Calcio (soccer) is inextricably linked to Italian life – and to Pope Francis’ Assisi visit on October 4, 2013: the Papal helicopter touches down in a soccer field at 7 45 a.m and lifts off from another at 7 15 pm. [lcaption]Assisi ready to welcome Pope Francis[/lcaption] First stop? Istituto Serafico where over one hundred…
“Pari ‘na paniella” (“it looks like a panella”) is an expression in palermitano dialect to describe an object flattened by a heavy weight. And every Palermitano – no matter age or social class – knows panelle and the incomparable goodness of one of Palermo’s oldest street foods. A stop for pane con panelle always starts off…
Rain these past few days and warm sun: mushroom time. I spotted a couple yesterday under the oak trees. What memories of past mushroom hunts – and here is a note on funghi days: In the late 70’s when we farmed our land, I often went mushrooming with my contadina (farmwoman) neighbors. When warm days…
On a summer night, skirt around the crowded outdoor tables in the piazza facing the medieval church, go through the door of the crowded Focacceria San Francesco and join the camaraderie. No places on the ground floor? Head up the stairs (the air-conditioning even better up there) to the second floor or on to the…
While visiting Pino’s family in Palermo, we finally visited the island of Lampedusa this past summer, discovering another Mediterranean treasure. Bellissimo! No time for our usual jaunt to Ustica – but hopefully, we’ll be back there next year. We are hoping that the Alessandris are still well – and will we find Pasquale (he’d be…
We celebrated my birthday in Sicily this past summer, too. What memories of a “volcanic” birthday in Sicily years ago. Here is the note I wrote then: Sicily: Volcanic Adventures September 2006 I’ve been celebrating my end-of-August birthdays on volcanoes recently – “explosive” moments! For many years, my birthday has landed me in proximity to…