These traditional Sicilian baskets handmade from river reeds are used for countless purposes. This particular size with the handle may often be seen tied to a rope, being lowered from balconies throughout Sicily. Called “un panaru” in Sicilian, they are used to carry everything from fruits such as lemons, grapes, and olives to foodstuffs like…
Category: Sicilian language
Substitute Sicily Travel Through Montalbano
Thanks to the MHz Choice app, I’m able to get a taste of Sicily through watching (after already seeing every “Il Commissario Montalbano” episode this year) “Il Giovane Montalbano.” Yes, it’s a tease, but it’s something. Andrea Camilleri’s characters and plots continue to entertain and surprise me. #seeyousoonsicily
Bring Heat To Your 2020 With A Trip To Sicily
Bring heat to your 2020 with a trip to Sicily! I’m thrilled to announce our Experience Sicily 2020 small-group, multisensory tours. May, June, July, and September… all of the details are at https://experiencesicily.com/2020-tours-of-sicily/. The joy we’ll create together will warm your soul for years to come. Amuni’! Let’s experience Sicily together! (Photo Credit: Chiara Musumeci…
With Each Pump of Lu Sapuni
This beautiful soap dispenser was made for me by ceramic artist Angelo Varsallona, based in Caltagirone. It sits at my kitchen sink in the New York area. I think of Sicily with every pump! Bonus: lu sapuni is how one would say soap in Sicilian. Extra bonus: lu lumiuni or la lumia is how one…
Sicilian Poetry Reading At Seaton Hall University
Ni viriemu! See you! Thurs., Nov., 8 at Seaton Hall University, actor Michael Badalucco will read the poetry of Sicilian poet Nino Provenzano (from Castellammare del Golfo, pictured), translated by Professor Gaetano Cipolla. Co-sponsored by the U.S. Delegation of the Constantinian Order and the Alberto Italian Studies Institute, the event is at 6 p.m. in…
Fresh From the Oven: Baking Bread in Sicily
The Sicilian (or sicilianu) word for bread is pani. When you travel to Sicily you can learn how to bake traditional breads, like those in this bread basket during a hands-on cooking class.
Small-group
One of my favorite visits during our Enchanting Sicily tour is with artist Michele Ducato in his studio. Michele the keeper of the Ducato family business: painting Sicilian carts. He is so generous with his time and sharing his knowledge about his craft.
When the Pavement Is Dry
Quanno i balati ra Vucciria s’asciucanu … is a Sicilian expression that means, When the pavement of the Vucciria [market] is dry. In other words, we would say, When Hell freezes over. The irony of this well-known Palermitano idiom is that today, the significance of the Vucciria market is fading and the pavement, which was…
Barefoot in Palermo for La Santuzza
On September 4, 1166, Rosalia, a young woman who had sworn her life in service to Christ, died. The example she set and her protection of Sicily’s capital city is celebrated annually in Palermo with a solemn procession up Mount Pellegrino to her sanctuary. It’s a long, steep climb done by many barefoot to illustrate…
Critical Consumption
Speaking of shopping… When visiting Sicily, please patronize stores and restaurants that display the sign (pictured), Addiopizzo. When you do, you are supporting a business owner who refuses to pay “protection money” (i.e., extortion money) to organized crime. When you support such businesses, you are expressing an anti-mafia position and helping dis-empower criminal organizations that…