Travel advice: Siracusa and language schools

Hello friend, I'm working my way through a pile of various travel questions about Sicily.  It's taking me a while, but I'm getting there. Be sure to send any of your general questions to: sicilyinsideandout@gmail.com Don't expect detailed travel itineraries; let's keep it general. I'm happy to point you in the right direction if you…

Sicilian saying: persistence

  Sicilian’s are seriously resilient people in a place of great historical poverty and complex modern problems of high unemployment and a neglected economy Sicilian’s seem to withstand an awful lot. So it is only natural to see this kind of saying dedicated to the art of persistence in Sicilian dialect. Once again a typical…

Sicilian saying: arrogance

  I love the image of an artichoke in this Sicilian saying, the idea that an artichoke is a proud or arrogant image is astounding. So yes, obviously Sicilian’s must find the artichoke a little bit aristocratic, perhaps it’s thorny thistle nature makes it difficult to understand, it definatly isn’t to everyones taste. Sicilian wild…

The trials of raising a bilingual child in small-town Italy

I'm raising my child to speak English in Italy, not just anywhere in Italy but precisely in a small town in Sicily. Unlike the major cities on the peninsula like Rome, Milan, or even Palermo, with large ex-pat communities and English international schools, I'm the only English speaker in my local community. This is great…

10 irksome culture shocks in Italy

It's been a while since my last rant about the irksome parts of culture shock in Italy. I've learnt to adapt to most of the stuff I used to find bothersome; after all, you cannot pretend that an entire culture will change to fit your convenience. I take culture shock with a smile and try…

Hunting near Capizzi

Capizzi is clumsily spilt on a high hill; its stone houses have been plucked out of the Middle Ages. The streets are made of tightly paved stones and tiny dwellings like huts huddled together to create a mosaic in different shades of charcoal.  The road snakes up the hill to Capizzi reaching a peak at the head of…

Creativity and mental health

The last two years have been tough on everyone. Our lives were disrupted, and we were forced to scale down our lives. Many people lost friends and family. Others are still suffering from stress, anxiety and depression. I don't want to harp on the negativity, but I, too, have been struggling. I have had problems…

Fashionable English

Sometimes, well, Italy is an awkward fit for me. Actually most times, which is ok, as I am generally self-conscious in everyday life. It is strange to think that someone genetically 100%  Italian would find life in Italy to be uncomfortable. I would be a sought-after show pony if there were a pedigree for Italian-ness.…