Though I cannot be in Sicilia during Christmas, my mind still transports me there. I am not looking at Sicilia through rose colored glasses but it is MY place to alleviate or at least lower my stress levels whenever necessary. Yes, it does snow in Sicilia as one can see from the photo taken somewhere between Sant' Agata di Mitello and Navarra di Sicilia. Other images: The sun setting through the mountains at Rocafiorita, Cefalu on the beach and through one of it's many portals to the sea, The train station near Linguaglossa which is one of many running in and around Etna. Buon Natale a tutti

Traveling in the interior or to the western part of the island, one is always reminded both of the past reasons so many of our relatives left in the early part of the last century and also the unparalleled beauty which always brings a tear and a smile when one reflects upon BEDDASICILIA. These sheep were in a field in Linguaglossa near Etna while the one with the shepherd could be in the same place but was in San Teodoro near Bronte. The flat plain sitting below the mountain is part of Corleone while the Reserva dello Zingaro forms the backdrop for the image taken, obviously, from a boat. The laundry image, so ordinary throughout Sicilia, could be anywhere but this particular one was in Ali Termini on the eastern coast just south of Messina.

Just having some random thoughts about Sicilia so I thought I'd post some random images. The boy was caught in thought at the beach at Roccalumeria on Sicily's eastern coast just north of Taormina. The insalata caprese is anywhere but I must confess, it is from DA GIUSEPPE (me). My "thing" with trains continues. This image was somewhere in the Nebrodi Mountains.
Interior town of Cesaro` contrasts with the beach town of AciCastello which has its' place in Sicilian literature made famous by Giovanni Verga.

On The SS 289, returning from Sant'Agata di Mitello, one comes to Cesaro` situated high on a hill top with stunning views.
We stopped at the RISTORANTE NEBRODI MIRAGLIA and, thanks to Signor Miraglia, his daughter Sara, and his wife whom we did not meet, we had a really delicious pranzo typical of this region of Sicilia. The gentleman on the road back to Sant'Alessio kindly asked us to stop until the TRAFFIC had passed!

PIETRAPERZIA, in Enna province is one of those uniquely old hill towns overlooking the Valley of Himera where it is thought the original inhabitants of Sicily dwelled. The castle, built by the Arabs and modified by the Normans is now a ruin and an attraction not to missed as it offers a spectacular view of the valley and Caltanisetta. The town consists of an upper and lower part and there are many events there all during the summer.

Despite the international success of the 1995 movie, IL POSTINO (with Massimo Troisi), SALINA is one of the least known and explored of the Aeolian Islands. The beauty and tranquility are evident everywhere as one roams the narrow colorful streets which seem always to lead to the turquoise waters. World famous for capers and the grape which makes Malvasia wine, it is a place to return to over and over again.

ERICE, located in the province of Trapani, offers some of the most spectacular views I have seen in Sicily. It is said that on a clear day ( weather can change from minute to minute at this height of 2,400 plus feet above sea level) one can see the northern coast of Africa. Below, the entire city of Trapani dazzles the imagination while looking to the west are the Egadi islands of Levanzo, Marittimo and Favignana. From either of the two castles, the view is rather humbling. Walking the narrow cobblestone streets, one finds many restaurants, shops and in particular, Maria Grammatico's pastry shop celebrated in Mary Simeti's book, BITTER ALMONDS". To wander the streets in Erice is to step back to the time of its mythical founding. To me, ERICE inspired Shangri La!