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?
The Mount Etna volcano is a dominant force on this island of Sicily and is a living part of the Sicilian landscape. Etna’s sixty by forty kilometre base is the heart of the island and its three thousand three hundred metre tall shadow has given birth to this fertile Sicilian land, rich in mythology. The…
Continue reading ➞ Etna’s flatulence
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
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,…
Continue reading ➞ The humble water fountain
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…
Continue reading ➞ Beauty in the details
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.
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…
Continue reading ➞ Buono come’ il pane : As good as bread
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…
Continue reading ➞ Sinagra from a different perspective
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.…
Continue reading ➞ Castello Nelson di Maniace, Bronte
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…
Continue reading ➞ A house in Sicily: Casa Cuseni, Taormina
Madonna statue and clock tower duomo Messina, Sicily.
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…
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…
Continue reading ➞ Sicilian Landscapes
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…
Continue reading ➞ Bad mannered Italian’s
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…
Continue reading ➞ Old photos from Sicily
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