Marzamemi, the most charming fishing village in all of Sicily

Easily one of the most charming, adorable, and instagrammable places in all of Sicily. Marzamemi is one of our favorite little gems, tucked away on the south-east coast of Sicily. It is a tiny fishing village, but filled with Sicilian seaside charm. From the painted terracotta pots to the antique wooden boats and turquoise painted chairs, this village will fill your eye and heart with joy.

Marzamemi is located in the province of Syracuse. It is quite tiny so half of a day is usually enough to explore it, try some seafood and take amazing Mediterranean vacation photos here. It’s quite close to two beautiful towns - Noto and Ortigia, so combining it with either of these towns makes it a perfect day trip.

Tip: If you are visiting in the summer months, plan Marzamemi in the early morning or before lunch so you can get your pictures uninterrupted, without tourists. Then have a delicious lunch and head to Noto or Ortigia for the afternoon & sunset.

Known for its delicious and fresh seafood, you can’t go wrong dining at any of the adorably decorated restaurants. If you enjoy seafood and want to venture into some traditional Sicilian dishes, we recommend you try the pasta with squid ink (Pasta al Nero di Seppia) or the fresh swordfish (Pesce Spada). All of the fish is caught daily here in the Mediterranean making any seafood dish extraordinary. If you aren’t a big seafood fan, that’s okay. You can still find many of the traditional pasta dishes such as Carbonara and Pasta alla Norma, and they will be equally as scrumptious.

Let’s not forget about dessert and coffee, after all you’re in Italy. After lunch, take a stroll through the piazza and enjoy the vintage atmosphere outside one of the cute cafes. In the piazza, you can sit in the center of it all and enjoy a traditional espresso and a refreshing granita. Granita is an Italian dessert that is almost impossible to describe until you try it. It’s lighter than gelato, a sorbet-like frozen dessert. It comes in many traditional Sicilian flavors such as pistachio, lemon or almond (all are delicious!). If you’re in the mood for something a little stronger, order an Aperol Spritz cocktail. This drink is simply made from Prosecco, soda water and Aperol. It is not too sweet, amazingly refreshing on a hot summer day. It is a little bitter at first; if you have never tried Aperol prepare for a taste you have never tried before. However, this drink is a traditional Italian staple and is worth a try. Regardless of where you eat or what you order, you will be blown away by the beauty of Marzamemi and simply at peace with the atmosphere of the village from the view in the middle of the piazza.

Marzamemi has plenty of souvenir and boutique shops. On the weekends there will be typical vendors waiting to sell you scarves, sunglasses and handbags. If you are looking for souvenirs, this is a great place to visit as there won’t be an overwhelming amount of shops filled with the same kinds of knick knacks. Marzamemi isn’t a huge shopping town, simply because it is an old fishing village so most of the small space is dedicated to storing the boats and the fish that was caught that day.

How to get here?

If you are staying in Catania, visiting the charming fishing village of Marzamemi is a total must. It is about an hour and a half drive from Catania, but it is an easy open highway drive. There are no highway tolls, however always keep some change on you for parking. Due to the small size of the village, we don’t really recommend you planning your Sicily vacation solely around Marzamemi, but definitely check out this quaint little town and take some amazing pictures.

If you are coming from Palermo, we recommend you book your overnight stay in Noto or Ortigia (as it’s quite a distance from Palermo) and spend a half day in Marzamemi, checking both places out while you are on the east coast of the island.

Words by: Megan Sheets

Photography by: Niki Csanyi

Me Cumpari Turiddu, where all Sicilian restaurant dreams come true

Here it begins…my very first #MappingSICILY post. I’ve been wanting to share our experience of moving to Sicily for a while, but I felt like I needed to actually experience life here first, before I could write about it. Well, it’s been 18 months since we arrived - I can’t actually believe how fast time flies - and I am ready & very excited to share with you all the beauty we found in Sicily.

Starting with Me Cumpari Turiddu seems like a very fitting choice. This restaurant was the first place I found and fell in love with in Catania. This is also the place where I made my first Italian friend who made me feel like life will be ok here after moving across the pond. But let’s start from the beginning…..

