First day at the beach

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…

The humble water fountain

Italy is a country with an abundance of water, where you find beautifully refreshing water fountains with drinkable water for everyone even in the biggest cities. The result is the beautiful art work that is used to celebrate the gift of water which we can see throughout Italy. The water fountain becomes an elaborate altar,…

Beauty in the details

As you get older I think you begin to appreciate the smaller details of things. I once used to look at the big detailed elements of a work of art like a statue or a church to become absorbed in the whole. It’s easy to become mesmerised by the art work in such a historically…

Praying for the summer to come

I recently looked over some old pictures I took one summer along the coastline in between Capo d’orlando and Brolo in the province of Messina, Sicily and I’ve suddenly had a yearning for the summer. Look and see if you don’t feel the same desire to dive into the waters of summer in Sicily.  

Buono come’ il pane : As good as bread

It is very Sicilian to say someone is as good as bread.There is nothing better or pure and simple as freshly baked bread. Lui e’ buono come pane means he is as ‘good as gold’ as Australians say. Sicilians are less materialistic in their turn of phrase, history has made them humble and appreciate the gift…

Sinagra from a different perspective

I took a few pictures of my local town Sinagra from a different point of view and of a building that is hidden, tucked deep within the breast of this maternal little town in the province of Messina. I want to share with you these photos that make this sleepy little place seem less haggard…

Castello Nelson di Maniace, Bronte

I’ve always loved Castles as a symbol of European history, grand monuments of emperors, popes, Kings and nobility. There aren’t any Castles in Australia as we are relatively young to European culture so we may have many grand ancient geological monuments and some modern architectural beauties and recent monstrosities but there are no real castles.…

A house in Sicily: Casa Cuseni, Taormina

  In amongst the many books I have read in my research during my time here in Sicily my all time favourite has to be the autobiographical A House in Sicily by Daphne Phelps. It is a wonderful love letter to Sicily that became Daphne’s home after inheriting a grand old house built and designed…

Messina

Of all the major cities in Sicily, Messina is the one with which I have the most familiarity, simply because it is physically closer to Sinagra. But apart from this I find that Palermo is too decrepit and full of crime, Catania is just plain dirty and dangerous and the others are simply too difficult…

Sicilian Landscapes

I've spent nearly a decade of my life living in Sicily in which I have gathered many experiences. Including some beautiful and ugly photographic portraits. I thought I'd share some of the best. I'll randomly  post my photos as a way of celebrating my time here in my second home. Some summer landscapes of my…

Bad mannered Italian’s

It’s official Italian kids are the most bad mannered while overseas. Thanks to a recent report from ANSA Italy (on ansa.it) Italian children on vacation are the least civilised in Europe, according to a survey conducted in 500 European hotels.   According to the report the worst offenders were children from Milan and Rome followed…

Old photos from Sicily

I’ve fished out some old family photo’s which are particularly dear to me, they are so wonderful and filled with character that I simply have to share them with everyone.     These are all of my great aunts, my grandmother will all of her sisters and my great grandmother when my great grandfather was…

Missing my Nonno

Isn’t it amazing the surprises life has in stall for us? At times I’m a little overwhelmed by the strange new directions this journey has pulled me through some painful, others colourful, adventurous but all unexpected. I imagined myself at this stage working as a journalist in some t.v or radio station with a novel…

On the theme of Mt Etna

One really can’t talk about Sicily without mentioning the Mt Etna volcano, here are some short pieces I’ve written about this strange monster that dominates this island, following along on the theme of earthquakes from yesterday.   Etna is a real monster, a living breathing part of the Sicilian landscape. Its sixty by forty kilometre…