Amiamo Aci's

I went house hunting on the back of a motorbike – of course minus the helmet, with a cool club manager. First we viewed this place which is where we stayed for 3 night's, note the amenities. Yes up there is both the kitchen and laundry, compact european living.

She was making castle after castle as we stayed 2 mins from Castello Normano

That staircase had its work cut out for it.
Brig did Milan's plaits, doing each others hair is just one of their things x  

The space felt smaller than our car, so I made a rule with the kids that only mama went up there for safety. We heard it groan as Brig was on it a few times, as it turned out, it was helpful for independence. It seems our Italian born son was also born with the appetite of a Italian man. In this tight kitchen / laundry there was no chance of any Carlos action at my ankles!

The kids became more odd in photos as the day rolled on.
At day 4 day we were still time adjusting

We did love the location – Aci Castello, is one of the nine Aci's of the Rivera Cilopi. The Norman's built a Castle in the 11^th century (for a time it was a prison) out of the ambundant black lava stone.

According to legend, the body of the young shepherd was killed by Cyclops - Poliphemus for loving someone that had earlier caught his eye. The body was dismembered into nine parts, upon which the nine Aci-cities were built. They are Aci Bonaccorsi, Aci Castello, Aci Catena, Aci Platani, Acireale, Aci S. Filippo, Aci S. Antonio, Aci S. Lucia and Aci Trezza. This stretch of Sicily’s Eastern coastline is also known as the Cyclops’ Coast.

We regularly had these mythological stories relayed by San Gregorio rugby management and many of the rugby boys had an appreciation for myths and legends of the past. There was a great appreciation of our surroundings. Generally we've found a slower more relaxed life in Sicily, even in dress, especially compared with our last Province in the north east of Italy - Rovigo. They'd give us these terrible looks when Brig would go somewhere in say shorts. It was like we were damaging their surroundings!

Great volcanic rocks clusters stretch along this coast and appear like tall rough buildings, we heard how the blinded Cyclops threw these rocks at Odysseus as he fleed from Mt Etna where Cyclops lives in a cave. 

After Aci Castello I then viewed a seafront appartment down the coast 3mins in Aci Trezza, it was a large, one level place & our front yard was a protected Sea Reserve for diving/ snorkelling. The down side was parking... 12 dwellings with 5-6 parks. Huhh, it will make for lively encounters & more Italian learning

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There were four wooden platforms set up over the black volcanic rocks outside, leading us down to the sea. The kids were quick to spy their rock pools, and were sold on where we would stay for the next 8months.