• Granita Festival in Acireale

    May 21, 2013 by  
    Filed under Events, Food & Wine, Photos

    June 13, 2013 10:00 amtoJune 16, 2013 12:00 pm

    Granita is a frozen dessert made with water and a syrup base, much like sherbet. It’s origins date back to the Arab domination in Sicily which has left so much to the island in spite of its relatively short period (827-1091 AD).
    In the past the granita was a privilege only for the rich and aristocratic families as it was made using the snow gathered on Mount Etna and on the Peloritani and Nebrodi mountains, then stored in natural caves and extracted during the summer.

    Acireale celebrates this frozen dessert with its own festival from June 13 through 16. For more details and program, please visit www.anivarata.it (ITALIAN).

    photo (1)Photo © Franca Calderone

    For reservations

    Edmea Siracusano
    Etnacoast – convention and visit bureau
    Phone: (+39) 095-7637034 or 347-9134325

    Map

    Spring in Sicily: Some Good Reasons to Visit (Photos from Cinisi)

    May 14, 2013 by  
    Filed under Photos, Travel

    Spring is a great season to visit Sicily for different reasons: 1) It is not too hot yet; 2) It is not too crowded with tourists; 3) There are no big lines at the archaeological sites; 4) You can take the first swim of the year; 5) If you like peas and artichokes, you will find the freshest and most flavorful ones that you ever ate in your entire life.

    There are plenty of other reasons to visit during this time of the year. Here is my main reason… Last April I traveled to Italy for work, then I went down to Sicily to see my family. After 12 years of city life in New York, my senses did not remember anymore the odors of the Sicilian spring season and it was just magic!

    Slideshow

    Photos by Maria Lina Bommarito

    Fall in Cinisi and Terrasini (PA)

    September 26, 2012 by  
    Filed under Photos

    Some beautiful pictures from our Sicilian correspondent Maria Lina Bommarito to illustrate the fall in Sicily. It looks still summer to me!

    Peaceful beach in Cinisi

    Fishing in Cinisi

    Cinisi Seaside

    Houses overlooking the sea in Terrasini

    Characteristic seaside restaurant in Terrasini

    More pictures>>

    Between Cinisi and Carini in Sicily

    September 10, 2012 by  
    Filed under Photos

     

     

     

     

    By Maria Lina Bommarito

    The Fondo Orsa (Photos)

    July 31, 2012 by  
    Filed under Photos

    The Fondo Orsa sea shores of Cinisi (20 miles West of Palermo) offer sea lovers crystal clear waters and inebriating scents.

    By Maria Lina Bommarito

     

     

     

    Sicilian Cassata

    April 16, 2012 by  
    Filed under Food & Wine, Photos, Traditions

    A traditional Sicilian dessert, it is certainly not easy to make cassata. The cassata is originally a sweet from Palermo, but it can be found anywhere in Sicily.

    Some people trace back its origins to the Arab domination, but the etymology of the word cassata most likely comes from caseata which translates with cheese concoction. Ricotta cheese and candid fruit are the main ingredients of this super sweet cake.

    Magaggiari Beach

    April 9, 2012 by  
    Filed under Photos

    Photos by Maria Lina Bommarito

    Sicilian Easter Sweets

    April 8, 2012 by  
    Filed under Photos, Traditions

    Photos by Maria Lina Bommarito

    Sicilian Easter Parade

    April 8, 2012 by  
    Filed under Photos, Traditions

    Photos by Maria Lina Bommarito

    Taormina: The Greek-Roman Amphitheater (Photo)

    October 19, 2011 by  
    Filed under Photos

    Taormina is Sicily’s most renowned resort. Located in the province of Messina, it hosts a magnificent amphitheater (photo below) with a breathtaking view of Mount Etna in the background. The theater, built by the Greeks in the 3rd century BC and remodeled by the Romans, is still used today and hosts the famous Taormina Film Festival.

     

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