Travel

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.

Friday Photo: Cola Pesce

Categories Arts, Beautiful Italy, Expat, Expat experiences, Italy, Life in Sicily, Photography, Travel, Travel Sicily

A surprise discovery at the Teatro Vittorio Emanuele, Messina an original mural depicting the myth of the half man half fish, Cola Pesce who dove under Sicily, painted by Renato Guttuso.

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!

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

Sicily, how rude!

Categories Culture Shock, Expat, Expat experiences, Italy, Life in Sicily, Parenting, Sicily and Sicilianess, Travel, Travel Sicily

This past week I’ve had several reminders why I’m such an unwilling expat. Random encounters with rude and ignorant people who in their defensiveness are hurtful. Living in small town Sicily every time I open my mouth it is painfully obvious that I am a foreigner ( here they don’t say, what a lovely accent,…

Continue reading ➞ Sicily, how rude!

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

The ‘hen’s night’ Italian style

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

I’ve always disliked the ardent silliness that goes on at pre-wedding ‘hens’ nights and bachelor parties. In Australia and the UK these night time facades in the past have resulted in cruel practical jokes and lewd conduct that is often regretted the morning after. Thank goodness these types of parties have become a thing of…

Continue reading ➞ The ‘hen’s night’ Italian style

Gathering wild fennel

Categories Beautiful Italy, Expat, Expat experiences, Photography, Secluded Sicily, Sicilian food, Sicily, Sicily and Sicilianess, Travel, Travel Sicily

It’s the end of August which means the end of summer is here. The reign of warm sunny days is beginning to lose it’s hold over the seasons as intense storms usher in the autumn and eventually winter. The ancient culinary rites which once symbolized the preparation for the harsh winters have already began. Tomatoes…

Continue reading ➞ Gathering wild fennel

My Sicilian summer holiday in pictures

Categories Beautiful Italy, Culture Shock, Expat, Expat experiences, Photography, Secluded Sicily, Sicilian food, Sicily, Sicily and Sicilianess, Travel, Travel Sicily

Postcards from Sicily: Welcome to Messina

Categories Beautiful Italy, Expat experiences, Photography, Postcards from Sicily, Secluded Sicily, Sicilian History, Sicily, Sicily and Sicilianess, Travel, Travel Sicily

Since a picture is worth a thousand words I thought I'd share some random picture from my holidays, when I get a moment. Here is the warm welcome Messina gives to it visitors arriving on the ferry, an open armed statue of the Virgin Mary greeting and blessing every visitor as they pass into the…

Continue reading ➞ Postcards from Sicily: Welcome to Messina

Why do Sicilians fear Air conditioning?

Categories Beautiful Italy, Culture Shock, Expat, Expat experiences, Language Concerns, Secluded Sicily, Sicily and Sicilianess, Travel, Travel Sicily

I recently met a lovely Canadian lady who was complaining about the lack of air conditioning in Sicily. I had totally forgotten why Sicilian’s and Italian’s in general are so anti artificial cooling systems in the summer. I have passed through so many humid summers it must have fried my memory when it comes to…

Continue reading ➞ Why do Sicilians fear Air conditioning?

First day at the beach

Categories Beautiful Italy, Culture Shock, Expat, Expat experiences, Italy, Life in Sicily, Secluded Sicily, Sicily and Sicilianess, Travel, Travel Sicily

Summer has finally arrived here in Sicily, even if it’s been a chilly summer so far with overcast mornings and rainstorms. We’ve only just been able to put away our long sleeves but they are still within our reach as we are frightened to get a chill. I’m defiantly a lover of the summer and…

Continue reading ➞ First day at the beach