This is the first time I’ve been in Sicily in February, and I must say, it is a treat because it’s citrus season! The weather has been spring-like (which isn’t normal for January my cousin, Experience Sicily’s Filippo Buttitta, told me today). Sicily is a semi-tropical climate, and here in Palermo, the northern part of the region, it’s been in the low 60s F/teens C during the days and in the low 40s F/high single digits C at night–warmer than New York, but not Florida!
Regardless, these temperatures apparently makes for some amazing citrus, because I am overdosing on oranges and clementines/mandarins. I can’t get enough of them! They are sweet and the juice runs down my arm when I’m eating them. These oranges and lemons, photographed, are ripe right now in my cousin Tanina’s garden. I ate some after our Sunday lunch today… a gregarious event that had a dozen cousins present. What fun!