Enter Me Cumpari. The place is absolutely stunning and it is everything you dream Sicily to be. Beautiful antique chandeliers hanging above the dainty Italian lace cloths drooping from the vaulted ceiling. The walls show the times past and you can feel all the history of the island. Every little detail is crafted to perfection. From the hand crocheted doilies, the mismatched antique chairs, to the old porcelain that was probably a family heirloom in the past.

Every bit of Me Cumpari has been put together with love & care. How do I know that? Well, here comes the second part of the story.

I was having an afternoon coffee at Me Cumpari, and obviously, me being me, I was posting on IG stories about the interior. After a little while a lovely female comes up to me and thanks me for my kind words on IG. She has a smile on her face and she has all this positive energy about her. Her name is Roberta Capizzi and she is the owner of Me Cumpari.

Me Cumpari Turiddu means ‘My Friend, Turiddu’ which represents the essence of the restaurant. Roberta’s vision is to make people feel home and build relationships with her customers. A place where you can back to and the waiters will know your name. A place where food taste just like your Sicilian nonna would cook it.

Hence, the menu is filled with traditional Sicilian dishes. The kitchen sources fresh local produce every day, nothing is flown in from other countries, nothing has been sitting on shelves or trucks for days. And why would it be?! Sicily is abundant in incredible fresh produce all year around and Me Cumpari wants to celebrate this.

Me Cumpari works with local farmers and growers, and the beauty is that Roberta knows each one of these people and their products. She tells me about the goat farmer who makes the most amazing goat cheese and goat yoghurt that they use for a delicious dessert (keep your eyes peeled towards the end, you’ll see what I’m talking about).

Me Cumpari has been listed on the Michelin Guide for years now, a testament to their quality and service. They serve Sicilian dishes that are made from locally sourced ingredients like Sicilian pistachio mortadella, black pork from the Nebrodi region, or Ragusan donkey meat. Their wine cellar is stocked with amazing Sicilian wines that you must try if you are on the island. My personal favorites are wines from Mt. Etna, but other regions of Sicily produce delicious varieties as well. The list could go on…so instead of telling you more about it, why don’t you visit and eat & drink well at Me Cumpari when you are in Sicily?!

 

Address: Piazza Turi Ferro, 36/38, 95131 Catania CT

Opening Hours: 10:30AM-1:00AM every day

P.S.: my other favorite thing about the restaurant is their opening hours. While traveling around Italy, you will learn that you cannot simply eat at all hours of the day. Italian restaurants close between lunch and dinner, so very often you will not find a place to eat between 3pm-7pm. But Me Cumpari will never leave you hungry, they are open 10:30AM - 1:00AM so you can always grab a bite.

Words by: Niki Csanyi

Photography by: Niki Csanyi

Lisbon, the hidden gem for your Europe trip

Bom Dia, Lisboa! You are such a beautiful surprise.

In June we decided to take a last minute vacation. Lisbon has been on my list of places to visit for a few years, but I somehow always ended up prioritizing other cities. This time around, thankfully, we booked our tickets to Lisbon and oh what a treat we were in for. 

Where to begin?! Lisbon is charming and beautiful, which probably most of you already expected that. But it is so much more than that - it's fun, filled with great restaurants and positive energy.

Getting around Lisbon

After arriving to Lisbon airport, we rented a car at the airport because we were heading down south to Algavre later on, so we drove into the city. This proved to be more trouble than its worth, because finding parking in Lisbon is not easy. There are lots of tiny, one-way streets and limited street parking. We ended up paying for parking in a garage for the 2 days, which costs as much as a roundtrip Uber trip from & to the airport. Uber is quite inexpensive in Lisbon and the airport is close to the city, so it's a good option.

Once you're in the city, I found it best to discover the city on foot. Lisbon is so beautiful and we walked by so many cool shops, restaurants and beautiful buildings along the way that I didn't mind ringing in a daily 10 kilometer walks. If you get tired though, just hop on one of the city's adorable yellow trams. They are everywhere and it's part of the Lisbon experience to ride the tram. Lisbon also has a great bus and subway system. Also, expect to climb a lot of stairs as the city is quite hilly - reminded me of San Francisco - so you'll be exercising those glutes. 

