Category: Seasons
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Grape Spotting
Depending on the region of the island (Sicily has many microclimates.), the grape harvest has started. These Nerello Mascalese grapes, indigenous to Etna, are not yet ready, but the wine maker is measuring the grapes’ vitals every day to strike when the moment is right.
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Appreciate The Bounty
My fellow travelers from February’s You, Me, and Sicily Carnevale trip in February will appreciate this. Three days ago, I found another piece of confetti (one piece, left, in August … The lot on the street in Acireale, right, in February) … I don’t even know where it came from! Thinking about the cycles of…
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The Natural Habitat of Pomegranates
Pomegranates growing on the tree last month.
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Wheat
Wheat is one of the key elements to understanding Sicily. For millennia, wheat was Sicily’s main agricultural product and economic engine. The Greeks cultivated grain from the time they arrived on the island 700 years before the Common Era. Demeter, goddess of grain and the harvest, was central to eastern Sicilians’ religion because of her…
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Through This Window…
Through this window is Sicily! Yes, there are mountains and vineyards and the turquoise sea. There is even an active volcano, Etna. But more importantly, there are heartwarming people to meet who have a rich culture to share with you. Their 3000 years of human history and their modern way of life will inspire you.…
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Wow, Do I Say, Tomato!
When we came upon this, it took my breath away. Earlier this month, when we visited the farm of sculptor Lorenzo Reina in the mountains of Sicily, they were drying their bounty of tomatoes in the sun, preserving them for use for the rest of the year.
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You In A Sicilian Saddle
I arrived in Sicily this morning, and meanwhile, one set of our clients in the region this week (We have three families traveling separately following custom designed itineraries,) was experiencing rural life with the locals, thanks to our friends at Val di Kam who sent us this photo. I love getting emails and texts from…
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Commune With the Countryside
Join me… On September 27, we’ll be in the Sicilian countryside communing with the shepard and his dogs… If they let us… Sheep dogs are very protective! Contact me for the full 8-day, multi-sensory itinerary at AllisonScola@ExperienceSicily.com. PS, I arrived this morning in Sicily! Follow me here for my current adventures.
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Demeter’s Joy: Summer
Happy Summer! I present to you the magnificent Goddess of Morgantina, in celebration of the solstice. Scholars don’t know if she represents Aphrodite, Demeter, Persephone, or Hera. But her size (2.20-2.25 meters high), indicates that it was certainly a mystery cult statue of great importance. Personally, I believe that she is Persephone because her right…