thinking outside the box

Someone had a good idea to paint the normally bland and boring TV antenna and give it some character.  Would have missed seeing this entirely if I hadn't climbed a staircase to look in a shop window while in Taormina.

Taormina

DH, a friend and I took a Sunday drive up to Taormina (on the eastern coast of Sicily about an hour and a half from our apt).  Wonderful little town ... a bit of a resort area. so there are frequently lots of tourists from cruise ships wandering around the town.  This is looking down one of the walking streets back through the old city wall which goes back at least to the early 1400's, and may be much older.    Taormina is famous for its marvelous Greek Amphitheatre ...but it was closed today.

It REALLY does exist!!

Homer Simpson's legendary brew ...  a fine German brew (or so I am told)

Il Catanese

DH and I saw this last weekend while at a local festival.  The puppet is known as "Il Catanese" and represents a citizen from Catania, Sicily,  The elephant is the symbol of the city and is a reminder of Hannabal crossing the Alps with his elephants.  The puppet is about two and a half feet tall from shoe soles to top of the feathers. 

Street view

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

Sunset ...

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.

Days gone by ,,,

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.







MORE FROM THE AMPHITHEATRE IN POZZUOLI

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

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.

CHECK OUT THE SUNFLOWER

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

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

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

           Some more of the plant toupees ....

PRICKLY PEAR FESTIVAL POSTER & OFFERINGS

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.

GARLIC ROPE

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

PLANT TOUPEE

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!

FALL'S HERE AND IT IS THE SEASON OF FESTIVALS

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

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

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 ....

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.