Sicily

A coffee temptation

Categories About me, Authentic Sicily, Beautiful Italy, C.O.S.I (Crazy Observations by Stranieri in Italy, Culture Shock, Expat, Expat experiences, Italian Culture, Italy, Life in Sicily, Living in Italy, Living in Sicily, Opinion piece, Photography, Sicilian Cuisine, Sicilian Culture and Traditions, Sicilian food, Sicily, Sicily and Sicilianess, Tastes of Sicily, Travel, Travel Sicily, Uncategorized

I’ve always been a coffee drinker. I started off with instant stuff, then graduated to frothy cappuccino, milky latte and now I live in Italy it’s one hundred percent hardcore espresso. I briefly flirted with tea drinking in my youth, in the anglo saxon tradition of taking afternoon tea, so common in England loving Australia…

Continue reading ➞ A coffee temptation

Five reasons not to book your holiday to Italy in August

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

  Some friends have told me they are finally coming to Italy next year and I’m over the moon to get to see them! They are coming in August, a time of year I’d really encourage people to avoid. I don’t understand why travel agents encourage people to book holidays to Italy in August or…

Continue reading ➞ Five reasons not to book your holiday to Italy in August

Literary Islands: Salvatore Quasimodo

Categories Arts, Beautiful Italy, Expat, Expat experiences, Italy, Life in Sicily, Sicilian Culture and Traditions, Sicilian History, Sicily, Sicily and Sicilianess, Travel Sicily

If I could take only one emblematic book with me from Sicily, I’d defiantly choose Salvatore Quasimodo’s complete poetical works. One of Sicily’s Primo Nobel’s in Literature, Quasimodo illustrates all the colours of his native island. His lifetime’s work, themes and forms span from sparse expressive poetry, experimental pieces, poems inspired by mythology, politically charged…

Continue reading ➞ Literary Islands: Salvatore Quasimodo

I morticini Halloween in Sicily

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

According to the Roman Catholic traditions in Sicily the first two days of November are known as ‘All Saints day' and 'All Souls day' (respectively dedicated to  the churches’ canonized Saints and the deceased). As with most traditions they have become colourfully interpreted by popular culture and anticipated by the thirty first of October, good…

Continue reading ➞ I morticini Halloween in Sicily

Postcards from Sicily: The sea is always better in Autumn/Fall

Categories Beautiful Italy, Expat, Expat experiences, Italy, Life in Sicily, Living in Sicily, Photo Essay, Photography, Postcards from Sicily, Sicily, Sicily and Sicilianess, Travel, Travel Sicily

Isn't it funny how the beach and the sea gets better in the Autumn/Fall. This canoeist had the right idea, jump in and make the most of it, on the seaside near Capo d'orlando, Messina.

Festa time at Capo D’orlando, Messina.

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

It’s become a tradition at this time of year to attend a series of Festa’s or celebrations dedicated to patron saints that are common to most towns here in Sicily, not out of any particular religious desire but simply to have a day out, rummage through the endless stalls and perhaps start buying those pesky…

Continue reading ➞ Festa time at Capo D’orlando, Messina.

Run, cinghiale, run!

Categories Culture Shock, Expat, Expat experiences, Italy, Life in Sicily, Photography, Secluded Sicily, Sicilian food, Sicilian History, Sicily, Sicily and Sicilianess, Travel, Travel Sicily

   I’m surrounded by people who love the sport of hunting. What’s a poor passive greenie like me supposed to do? There’s nothing much I can do, other than hoping whatever game is being pursued gets away and everyone comes home empty handed. This year it seems everything is going well for the animals and I’m…

Continue reading ➞ Run, cinghiale, run!

Migrants, immigrants and refugees

Categories Culture Shock, Expat experiences, Italy, Life in Sicily, Sicily, Travel Sicily

  Observing the news of the recent tragedy off the coast of Sicily which saw more than 300 people drowned and later other boat loads rescued, I feel obliged to clarify certain terminology which is being misused by journalists. It may seem a bit pedantic in the face of the loss of life but it’s…

Continue reading ➞ Migrants, immigrants and refugees

Squeezing those grapes

Categories Beautiful Italy, Expat, Expat experiences, Italy, Life in Sicily, Sicilian food, Sicily, Sicily and Sicilianess, Travel, Travel Sicily

We're well and truly into the swing of Autumn/Fall here in Sicily even if it seems the weather has forgotten what time of year it is and the Sirocco wind is wreaking havoc withering everything it touches. For those unfamiliar with the term Sirocco here's a definition from our friends at Wikipedia: Sirocco, scirocco, /sɪˈrɒkoʊ/,…

Continue reading ➞ Squeezing those grapes

The difference between a tourist and a traveller

Categories Beautiful Italy, Expat, Expat experiences, Italy, Sicily, Sicily and Sicilianess, Travel, Travel Sicily

   I don’t understand why people who have extra money to afford overseas travel, feel obliged to become tourists. There is something blazingly irksome when travel becomes a status symbol. People who travel without any love, desire, passion or preparation for the journey are simply blind. A tourist will pick the most popular, fashionable destinations, book a…

Continue reading ➞ The difference between a tourist and a traveller

A funeral, a wedding and a baptism in Sicily

Categories Beautiful Italy, Culture Shock, Expat, Expat experiences, Italy, Language Concerns, Life in Sicily, Photography, Secluded Sicily, Sicilian History, Sicily, Sicily and Sicilianess, Travel, Travel Sicily

This September has been a sombre month, the end of summer and the prelude to winter it is a transitional period in the cycle of life with the promise of new beginnings. The month began with the funeral of a friend's great grandmother who was the matriarch of the family. Carmela was elderly and she…

Continue reading ➞ A funeral, a wedding and a baptism in Sicily

Finding your bearings with language

Categories Arts, Beautiful Italy, Culture Shock, Expat, Expat experiences, Italy, Language Concerns, Life in Sicily, Photography, Secluded Sicily, Sicily, Sicily and Sicilianess, Travel, Travel Sicily

Well, I survived my latest translation job. I have to give it all a read through today and send it off tomorrow. With the aid of a translating program, I ran the science article through to literally translate it word for word and then spent the week going through it all. The pieces of the…

Continue reading ➞ Finding your bearings with language