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 France’s cultural heritage. It is the work of a man with an extraordinary destiny: Henri d’Orléans, 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 […]
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. 🙂 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 […]
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 […]
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 and construction fences. But once you park your car and enter the venue – you change your perspective. Nice long lungomare, sandy beaches and the view on Etna vulcano while swimming in the Ionian sea. Love and hate is the Sicily.
If I could recommend, it would be Lido Arcobaleno. They have the most friendly staff, great restaurant – excellent grilled fish!, and just most protective baywatch guard.
It’s only negative side is that is a bit too close to the Catania port so the sea is less clear. But you get to see ships and admire their logistics.
The other Lido to recommend is Capanello and Excelsior. A bit more clear sea water but always busy, And the restaurant is actually a canteen – so not that much attractive.
At Lido Cucaracha, there is an African bar that in the evening turns into disco. I am not sure how the people in the nearby bungalows sleep, but I guess they get used to it during the day from the noise of the airplanes. The Fontanarossa Airport is just behind.
Sicily is the home of granita. This ancient tradition in sweet delicacies has its roots in the Middle Ages, when the “nivaroli” would gather snow in winter on Mount Etna or Nebrodi mountains and store it all year round in “neviere” (holes lined with stone or brick – you can see some perfectly preserved examples in Buccheri) and then carry it to the seashore in the warmer months.
The snow was grated and used, together with lemon juice or fruit syrups, in the preparation of tasty and refreshing sorbets and ice creams to be enjoyed in summer. The rattata (“grattata”) evolved over time, and the snow, then used only as a coolant, was replaced by water and honey with sugar, making the mixture deliciously creamy. This unmistakable mixture, refreshing, sweet and rich in flavour, is now known worldwide as Granita Siciliana.
Considered by the Sicilians as a moment of togetherness and social interaction, the granita is a ritual in every sense: not only in summer but all year round, at breakfast, lunch, in the afternoon, or even at dinner, the granita is served with a hot brioche, or as in the past, with a fragrant freshly baked bread roll. To fully enjoy Sicilian granita (which is entirely different from Roman “grattachecca”, sorbet or “cremolata”), the ideal way is to spend at least 30 minutes relaxing, comfortably seated at the tables of an open-air bar, admiring the architectural beauty, reading a newspaper or simply chatting with friends.
RED RIDING HOOD 