smiley sunflower

Marker by a local florist ... 

You can't tell by looking ... but this flower is nearly 4-foot across,

 petal-tip to petal-tip.

round Etna by train

This train system and route is over a hundred years old.  It goes most of the way around Etna from Catania to Giarre (or any point inbetween)  and makes for a fun day trip on the weekend.  The tracks are set more closely than those of trains connecting the various towns and cities such as Rome and Catania to one another ... which has helped keep the Etna train independent.   Originally it was set up as a way to allow people to access their out-lying plots and the engineer will still stop in the middle of nowhere to pick up some one who is returning home after working in the fields.   Generally there are only one or two carriages per train. 
Here it is pulling into the Catania station to start a new run.

How does your garden grow?

Looking down on our landlord's winter garden ....
 their green thumbs go all the way up to their necks and down to their toes!
They can .. and do .. grow a LOT!
One thing  gets done ... pull it our and plant something else in the space.

glimpse of Etna

Peeking between the buildings ... Etna's secondary peak

Carnivale calf

Saw her as she was passing by ....
time to celebrate Carnivale.

some more rolls

Other shapes she has formed ... check out the purse on the right-side.

a bit out of season ...

DH picked up some bread the other day from our favorite bakery ...
... must have been a few bags left over ... no big deal ... I think it's a charming bag.

fancy rolls

A baker shaping fancy rolls in Monterosso Almo, Ragusa province, here in Sicily.