The beautiful game is the one that makes you feel something. – Pelé One of the best things about a roving retirement is discovering strange new holidays in foreign places and joining the faithful to watch fútbol (a.k.a. soccer). Holidays National Day in Granada, Spain (October 12) The day after we arrived in Southern Spain, … More Holidays, festivals & fútbol
The problem many people have with Italian food is they over complicate it. Italian food is extremely simple. – Gino D’Acampo After six weeks in Syracuse, Robie and I moved across the island to continue our Sicilian food tour in Palermo. Once again, our hunt for the city’s best dishes started with cannoli. Cannoli After … More Savoring Sicilian Flavors: A Culinary Journey of Palermo
There is a history to Italian food that goes back thousands of years. – Lidia Bastianich When Robie and I decided to spend spring in Sicily, we were excited to experience the fresh food and multicultural cuisine of the island. Sicilian food is humble, packed with flavor and made using fresh, seasonal ingredients to create … More Savoring Sicilian Flavors: A Culinary Journey of Syracuse
Naples is curiously chaotic. It’s alive, vibrant, a little dirty and busy, and I loved it. I felt like this was how Rome would probably have been 2,000 years ago. – Paul Hollywood When we weren’t seeking out Caravaggios in Southern Italy, Robie and I took advantage of the beautiful spring weather to sit at … More Exploring Naples & Rome
What begins in the work of Caravaggio is, quite simply, modern painting. – Art Historian André Berne-Joffroy Painting from live models made Caravaggio’s art feel real. Combined with his signature use of light, he infused his pieces with an emotional intensity never seen before. Yet while his works resonated with many in Rome, after murdering … More Following in the footsteps of Caravaggio (Part 2)
Caravaggio’s art is made from darkness and light. His pictures present spotlit moments of extreme and often agonized human experience. – Andrew Graham-Dixon, Caravaggio: A Life Sacred and Profane The most important artist of the 17th century, Caravaggio was a revolutionary who forever changed art. Abandoning the highly idealized figures and heavenly settings dominant at … More Following in the footsteps of Caravaggio (Part 1)
I’ll miss everything about Palermo. The people always made me feel at home; it will be impossible to forget my experiences there. – Paulo Dybala, former Palermo FC player Palermo might be the most welcoming place on Earth. Shopkeepers greet everyone with a friendly “Buongiorno.” Restaurants have a laid-back atmosphere that encourages diners to chat … More Palermo, the melting pot of Europe
Easter is a time for dressing up, looking your best and hunting for candy. It’s Halloween in reverse. – Melanie White The season kicked off with a couple of kids sporting costumes on a Sunday afternoon in early February. Sitting at a table outside Gran Caffe del Duomo in the heart of Syracuse, Robie and … More Experiencing Carnevale & Easter in Sicily
April showers bring May flowers. – Spring saying April was a busy month. Because when beautiful weather arrives, you make the most of it. First up We finally figured out how to adjust the settings regarding comments on our website. For anyone who has been asked to create a WordPress account and didn’t want to, … More What we did last month – the April 2026 edition
Sicily was Greece, only with richer soil and more sources of seafood and wild game. – Michael Bennett Visiting Syracuse was like being transported to a Greek isle. Arriving in Sicily during the 8th century BC, Greeks brought democracy and Hellenic culture to the island along with their mythology, fishing techniques and a distinct ‘doric … More Finding ancient Greece in Italy and a whole lot more
