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 […]
This city is placed in such a remote place that even dear Lord decide to say buona notte a tutti. Driving there, through various hills beautiful landscapes but scary landscapes… roads that are incomplete, the GPS that get lost, the moment of: Please let’s try not to make a wrong turn because we are not […]
This city is placed in such a remote place that even dear Lord decide to say buona notte a tutti. Driving there, through various hills beautiful landscapes but scary landscapes… roads that are incomplete, the GPS that get lost, the moment of: Please let’s try not to make a wrong turn because we are not sure if the GPS is wrong or the indications and the road signs are incorrect.
Let me show you what I mean:
Corleone is located in an inland area of the mountain, in the valley between the Rocca di Maschi, the Castello Soprano and the Castello Sottano. Corleone is located at 542 metres above sea level.
I guess all the world pasta is coming exactly from these fields here. đ
The only reason it came on my list is because of the movie The Godfather based on the 1969 novel The Godfather, including the eponymous Vito (Andolini) Corleone.
Several Mafia bosses have come from Corleone, including Tommy Gagliano, Gaetano Reina, Jack Dragna, Giuseppe Morello, Michele Navarra, Luciano Leggio, Leoluca Bagarella, Salvatore Riina and Bernardo Provenzano.
The local mafia clan, the Corleonesi, led the Mafia in the 1980s and 1990s, and were the most violent and ruthless group ever to take control of the organization.
When visiting the town today, do not expect dramas of any kind. The town works and appears as a traditional Sicilian town, and in recent years it has experienced a significant anti-mafia movement wave. After the tragic murder of the highly respected and admired mafia judge Giovanni Falcone in 1992, the mood of many Sicilians turned against Cosa Nostra , and a large number of anti-mafia associations emerged in the background. Part of the land and the property formerly owned by members of the Mafia is now administered by the state, and the ground is cultivated by various anti-mafia associations, which produce and sell organic products, including excellent wines.
I mean, really, the city is boring and unattractive. Perhaps the best way to observe how they behave is to enter a bar. We did so. It was incredibly hot and siesta time so not much sites were open. Except for this bar, with 3 locals and a bartender. All of them tattooed with tacky sleeveless muscles – shown shirts.
Some quick refreshments and using the toilet. Well, when washing the hands, you do not open the pipe with hands but pressing the clutch below with your foot. Ok, well.
We wanted to enter the church but it was locked. The locals from the bar were looking at us knowing we are tourists and trying to find a way to talk to us. We said we would like to go to church but we are not sure what time it opens. Looks can be deceiving! The tattooed guy in muscle shirt pulled out his phone and dialed a number. Last thing what I saw was the screen on which it was written: Il Padre. Yes, the guy was calling priest to ask him if he can open the church because there are two tourists in a bar wanting to know. I mean, total shock on my face: you do not call Padre because of that. A guy like that does not have a relations with church, or does it?
Poor Padrino, most probably was slumbering. It was hot. We went to see the church around only and bought the Corleone Amaro di Sicilia.
Chiesa Madre is dedicated to the 4th-century French bishop Saint Martin of Tours, started in the late 14th century.
And was it. Short, shocking, odd, to remember… back to car and driving again through the fields.
RED RIDING HOOD 