IG Tip: you can snap a cute photo of the yellow tram by the Elevador Da Bica/Ancensor Da Bica. This tiny yellow cuteness runs up and down the hill, every 15 or 30 minutes and the tiny streets provide a good photo op to catch it.

The Ascensor Da Bica is a funicular consisting of two adorable yellow tram cars that run up and down the hilly streets of Lisbon since 1892, transporting locals but mostly tourists these days.

Eat, drink and be merry

Unfortunately, two days wasn't enough to eat our way through Lisbon because there is just so much good food everywhere. We barely scratched the surface of the city's culinary potential, so we left wanting more...hopefully we'll come back soon. Meanwhile, here are the places we tried. Unfortunately, I didn't get to photograph every place because I was just too hungry (haha).

A Cevicheria

Seafood lovers unite. This place is just heaven and I had the best ceviche ever here...not just one ceviche, but four different ones precisely. The menu is filled with mouthwatering options, all fresh, all delicious and creative. We decided to go with the tasting menu, which includes five amazing courses for only €40. The food was exceptional, and the ambiance, the plating all just adds to the experience. Hands down, my favorite Lisbon restaurant and it should not be missed.

IG Tip: when I know I want to photograph a restaurant/cafe interior, I always get there before opening. This way I have the freedom to choose our table (always by the window) and if I'm lucky I get to take photos of the interior without guests. Nautrally, always ask the staff if they are ok with that, politeness goes a long way.

Time Out Market

Time Out Market is a food hall, similar to New York's Chelsea Market or LA's Grand Central Market.  It is filled with great small restaurant kiosks ranging from traditional Portuguese to Asian cuisine to cafes. It's a great way to sample different dishes without committing to just one place.

Dom Afonso o Gordo

We stumbled into this restaurant by sheer luck for dinner one evening. It was an absolutely delicious find, we tried three dishes - cod fish steak, braised pork cheeks and duck leg confit - and they were all divine. Sadly it was night-time, so I couldn't take photos but trust me when I say it's a must-try place....especially if you are traveling with a hungry man, because the portions were very generous. 

Fabrica da Nata

One thing you will definitely learn when visiting Lisbon is what 'nata' is. Oh, heavenly goodness! Pastel de nata is Portugal's cherished egg tart pastry dusted with cinnamon. It's made of a thin flaky dough that serves as a delicious cup housing the golden creamy egg yolk & sugar filling. Sounds strange?! It definitely does at first, until you take the first bite and then you are hooked for good. One of the most delicious pastries I ever had, so delicious that we ate at least two of them a day. They were delicious everywhere, but Fabrica da Nata was our favorite place.

Comoba

Vegans and vegetarians, this is a great place for breakfast or lunch. We had a delicious omelette here with all sorts of goodies. Comoba is also by the foot of Elevador da Bica, so you can swing by after riding the tiny tram.

H10 Rooftop Bar

There are plenty great bars in Lisbon, and I can't claim my recommendation is the best...but you have to admit, H10's rooftop corner is stunning. I am guilty of choosing places based on their interior, but I can't help it, I love beautiful design. We arrived just before sunset and enjoyed a few cocktails overlooking the terracotta roofs Lisbon.

Neighborhoods

All Lisbon is beautiful, but that probably doesn't help you with your planning. I won't be writing a full list of "sights to see" in Lisbon, because there are plenty of travel sites for that. We found ourselves spending most of the time in two neighborhoods, so I wanted to highlight those.

Alfama

Alfama stretches between Castelo de San Jorge and the Tejo river. It's a lovely neighborhood with tiny alleyways, tiled houses and lots of steep stairs. I like to explore by walking around without an aim and we did just that. We found beautiful viewpoints, one of them a park that offers an amazing vantage point of the old town, its called Miradouro de Santa Luzia and just next to it the Visigothic Wall.

IG Tip: on every trip I try to get up for sunrise at least one time. I am a terrible morning person and have a hard time with getting up, but it's always worth it. Sunrise is such a special time of day. The world still sleeps and the light is magical. When we found this park in the afternoon, I knew I wanted to get up the next morning and have it all to myself, without the crowd.

