Will We be Able to Find Grand Isle in Sicily Too?

~ Ken Mirvis

Rebecca and I are insanely fortunate to have two fantastic homes: a city-mouse home in Watertown near Boston and a country-mouse home in Grand Isle, Vermont, on a magnificent little island in Lake Champlain.

Grand Isle pretty much defines simple living. We are surrounded by some of the nicest people on earth; we have everything we need at our fingertips: two family-owned groceries, a hardware store, a doctor, a real city — Burlington — 30 minutes away, and stunning beauty.

When we started planning this trip, we knew what we wanted, but we didn’t know how to describe it. We still know and we still don’t know how to describe it … except that we want a Mediterranean/European version of Grand Isle. (Googling “Warm, Mediterranean version of Grand Isle, Vermont” doesn’t work.)

Two-plus weeks into the trip, we are batting 1000! Marsaxlokk in Malta and Marsalforn in Gozo have been idyllic. We have no idea how long we will be staying in Gozo, but I guess at some point, we will probably want to leave. Maybe. (Today, we rode the bus a few stops, walked a mile or so to visit a salt harvesting site by the sea, where we jawboned with the 6th-generation harvester, Justin, bought some Mediterranean sea salt, got a ride back to our bus stop from his mother, Josephine, stopped for an Indian lunch where we jawboned with a fun couple from Denver who were visiting with their 2-year-old son, returned to our hotel, and while I am writing at a table by the sea watching traditional fishing boats come and go, Rebecca is on a Zoom call with her girlfriends in Grand Isle. That’s it. All that’s left for the day is a cocktail to watch the sunset from our balcony, then figuring out where to eat supper. Will it be Italian, seafood, Indian, Thai, or traditional Maltese? (It turned out to be Chinese.) Adjusting to the pace seems to come pretty naturally to both of us … a very short learning curve.

So here’s the challenge … for which we need your help!!!! Where do we go in Sicily and then southern Italy that will compare to places like this? We know we will spend a few days in Ortigia near Syracusa (my cousin Cooper would be pretty upset if we didn’t), but beyond that, nothing is firm. Nicosia in the east? Gibellina in the west? Santa Maria la Scala north of Catania? Enna in the center of the island?

Damn. Do you see what I mean? This is really hard work. Please help as best you can. We’re counting on you!


The brownish building is our hotel in Marsalforn, the Calypso. Gozo is thought to be the mythic spot where Ulysses shipwrecked and was held captive by the seductress Calypso, where he stayed for seven years before being released by Zeus to return home to his wife Penelope. The sea views are from our room. The gentleman with Rebecca was our first human encounter in Marsalforn outside of the hotel. I went to the local convenience store, “Popeye’s,” to buy Kleenex for Rebecca. This guy — Youness from Morocco — appeared out of nowhere and insisted that he pay the €1. He could not have been nicer.


The view from across Marsalforn harbor. The buildings are typical Maltese housing.


Typical Maltese terraced hillsides, rock walls, and lots and lots of prickly pear cactus.


We hiked up to the “salt pans” just above Marsalforn Harbor where Mediterranean Sea salt has been harvested for hundreds of years. Justin, a 6th-generation salt farmer sold us our sack of salt. His mother, Josephine, was leaving on an errand as we left. She insisted on driving us to a nearby village so we would not have to walk the whole way.

Scenes from Victoria, Gozo. An art installation at the theater, an image from the Citadel, and an archway from the Citadel. The Citadel has been a center of civil and religious life … as well as home to many … for over 2,000 years. A few elderly couples still live there, but the Citadel as a home is on the way out.


OMG the food has been great! Jimmy and his daughter Vicky run the local Chinese restaurant, “Yummy Yummy.” Could there be a better name for a Thai restaurant than “bow tie”? Il-Kartell is the go-to seafood place in town. Tomorrow night, we are putting ourselves in the hands of the owner, Paul, and just saying, “Feed us.” Stay tuned on that one. We even managed to find a local BBQ joint and enjoyed some pulled pork and cole slaw the other day. Not great for Arkansas or North Carolina, but damn good for Marsalforn!

And BTW, Paul and his family know Sicily well and have recommended Enna. I expect we will start there and then make our way to Ortigia for our first two stops. But we are far from making any commitments until we hear from you!

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