All posts tagged: sicilia

Nneya in front of testi di mori shop, original Black Sicilians

Why Do I Love Sicily? Are Sicilians Black?

Are Sicilians Black? No, but the warmth of it’s people, culture, food and multiculturalism makes Sicily my favorite Italian region. While starting my travel series, Ciao, Sicilia, I had a think about why I love Sicily. What was supposed to be three short sentences turned into paragraphs. Yes, Taormina, Sicily was where Michele proposed but even touching down in Sicily, in Catania, immediately, I knew I was going to love it. It’s the warmth of both the people and climate. When we first arrived in Catania, it was a hot June afternoon. The heat was oppressive but seeing the ornate balconies of the beautiful Sicilian baroque buildings, I wanted to take it all in and explore. Smart Sicilians had shuttered themselves inside to avoid the mid-day sun. The aged decadent architecture reminded me of Havana. The first thing we did was eat and the heaping portions and warm smiles serving the food reminded me of my own family’s West Indian background. On another trip to Sicily, I even spotted a Jamaican restaurant in Syracuse! Sicily …

Fast Track: How to live out your dreams of the Italian countryside

I’m sure you’ve daydreamed about owning a home in the Italian countryside. I know I definitely have. Well, according to the New York Times, a town below Mt. Etna, Gangi is actually giving away homes! Really (some are being given away, some are going for as little as one euro). Located close to central Italy, in the Madonie mountains, Gangi has dealt with a seriously dwindling population in the last century, loosing over half of it’s population to emigration. These houses were left abandoned and the town government is trying to bolster the local economy, and attract new inhabitants that will love and want to preserve Gangi. The catch: these homes are hardcore fixer-uppers, sometimes gut jobs and you have only four years to do it. As someone that’s spent time in Southern Italy, let me tell ya, that’s a pretty big catch, especially if you’re a foreigner. However, in 2014, Gangi was voted the most beautiful village in Italy, Borgo Piú Bello d’Italia, so maybe it’s just about rolling up your sleeves and getting …