Bairro Alto

Bairro Alto is lively, packed with restaurants and cafes and lots of yellow trams. By now you must realize I have a slight obsession with yellow trams. The streets of Bairro Alto around Elevador Da Bica turn into a huge party at night time, with vendors grilling meats and sausages and people dancing on the streets. Walking around is also the best way to discover the neighborhood and stopping along the way to eat at A Cevicheria and grab a nata for a snack.

One last gem

One special gem for closing - Embaixada is a beautiful concept store housed in the Ribeiro da Cunha palace. We came for the murals more than shopping itself, because an absolutely gorgeous staircase this is?! It's finding these little things, off the travel books, that make traveling so much fun for me. 

I hope this post will convince you to add Lisbon to the top of your Euro-trip list. It honestly quickly became one of my favorite European cities and we left with nothing but beautiful memories.

Springtime in Buenos Aires, what a wonderful first encounter with Argentina.

Buen Dia, Buenos Aires!

Argentina has been on the top of my travel bucket list for a long time so I was exited when a last minute trip came up a few weeks ago. I was lucky enough to be invited by Park Hyatt to a very special event, the celebration of the 10th year anniversary of their amazing property, Palacio Duhau Park Hyatt Buenos Aires. 

The timing of the invitation could not be more perfect as November is Springtime in Argentina. Which means the city is buzzing with energy and the streets are filled with blossoming jacaranda trees.

Driving from the airport to the hotel I could already tell Buenos Aires will become a soft spot in my heart, but I had no clue yet how much it will sweep me off my feet.

I love beautiful architecture and gorgeous European inspired facades are in abundance in this city. The closer we got to Recoleta - one of the most beautiful neighborhoods of the capital - the more excited I got, especially when we pulled up in front of the hotel. Palacio Duhau, as its name already suggests, was a family palace built by the Duhaus in the 1920 and was inspired by Chateau du Marais near Paris. The building has a rich history and a lot of hidden details, which made the experience of staying at Palacio Duhau truly special for me.  

I love photographing beautiful interiors and there is no shortage of inspiration at Palacio Duhau. My favorite room was probably the cigar room, which used to be Señor Duhau's study. Sitting in this dark and moody room with a glass of bourbon it feels like you are let in on some ancient secret of gentlemen. The walls are covered with intricate woodwork (that took several months to restore) and kudos to Park Hyatt for preserving such beautiful craftsman work. 

When I travel, I don't often spend a lot of time in my hotel but in this case I honestly didn't feel like leaving. The experience is truly special, not only because it's a beautiful building but there is something serene about it, especially the garden where I spend countless hours relaxing, listening to the bird chirping and eating some mount watering food. 

Which brings me to the second thing that made me fall in LOVE with Argetina, and it's the food. As part of the 10th year anniversary we were invited to a special Masters of Food & Wine event at the hotel's garden. It was an evening of celebration for the tastebuds - 12 of Palacio Duhau's previous and current chefs prepared divine dishes paired with exceptional wines from Argentina's best vineries. I learnt one thing for sure that Argentinians know how to live well and enjoy the finer things in life like good food and good company. They have a beautiful country that produces fantastic quality ingredients and they know how to cook well, which results in happy memories around the table.

Buenos Aires deserves a few days of exploring, there are a lot of beautiful neighborhoods to visit. Recoleta may be the most popular destination, especially because of the Recoleta Cemetery, which is indeed very special. But my personal favorite gems were the Botanic Gardens (which deserves its own blog post...coming soon) and the tiny streets in Palermo and the lovely alleys and flea market of Santelmo. 

There is so much more to Buenos Aires that I didn't have time to experience- like going to a milonga to see locals dancing tango or visit the colorful houses of Boca, but I know I will be back soon. I fell in love with the architecture, the food and the kindness of the people. Thank you Park Hyatt for this truly special experience at Palacio Duhau. What a wonderful fist encounter I had with Argentina!

P.S.: Huge thanks to the staff at Palacio Duhau, you made my stay!