There are literally hundreds of water fountains all over Italy gushing with water, Baroque details and sculpture. Often we are mesmerized by the immense works of art without seeing the cute little details. This grumpy little water god got my attention when he blew in my ear as I walked by the old…
Continue reading ➞ Postcards from Sicily: the spirit of things
Elio Vittorini’s Conversations in Sicily has been on my reading list for a while and I was delighted to find the original English translation in the Amazon Kindle store compete with an introduction from Ernest Hemingway so I immediately snapped it up. However, for some unknown reason, it was never delivered and after several emails,…
Continue reading ➞ Conversations with Elio Vittorini and his critics
U sceccu porta sempri u barduni A donkey always carries the load. Yet another folk saying to do with the humble donkey, a symbol of hard work and stubbornness. Simply put, a jackass will always be an ass. Hummmm, a leopard doesn’t change its spots, simply doesn’t have the same directness does it!?!? For…
Continue reading ➞ Sicilian saying of the day: the humble jackass
Often beauty is in the fine detail. It is easy to become overwhelmed by the immense works of art all over Italy, yet while trying to take in the whole you often miss the subtle aspects. This detail above the main door at the Duomo of Messina is as magnificent as the entire…
Continue reading ➞ Sicilian impressions: beauty in the details
Italy is a place where fashion comes alive. Italians have a real flare for it whether it be elderly ladies dressed in colorful silk tops and high heels, or the latest shop window display from Dolce and Gabanna there is an astounding level of creative expression happening deep within the Italian psyche which is inspiring.…
Continue reading ➞ Window shopping in Sicily
U sceccu chi si mancia a fichera u viziu si lu lava quannu mori. The donkey who eats figs is only rid of the habit when he dies. The humble donkey used to be the work animal of choice in Sicily, able to carry heavy loads and negotiate the mountain terrain common on the…
Continue reading ➞ Sicilian saying of the day: Bad habits
The concept of ‘multiculturalism’ is a source of debate throughout the world, whether it is possible for a country to become truly multicultural and if different cultures really can exist peacefully side by side or is it simply a utopia. Italy in particular resists other cultures mixing with the domineering Italian one. Minister of Integration,…
Continue reading ➞ Multicultural Sicily (whether they like it or not)
The Fiat 500 is an enigmatic symbol of Italy. I’ve lost track of the amount of people who say this is their dream car. I am constantly coming across these cute Italian creations, which are easy to park in cramped car parks all over Italy. The cinquecento is featured on endless tourist souvenirs…
Continue reading ➞ Postcards from Sicily: Fiat 500
One of the most inspiring expat blogs I’ve come across in Italy must be Mozzarella Mamma which is the creation of Trisha, an American journalist who has been living and working in Rome for the past two decades. She’s an inspiration simply because she has managed to juggle being a professional, bringing up three…
Continue reading ➞ Blogging around the world: Mozzarella Mamma
Apart from the history, architecture and historical sights to see in Italy there are endless opportunities to experience the products of its thriving culture. So many people travel to Italy and simply tick off the main tourist sites off the bucket list. Colosseum, check, Ponte Vecchio, Check, Leaning tower of Pisa, Check, Instead of being…
Continue reading ➞ Italian festivals and theaters for opera lovers
I love all things Vintage so I was so happy when I came across this vintage souvenir from Messina. In the series of postcards the landscape of the city, the port and the mountains on the other side of the strait at Calabria are always the same yet the infrastructure is ever-changing.…
Continue reading ➞ Vintage Messina
The sport of hunting is widely diffused all over Sicily and Italy. The Greenie in me is terribly uncomfortable about living side by side with this sport. However I can understand the cultural value of this tradition as it has connections to the proud agricultural world, the community and families from the past.…
Continue reading ➞ Postcards from Sicily: The art of hunting
This week on Blogging Around the World, we are back in ‘Bella Italia’ to be specific Florence and a sassy American gal called Misty and the struggles she describes on her blog Surviving in Italy. Now there is plenty of blog action happening out of Florence but you aren’t going to find anything quite like…
Continue reading ➞ Blogging Around the world: Surviving in Italy
Today I want to tackle your questions about living in Italy full-time. To be honest I haven’t been asked many questions so I got my virtual and real Facebook friends to send me some random ones, which I’ll answer below. Maryann asks: How is the plumbing and the water? Well, the average Italian bathroom…
Continue reading ➞ Quirky questions about life in Italy
It is always a challenge for non native speakers of any language to learn and assimilate into a new country but Italy has its own particular surprises reserved for struggling expats. Before moving to Italy permanently I thought I was quite savvy with my Italian. After all I had almost majored in Italian, lived…
Continue reading ➞ Tongue tied in Italy
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