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.

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

Cold flower ....

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

WW2 Canadian Cemetary

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

Carmela's flowers



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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.

Spring's slowly coming ....

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

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.

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.

WEDDING GET-AWAY

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 ...

FLOWERS IN GANGI

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

WHERE HAVE ALL THE YOUNG MEN GONE?...

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

Where have all the young men gone? 

They've gone to graveyards everyone.

 

DETAIL ON ANOTHER ROBE

According to our guide, both the robes shown today and yesterday are several hundred years old. Both were worn in a procession DH and I saw recently in Gangi (here in Sicily).

SIGN - PARCO DELL' ETNA

Sign in Randazzo for

 Etna Park  (which covers a large part of Mt Etna)

A BALCONY TO SPEND THE SUMMER ON

Balcony and flowers (even a grape vine trellis for shade later in the summer) in Maletto ... passed this while walking up a steep hill to the main festival area weekend before last.

FLOWERY WELCOME

It is very common to see flowers leading to the entrance of homes here in Sicily ....

BELPASSO SNAPSHOT - ROSES

Roses in a (tiny) yard that I drive by each day on my way home from work ...

FLOWER POT

Flower pots like this cover the walls in the central part of Gangi 

BALCONY IRONWORK

I love the hearts and flowers on this balcony -- 

SPRING BLOSSOMS

Spring is here ... the blossoms are showing