The Child Miners of Floristella The terrible story that lies at the heart of one of the most productive sulfur mines in all of Sicily
Update on our Italian Driver's Licenses You'll remember a couple of months ago when I wrote about taking and not passing the driver's exam (I refuse to say fail here as this test is not pass/fail. It's you got questions to answers you happen to know, or the gods
The Robert Capa Museum of Troina, Sicily The "Father of Photojournalism" captures the exceptionally personal story of conflict and the devastating effects of violence on the lives of those in its midst.
Operation Husky The Allied Invasion of Sicily, 1943 This month marks the 80th anniversary of the allied invasion of Sicily, a major campaign of World War II, which, though fraught with terrible decision-making, the cosmically, un-empathetic egos of Generals Patton and Montgomery, and rotten weather conditions, ended in the first defeat of
One Revelate, Two Revelate, Three... For most of our lives, Franca and I have tried to stay in control of our life’s direction and not let it choose the path for us. Strangely enough, the hurdles to that endeavor are substantial. All those things I wrote about last week: Finding the right job. Having
A Walk at Lo Zingaro Lo Zingaro is a nature preserve in western Sicily, reached only on foot and offering some of the most beautiful coastal views on the island.
A Mayor, the Mafia, and Donkeys What could a young mayor, the hoary Mafia, and an endangered breed of donkeys possibly have in common?
Eating Local When we owned Alimentaire we sourced many of our ingredients from the local terroir. Doing that required a lot of effort, time, and expense, but we managed to do that pretty well. In Sicily, one doesn’t have to travel great distances to keep one’s diet to the local
Sicilian Pathways Percorsi Siciliani It’s easy to find fault in the way the hinterland of Sicily is disconnected from the rest of the island. Driving conditions aren’t always ideal, with many hairpin turns, switchbacks, and even jaunts through what are probably private pastures or farmland. I’ve had many conversations