It is in exactly one month that I will be leaving once again for Sicilia with all the wonderful things it has to offer. Sunsets are sunsets but there IS something very special when seen from Lipari in the Aeolian Islands. These grapes which are grown for local consumption wine are from Fiumidinisi in the province of Messina. I am a train fanatic so when I came across these tracks in the Bronte area around Mount Etnea, I was beside myself. GRANITA.. impossible to describe to someone who hasn't had it but if I must, think of it as a cross between the best gelato (not ice cream) and a slushy but totally pure! For the "anziani" (elders) the traditional granita is limone. The one pictured here is pistacchio (from Bronte which is world famous for pistacchio production) and chocolate and is the best I have ever had. When one eats granita, one closes his eyes and insists no one speaks! This was actually eaten in Caltagirone, which is a town acclaimed for its ceramics. The remaining image was taken from a road leading out of Bronte. Mount Etnea is in the background.

The market in Catania is a thrill and a morning feast which everyone should savor. Weddings are a common DAILY experience with the bride often walking or being driven along the main street to the church. Since the streets are much narrower, it is a sight for all to take part in. I wonder how many bars there are in Sicilia? On the autostada going towards Noto is Lentini where I was struck by this rather old palazzo.While at an agriturismo in Lido Di Noto, I spied this cat inspecting this idle bike.

One of the many Arabic Mosques erected in Palermo. The sleepy hill top town of Calascibetta as seen from Enna. Sicilian puppetry and puppet theater go back to the 15th century I believe. The stories are based on Sicilian folklore or the adventures of Charlemagne. Below is a master puppet maker in Palermo and exhibits at the puppet museum in Ortygia.

Just a few images which, for whatever reason, are appealing to me today. So many images which I try to group thematically but I am realizing is not necessary. I enjoy these due to the special significance they have in defining, "My Sicilia". The gentleman with the broom I stumbled across while in Caltagirone looking for pottery.He was as drawn to me as I was to him and while I speak no Sicilian, we understood each other perfectly. I was atop a set of stairs in Palermo when I saw the elderly man walking across a small piazza. Though almost the breath of the island apart, I felt they shared similar pasts. One day in Ortygia across the bridge from Syracusa, I glanced up to see this young woman carrying on a familial tradition. The boy is engrossed with the national pastime not only in Sicilia but throughout Europe.

High above Taormina sits Castelmola, a charming town with narrow streets boasting spectacular views. This arch is a central place for wedding photographers to immortalize brides and grooms.
I live in a small town on the SS114 just north of Taormina called Sant'Alessio. I was wandering the back streets one day just before pranzo when all life moves indoors.I caught this during one of those walks. The castle seen here is what in psychology is called a "secondary reinforcer" which in this case, lets one know he/she has arrived at Sant'Alessio which is a delicious sea side town known only to locals includine Messinesi, Catanesi and some Milanesi. The boat image and the castle at the bottom were made in Acitrezza and Acicastello, two seaside villages made famous by the immortal Giovanni Verga in his monumental novel "I Maglavoglia" The House by the Medlar Tree.

These are just three images of glorious NOTO, south of Syracusa. It boasts fabulously baroque architecture and is an enchanting walking town. Many of the most beautiful and oldest buildings were closed for renovation due to a 1990 earthquake. One cannot visit Sicilia without taking in Noto and its surroundings.

So, it is now officially spring and I am starting to think about spending another, "Feast for the Senses" summer in Sicilia so naturally some images come to mind. Etnea seen through the ruins of the Teatro Greco in Taormina, the eastern coast of Sicilia looking north to Messina,
the lovely hilltop town of Forza D'Agro,
mouth watering figs found anywhere and the world famous Dolceria Bonajuto in Modica. In my opinion, there is no better chocolate anywhere. All made by hand with flavors that are unimaginable.