Tag: Palermo
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Today’s Sicily Passeggiata
It’s been raining for days. Today, we had some sun, so before getting down to business, I went for a passeggiata in Porticello. Natural moments in a fishing village. The fisherman is weaving a basket trap for shrimp and other crustaceans.
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Porticello and the Madonna del Lume
The Feast of the Madonna del Lume, the Madonna of the Light, in Porticello is a special one for me not only because the people’s devotion to her is so strong – – something beautiful to witness, but also because Porticello is where my grandfather, who came from a fishing and merchant family, was born. …
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Day 16 of 16 Days of Sicily | Stories of Unknown Superheroes that Must Be Told
On my last tour, one of my guests who has 100% Sicilian heritage asked me a question about the mafia. I responded, “I will talk about it – – a lot – – but when we are with the whole group. I’ll tell you some stories.” Discussing organized crime and corruption and how it has…
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Remembering Father Pino Puglisi of Palermo
“I’ve been expecting you.” That’s what Father Pino Puglisi said to his assassins when they came to kill him in cold blood on his birthday September 15, 1993. When they confessed, his killers said he looked them in the eyes peacefully. They turned themselves in because they were haunted by his smile. “Who kills a…
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The Florios Of Sicily Novel
I’m reading The Florios of Sicily. It’s hard to put down! I recommend it. Pictured here is the site of “the accident.” I’ll say no more so as not to give anything away. Only that I went swimming here at Le Calette dell’Arenella in July, so it was pretty neat to know exactly the scene…
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NY Times Travel Publishes 36 Hours In Palermo
This weekend’s New York Times Travel features “36 Hours in Palermo” (A New edition, since the last one that was published in 2015). It offers ideas for some off-the-beaten-path things to see and do in a city that I love and that I spend a lot of time in each year (I even wrote and…
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Kingdom of Sicily 1130 – 1266: A New Treatise To Know
Congratulations Louis Mendola and Jacqueline Alio on their latest treatise, Kingdom of Sicily 1130-1266! I am in awe of the detailed research that was completed to write this book that will be a consistent reference for me for years to come as I continue to transmit how the history of Sicily offers humanity endless lessons…
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A New Film Version Of The Leopard
Back at the end of May, when I was in Palermo, I was fortunate to witness the filming of a new version of Il Gattopardo (or The Leopard), the novel by Giuseppe Tomaso di Lampedusa for Netflix. The Visconti original from 1963 with Burt Lancaster as the nobile Prince Don Fabrizio, will be hard to…
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A Fishing Boat In Porticello Inspires Me To Remember
Commercial fishing boat in Porticello (Palermo Province), the village where my grandfather was born and lived before emigrating to the United States in April 1913 My grandfather was 17 years old when he emigrated. First, like many from Porticello, he went to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he worked as a marble mason. Eventually, he settled in…