The blues of the island of Marettimo off the western coast of Sicily – one of the three Egadi islands (along with Levanzo and Favignana) – seem to harmoniously run together. In the one island village – only three hundred permanent residents here (though over seven hundred in the summers) – sky-blue doors and window…
You don’t have to speak marettimano or siciliano – or even Italiano – to order up the goodness at Bar La Scaletta overlooking the island of Marettimo’s port and craggy mountains rising out of the sea. English will do, for dark-haired, green-eyed Concetta shoving down the black handles of the bar’s shiny expresso machine started…
In his late twenties, smiling Giuseppe welcomes guests at the family restaurant/hotel Oasi da Paolo in Castelluzzo (western Sicily, near San Vito Lo Capo) and takes food orders with his papa’ Paolo. His younger brother Antonino (“he was the mischievous one,” smiles mamma Francesca) reigns in the kitchen, backed by three young assistants. Lots of…
In ancient Greek and Roman mythology, la sirenetta (“the mermaid”) was the devious temptress wooing sailors off course, leading them to their deaths. La Gelateria Sirenetta of San Vito Lo Capo, one of our favorite seaside towns west of Palermo, tempts, too: here, enticing gelati and granite spin spells on bathing-suited beach-goers filling the seaside…
The aquamarine waters off Sferracavallo (frazione di Palermo i.e., a suburb) will tempt you for a swim. And if you have an appetite for local seafood after your Mediterranean Sea swim, head to the port area of the village of Sferracavallo. A dark-haired young man rapidly splitting open sea urchins for sea urchin pasta on…
Nino’s uncle, Zio Toto’, put it this way: “if you come here, you’ll return….to eat,” adding, “Here, you can eat at all hours…everywhere.” He was talking about Palermo, for me, “Good-Eating Capital of the World.” But he could have been talking about his nephew Nino’s Campofelice country house (about an hour east of Palermo, overlooking…
Like nearly every Italian religious holiday, la festa della Madonna (August 15th, the Assumption) brings Italian families together to feast over a pranzo – always far more than a “lunch” – that goes on for hours. Years ago when Italy struggled as an impoverished rural economy, a saint’s feast day was the opportunity to rest…
Agriturismo L’Aria Fina – at 700 m – still has that refreshing mountain “good air,” “l’aria fina.” Lina still turns out the goodness in the kitchen while husband Carmine greets the guests. And son Giambattista still helps out, serving at table, making espressi at the bar. But he’s shot up – he’s seventeen now –…
Pino and I moved into a crumbling farmhouse outside Assisi in 1975. What unforgettable years working the land, learning so much from our rural friends (you can see shots of “the good ole days” below). Pino has restored our farmhouse now – and not only: behind it, he’s built three comfortable rental apartments. Come and…
Bare-chested, bearded Sergio, with brightly luminous blue eyes and a twinkling grin, was one of the shepherds showing his herd of sheep (450 in the herd, about 50 goats included) at the four-day August Rassegna degli Ovini (Sheep Show) of Campo Imperatore (“The Emperor’s Plain”), high (just over 1500 m) in the Abruzzo mountains. And all…