Almond Blossom Festival in Agrigento, Sicily

February 14, 2010 9:00 am

to

February 21, 2010 10:00 pm

Agrigento will host the 65th edition of its Almond Blossom Festival this coming February 14-21, 2010. The event showcases folklorist groups and musical bands from diverse parts of the world: Armenia, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Cipro, Georgia, Guatemala, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Portugal, Romania, Senegal, Serbia, Spain, Turkey and Ukraine (see last year video of a Korean group below). Tourists can admire the almond blossoms in the beautiful setting of the Valley of the Temples.

The Almond Blossom Festival originated from an idea of Count Alfonso Gaetani in 1934. The purpose was to celebrate the mild climate in Agrigento and promote typical Sicilian products.

Video of Agrigento

Enjoy this video of Agrigento in Sicily!

Agrigento – Sicily from Web TV Italy on Vimeo.

Sciacca on the Wall Street Journal

It is unusual that the Wall Street Journal covers Sicily and Sciacca in the Agrigento province even more so…

Reporter Robin Sidel on what to do, where to stay and where to eat in this low-key fishing port town.

What to do: Tucked into Sicily’s southwestern coast, Sciacca (pronounced SHACK-ah) is a nice break from the busy tourist destinations like Taormina or Palermo. It’s also a good home base when visiting the ancient Greek temples in Agrigento and Selinunte, both of which are less than an hour away. This small hilly city (population 40,000) is best-known for its working fishing port, ancient thermal baths, handful of churches, and ancient serpentine streets that provide a good sense of typical Sicilian life. There aren’t a ton of don’t-miss destinations here, and you won’t find much English spoken in restaurants, hotels or shops. Like much of Sicily, the thing to do in Sciacca is to wander aimlessly, get lost, stop for an espresso, and then start up again. The main part of town is around Piazza di Scandaliato, a large square that offers breathtaking views of the Mediterranean Sea below. Stop into Gran Caffe for a sweet-tart lemon granita. If you want to eat your gelato like a local, skip the cup or cone and order it in a brioche. Walk down Corso Vittorio Emanuelle and you will come across ancient palazzos, churches and shops that sell locally made ceramics in brilliant blues, yellows and greens. At Ceramiche Montalbano, a vibrant cappuccino cup-and-saucer set costs €18 (Corso Emanuelle, 54). For more ceramics, drive down to the fishing port and wander around the small streets to view beautiful staircases inlaid with colorful ceramic tiles. The main appeal, though, is the city’s thermal baths. For a truly unusual experience, spend a morning at the Terme Di Sciacca,. This massive complex is something between a spa and a hospital where locals receive treatments for everything from vascular to sinus ailments. For €23, healthy visitors who can withstand the powerful rotten-egg odor of sulfur springs (and some perfunctory questions from a staff doctor) can take a 15-minute soak in an indoor hydrotherapy tub, lay wrapped in a blanket for another 15 minutes and emerge with muscles that feel like jelly (via Fuguli, 2).

Where to eat: Not surprisingly, fish is the specialty here. The daily catch doesn’t get any fresher than at La Lampara, which is directly across the street from the fishing port. The elegant upstairs dining room is an incongruous surprise in this part of town, which appears to be somewhat down and out. Start with the misticanza e melone (sliced melon and small shrimp on a bed of greens) or the delicate filetto di spatula, a large portion of delicious and delicately sauteed local white fish. From there, choose from a wide assortment of fish entrees, including seafood risotto, spaghetti with clams or dorade in a light, lemony sauce with olives and cherry tomatoes (Vicolo Grande II Caricatore 33, Tel. 39-0925-85085). Hostaria del Vicolo, hidden on a tiny pedestrian alley, offers a creative menu that includes sea bass pickled in salt and ravioli with shrimp sauce, zucchini and almond flakes (Vicolo Sammaritano 10, Tel. 39-0925-23071, www.hostariadelvicolo.it). For a more casual dinner overlooking the sea, return to Piazza di Scandaliato and enjoy traditional Sicilian dishes like pasta with sardines at Miramare (Piazza Scandaliato 6, Tel. 39-0925-26050).

Where to stay: Finding your way around Sicily can be quite a challenge, so get a car with GPS if you want to stay at the peaceful Villa Palocla, an eight-room hotel on the outskirts of Sciacca. Folded in among the farms, vineyards and orange groves, the charming hotel has a lovely pool and plenty of room to stroll outside. The hotel restaurant provides a good excuse for staying in at night (Contrada Raganella, Tel. 39-0925-902812, www.villapalocla.it). For an easier find, the 77-room, modern Grande Hotel Delle Terme is conveniently located next door to the bathhouse (Viale delle Terme, 1, Tel. 39-0925-23133, www.grandhoteldelleterme.com). There are also assorted bed-and-breakfasts in and around town.

Write to Robin Sidel at robin.sidel@wsj.com

Source: The Wall Street Journal (free content)

30 million Euros for the Airport Agrigento-Valley of the Temples

Avionews is reporting that the Airport Agrigento-Valley of the Temples has taken another step towards its realization. [...], the regional government of Sicily ruled a budget of 30 million Euros for the construction of the airport infrastructure of Agrigento. The budget comes from European funds FAS (funds utilised areas) and in the decisions that were considered, there is also the possibility to use the staff of Sicily in the management of the airports. Extremely satisfied with the regional councillors Michele Cimino, Roberto Di Mauro and Luigi Gentile: “By Thursday, the project will be presented as a ‘Framework Project-Transportation. It is the last act which is a prelude to the implementation of the airport. The regional government has done everything that was required of him to do. This result was achieved thanks to the realism and tenacity of the President of the province of Agrigento, Eugenio D’Orsi, who has always believed in the possibility of making a stopover in the area”.

“I’ve always said, first as Deputy Mayor for Planning, and then to the Budget (Cimino told the commissioner – that the airport could become a reality in Agrigento. Finally, after abandoned projects, ‘Pharaonic’ and unrealistic offer a concrete answer that has been wanted for a long time dawn on Agrigento does not deserve a fake illusion. “Finally – added Gentile – it opens a new chapter for the province of Agrigento, to exit the geographical marginality that has hampered economic development. I hope that the time is for the expeditious implementation of a structure that, along the highway Caltanissetta – Agrigento province will release our isolation.

Source: Avionews.com