Happy Easter! Buona Pasqua! The lamb is one of the most prominent symbols of Easter. In Christianity, it symbolizes purity and sacrifice – two qualities associated with Jesus Christ. The basic form of the lamb is created from marzipan (sweet almond paste) using a mold. Then the cook decorates the pastry according to his or…
Good Friday In Enna, Sicily
Live from Sicily! Yesterday, we went to the Good Friday procession in Enna, where 16 brotherhoods recognized the death of Christ with humility, covering their solemnity as to keep the focus on the commemoration. I know the costumes may trigger offensive thoughts for Americans. Please set this aside, for our association with hoods such as…
360 Degrees Of Etna
Live from Sicily! The villages of Etna hosted our curiosities today. We started the morning eating sheep’s milk ricotta warm out of the cauldron along with honey drizzled doughnuts. When we visited the town of Zafferano Etnea, we learned some local mythology and about what it’s like to live on Europe’s most active volcano. This…
Orlando Inspired Us: The Opera Dei Pupi in Acireale, Sicily
Live from Sicily! We laughed, shouted, booed, and cried for Orlando during the opera dei pupi (marionette theater) last evening. The magnificent Opera di Pupi Turi Grasso theater company showed us the joys and craftsmanship of their multigenerational master work! We were all so inspired–us and the Grasso family too!
Cry For Me Siracusa
Live from Sicily! We had a glorious weather in Siracusa today. Our clients were full of questions about ancient history as well as modern. One of the more fascinating modern stories about Siracusa is this church, or should I say, this upside down ice cream cone, pictured from this morning! It is the Santuario della…
One With Mamma Etna
Live from Sicily! Today we enjoyed a marvelous volcano experience on Etna. Our guides from Etna Moving are always fantastic. What a great family experience it is to go into a lava tube (pictured), where the footing is a challenge and it’s dark! We had to work together to ensure everyone’s safe return to the…
Galatea’s Grief In Acireale
Live from Sicily! Today we stayed local to the villa we have rented, visiting sites in the town of Acireale and environs. Acireale is shrouded in mythology with the story of Aci and Galatea at the core. I was thrilled to see this magnificent statue depicting their myth in person for the first time! Galatea…
From Our Villa In Sicily
This Easter week, I am hosting a family of 12 for a private, custom tour of Sicily. We rented an extraordinary villa for the first week (we are touring next week too!). This is the view from the terrace… More like the back yard! The Ionian Sea at Mount Etna (hence the black lava stone)….
Springtime In Sicily
Live from Sicily! During my drive yesterday, I stopped to take this photo of the countryside outside of Licodia Eubea, where I am hosting July’s small-group tour Life In A Remote Sicilian Town. Look at how beautiful spring is in Ragusa province! The flowers are blooming everywhere. The grasses are so green! The air is…
Nutty, Salty, And So Good: Pizza In Sicily
Live from Sicily! You know you are in Sicily when there is crushed pistachio on the pizza. Oh, my… My diet success of recent months is going to be hard to keep up these next couple of weeks. Yes, *fresh* pistachio!