The remains of this castle well preserved in the middle the city lead you to the top of its turrets…read morewhere you have a very special 360ﾟ view of the city best to be enjoyed at dusk or at night when the city lights twinkle, the ocean sparkles and the vibe and sounds of the people below energize a romantic view out on to the South. This is a working museum and although it has very few artifacts about the city it does have plenty of pictures and a well designed model of the original castle which stood on these grounds hundreds of years ago. This museum is free to visit and the elevator or stairs are modern instruments that allow you to roam through the old halls and see the old original walls of a masterpiece that was built to protect the people of long ago. Please take your time to speak to the museum host and security guard who has plenty to say about the museum the region Italy and life itself. Very clean restrooms are available for both men and women on the ground floor so don't be afraid to hang out a while and talk with the locals but most especially to enjoy the view.

Sailing through the Strait of Messina, the narrow gap between mainland Italy and Sicily, is…read moreexhilarating. With a natural whirlpool in one part of the strait and strong currents throughout, it's believed this area was the inspiration for Scylla and Charybdis, two monsters Odysseus carefully had to sail between in Homer's "Odyssey" on his way home. On top of all this the optical illusion of Fata Morgana regularly occurs here, makes ships appear upside down and old sailors claimed to see fairy castles in the water. One of the crewmen on our ship mentioned the pilot boatmen in the strait were crazy. Normally the pilot boats slow down before approaching a ship so they may board to help navigate it through treacherous waters, but in the Stretto di Messina they race along like it's nothing. Sure enough as we watched the pilot boat approach in the wild and choppy waters, they were getting thrown into the air as they sped toward us, practically making a flying leap onto the ship. They could build a reality show around these guys. It's probably an everyday sight for them, but it's really cool watching the Tyrrhenian Sea come into view and with the northern tip of Sicily on the left, part of the southern tip of Calabria (mainland Italy) on the right.

I love this place and have been coming here for over 20 years. There's a population of about 300,…read moreplus whatever relatively few tourists there are and Europeans who own places here. This is not your bling Panarea, but a low-key, authentic volcano island. So if you're stuck up, stay away. The locals really appreciate you if you are staying for more than just the standard day or few days. We always let them know we're here for a few weeks. We basically read, eat, bathe, sun, and walk. No cars allowed! And bring a flashlight or use one on your phone to walk back home. There are no street lights, just the heavens full of stars above. And it's safe. There are enough good restaurants and cafes to keep you happy for at least 2-3 weeks, simple black sand beaches with clear, salty Mediterranean water, and a volcano to take a guided tour of (night time is best!). Enjoy checking out of your stressful life here.

Stromboli is a persistently erupting volcano in the middle of the Mediterranean…read more And people live on it. Amazing! I mean, how badass are these people? This volcano has been going for two millennia and they are brazen enough to make it their home. We didn't see anything more than a continuous cloud of steam rising up from the caldera, but it was still pretty freaking cool.

Wonderful boards & sandwiches. Great fun staff that are totally helpful, especially with the only…read moreEnglish speakers. Small outside table service or takeaway food. Great wine! Excellent prices!!