BELPASSO AND BEYOND...

Birra ?

2012-02-12T00:12:00.001+01:00

this is why I generally carry my camera ...
the tray was just sitting on the counter, waiting to be used ...
I like the glasses and bottle of wine in the background

Hello Birdie ...

2012-02-08T23:54:00.001+01:00

Magpie (bird) looking (and finding) bugs ... lots of bugs.
Magpies are super common here and in southern Spain ...
Indy hates them ... they like to dive bomb her

Calcio rules!

2012-02-03T11:43:00.001+01:00

Sign at the Belpasso Calcio Club (soccer club) office

Sunrise on Groundhog Day

2012-02-03T00:03:00.000+01:00

woke up really early this morning ... watched the sunrise while Indy drank bird-flavored water (from the bird bath)

"People of Liberty"

2012-02-02T23:42:00.000+01:00

Posted in the main piazza here in Belpasso ...
Berlusconi was the Italian Prime Minister until recently.

Store shelves on Saturday

2012-01-23T06:00:00.001+01:00

Cold shelves in a local store ... trucker strike is having quite an effect.

Gas strike - day #7

2012-01-22T21:43:00.001+01:00

A friend waiting for gas during this week's trucker's strike .... DH and I heard a rumor last night that a gas station (not the station in this picture) we go past most days got a delivery last night and was going to open at 7:00am this morning (he's normally not open on Sundays). So we were up and on our way by 5:30am to sit outside his station and see if the rumor was true. Another friend joined us in line ... and a few others that drove by joined the line as well. It was TRUE!! At 7am, he opened -- there were only about 5 cars in line at that point .. but everyone started calling to let others know gas was available. The attendant said he got about 2000 liters of gasoline last night ... DH heard this afternoon that the station we gassed up was empty by 9am.

Etna's gift

2012-01-08T15:30:00.001+01:00

Etna's ash and grit covers our terraza.

Etna's cooking again!

2012-01-08T15:26:00.000+01:00

Etna's off and going again!

Lots and lots of ash blowing around ...

it shows here as the gray covering the left and middle of the photo.

Ho Ho Ho in Nuremburg

2011-12-25T11:33:00.000+01:00

Santa and Rudolph DH and I saw while visiting this year's

Nuremburg Christmas Market.

He gave candy to the kids whether or not he was given money.

We stopped by to watch him every night we were there

Ho Ho Ho ... Merry Christmas everyone!

Cold flower ....

2011-12-23T19:08:00.000+01:00

Gerianum plant on the terraza had a rough time the day it snowed.

It snowed last night!

2011-12-20T17:54:00.001+01:00

There was a dusting of snow on the car this morning.

It gets parked at the bottom of a long driveway.

Santa Pup

2011-12-19T22:24:00.000+01:00

Santa Pup -

DH and I saw him while visiting the Nativity displays in Mineo

(a hill town about an hour from where we live)

Street view

2011-12-09T23:16:00.000+01:00

Looking out of my doctor's window onto the street below ...

Sunset ...

2011-12-02T11:11:00.000+01:00

A recent sunset ... and my timing was good ...

a week later, only one water tower was standing there.

I've missed you all ... my computer died, my camera wonky ...

and work, well ...

let's just say it has been very challenging.

another painting at Garibaldi

2011-09-25T02:16:00.002+02:00

"We are the heirs of a great history ... the future of a grand country:

1861 was the unification of Italy as a single country

lobby picture at Garibaldi Hospital

2011-09-24T14:13:00.000+02:00

One of many pictures in Garibaldi Hospital's lobby and waiting rooms ...

all were painted by the students at a local school.

"Brothers and Sisters of Italy"

Jester at Medieval Festival

2011-09-19T15:09:00.001+02:00

Even not understanding Italian, he's fun to watch...

three different clips.

Jester in Motta S.A.

2011-09-03T14:01:00.002+02:00

Recently Motta Sant'Anastasia (CT) Sicily had its annual Medieval Fest

and celebrations in honor of the town’s patron saint, Santa Anastasia.

This jester was a lead performer one night.

He's also a juggler and ventriloquist and a bunch more all rolled in one.

He was a riot to watch!

Etna erupts again

2011-08-07T11:12:00.000+02:00

Etna has been erupting off and on all year long ...

This was taken from th end of our street.

Belpasso is located about a third of the way up the side of Etna ..

St James candlelighting - Caltagirone

2011-07-25T14:52:00.000+02:00

This year's luminaria design on the steps of Sta Maria in Caltagirone (Catania province).
Each year a contest is held - the winner's design is re-created for the St James Festival (he's the patron saint for Caltagirone) held the 24-25th of July.
Made for a long day ... DH and I didn't get home until nearly 2am ... but it was worth it.

