January in Sicily offers fresh green grass and clear blue skies.
Category: Seasons
A Face Without Eyes For The Solstice In Sicily
The winter solstice is upon us, yet I look forward to the summer solstice, when this sculpture of a Greek mask takes center stage at the sculpture garden and farm of Lorenzo Reina, the creator of Teatro Andromeda in Santo Stefano Quisquina. If you plan ahead and know an insider, you could be present here,…
The Fourth Season In Palermo
In Palermo’s “Theater of the Sun,” the intersection better known as Quattro Canti, four fountains featuring women illustrate the four seasons. Not only the annual seasons, but those of life too. Pictured here is Winter. She’s an older, wiser woman holding a flaming lantern. Showing us the way through the darkest time of the year….
52 Reasons to Love Sicily | #16. Fantastic Feasts and Festivals
And then of course, there are annual and biannual commemorations for deities and patron saints throughout the region that include everything from making ritual breads for Saint Joseph and Saint Blaze and decorating the streets with linens and flowers for the Pentecost, for just two examples, to processions for feasts recognizing Easter, the Madonna, Christ,…
Foraging For Wild Fennel In Sicily
‘Tis the season for foraging wild fennel in Sicily. Not to be confused with the bulb fennel we have in our supermarkets in the United States, wild fennel is mostly fronds (the fern-like leaves), and it contains the best flavor when it is young. One finds wild fennel in the mountains and countryside. A keen…
Sicily Is In An Orange Zone
Sicily is currently at the height of its orange producing season, when many different varieties of this beloved citrus fruit are sweet, juicy, and ready to be eaten right from the millions of trees throughout the island. In addition, importantly, Sicilians have reason to celebrate. Today the region moved from being designated a “Red Zone,”…
Sicilian Folk Music Concert This Sunday On Zoom
Concert on Sunday! Register at https://experiencesicily.com/sicilian-folk-music-concert/ Yes, this too is Sicily … On a snowy January day in Palermo Province (2019). The weather outside is frightful, and so, listening to an online concert-lecture of Sicilian folk songs with a bonus rendition of “Winter Wonderland” and more will be perfect this Sunday, Dec. 20 at 3pm…
Beware And Be Kind To The Mandrake Plant
Beware! Attenti! Mandrake (pictured), or Mandragora, is a perennial plant that grows in the Mediterranean. You’ll find them throughout Sicily in the fall and spring. They have long roots with a very short stem. When pulled from the earth, the plant and roots together resemble the human body–both men and women. The mandrake has medicinal…
Sacred Sicily And Lago Di Pergusa
We’re halfway through autumn in the northern hemisphere. Persephone has made her way to the underworld to join her husband Pluto (AKA Hades) to continue her work as Queen of the Underworld. Meanwhile, Demeter, Persephone’s mother, is turning inward and the earth slowly begins its winter cycle. Pictured is Lago di Pergusa, or Pergusa Lake,…
Blue Skies At Sicily’s White Cliffs
Blue skies, nothing but blue skies…at la Scala dei Turchi. La Scala dei Turchi, or Stairs of the Turks, are made of a hard-mud material that is a combination of calcium carbonate and lime mixed with other types of clay and silt, called marl or marlstone. A popular swimming spot, La Scala dei Turchi, in…