Category: Travel Tips and Ideas
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Recognizing Sicily
It’s hard to get something about Sicily past me without me recognizing it right away, so when watching CNN the past couple of days (for obvious reasons/I usually avoid TV news), when I saw the promotional spot for Stanley Tucci’s Searching for Italy show that premiers in February, I said, “Wait, that’s the Mother Church…
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La Vucciria Isn’t So Cacophonous Anymore
Oh, how much La Vucciria market in Palermo has changed over the last few years! It gets its name because it used to be a butchery (fish and meat) with vendors singing their sales at the top of their lungs from crowded stalls and carts. Not so much anymore (at least during the day). Now,…
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Messina’s Clock Tower, Part 3
Buon Anno! Happy New Year! These past days I’ve focused on this clock since time–i.e., the changing of the year–has been on our minds. Now, with the start of a new trip around the sun, we turn to the cathedral side of Messina’s astronomical clock tower. We already saw the Perpetual Calendar, which shows the…
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Messina’s Clock Tower, Part 2
Inaugurated in 1933, the complex astronomical clock of Messina, which possesses the entire bell tower, is thought to be the largest in the world. (Continued from yesterday…) Part 2: The lower “balcony” sports rotating biblical scenes that change according to the period of the year. This time of year, on display would be the nativity…
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Messina’s Clock Tower, Part 1
When you visit Messina, be sure to be at the cathedral in front of its bell tower at noon sharp. That’s when, daily, the renowned astronomical clock puts on a show. Commissioned in 1930 by the Archbishop of Messina, Angelo Piano, the timepiece consists of a complex mechanism that governs the sound effects and movements…
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Live Nativity Scenes In Sicily
Many towns in Sicily annually create elaborate live nativity scenes like this one I saw in 2019 in Custonaci (Trapani Province). These dioramas featuring townspeople acting out iconic moments and everyday activities from past times create a sense of wonder. Presepe Vivente are a reason to visit Sicily during Christmas.
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Culinary Experience In A Box
We’ve partnered with GoSicily Sicilian Cooking Experience. Gift idea! Check out the culinary experience in a Box!
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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
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Stop The Car, Take A Photo In Sicily
Sometimes, you just should stop the car and take a photo. #somewhereinsicily