We were able to get away for a little vacation a couple weeks ago. We decided on Marina di Ragusa. We had heard great things about it and it was close, only two hours away.....so off we went.
We had a bit of a rough start. We got there just fine, but when we arrived, our apartment that we were rented was much smaller than we anticipated. I, being the optimist that I am, decided there was no way it was going to work and that we should stay one night instead of the five we had planned. But, Jason kept calm and said we just needed to wait and see. Sullivan ended up napping and sleeping just fine. It was a little cramped, but we still had a great time and enjoyed the trip.
The piazza for the town was just a block away from where we were staying. There was lots of shops and places to eat right there. We, of course, ate a lot of gelato, arancini, and pizza. Luckily, Jason thought to bring the kids scooters and skateboards. Every morning we went to the piazza and the kiddos rode around. In the evening it was much more crowded, but mid-morning was perfect.
They would start at the top and ride down to where you can see the ocean.
These old men thought it was pretty funny. It was cool to see the same group of old people gathered each morning having breakfast together. I know that this will sound like a stereotype, but so many of the Italians we meet, especially the senior citizens, LOVE kids and are so happy to interact with them. Benny and Sullivan get crazy amounts of attention when we're out. We get stared at....a lot. We're American, we're loud, and we have four kids. We've had more than a few people approach us and hold up four fingers in amazement. One old man even clapped for us after we affirmed that they are, indeed, all ours.
Lucy is getting crazy-good at the ripstick.
Happy Sullivan on a walk we went on before bed.
On one of the evenings, this man was doing this amazing painting while a beautiful song about Christ was playing (the song was in English....I don't quite get that, but oh well). He did it all in six minutes or less and all with his hands. He did one color at a time. Amazing.
And, of course, the beach. We a majority of our time playing in the sand and water. Our apartment was right across the street, so we took turns taking Sullivan home for naps and meals.
Lucy and Graham are body boarding on the left.
The living space in the apartment was outside. The patio had a table, chairs, and some benches to store some of our stuff. Inside, there was a tiny kitchen, two bedroooms and a really small bathroom. Luckily, we were blessed to have great weather, so it wasn't a problem. Had it rained...we would have been in big trouble.
Right after we blew up the baby's floaty, Benny put it on his had and said, "It's a fiesta! It's a fiesta!" Imagine him saying it in a funny Mexican accent while he dances around. So funny!
We were surprised to find a park up the street to play at. We really have only come across one other park since we've been here in Italy. The one we found in Catania was crazy lame and depressing. This one had a fun zip line that the kids liked.
This is us with our friends and neighbors, the Cardona family. They were staying down the coast about 30 minutes and came to spend an evening with us. They had stayed at our apartment just a month before and were the ones that told us about it. They showed us all the good places to eat and where to get the best stuffed crepes and arancini.
Benny loved the coin operated rides. He got creative after Mom said, "No more".
This was Jason's chosen mode of transportation. He rode the long board while pushing Sullivan in the jogging stroller. As if we weren't drawing enough attention already.
Great trip!