CHESTNUTS

2011-07-21T22:24:00.002+02:00

Picking chestnuts last fall.... (yup, I'm wishing for cool weather)

Spaceship over Etna

2011-07-20T21:31:00.000+02:00

The winds blowing around Etna cause this cloud formation.

Did anyone else think of the movie "Independence Day" when seeing this?

Yum ... roasted chicken!

2011-07-17T19:06:00.000+02:00

Generally cooked on a brace over a wood fire .... good stuff!

DH and I could eat this just about daily.

Operation Husky ... WW2

2011-07-17T09:41:00.000+02:00

Visited the WW2 Museum in down-town Catania a few years ago ..small, but has excellent exhibits.
Well worth visiting.

Traffic jam?

2011-07-16T09:13:00.000+02:00

On the way home one morning ...

Italian zodiac

2011-07-12T22:40:00.001+02:00

It's been miserably hot lately here ...

DH picked up a pizza on the way home from the poker tournament.

The local pizza place has a new logo ...

haven't seen this version of the zodiac before.

Days gone by ,,,

2011-06-25T17:44:00.000+02:00

Really hot here currently ... this was at a festival last fall

... the boy is wearing a folkloric outfit typical of 50 years ago or more.

Balcony Ironwork

2011-06-10T04:16:00.000+02:00

Balcony detail in Ragusa Ibla.

Maletto Strawberry Fest

2011-06-08T13:03:00.000+02:00

The main street in Maletto ...

flag performers have finished one performance and are off to another.

Pony walks?

2011-05-15T01:04:00.003+02:00

DH and I saw this while going home the other day ...
interesting way to exercise a horse.

One of my dear readers commented that this looks like an accident waiting to happen ... and, if I saw this in the States, I would agree.
However, for the most part, traffic on the smaller roads (and this is at the every edge of Belpasso) tends to be a bit slower.
I haven't seen this way of exercising a horse before .. but both DH and I have seen horses hitched to sulkies and driven around Belpasso quite a bit.

Slow Food?

2011-05-14T21:29:00.000+02:00

Slow food restaurants are quite popular here in Sicily ...

nice change from fast food.

Balcony Ironwork

2011-05-13T23:10:00.000+02:00

Balcony detail in Ragusa Ibla.

Yum .... Italian Ice!

2011-05-11T22:22:00.000+02:00

Some of the best specialty ice I've had ... my favorite is jasmine flavour.
They make all sorts of flavours on-site ... chocolate and pepper, various wines...lots and lots more.
Hey honey.... let's go to Ragusa Iba!

WW2 Canadian Cemetary

2011-05-11T22:19:00.000+02:00

Private Sabblut was one of many lost during Operation Husky.
This is in the Canadian Cementary near Triona in Catania province.

Carmela's flowers

2011-04-17T22:43:00.000+02:00

Add caption

This plant is on the front steps to our building ... not a clue what it is ... the pods are about two inches long ... the entire stock is nearly two feet long and will soon be covered in these pods.

Door knocker

2011-04-05T13:08:00.000+02:00

Saw this the other day while DH and I were out for a stroll ...

Early morning sun

2011-04-05T10:16:00.002+02:00

On the way to work recently...

Carnivale Cookie

2011-04-03T10:47:00.001+02:00

Saw these during Carnivale at a bakery DH and I frequent.

Candy Jars

2011-03-28T22:10:00.001+02:00

These are on a local bakery's counter - I really like the flow of the curves.

Spring's slowly coming ....

2011-02-27T21:35:00.000+01:00

Almond blossoms ... guess Sping really is coming to the island this year

St Michael

2011-02-06T13:49:00.000+01:00

St Michael on top the Mother Church in Piedemonte Etnea (northeast side of Etna).

What a Difference a Day Makes!

2011-02-03T22:10:00.000+01:00

This is what I saw when I left for lunch yesterday ...

...and this is what I saw while on the way to work this morning ... snow level is not that much higher than our apt. No wonder the cat and I are both cold!

Bear Bologna!

2011-01-17T14:44:00.000+01:00

DH and I found this at a local super-market ....

got some just for the fun of it.

Sicilian Bagpiper in Monterosso Almo

2011-01-15T09:33:00.000+01:00

Sicilian Christmas bagpipers are known as Zampognari. The bagpipe is traditionally made of reeds and a sheepskin.
Now the reeds may be plastic and the sheepskin imitation .. the Zampognari always are dressed traditionally.

