Travel Sicily

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…

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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…

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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/,…

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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…

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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,…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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Mushrooms, mushrooms everywhere!

Categories Travel Sicily

In our neck of the woods near the Nebrodi Mountains deep in the province of Messina in the North west of Sicily we are usually blessed by the bounty of fresh Porcini mushrooms at this time of the year. Last year it was pretty dry so we didn’t get to taste the meaty flesh of…

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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…

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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