Holiday lights - Via Roma

Looking down Via Roma during the Santa Lucia festival ...

Santa Lucia is the patron saint for Belpasso.

Her feast-day is 13 December.

She is quite popular in Sicily. 

She is also Syracusa's (south-east corner of the island) patron saint.   Every year Sweden sends a girl to Syracusa to portray Sta. Lucia during the festival in Sta. Lucia's honor.

Unique nativity

Nativity set in a tire at one of Belpasso's annual displays

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. 

Buying figs in Belpasso

We passed this vendor on the way to work -- haven't seen him before two weeks ago.  Most local vendors set up near the top of town or on the main road coming down from the top.  Others drive through town either in the morning or evening with small (very small) trucks and loud speakers letting people know what is being offered.  This one is closer to the bottom of Belpasso.

The figs were pretty great!

Let's see what looks good....

Checking out the offerings of a new produce vendor we saw.

Weeding the roof

Lots of ripe prickly pears (fruit of the beavertail cactus) round.... birds eat the fruit and leave some of the seeds in our rain gutters (which are filled with volcanic ash and dirt).  DH was able to remove some of the cacti ... but not all. 

Pretty car!

 ... bet there are lots of horses in this one.

Coffee makers in cars ???

Fiat plans to add in-car espresso makers to its new 500L cars.... only the European editions though. 

I have to wonder about the logic behind the idea ... haven't driven much in the rest of Europe, but here in Sicily drivers have enough distractions without adding in this.  Granted, the announcement said that the espresso maker would only work when the car was stopped .... that's just a challenge for some one to figure out a way  around it.

Here is the link for more information: 
 http://editorial.autos.msn.com/blogs/autosblogpost-tech.aspx?post=7df474e2-1330-442b-9c0d-44db4f537d79

Noto's flower festival

Noto (in the province of Syracusa) has a flower festival the last weekend in May.  Using flowers, seeds, beans and other organic items, artists create mosiac designs on one stretch of street in the city center.

Honoring St Agatha

St Agatha is Catania's (nearest major city) patron saint.

The main Duomo (cathedral) in Catania is dedicated to her.

The last time DH and I visited the Duomo,

 the altar was banked by flowers in honor of St. Agatha.

Check out the face!

This is over the main entrance to the Mother Church in Ferla.
I keyed in on the face at the bottom ... didn't even notice the one at the top.
Wish I knew the meaning is behind the emblem....

Surprise ... surprise

A surprise storm came through last week (suspect it was the leftovers of the storms which caused s much damage while crossing the states) ... this is our balcony about 20 minutes after the storm started.

Lots of wind, flooding, roads damaged and businesses were closed for a few days to clean up.  The round dish is the cat's preferred water bowl.  Normally Indy constantly pesters us to let her out on the balcony ...

that wasn't the case until the snow melted away.

Sailing ... sailing ... I think

A tropical storm went through last week ....
less than an hour earlier, I had driven through this intersection
 and there was only a couple inches of water.
  Now just about every car in the photo has died due to water intrusion.

Another Carnivale float

The back of another float at the Aci Reale Carnivale this year.

Fresh orange juice!

Freshly squeezed tarocco (related to blood oranges) juice!  Good stuff!

The first year I was stationed here before, DS was only 8 that year.  He strolled into the kitchen while I was squeezing orange juice and asked what I was doing.   I told him I was making orange juice.

Instant response ... "No you're not!. I know what orange juice looks like!!"
Took some convincing ... but he finally tried the juice .... and liked it.

Here comes the carriage!

This 18th century carriage is coming up to the procession's starting point.  

The dignitaries will be picked up in a minute

... then the procession will officially begin.

Coachman

A coachman awaiting the start of the St Agatha procession.

He is dressed in 18th century style attire.

Birra ?

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 ...

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