Who Am I? Don't Know it myself!
Hello! Greetings from Sicily! I live with my wife Adriana and our two children, Mark and Jacopo, in a small, quiet town by the sea called Tonnarella, in the province of Messina. Tonnarella is a fisherman's town; if you are looking to eat fresh fish you've come to the right place. The town is pretty quiet during autumn, winter and spring, and it's only in high summer that lots of vacationers come flowing in to bake in the sun and take baths in the sea. You'll find lots of people from mid-july till the end of August.
There are many restaurants here like "La Cantina" and "Villa Ligà", that are very busy during summer. Here you can try our famous Italian pizza or, better yet, delicious dishes by very good chefs.
The beach is almost deserted during autumn and winter and you can walk on the sand in peace. It used to be just one long strip of sand, then came the trucks, the workers, and cement. They buildt a sort of a garden - park, where you can walk or sit on the benches.
Almost every morning you can meet old people on foot or on bicycles just taking it easy, breathing in the sea breeze.
From the beach you can see Tindari and its Church on the left, and if the wheather is up to it, you can also see the Eolian Islands (See Map) straight ahead, far off to the right Cape Milazzo and also some beautiful sunsets.
A small space in the park (named
after the writer Quasimodo) is
set apart for kids and for grownups who are still kids. Nearby there's a
newsstand which sells magazine, newspapers, comic books and other related works.
Also nearby, close to the sea, there is a
makeshift room where the old men and some young get together to play cards or
just have a talk. They actually sit outside the room; the makeshift room is used
as a barrier for the wind which often blows here. 
Depending on its direction the
"outside game room" is moved: on the cement-walk facing the town, or
on the sand facing the sea. Well, this "room" is no more, it was taken
down. In its place there is now a very small one room hut where the senior
citizens can still play cards and talk.
Sometimes you can find a fisherman fixing and mending his net. Its really so nice and interesting watching them working on the nets, watching their hands, and if you love taking pictures here's a great opportunity. Don't be shy, go ahead and ask!
In August the Madonna is given a feast. Her statue is put on a boat and taken on a "stroll" on the sea. Many other boats follow it, and one year there was even a boat filled with the town's band... seeing all the boats on the sea at dusk with their lamps all lit, makes one think of something out of a fable.
On the evenings during the feast, the beach is
filled with people and their campfires. Walking on the beach on such a night and
hearing the voice of the sea, and the voices of the people mixed with the dark
of night and the light from the campfires... can almost make one immagine being
anywhere on earth his heart desires.
In the summer time there are a few more feast... for the mouth. The ice cream feast and the fish feast. The feast, of course, is for us humans and not for the fish, who really have no cause to be happy.
All in all, as I said, it's a quiet town, except for the highway A20 Messina-Palermo nearby. When the wind comes from the sea the sounds of the highway disappear and all you hear is the sound of the waves on the beach. It can be a very relaxing sound.
If you're coming from Messina (See Map) take the highway A20 and get off at Falcone (right after exit for Barcellona), then get on the road SS113 (Messina-Palermo) direction Messina. After some 4 km you just leave the SS113 and turn left. As you leave the SS113 you will notice at the corner, on your left if you come from Falcone, an old Villa with a garden and palm trees, Villa Ligà, now a Restaurant. Straight ahead you'll come to the sea and Tonnarella.
Best whishes and peace to you all!
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All photos © Tony Paratore 1998-2001 - Italy - 0941/874884
E-Mail: tonyparatore@lefotoditony.com