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
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
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
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
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
It’s the final day of lessons before the Easter holidays. Unsurprisingly, I had very few students in yesterday, and have even fewer today. My boss has dictated that I have to give my teenagers a test, which is disappointing. I’d … Continue reading
“So it’s becoming obvious why your grandparents left here, Maryann,” I muse out loud. We’ve been to Borgetto twice in the past two days, and both days we’ve climbed our way to the top of the mountain, into the heart … Continue reading
Pasquetta – or Easter Monday – is the day when young Italians shake off the shackles of their family duties. Having spent Sunday with their parents, aunts, uncles, little sisters and brothers, and all the other people that make up … Continue reading
Hey. You want to help me research my family near Palermo? It’s a casual request from my American friend Maryann via Facebook, and I say yes without thinking twice. It sounds like it should be fun, but it’s not going … Continue reading
“Is that dog dead?” asks Maryann in a curious kind of a tone, pointing ahead of us. I follow her finger and see a large tan and white heap in the road. It doesn’t appear to be moving at all, … Continue reading
