Cava d’Ispica, Sicily: cave living

( InnTravel – 2017 – Emily Mawson )

Emily Mawson steps off the beaten track to visit a fascinating network of ancient cave dwellings in Sicily’s eastern corner.

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Sicily: Montalbano’s island

( The Telegraph UK – 2015 – Lee Marshall )

The cult Sicilian detective series owes as much to the beauty of its island setting as it does to the mysteries solved when an inspector calls, says Lee Marshall.

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Sicily’s baroque masterpiece makes for the perfect (warm) winter break

The Guardian – 2015 – Ed Cumming )

South-east Sicily loses nothing out of season but the crowds, finds Ed Cumming. It could just be the best time to enjoy its spectacular architecture, fantastic cuisine and ancient landscapes.
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Bite me

Let’s Go with Ryanair – 2014 – Rocky Casale / PDF )

A glorious spring sun beats down on my back as I climb the steep limestone steps of Ragusa’s old town, Ragusa Ibla. It’s only March but it feels like summer.

“Are you ready to taste some wine and cheese,” my guide, local food-and-art-expert Barbara Sudano, asks as we arrive at 17th-century Palazzo Arezzo di Trifiletti, in Piazza Duomo. You bet. I’ve come to Ragusa, Sicily’s unsung foodie mecca, hungry, planning a non-stop gorge-fest of the small-time products and world-class cuisine the region’s known for. Eyeing Barbara’s itinerary on top of the dinners I’ve booked, I’ll be rolling myself back on the plane, no doubt. Continue Reading →

Montalbano traino per il turismo del Sud Est, e non solo, da 15 anni

( TravelNoStop – 2013 )

Ha appena compiuto vent’anni il commissario Salvo Montalbano, nato dalla penna di Andrea Camilleri. Il 10 marzo 1994 uscì il primo romanzo “La forma dell’acqua”, edito da Sellerio. Ma fu con la fiction sulla Rai, agli inizi del 2000, che la “Montalbanomania” ebbe inizio. Luca Zingaretti e le sue vicende ambientate a Vigata fecero scoprire al pubblico televisivo, italiano e non solo, la provincia di Ragusa e in generale il Sud Est siciliano. Continue Reading →

Modica: A sweet spot for an ancient remedy

( The Independent – 2013 – Harriet O’Brien )

Harriet O’Brien finds a surprising history among the lemon trees and chocolate shops of the Sicilian city. Continue Reading →

An offer you can’t refuse

( Telegraph.co.uk – 2004 – Sebastian Cresswell-Turner )

Cast aside all worries about the Mafia. With idyllic scenery, period property to rival Tuscany – at bargain prices – and low crime, parts of Sicily are proving increasingly hard to resist. Sebastian Cresswell-Turner explores the safe havens
“Buongiorno.” Pause. “Parli . . . um . . . er . . . parla inglese?”

“Yes. I am English, in fact.” Continue Reading →

The battle of Sicily’s two best restaurants

( The Sunday Times – 2008 – Anthony Capella )

Two of the Italian island’s restaurants have won Michelin stars, but who says posh is best? Continue Reading →

Shedding light on Sicily’s Baroque splendour

( The Times – 2002 – By Marcus Binney, Architecture Correspondent )

Alexander Creswell is a master at portraying architecture’s forgotten and vanishing splendours. His latest venture is the Baroque of Sicily, in which he has captured the warmth of glowing golden stone with an intensity perfectly timed for our November downpours. Continue Reading →

Food Stuff; Exceptional Chocolate, Neither Swiss Nor Smooth

( The New York Times – 2006 – bye Florence Fabricant )

The finest chocolate, as we know it, dates from 1879. That was when Rudolph Lindt, a Swiss chocolatier, invented the conching machine, which made it easier to knead a mass of warm chocolate to a satin-smooth texture. The longer the chocolate is conched, the finer the texture. Chocolate that is worked by hand will never achieve that finesse. Continue Reading →