Travel does the heart good
Senlis is a city in the northern French department of Oise, Hautes de France. Cute, medieval and charming. It offered us great peek into history: The monarchs of the early French dynasties lived in Senlis, attracted by the proximity of the Chantilly forest. Senlis is situated on the river Nonette. Senlis was known in early Roman imperial times as Augustomagus. During the 3rd century, a seven-meter […]
The Château de Chantilly is one of the finest jewels in the crown of Franceâs cultural heritage. It is the work of a man with an extraordinary destiny: Henri dâOrlĂŠans, Duke of Aumale, son of the last King of France, Louis-Philippe. This historic French château located in the town of Chantilly, Oise, about 50 kilometres north of Paris. The site […]
The Scala dei Turchi is a rocky cliff on the coast of Realmonte, near Porto Empedocle. It has become a tourist attraction, partly due to its mention series of detective stories about Commissario Montalbano. The cliffs lie between two sandy beaches and are a limestone rock formation in the shape of a staircase, hence the name. The latter part […]
Picture this episode: we parked on a roundabout. Some local approached us (my brother and me) – we thought because we should have not park in a roundabout, but then again they all did, so… in fact the guy just wanted to ask if we have cigarettes. Ok Sicily, episode n. At the roundabout is […]
Enna or as the Sicilians would say Castrugiuvanni; is a city located roughly at the center of Sicily, towering above the surrounding countryside. It has earned the nicknames belvedere (panoramic viewpoint) and ombelico (“navel”) of Sicily. At 931m above sea level, Enna is the highest Italian provincial capital. To arrive there is not a piece of cake. Passing the two viaducts Morello and […]
From its dramatic natural surroundings to its historic churches, Sicily has something to offer every traveler. The island of Sicily is a unique part of Italy. Its craggy mountains, wild vegetation, and omnipresent sea have fired the imagination of poets, wayfarers, and visitors alike. Though it is one of 20 Italian regions, its history under […]
Aci Castello and the other Acis around are destinations not to be missed in Sicily, especially for lovers of Greek myths and literature. It is here that the poets Virgil and Ovid gave birth to the myth of Galatea and Aci and their love story. In the second half of 1100 the town was destroyed […]
This is city is one of my favourite places in Sicily. Let me show you its magic! Taormina has been a tourist destination since the 19th century. Its beaches on the Ionian sea, including that of Isola Bella, are accessible via an aerial tramway built in 1992, and via highways from Messina in the north and Catania in the south. In 2017 Taormina […]
One of my favourite activities living in Sicily is to go to the beach. Or how they call it here the lido. South of Catania, there is entire spread of different lido’s which are under different concessions. Do not expect a beautiful road to drive through, though. The road is full of bumps, holes, trash […]
 is one of Sicily’s prettiest seaside villages: Marzamemi. It consists of couple of shops and bars, with one main square on which are all the restaurants located. In the evening this place turns into a fairy tale. It was the Arabs of the 10th century who put Marzamemi on the map. They not only gave the village […]
 According to legend, Daedalus stayed in the city after his flight over the Ionian Sea, as did Hercules after his seventh task – Capture the Cretan Bull. đ In 9th century it was conquered by the Muslims, who elevated the city to become a capital of one of the three districts of the island (the Val di Noto). In 11th century, it became […]
The city’s name has its origins in the neighboring town of Lentini. In 16th century, Vice-King Giovanni De Vega founded a new city in honour of Habsburg Emperor Karlo V, naming it in Latin Carleontini, or Leontini of Carlo. In Italian, it became Carlentini, and in the various Sicilian dialects, Carrintini or Carruntini. They say in Sicily, you can recognise the flavour of […]
And just above Santa Maria La Scala is home to numerous churches of neo-gothic and typical Sicilian baroque style. Sicilian dialect calls it Jaciriali. I am trying to understand the rules of a dialect here too. Wish me good luck đ In Sicily, I found so far three nymphe’s that were born here. One of […]
And just above Santa Maria La Scala is home to numerous churches of neo-gothic and typical Sicilian baroque style. Sicilian dialect calls it Jaciriali. I am trying to understand the rules of a dialect here too. Wish me good luck đ
In Sicily, I found so far three nymphe’s that were born here. One of them is Galatea – the sea-nymph. According to tradition, the city’s origins trace back to Xiphonia, a mysterious Greek colony whose location is unknown. In Ovid’s Metamorphoses, there is a great love between ÄĚcis, the spirit of the ÄĚcis River, and Galatea the sea-nymph. According to mythology, the tears of Galatea after the death of ÄĚcis gave birth to the ÄĚcis River, Fiume di Jaci, flowing past Acireale.
The Aci Reale Cathedral dates from 16th century located in the Piazza Duomo. A spacious area mainly filled by kids still playing in the street. For some things, I am glad Sicily is 70 years behind the schedule.
However, I was not that much lucky to explore the exterior facades of the cathedral as they were under construction. Something left to be re-visited again.
While Acireale is not a major tourist destination, the two basilicas and the cathedral are close together in the centre so a short visit is very interesting.
Una passegiata is always recommended to do. Accompanied with the looks that fall on the medieval streets and baroque facades. With many hidden gems.
During the Expedition of the Thousand in 1861, led by Garibaldi and which liberated Sicily from the rule of the Bourbon Kingdom of Naples, Acireale was the first town to rebel against the Neapolitan rule. Perhaps this is the reason to have a strong carnival here. Just kidding, the traces go much deeper.
As usual, nothing goes explored enough without a little nourishment. This time the avocado tastings. At the fertile foothills of Mount Etna, they grove under Sicily’s blue skies.
RED RIDING HOOD 