Photography

Postcards from Sicily: at the bar

Categories About me, Beautiful Italy, Expat, Expat experiences, Italian Culture, Italy, Life in Sicily, Living in Sicily, Photography, Sicily, Sicily and Sicilianess, Travel Italy

  There is something about Sicilian's and their local bar. I too am addicted to my morning espresso. There is nothing like swaggering into your local cafe and ordering the 'black gold' even though you are usually surrounded by strange men. I need caffeine stimulation.  

Sicilian’s flare for uttering profanities

Categories About me, Authentic Sicily, Beautiful Italy, Culture Shock, Expat, Expat experiences, Italian Culture, Italy, Language Concerns, Life in Sicily, Living in Sicily, Opinion piece, Photography, Sicilian Culture and Traditions, Sicilian Writers, Sicily, Sicily and Sicilianess, The truth about Sicily, Travel, Travel Italy, Travel Sicily

When I was a child I had an Uncle who was terribly capricious, a real joker (he still is until this day) and he took great pleasure in teaching my brother and I all the colourful Italian swear words possible.  My Uncle thought it was all terribly funny and hoped we’d use them in front…

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Postcards from Sicily: A glimpse of spring

Categories About me, Beautiful Italy, Culture Shock, Expat experiences, Italian Culture, Italy, Life in Sicily, Living in Sicily, Only in Sicily, Photography, Sicilian Art, Sicilian Culture and Traditions, Sicily, Travel, Travel Italy, Travel Sicily

  I managed to get a glimpse of the metaphorical 'Primavera' while jostling in the crowd at the Medieval parade as part of the Infiorata festival at Noto, Syracuse but I'm afraid I've seen very little of her since. I wonder where she has gone?

Postcards from Sicily: playing cards

Categories About me, Arts, Beautiful Italy, Culture Shock, Expat, Italian Culture, Italy, Life in Sicily, Living in Sicily, Only in Sicily, Photography, Sicilian Art, Sicilian History, Sicily, Sicily and Sicilianess, Travel Sicily

  Sicilian playing cards are works of art. There are many versions around, these ones are Neapolitan and I picked them up at my local Tabaccheria. This is the ace of spades a wonderfully baroque angel holding a cascade of flowers and an Arabic vector. I grew up playing Sicilian card games and love the…

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Postcards from Sicily: Gethsemane

Categories About me, Arts, Beautiful Italy, Expat, Expat experiences, Italy, Life in Sicily, Only in Sicily, Photography, Secluded Sicily, Sicilian Culture and Traditions, Sicily, Travel, Travel Italy, Travel Sicily

I've always loved Sicilian churches prolific use of mosaics. Last summer I got to the church of the Madonna of Tindari (ME) and managed to sneak a shot of this beautiful image of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane. These mosaics are like living breathing operatic scenes filled with life and drama. I think I'll…

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Clockwork Messina

Categories About me, Beautiful Italy, Expat, Expat experiences, Italy, Life in Sicily, Living in Sicily, Only in Sicily, Photography, Sicilian Culture and Traditions, Sicily, Travel, Travel Italy, Travel Sicily

A detail of the bell tower of Messina. I was looking through some old shots the other day and I loved the elegance of this shot, even if it was sweltering when I took the picture. The cockerel crows every midday and midnight in the Piazza Duomo of Messina. He begins an elaborate dance of clockwork…

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Postcards from Sicily: Spring trying to poke its head out

Categories Beautiful Italy, Expat experiences, Italy, Life in Sicily, Living in Sicily, Photography, Secluded Sicily, Sicily, Travel, Travel Italy, Travel Sicily

The weather in Sicily and all over Italy has been terrible lately. Usually at this time of year we are already into the swing of spring. Here's hoping the spring will unexpectedly poke its head out like this cute little church at Martini a suburb of my little town Sinagra, Messina. Here's hoping for some…

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Postcards from Sicily:Cherub

Categories About me, Arts, Beautiful Italy, Italy, Life in Sicily, Living in Sicily, Only in Sicily, Photography, Sicilian Art, Sicily

This one's dedicated to literally hundreds of neglected dirty cherubs all around Sicily and Italy who are awaiting restoration. They are adorable just the same.

Postcards from Sicily: the end of Carnevale …

Categories About me, Beautiful Italy, Culture Shock, Expat experiences, Italy, Life in Sicily, Living in Sicily, Photography, Sicilian Art, Sicilian Culture and Traditions, Sicily

E viva San Leone … E musica

Categories About me, Arts, Beautiful Italy, Expat, Expat experiences, Italian Culture, Italy, Life in Sicily, Living in Sicily, Only in Sicily, Photography, Secluded Sicily, Sicilian History, Sicily, Sicily and Sicilianess, Travel, Travel Italy, Travel Sicily

This year I was fortunate enough to get to San Leone’s ‘festa’ at Longi (20th Feb) which I find is generally more traditional and particular then the one celebrated at Sinagra (even if I love them both!) I liked the solemn religiosity and playfulness of Longi’s interpretation of this Saint’s celebration. Not only does the…

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Postcards from Sicily: Winter road

Categories About me, Italy, Life in Sicily, Living in Sicily, Only in Sicily, Photography, Sicily, Travel, Travel Italy, Travel Sicily

If I were an artist it would be perfect to sketch out these winter landscapes that I see in the countryside.

Blackbird days

Categories About me, Beautiful Italy, Expat, Expat experiences, Italy, Life in Sicily, Living in Sicily, Photography, Secluded Sicily, Sicily, Sicily and Sicilianess, Travel, Travel Italy, Travel Sicily

It’s a bleak time of year here in the mountain villages of the Nebrodi. The intermittent rain and hail is interrupted by tiny specks of sunshine quickly smudged out by the billowing charcoal clouds. The chill makes me want to shut myself up inside. My lips are chapped and my hands are rough and sandpapery…

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Postcards from Sicily: Pupi

Categories Arts, Beautiful Italy, Culture Shock, Expat, Expat experiences, Italy, Life in Sicily, Living in Sicily, Photography, Secluded Sicily, Sicilian food, Sicilian History, Sicily, Travel, Travel Italy, Travel Sicily

My son loves knights and dragons. He keeps begging me to buy him one of these marionette puppets, he would be drooling if he saw this big guy. I love the Pupi Siciliani as a form of Sicilian theatre that originated in the 18th Century and retold epic battles and tales of old. It nearly…

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Postcards: Thinking of home

Categories About me, Arts, Expat, Expat experiences, Life in Sicily, Photography, Tastes of Australia, Tastes of Home, Travel

The reflective and somewhat haunting Swan River, near my native home in Perth, Western Australia seems a world away. This time of year always makes me homesick ...

Postcards from Sicily: Nativity

Categories About me, Arts, Beautiful Italy, Expat, Expat experiences, Italy, Life in Sicily, Living in Sicily, Photo Essay, Photography, Postcards from Sicily, Sicilian Culture and Traditions, Sicily, Travel, Travel Sicily

It's that time of year again. Getting into the Christmas spirit with a ceramic nativity from Santo Stefano di Camastra.