutes or so. We took about an hour surface interval. 2nd dive was the Blue cave and I got a few good pictures of a yellow spotted eel. All and all I was very satisfied. I wished I could have done more dives. I was just geting used to everything: Water temp, 5mm, vis new dive buddy's...
Any how I would highly recomend Dive Sicily. The house, the food, the hospitality. I did not want to leave.
Thanks Alex and Uke!!!
Pictures to follow.
