Monday, October 31, 2022

Will it work?



 It's just a little stick+

He showed me how to prepare a grape branch for grafting






It is an especially sweet grape 





growing in the fertile soil, under spewing  Mt Etna Volcano.








We walked through the vineyard, always aware of the smoke rising from Mt Etna






Every now and then flying rocks from Mt Etna volcano remind everyone who is  in charge. 




And what about that stick?
It came home with me to give to my neighbor who is going to graft it onto his grape stock. 

  What else do you give a neighbor who has taken such good care of my animals  and property while I was having a grand time in Italy. 

Salute
Gina



Friday, October 21, 2022

Life under the spewing Volcano


 No one seems to worry.



At the Palermo market
shopping with chef Alessandra



Learning "how"



Rolling small amount of dough with thumb down the wooden board. Makes perfect gnocchi and other round pasta. 




After lunch we were given a private tour of the Palazzo. 



My heart took a few little extra beats when I saw these beautiful and old ceramic vessels. 





Monmerale an Arab-Norman Cathedral built in 1200.
Palermo


Incredible artistry,  Monmerale Mosaics  





Mosaics which tell the story of the Bible.





Very small pieces of glass allow for every detail and every individual expression. 






Greek Architecture at the Valley of the Temples of 
Agrigento, Sicily, the largest  Island in the Mediterranean.





Agrigento, a Roman city , Sicily's southwest shore. 






Greek Columns 597 AD.





Does this structure look familiar?




Sunset at the Valley of the Temples. 

A perfect day in Sicily.

Gina



Monday, October 17, 2022

Caltagirone, Sicily





Staircase connects upper and lower hill town of Caltagirone.
142 Stteps were built in the 1600s and hand painted ceramic tiles were affixed in the 18th century.




I painted 200 tiles for a  new horse arena in Florida.

Wishing you a great week,
Gina