The Four Fs
I’m woken from my nap by a group of boys yelling as they race into the water. They splash around, pulling macho poses and making showy, unnecessary dives – the water’s only a foot deep and as smooth as oil. … Continue reading
Category Archives: Living Like a Maniac
Umbertata 2012
Even in a big multicultural city like Catania you can find events celebrating the micro-culture of the region. And so it was on a sunny Sunday evening at the end of May, with Umbertata. Local craftsmen rubbed shoulders with stiltwalkers, … Continue reading
Puppet on a String
What do you think of when you hear the word ‘puppet’? A quick straw poll on Twitter reveals that the muppets are likely to feature highly. My generation might well also think of Sooty and Sweep. However, it’s another type … Continue reading
Infiorata di Noto 2012
I’m standing at the top of a belltower looking into a TV camera and speaking into a microphone about flowers. In Italian. This is one of the more bizarre experiences of my three years in Italy. I’m at Infiorata di … Continue reading
Beer and gelato
You have to try the chips – they’re amazing! Linda’s not joking. Even though I hadn’t accounted for the difference between English and American chips, and was therefore expecting something chunkier, the thin-sliced, so-fresh-they’re-still-hot crisps that arrive are delicious. Dipped … Continue reading
Expat Writers’ Book Fair
What do you get if you put 80 writers together in a courtyard garden on a sunny afternoon in Rome? No, nothing to do with typewriters or infinite monkeys. In fact, it’s The Expat Writers Book and App fair, organised … Continue reading
Sign language
He’s at the top of the stairs, grinning enough to split his face in two. His dad, at the bottom, calls up to him. Come on! The boy makes it halfway down the stairs before scampering back up to the … Continue reading
Vizzini sagra di ricotta in pictures (part 2)
And now we get to the meat of it. Well, cheese. And meat. Cheese and meat. Mmmm … A lactose-intolerant’s nightmare. This woman was at the stall for a good half-hour, tasting different cheeses and amassing an enormous pile of … Continue reading
Vizzini Sagra di Ricotta in pictures (part 1)
A sagra is a food festival, and they’re always worth going to. The ricotta sagra at Vizzini is held every year from 23-25 April, and features – unsurprisingly – ricotta in all its different forms. There was, however, much more … Continue reading
Why I write about Italy
Heyyyy! Ciao! Angelo weaves towards our table with outstretched hands and a grin on his face. He’s a little bit the worse for wear, but then I think I probably would be, too, if I owned a bar. Where you … Continue reading
