I had never heard stories about this island before. And that's a very good thing: adventures are found upon arrival. You don't want someone to tell you how a memory will unfold, one that you will carry with you forever. That's why no one told me that this island is a paradise for monkeys like us, who look for any form of art in nature and stop to climb, surf or simply observe it.
Here, I found my first volcano, Etna. I had never seen one before, much less one erupting. What a display of power. The Earth's internal energy explodes for us to witness, reminding us how insignificant our presence and our millions of particles are. Our only true power as humans lies in our mind, which gives us the virtue of appreciation. 
As if that were not enough, despite being in the Mediterranean Sea, some waves reach the island, allowing you to surf with a unique touch: surfing with history before you. Beaches like Cefalú are not only surrounded by mountains and countryside, but also by a welcoming and magical town that makes you feel like you are entering another era when you get into the water. I will never forget such special views.
Not far from there, near San Vito lo Capo, I tried the psychobloc for the first time. What a mistery. How is the local community so welcoming and warm to people they have never met before? I think that's the magic of being a monkey, connecting easily through such sports. They have called it natural selection in some book... Here I am, talking to a couple of monkeys. I don't remember their names, but I will never forget the smiles that encouraged me to try this wonder. I will return to the whale's mouth that can only be found under the cave.
But I shouldn't start talking about climbing in Sicily... Or I'll end up convincing everyone to move there! I was lucky enough to explore many climbing spots with Juan, who doesn't need more than a couple of carrots and containers of pasta salad to venture anywhere that even vaguely resembles a rock. 
As for climbing in that town... Caltavuturo... Beautiful, I assure you, but I won't remember it forever for that. Instead, I will remember the small bar where we had a well-deserved coffee after climbing and shared a brief conversation in broken Italian with a man whose name I won't remember but whose parting advice I will: "Bona vita." I will never hear from him again. It is very complicated for our paths to cross again. However, on that parallel path, now so distant from mine, I also wished him a good life. 
It doesn't end there... Near Palermo, we went climbing at Bauso Rosso, a climbing school captivating not only for the beautiful chorreras formations on the wall, but also for the climbers who welcomed us. Stefano, I promise to email you if I go again. I can't wait to come back to climb with you. 
Everything I tell you about this island is little... Food? Yeah, that's amazing too. Nothing you can't discover on any social network nowadays. What I have been fortunate to discover is a culture very similar to where I come from, making me feel at home. Humility, originality, personality. Numerous monkeys that I can't wait to meet again on the path that this universe presents to me. 
