icon caret-left icon caret-right instagram pinterest linkedin facebook twitter goodreads question-circle facebook circle twitter circle linkedin circle instagram circle goodreads circle pinterest circle

Sicily

per chi legge in italiano


My friend and former palace mate Ester Russo, who is a psychologist who treats immigrants and victims of torture, wrote an article about recent events in Palermo, protests over building fences in Europe to keep asylum seekers out. The cover image quotes  Read More 
Be the first to comment

Police video of extortionist at work



The mafia charges monthly protection money even from traveling street vendors, like this guy who sells produce from his three-wheeled  Read More 
Be the first to comment

1,000+ immigrants just saved at sea, crossing from Africa to Sicily

Palermo: more than a thousand immigrants were saved in aid operations about thirty miles off the Libyan coast last night. They were trying to reach Italy aboard six motorized rubber rafts and one old fishing boat. Aboard the fishing boat were crowded 400 migrants, who were saved by te British ship Enterprise. Three other ships,  Read More 
Be the first to comment

SHort Break: Favignana Photos



Circa early- to mid-1990s. Here's the video link in case the embed code does not work:
http://vp.telvue.com/preview?id=T01304&video=61535
Be the first to comment

Signora Maria from Ciolino

Signora Maria and Dottoressa Riccobene in Ciolino.
I just came across an old photo of Signora Maria, who was the subject of the first chapter in Stone Boudoir. She is being held by one of the twin Riccobene sisters, either Antonietta or Rosaria, the pharmacists in Ciolino.
1 Comments
Post a comment

Palermo has the largest Ficus macrophylla on the continent

Here it is: Ficus macrophylla at Garibaldi Park at Piazza Marina, near the sea
Its siblings in the Orto Botanico (Botanic Garden) are rivals for the title of largest Ficus macrophylla in Europe. I love their aerial roots, majestic girth and shade.
Be the first to comment

8 immigrants found dead

Seven women and one man were found dead aboard a rubber raft rescued off the coast of Libya today. The dead had apparently died from asphyxiation and struggle, according to La Repubblica. The other 113 aboard were taken to a safe place by an Italian military ship. Over the weekend a total of 1,300 immigrants were rescued at sea. Read More 
Be the first to comment

662 immigrants saved yesterday

662 people fleeing from Africa were saved in four rescue operations off the coast of Libya yesterday.
Be the first to comment

Rick Steves at the Ballaro` suq in Palermo

Rick Steves did a good job on this short clip of merchants singing their wares.
Be the first to comment

A raft to save them

A group of young German utopians on Sunday moored a rescue platform for migrants off the Sicilian coast. They designed it, built it and financed it with crowdfunding. A delegation from the collective Zentrum für Politische Schönheit literally Center for Political Beauty- left the port of Licata shortly after dawn and at  Read More 
Be the first to comment

402 immigrants arrived Lampedusa yesterday

Last night 402 immigrants arrived at Lampedusa, a Sicilian island, the part of Europe closest to north Africa, aboard a the Coast Guard boat which rescued them. They were Somalis, Eritreans, and Syrians.
Be the first to comment