Sicily Guide

As previously announced in one of the posts, Sicily Guide has contacted a few bloggers who write about Sicily for an interview. Patrizia Eggleton, an English teacher who moved to Sicily in 2005, from SicilyScene.blogspot.com is one of the bloggers who have graciously agreed. I tried to ask questions that have not been addressed previously and ones that might be of interest to the audience of Sicily Guide Blog. Here are those questions with Patrizia’s unedited answers.

Why did you move to Sicily and when? Do you think it is a growing trend?

I moved to Sicily in June 2005. I am an Italian graduate and teacher who has always loved Italy and for many years I wanted to live in Florence or Milan. But in the 1990s I started coming to Sicily and was [positively] stunned by its beauty, culture and food. I made many friends here and fell in love with the island. When I was 55, I decided I could wait no longer! I think it probably will become a growing trend - people still think of Sicilian stereotypes in the UK - but as more people read about and visit Sicily I think they will consider it. I do tell people that I do not think it would be possible to settle in an area like this without fluency in the language.

Why did you pick Modica? Did you start the trend of the “Ragusashire”?

I picked Modica because I had got to know it well and had made friends here. I don’t have any family - except my lovely dog! - so that was important. I didn’t start the “Ragusashire” trend!

How did you start writing SicilyScene Blog and why?

I had always wanted to write about my experiences here but I am rather lazy [not at work, but at home, where I procrastinate because I know I can]. One day I read an article about blogging and thought it might discipline me into writing every day. It took a long time to build up a readership but now over 100 people a day visit my blog and I have “met” so many interesting people from all over the world through it. More people are interested in Sicily than I thought! Another purpose for me in writing the blog was to try to change perceptions about Sicily.

Can you share with us something that has been and is still a surprise to you while in Sicily?

The water supply! I always took water for granted before and the first time the supply ran out I didn’t know what to do! Now I know when to call the “comune” office to ask for a delivery [about every 10 days] but I still feel I’m in another world when I watch the water being pumped from a lorry into the apartment block’s cistern!

Do you think stereotypes about Sicily are pure fiction or partly true? Can you give any example?

Well, Sicily is not full of dangerous - looking men sitting in cafés planning assassinations! Some stereotypes, like that of the old ladies dressed in black are partly true, but I think it’s likely to be a rather elegant black outfit these days! The iconic figure of the Italian “mamma” that everyone goes home to does ring true: here it is unusual for women friends to go out for lunch without their husbands because “mamma” at home cooking the lunch is still taken for granted. But I believe that is changing slowly.

As a foreigner, did your stay in Sicily help to change your perception of the island?

Yes, when I first came, I did not expect to be meeting mafiosi around every corner but I did expect to find a much poorer region than I did. In general, people have bigger houses than they do in the UK and most families have a second house in the countryside or at the sea. Of course, fruit and vegetables are so much cheaper that it is certainly easy to eat better for less. I do feel safe in Sicily: I wouldn’t hesitate to walk home alone at night in Modica whereas I’d take a taxi in the UK. Of course, you have to be careful of pickpockets in big cities and around tourist attractions but that is true all over the world.

Do you go back to the UK regularly?

I’ve been back only once in 2 years, partly for economic reasons and partly because I hate being away from my dog!

What do you miss the most of the UK? And what you do not really miss?

Things I miss: Breakfast! Soft, gentle rain. [In Sicily there is either no rain for ages or you have storms that last for days!] Being able to buy foods from all over the world. Department stores. Good urban transport. British efficiency.
Things I don’t miss: Poor, grudging service in bars and restaurants. Pretentious food which is really awful. Monolingualism. Icy pavements. Feeling afraid if a group of youths comes towards me. Screaming tabloids.

List something you absolutely dislike about Sicily.

Bureaucracy, but that would apply to the whole of Italy. Until last week I’d have said the Post Office, but it seems to be improving. I do hate the closing down of everything in August - it’s crazy! And why can’t I buy just a few carrots at a time instead of those large packs?!

If there is anything else you would like to address, please feel free to add it here.

I love Sicily with all my heart. I really do. And It’s such a pity that more people do not know about its fascinating history, culture and breathtaking beauty. But if the island wants tourism the one thing it has got to do is persuade the administrators of tourist sites and the owners of nearby shops to STAY OPEN ALL DAY and certainly to be open in the month when most people can come, ie., August! Nothing is worse than setting off at the crack of dawn to get to a place you have read about, only to be greeted with a sign saying “CHIUSO - TORNI DOMANI”. A tourist may not be able to return tomorrow because he / she only has one day to spend somewhere. Part of the problem is that a lot of Sicilians don’t travel abroad [and I can quite see why not as they have everything they could possibly want here] so they do not know what it is like to be a tourist. The other reason for all this, I suspect, is that nothing is more important to the Sicilians than PRESERVING THEIR WAY OF LIFE. And for that, although it frustrates me at times, I have to admire them.

Thanks for the nice words and taking the time to answer these questions, Patrizia. For more information about Patrizia Eggleton and her blog, please visit http://sicilyscene.blogspot.com. Enjoy the reading!

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 28th, 2007 at 12:01 am and is filed under Travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.