England and the English
At first I thought the snotty nose was because of the cats and dogs – and I’m not just talking about the rain. I’m in England, land of cream teas, cricket and dreadful weather. To be fair, Wimbledon’s on at … Continue reading
Author Archives: Kate Bailward
Carnival of Europe – 1 July edition
Welcome to the 1 July edition of the Carnival of Europe! We kick off this month with a submission from Zhu, who presents The French And Their Bathrooms posted at Correr Es Mi Destino. She says, “I first noticed the … Continue reading
Return to Calabria
Bloody hell but it’s hot. The coach was air-conditioned, but stepping off it at just after 3pm on a June afternoon in Calabria is like being wrapped in a suffocating pillow of heat. Within a minute the sweat is pouring … Continue reading
Gallipoli revisited
One from the archives today. It seems serendipitous after visiting (and loving) Ortigia last week that almost exactly two years ago I was on another tiny southern Italian island connected to the mainland by a bridge, walking around and drinking … Continue reading
A walk around Ortigia
Bright pink flowers spill down the wall onto a whitewashed deck. At night it’s a bar, but this afternoon it’s just another of Ortigia’s many beautiful courtyards. They’re hidden around every corner. Sometimes there are dogs in them, sometimes cats, … Continue reading
Posted in Living Like a Maniac, Travelling Like a Maniac
Tagged ortigia, sicily
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The Four Fs
I’m woken from my nap by a group of boys yelling as they race into the water. They splash around, pulling macho poses and making showy, unnecessary dives – the water’s only a foot deep and as smooth as oil. … Continue reading
Umbertata 2012
Even in a big multicultural city like Catania you can find events celebrating the micro-culture of the region. And so it was on a sunny Sunday evening at the end of May, with Umbertata. Local craftsmen rubbed shoulders with stiltwalkers, … Continue reading
Puppet on a String
What do you think of when you hear the word ‘puppet’? A quick straw poll on Twitter reveals that the muppets are likely to feature highly. My generation might well also think of Sooty and Sweep. However, it’s another type … Continue reading
Infiorata di Noto 2012
I’m standing at the top of a belltower looking into a TV camera and speaking into a microphone about flowers. In Italian. This is one of the more bizarre experiences of my three years in Italy. I’m at Infiorata di … Continue reading
Beer and gelato
You have to try the chips – they’re amazing! Linda’s not joking. Even though I hadn’t accounted for the difference between English and American chips, and was therefore expecting something chunkier, the thin-sliced, so-fresh-they’re-still-hot crisps that arrive are delicious. Dipped … Continue reading
