About

This blog is a travel guide through the land filled with legends and myths. Sicily is a land that so many hear about, but so few understand. The ancient Greeks, among the first settlers, called Sicily Trinacria, or triangle because of its shape.  The waters surrounding it have carried with them a long line of eastern adventurers. For years its beauty and charm have attracted the greedy eyes of : Greeks, Arabs, Romans, Vandals, and the houses of Bourbon and Aragon. Plato wrote that conquerors have flocked to its shoreline line “like frogs to a pond.”

Sicilians are so used to foreign occupation,  most nationalistic islanders think they are living under occupation  of mainland Italy and Rome. At the height of the Renaissance, Sicily was under the control of the Spanish, and slept through the Renaissance that spread through Italy.

The island has gone though forest deforestation by the Greeks for the building of their ships, and the Romans who turned the island into a grain belt of the Roman Empire.

Luigi Barzini wrote: “Sicily is the schoolroom model of Italy for beginners, with every Italian quality and defect magnified , exacerbated and brightly colored.”

Throughout the island you will experience the aromatic aroma of Marsala wine, the scent of almonds, citrus groves and vineyards. You will witness ancient Greek temples, volcanic islands and locals skiing on the slopes of Mount Etna.

The classic loop for visiting Sicily, Italy’s largest island is:  Palermo, the seaside resorts of Cefalu, Capo d’ Orlando, Taormina, and the cities of Siracusa, Selinunte, Marsala, Trapini,  San Vito lo Capo, Castellamarre del golfo, Monreale, and back to Palermo.

If you travel from Italy start in Rome. Rome to Reggio di Calabria, and a ferry to Messina, Sicily. Hopefully, this blog will remove the mystery of an enigmatic Sicily, once described as “a paradise disguised as hell.” Its villages, cities, and its Mediterranean cuisine are featured in this land of extremes.

The gastronomic delights were endless and I tried to list the fare of the villages listed above. Eating fresh pasta made with Mediterranean vegetables and combinations of local seafood are a must.

The language is Italian, but then again, it’s different. When you visit the larger cities, like Palermo, Catania, Siricusa and Messina, English is spoken. Venture off the beaten path only when you’re able to speak or understand some Italian.

Please visit La Dolce Vita on this  blog for the best of Sicilian recipes.