In the movie The Godfather, Al Pacino, playing mafioso Michael Corleone, flees from New York to hide out on the Mediterranean Island of Sicily.  He couldn't have picked a more idyllic spot to be a fugitive than the pastoral hillsides surrounding the village of Savoca.  Even today, over twenty years later, Savoca remains as simple and unspoiled as when director Francis Ford Coppola chose it as the perfect representation of the Sicilian country life.  The view from the courtyard in front of the village's medieval church takes in the surrounding countryside, which is dotted with intermittent lemon groves and patches of cacti.  This semi arid environment contrasts with the deep blue coastline that shimmers in the distance. The rustic simplicity and slow pace of life encapsulated in this tiny village represent a unique opportunity to slow down and enjoy life that is typical of the Sicilian vacation experience.  
	My husband Eric and I had heard that Sicily offered many of the same charms as the South of France but was less expensive and remains largely undiscovered by American tourists.  Being sea and sun lovers, we rented a small bungalow in the seaside town of Giardini Naxos, the site of Sicily's best beaches.  Located on the northeast coast of Sicily, Giardini provides easy access by car or bus to Sicily's most popular destinations.  These include the intimidating Mount Etna, a live volcano, which belches forth steam and an occasional lava flow.  Eric and I traipsed through this eerie landscape, a cross between Mars and a scene from Dante's Inferno, intermittently coming across memorials to victims of one of Etna's unanticipated eruptions.  
	Casually touring the island and experiencing its diverse terrain - ranging from dramatic seascapes to rolling wheat fields to rumbling volcanoes - is an attraction in its own right.  On a day trip to the Palermo region, located about two hour's drive from the seaside resorts on the East Coast, we passed through the sparsely populated interior of Sicily with its vast expanses and abandoned farmhouses. Our destination was the town of Monreale, located on the outskirts of bustling Palermo.  Monreale features a magnificent 12th century cathedral that may be one of the finest in Europe. A mixture of Norman, Arabic and Byzantine design, this cathedral captures Sicily's multi-cultural history, and stands as a symbol of the adaptability and resiliency of the Sicilian people.  They have managed to prosper under numerous "foreign" powers from the Ancient Greeks to the modern day Italian State.  
All these popular sites are well worth seeing, but the real charm of Sicily lies in its people. Despite the hardships and poverty they have borne in the past, they remain positive and ebullient.  There was Mr. Raso, the owner of a small café, who squeezed fresh lemons into lemonade and chatted away the afternoon with us.  And Vito, our sea captain, who serenaded us on a boat tour along the sparkling Mediterranean coast. Sicilians take great joy in infusing their work and their lives with charm, enthusiasm and the unadorned pleasures of hearty food and good friendship.  
In addition to the simple charms offered by its landscape and people, Sicily also offers world class dining.  Eric and I experienced one of the most romantic dinners of our lives at the restaurant Villa St. Andrea in the village of Mazzaro.  Here, the freshly caught seafood and impeccable service were only surpassed by the view from the open-air terrace of the Isola Bella sea cove by starlight.  For those with the shopping bug, Taormina, a favorite of the European jet set (as well as of D.H. Lawrence and Goethe in days gone by), offers an abundance of high-end retailers and trendy cafes.  This picturesque resort town, spectacularly situated on a terrace of Mt. Tauro, also features an ancient Greek Theater, still used for musical performances, and a cable car that plunges down to the sparkling beaches below.   
Taormina foreshadows the possibility of Sicily as a major tourist destination, which will certainly transform the Island from its current somewhat sleepy state.  The parallels between the eastern coast of Sicily and the Cote d'Azur in southern France will become even stronger as seaside resorts like Taormina and Cefalu begin to resemble Cannes and Nice.  If this should happen, serene little villages like Savoca may be "discovered."  Before this happens, we urge you to enjoy the simple pleasures Sicily has to offer.  Now is the time to escape to this peaceful little gem in the Mediterranean call Anja or one of our other travel specialist at James TravelPOINTS 303 442-2340.