Christmas in Monterosso Almo (Ragusa province)

2011-01-15T09:27:00.000+01:00

DH and I visited a living nativity in Monterosso Almo, a small town in Ragusa province. The evening opened up with Joseph leading Mary on a donkey through the main streets of the town, stopping at a few places to ask for shelter. You had to buy tickets to go through the nativity ... and your entry time was determined by the number on your ticket. We were lucky in that we were able to enter in the first hour.

This one was more than just the manager scene... you trudged up and down various streets and looked at small village life scenes ... such as men making rope. a bakery, a cheese producer and so on ... the townspeople would explain what they were doing, the history and other facts. At the end was the cave with the Holy Family, the Magi and shepherds.

This is one of the churches on the main square.

Got to figure out how to share more pictures

2010-11-17T10:56:00.000+01:00

I've upload too many pictures between my two blogs ... so I have to figure out how to set it up so I can share more of my life ... will be back soon!
Holly

MORE FROM THE AMPHITHEATRE IN POZZUOLI

2010-11-08T08:09:00.001+01:00

This was both close to the ticket office ... have to wonder who was honored with a statue ... nothing left but the feet.

MARBLE DETAIL AT AMPHITHEATRE

2010-11-07T20:07:00.000+01:00

Anfiteatro Flavio (Flavian Amphitheater) is in Pozzuoli, near Naples. DH and I were up there a few weeks ago for the International Bazaar at base. The amphitheatre wasn't too far from where we were staying - so we spent a few hours exploring. This detail was on a panel just inside the entrance.

INSIDE LORD NELSON'S CHAPEL

2010-11-03T01:49:00.001+01:00

Here the inside of Lord Nelson's chapel from just inside the main door.

The painting in yesterday's post isn't shown here ... the afternoon sun washed out everything when trying for that shot.

Look to the right of the altar - see the arch behind the columns?

Yesterday's art is in a matching arch on the left side of the altar.

Looking at the lower window (seen through the columns), you may be able to tell that the walls are nearly three-feet thick.

This is still an active chapel.

SAINT IN LORD NELSON'S CHAPEL

2010-11-02T01:16:00.002+01:00

Something I didn't know until recently was that Lord Horatio Nelson's family, even though they were English, had ties to Sicily and owned a castle near Bronte on the west side of Mt Etna. The original buildings were built shortly after the Battle of Hastings (1066 CE). The castle and grounds are open to visitors (the family sold it to the Italian government only about 30 years ago ... there is a letter on display inviting the last resident and family to attend his "cousin" Queen Elizabeth II's coronation).

This painting is in the chapel and takes up a large part of the wall on the left side of the altar. While I thought it a magnificant art piece ... it wasn't until just now that I took a good look at the chalice.

CHECK OUT THE SUNFLOWER

2010-11-01T23:16:00.000+01:00

This sunflower was nearly a foot across ... haven't seen one like this before. DH and I saw it over in Maniace while out exploring.

IRONWORK FLOWERPOT

2010-10-31T22:46:00.000+01:00

Check out the flower pot on the railing ...I think it's so cool!
Saw this while wandering around Militello.

PRICKLEY PEAR LIQUOR FROM MITELLO

2010-10-28T01:21:00.002+02:00

These bottles of Prickly Pear Liquor (Fichi d' India) were at the Mitlello Prickly Pear Festival this year. Looks like liquor can be made from just about anything ... not a clue how it tastes ... DH and I don't drink alcohol.

Pretty bottles though ... pretty colors ...

I can easily picture one in my kitchen with a sunny window behind it.

MORE PLANT TOUPEES FROM MITELLO

2010-10-27T01:59:00.002+02:00

Some more of the plant toupees ....

PRICKLY PEAR FESTIVAL POSTER & OFFERINGS

2010-10-26T10:59:00.000+02:00

This year's poster and the offerings from one of the small vendors ... something that Mitello does that I haven't noticed other towns doing, is that many of the vendors are set up in the doorways of their homes.

ADDRESS SIGN

2010-10-25T01:08:00.002+02:00

A nice thing about small towns is not having a bazillion of different streets ... your home or business can be identified with just the unit number. Many are decorated with flowers, fruits or designs just as this one is.

GARLIC ROPE

2010-10-24T11:08:00.000+02:00

Garlic rope commonly found in homes and the markets ...

PLANT TOUPEE

2010-10-18T00:24:00.000+02:00

Saw this balcony support while DH and I were wandering around a Prickly Pear Festival in Militello last weekend .. just had to laugh.

A plant toupee!

