This is a cyclops. Well, sort of. It’s actually the skeleton of an elephant. A small elephant that at one time was indigenous to Sicily. Yup, that’s right. This animal, which is the size of a Vespa motor bike, once roamed the ancient landscape of Sicily. (Remember, part of Sicily is on the African tectonic…
Category: Nature
Not The Cyclops, But Etna
These rock stacks are volcanic. The beginnings of Etna, they were pushed up from the sea floor. So, contrary to the story from Homer’s Odyssey, they were not rocks thrown after Odysseus and his men by the cyclops. I recently finished listening to the Emily Wilson translation of the Odyssey read by Claire Danes. It…
Images Of Spring In Sicily: Trapani Vineyard
Spring vines in Trapani Province
White Spring Flowers In Sicily
In the United States, we call this perennial herb Summer Asphodel. In Sicily, where during these months of February and March it grows seemingly on every hillside making many hungry sheep happy, it is called Asfodelo Mediterraneo. The snow-white flowers with a thin red-brown ribbon down their centers were associated with Persephone and the Underworld…
The Green, Green, Grass Of Sicily
No, not Ireland. No, not Scotland. No, not Wales. This is the green, green, grass of home… I mean Sicily… in the winter and spring. (Somewhere near Aragona, Sicily in late February)
Almond Trees Dance On Sicily’s Hillsides In February
The hillsides of Sicily are currently laced with white, as almond trees are flowering throughout the southern provinces of the island. February is a stunning time to visit Sicily. (Racalmuto, Agrigento Province)
February In Sicily Means Delicate Wildflowers
February wildflowers in southeastern Sicily (Ragusa)
The Sicilian Hills Are Alive
Yes, you too, like Judy, can walk through a field of wild clover in Sicily. The best time of year to do so is April. (Sant’Angelo Muxaro, Agrigento Province)
Easter In Sicily: New Itinerary Coming Soon
Although this year’s Easter processions will be curbed, I am still leading a small group through Sicily during the days leading up to Pasqua and for the holiday. The details of the new program are currently coming together. Sicily is magical during the spring for so many reasons. The capre Girgentane, pictured, being one! Think…
Sunset Over The Sicani Mountains
Breathe in… Breathe out. And let’s watch the sunset over the Sicani mountains…