Holiday stories, part 5: Some miscellaneous great things

You may be right to be growing bored of this. I'm dragging it out a bit, but what with one thing and another, it's just taking me a long time. Soz.

Ten random things that were great about Sicily:

1. I cannot say enough good things about the Hotel Villa Carlotta in Taormina. Look at this cool lizard, too, which I snapped at the side of their pool. He rocked. I called him Eddie Lizzard. I called all the lizards that. It never stopped being funny. For me.



2. The breakfasts at the aforementioned hotel, and the great treatment we received from the breakfast staff, including Maria and Loredana. This was the view.



3. The loveliness from everyone there, including also Riccardo and Alfio.

4. The great vibe, day or night, wherever you walked or sat. The people-watching was hugely enjoyable.




5. The statue of Emperor Sideshow Bob in Catania.



6. The water. The water. The water. My God, the water.

7. The views, almost everywhere you went, were simply breathtaking. And I don't mean in the Seinfeld way.



8. This pimped-up satellite dish, which is being used here to represent delicious food, even from cheap takeaway joints.



9. Going somewhere that Phil Keoghan has been for The Amazing Race, the Roman Amphitheatre in Catania.



10. The ceramics. We knew we couldn't come away without buying some ceramics as a reminder of our wonderful holiday. We ended up buying just over £200 worth, safe in the knowledge that we could get them shipped over very cheaply (they quoted us just £35 for shipping including insurance) so we wouldn't have to worry about carrying them ourselves or any damage incurred. Plus they threw in a 10 per cent discount on the ceramics, too. Here are the two pieces I chose outright: a trinacria, the symbol of Sicily; and a Sacred Heart acquasantiera, a holy-water dispenser, which we kind of collect as and when we find nice ones.