LA TROTA RESTAURANT (The Trout Restaurant)

2010-10-06T21:31:00.000+02:00

Toward Siracusa is a wonderful place to eat ... The Trout Restaurant. It is built into a series of caves and has fish ponds outside where you can wander around looking at the fish. DH remembers going to there with his parents and sister when he was a kid (many, many years ago). As you can guess, it features fish ... but non-fish meals are served as well.

The main dining room ...

Fresh trout

Closing note ... freshly made ice cream

FALL'S HERE AND IT IS THE SEASON OF FESTIVALS

2010-10-05T22:15:00.000+02:00

October seems to be the month of festivals here in Sicily ... last weekend DH and I went to both the Pistachio Festival in Bronte and also the Octobratta Festival in Zafferana Etnea. Octobratta is held every Sunday in October and celebrates everything grown on Etna. Each Sunday focuses on one specific item - last Sunday was grapes. Other Sundays will feature honey, chestnuts, wine, apples and mushrooms.

Piggy heads in a Bronte butcher window ... just thought it a funny display

Another store display ... my thoughts were why waste pistaschios glueing them onto the boots and why ruin the boots?

Stand in Zafferana Etnea

CARMELA'S ROSE

2010-10-02T23:14:00.000+02:00

This is one of Carmela's (our landlady) roses after the rain we had the other day. She has more than a green thumb ... seems like she could make a dead stick grow again.

A DIFFERENT CHEESE

2010-09-26T21:38:00.000+02:00

DH and I went for a drive this afternoon ....no real destination, just out and about. Found the Wine Festival going on in Piedamonte Etnea (a small town on the northeast side of Etna) this weekend .. so we stopped there for a few hours. This cheese was being sold by one of the vendors -- the peppers add just a touch of heat to the cheese.

COLD WEATHER IS HERE ....

2010-09-18T01:49:00.002+02:00

Overnight thunderstorm on Wednesday left snow on the top of Etna ....it's mostly melted by now ...but fall is definitely here. The temperatures have dropped down to the high 70s or low 80s instead of high 90s and 100s. Etna's also been poofing a bit more.

CLOUD ARCH

2010-09-17T22:47:00.000+02:00

Cloud arch from our balcony yesterday ...

FAREWELL SUMMER ....

2010-09-16T01:04:00.003+02:00

Yup ... it's the end of summer ...

MORE OF SUMMER'S END ...

2010-09-15T01:54:00.001+02:00

Scenes from the day sail DH and I took the other day by Cyclops Rocks between Catania and Acireale... playing in the water ...

MORE OF SUMMER'S END ...

2010-09-14T01:38:00.001+02:00

Scenes from the day sail DH and I took the other day by Cyclops Rocks between Catania and Acireale... these guys are fishing... it is fairly common in the Med to row standing up...

END OF SUMMER ....

2010-09-13T10:37:00.001+02:00

Scenes from the day sail DH and I took the other day by Cyclops Rocks between Catania and Acireale...

SICILIAN HARNESS

2010-09-12T21:54:00.000+02:00

Somewhat fuzzy, but don't have any other pictures to show right now. The horses are dressed up almost as much as the Sicilian carts when they are out and about. See these at a lot of the festivals ... some of the harness are over a hundred years old.

ENTRY TO A MAGICAL GARDEN?

2010-09-08T02:55:00.000+02:00

Tucked away in a corner ... do you think the little magical folk might be found round the corner at the top of the steps? Was tempted to quietly slip up the steps and sneak a peek ...

ANOTHER BALCONY ...

2010-09-07T02:33:00.003+02:00

RAGUSA BALCONY

2010-09-06T05:56:00.003+02:00

While in Ragusa Iba, I couldn't help admiring all the different designs displayed in iron ...

WEDDING GET-AWAY

2010-09-05T02:49:00.003+02:00

Weddings, at least here in Sicily, tend to be held on Saturdays. This car was waiting outside the church to carry away the bride and groom ...

SLOW FOOD?

2010-09-04T02:44:00.003+02:00

Found this sign while wandering around Ragusa Iba ....

BREADS AND GRAIN IN ART

2010-09-03T02:35:00.005+02:00

Saw
this
poster
in a
window ....

MOTTA TOWN HALL

2010-09-02T01:06:00.002+02:00

The plaque over the entrance to the town hall in Motta ... it's dated 1934.
The center motif is the watchtower (though most call it a castle) that is at the very top of the town and looks out over the surrounding land and out to the sea.

BASKETWEAVER

2010-09-01T02:29:00.002+02:00

DH and I found this basket weaver on one of our explorations ...

