Ciao from Sicilia!
May 23rd, 2008 by Michele CookCiao from Sicilia!
The largest island in the Mediterranean.
Where everything is so green, the blossom is out & the spring flowers sway in the gentle breeze!!
My first impressions of Sicilia are good. Not only does it boost one of the most active volcanoes in the world, Mt Etna last erupted in September 2007 & I’m hoping it will erupt for me whilst I’m here!! There are many quaint medieval towns with Baroque buildings (17th & 18th centuries), cobbled streets & piazzas to enjoy a cafe whilst watching the world go by & some of the most important classical sites: Agrigento, Selinunte, Segesta & the Roman villa at Casale to name a few.
Sicilia has more UNESCO World Heritage sites than any where else in the world so there has been a lot of restoration & excavation work in recent years.
Thanks to Euro money there are some amazing roads with some of the highest bridges in Europe spanning across vast valleys & long tunnels through the mountains.
Sicily was one of the breadbaskets for the Roman Empire & still today the island is famous for its citrus fruits, almonds, pistachios, wines & olives.
90% of all Italy’s pistachios are grown on the northern & western slopes of Mt Etna.
The best almonds are grown around Agrigento & when the trees are in blossom in February an annual Almond Festival is held.
Ever tried the sweet Marsala wine? Discovered by an English man, John Woodhouse in the late 18th century. Made in a similar way to sherry in Jerez, Spain. Salute!!
Sicilian cuisine is renowned for being amongst the best in Italia.
Plenty of pasta, pizza, tasty meat, fish & seafood including sea urchins. The swordfish is particularly good at this time of year. Oranges & lemons have three crops a year so they are always in season.
Ice –cream may have been invented in Sicily as snow was brought down from Etna to which honey & orange & lemon juice were added to create a wonderful dish.
Another local delicacy is brioche con gelato, basically an ice-cream butty which business men & children alike love to have for breakfast &/or lunch!!
Everything stops for the afternoon siesta then everybody comes out for the ‘passeggiata’. Men are seen sitting/standing around watching the world go by!
Plus for the time of year 20 degrees & sunny is very pleasant & it’s only going to get warmer!!
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