Don't Postpone Joy - Four Day Magic in Sicily

Since I arrived in Italy this past May, I’ve been fortunate to take many long weekends to explore places I’ve never been, or revisit those I love. Most people might think heading out for just four days is not worth the time. Popular opinion is that you need boat loads of time and money to travel. Therefore, they postpone plans until the ’perfect’ time which as we know never arrives!

But with the realities of my work schedule (yes friends, I truly am working as a digital nomad…) a four day get-away can provide a welcome opportunity to see quite a bit (if that’s what you want) and meet new people.

I booked a stay at the Floripa Kite Surf & Yoga House, located in Pozzallo, one of the southernmost beach towns in Sicily. And, boy, did I pick a winner!! This was one of the best, most soul-gratifying experiences of my life.

Getting to Pozzallo was a short, direct flight from Florence. The Floripa staff arranged for one of their drivers to meet me at the airport in Catania. He was a very sweet Sicilian native who was knowledgeable about the history of the island and the towns we passed through on the 80 minute drive. He also drove me on the return trip and it was like getting my very own private tour!

Floripa. The location, property, service, rooms, food, yoga, kindness of the people who work there, fascinating other guests, and overall casual atmosphere was simply PERFECTION (I don’t generally use the term but it applies in this instance.) On the Floripa website, they post their values as: ”…respect, kindness, love for life and simple things. We welcome you into our way of living, hoping you can enjoy it, we will be happy to meet you.” This was expressed in everything they do.

The place is hard to describe (check out their website...)

There is a yoga and surf style atmosphere with bold colors on the buildings in deep blue and red hues — very Sicilian — with Asian influences — lush gardens and hammocks and Buddha statues and a yoga shala that is among the prettiest I’ve seen with beautiful floor to ceiling windows and abundant light. They also have a small spa on premises that offers massage and other treatments. (Yes, thank you!) The rooms are basic and comfortable with modern and beautiful furnishings. The place was spotless!

There were about 25 other guests, mainly solo travelers from all over Europe (France, Switzerland, Austria, and the Netherlands) and a couple of others from the US, as well as a few locals who dropped in for yoga and meals.

The yoga classes were superb, taught by highly experienced instructors and were very challenging and not “dumbed down.” The days were spent at the beach… a two minute walk from the property. Floripa has their own beach club (bagno) aptly called Zuma as the owners of the yoga vacation property and beach club are world class surfers. The club offered fantastic food and beverage selections and a relaxed California surfer ‘chill’ meets Italian Mediterranean vibe with great music playing all day. (They also offer water sports like Kite Surfing, etc.)

Here in Sicily and during my other two beach trips to Cagliari, Sardegna and a Tuscan coastal town called Castiglioncello, it has been a refreshing experience to be able to swim in the water with the most mild waves and socialize with people while you’re enjoying the warm water. (Guessing temps were at least 80-degrees Fahrenheit.) It reminded me of growing up in New Jersey and spending summers at the shore and swimming all day in the Atlantic.

Yoga lovers have one thing in common. They love to move and they love music! One night of the trip, Floripa hosted our group for a dinner with their private chef Francesco (who previously worked at the Four Seasons in Milano!) on the beach followed with dancing and mingling under the moon light with a live DJ playing a mix of music, mostly with America jams. It was heavenly and a bit surreal. So many of the people I’ve met in Italy so far love American music! It truly is a uniting and beautiful force.

I find booking a vacation with something you enjoy doing whether it’s yoga or cycling, etc., is a safe way to explore a new place and meet other like-minded people. Even with four days, I was able to see one of the most beautiful spots on earth and make some genuine connections. I came back feeling refreshed and my soul deeply satisfied. I will definitely be returning to Floripa as it turns out many of the other savvy travelers have been doing.

Arrivederci!

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