SIX-LEGGED FIRE-SPITTING DOG

2010-08-31T02:21:00.009+02:00

This is one of the main gas stations in Italy ... the animal is a six-legged fire-spitting dog.

MT ETNA MERIDIAN

2010-08-30T02:10:00.003+02:00

Mt. Etna is 15-degrees (1 hour) east of Greenwich. Here is the meridian marker by the main visitor area on the south side of the volcano.

FLOWERS IN GANGI

2010-08-29T17:10:00.000+02:00

One of the walking streets in the center of Gangi is lined with these flower pots all about eye-height ...

SICILIAN PUPPETS OR PUPI

2010-08-26T14:09:00.000+02:00

Here are some of the local puppets (the Italian word for puppets is "pupi") ... these things are HUGE! Each of these three is close to 4-foot tall and around 125 - 150 pounds. They represent the medieval soldiers who forced the Moors out of Sicily. Most of the puppets in this collection are about 150 years old.

BELPASSO STREET LIGHTS

2010-08-24T23:05:00.000+02:00

The street lights went up for Ferragusto (the assumption of the Virgin Mary) which is the major celebration in Italy during August. August is also the European holiday month with just about everyone taking at least some time off.

CHECK OUT THE OLD FLOWS ....

2010-08-23T05:08:00.002+02:00

It's clear enough that you can pick out some of the different flow paths ... the line of buildings mid-way up the slope are the vistor areas and bottom fo the ski lifts.

IT'S AUGUST AND THERE'S SNOW ON MT ETNA?!

2010-08-22T05:02:00.002+02:00

Last week we had a few days with a bit of rain and cloud cover ... ended up with a touch of snow on the peak.

INSIDE THE MANIACE CHURCH

2010-08-21T04:38:00.002+02:00

As you can see, it's a really modern church ....

Center of the altar painting

Stain glass under the roof line

Overview of the interior

CLOSE-UP ON OTHER CHURCH DOOR

2010-08-20T16:56:00.001+02:00

Two panels on the other door into the church ...

The "Alpha and the Omega" (beginnng and end) and Jonah being swallowed by the whale...

MASSIVE CHURCH DOOR

2010-08-18T04:25:00.001+02:00

Isn't this a marvelous church door?

MANIACE FESTIVAL POSTER

2010-08-17T02:48:00.002+02:00

FLAT PEACHES

2010-08-16T06:19:00.002+02:00

One of the cases of peaches DH and I bought at the Maniace Peach-Pear Festival. They are a big around as regular peaches, but only about 2-inches (5-cm) thick (look at the one in the top-right corner). Slightly different flavour than the regular ones - really good!

MORE IRONWORK ...

2010-08-15T14:29:00.000+02:00

A gate in Maniace I saw at the peach-pear festival ....

CHEESE and SALUMI FOR SALE

2010-08-05T15:52:00.000+02:00

Fresh (wonderful) cheese and salumi for sale at a local festival.

RAGUSA LION

2010-08-03T03:44:00.002+02:00

DH and I took part in this year's WorldWidePhotoWalk on 24 July.
This lion is one of two on top of a building bordering the Piazza Duomo in Ragusa.
Until I looked at the picture on my computer, I couldn't tell if the lion had a mustache or a hair-lip. Love the crossed paws.

WHERE HAVE ALL THE YOUNG MEN GONE?...

2010-08-02T03:15:00.002+02:00

As Peter Seeger's folk song goes....

Where have all the young men gone?

They've gone to graveyards everyone.

AGIRA CEMETERY

2010-08-01T09:56:00.002+02:00

This cemetery is on a hilltop ... a quiet place to think and reflect ...

AGIRA CANADIAN WWII MEMORIAL

2010-07-31T06:43:00.002+02:00

Looking up at the central memorial ...

CANADIAN WWII CEMETERY IN AGIRA

2010-07-30T22:14:00.003+02:00

DH and I went for a drive last Sunday in a direction we hadn't been before ... we saw some signs for war cemetery and found a Canadian WW2 cemetary near Agira. It's small -less than 500 graves, but well kept.

ABANDONED FARMHOUSE

2010-07-29T06:52:00.002+02:00

Abandoned farmhouses and other buildings, both in the countryside and in town, are common here...

MORE GEEP

2010-07-28T17:02:00.001+02:00

GEEP ... GEEP ...EVERYWHERE A GEEP..

2010-07-27T17:02:00.003+02:00

Geep, contrary to the local joke, is not a cross between a goat and a sheep... rather it is a mixed flock of goats and sheep. Lots of these flocks all around Sicily ... both are raised for meat and cheese. DH and I saw this flock while on a drive the other day....