Haven't you always heard of "the straits of Messina"? Today I took a train from Taormina, about halfway down the east...
Straits of Messina
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Discoveries Articles
Ancient Theater of Taormina
It's the layering of history, so pervasive throughout Italy, that stuns me every time I make a turn and come upon some...
Taormina to See
Along the eastern shore of the large island of Sicily, south of Messina, in view of Mt. Etna to the west, lies...
On the Streets of Palermo
"Contrasts". That word describes Palermo best of all. (Probably in more ways than I've yet discovered.) Contrasts in...
Unpolished Palermo
In short, I love Palermo, and look forward another visit. It offers plenty of dazzling sights to wow any visitor. But...
Skewered Veal Guts
Veal guts were caught in my teeth. Coming back from a day trip up the hill to Monreale, I got off the bus at Piazza...
Palermo is “Gritty”
Journal entry from my lunch table: "In piccolo Trattoria Tira Casciuni a Palermo. Stare qui in Sicilia, in Italia, e...
A Merchandising Puzzle
While you're shopping for Chocolate Pudding Mix, don't forget the garlic! Really? I'm still scratching my head...
Happy Birthday, Italia!
While all around the community people were wearing kelly green and mylar shamrocks on Thursday, a few friends of mine...
Catkins Poppin’
In spite of the snow and hail that keep passing through… and the continued temperatures in the 30s, signs of...
Shadow Tree
The most beautiful thing I saw today. The scene: a building along the west of a busy mall parkway in south Seattle,...
Maiden Octopus
Saturday. Past 10:00 in the evening and the house smells good of octopus cooking since 9:26. A few garlic cloves, a...
Bubblegum & Basketweave in Seattle
As a designer and photographer, one of the most stimulating aspects of being in Italy was its visual lushness. Every...
Quirks: Treasured & Tolerated
This post comes with caveats. Yes, these thoughts are generalizations. Yes, there are exceptions. Yes, stereotypes...
Blogging On
Just because I've returned to Seattle, will my blog come to a halt? No. There's still more to say. I have more mulling...
Cogne: Alpine Italy
Journal Entry: 24 Luglio The bus just left Aosta, heading back to Milano. I have been visiting my friends, Ewa and...
Carlotta Café – Milano
Octopus as tender as a dream, served warm and simply, with potatoes, olives and olive oil. Fish and pasta prepared and...
Hanging “58”
"What's the 58 for?" "You don't know? It's all over the internet. It's supposed to repel flies. Two weeks ago I had...
Minnie & Michelangelo at the Castle
The little girl was unrestrained and so pleased with herself. She and I both saw the humor of her Minnie Mouse joining...
Jackrabbits Like the Morning
Since it's been so toasty here lately, I took my bike ride in the morning today, heading out from the house just after...