Vividly evoked Sicilian history, a gripping adventure, and an inspiring femal lead you’ll be cheering on from start to finish “Siciliana” by Carlo Treviso is a captivating historical novel set in medieval Sicily during the turbulent events of the Sicilian Vespers in 1282. Inspired by real historical events, it is a gripping tale of courage,…
Author: VDG
The Festa dell’Immacolata: A Sicilian Celebration of Faith and Tradition
Today is Saint Mary’s day, the Festa dell’Immacolata, or the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Celebrated on December 8th, in Sicily there are some lovely local traditions which predictably involve public celebrations, mass that lasts extra long, and cake.
What Foods To Eat and Drinks to Drink in Sicily
Someone emailed me recently, asking me what foods she should eat while on holiday in Sicily. I was tempted to simply email her back saying: Dear Sharon, Everything. Yours Sincerely, Sicilian Housewife Yet I managed to restrain myself. Instead I made a list of ideas. My TOP TEN list has already turned into a TOP TWENTY…
The Truth about Sicilian Men and How To Enjoy A Sicilian Boyfriend
Everyone who meets my Sicilian Hubby thinks he’s so wonderful that they keep asking me where they can get one of their own. So here’s a handy Guide to Sicilian Men. Remember that I am always Dangerously Truthful, so prepare to hear not just about the good, but also the bad and the ugly.
Discovering the Art of Sicily: A Journey Through Fine and Folk Traditions
Sicilians, like all italians, are highly artistic. They start learning art appreciation as a subject in primary school, and have secondary schools devoted specifically to the study of art, so it’s probably not surprising. When it comes to seeing fine art or folk crafts in Sicily, you will be amazed at the variety all around you.
Vatican Spaghetti: A Five-Minute Pasta Recipe with Sicilian Lemon
I should probably write about 5,000 words of guff about my life among Sicilian lemons, childhood memories of sucking on lemons, and other lemon-linked keywords, before I get to the recipe. That seems essential these days to rank anywhere higher than page 300 on Google. But I’m too impatient, and this is a recipe that…
The Truth About Sicilian Lemons and Why They’re The Best
I still remember the first time an American friend said the phrase “When life gives you lemons” to me, and then had to explain what it means. We don’t use that expression in England, and in Sicily, well! Let me just tell you there is absolutely NOTHING bad about Sicilian lemons. They’re the only fruit…
Sicilian Card Games: An easy-to-follow guide
Sicily has its own unique deck of playing cards, and lots of games exclusive to the island. Card games are an indispensable part of the festivities at Christmas, Easter and other family gatherings. This book gives very clear instructions for twelve Sicilian card games, with photographic illustrations. It is the only book of Sicilian card games in print worldwide.
Sicilian Card Games – Colour edition
This colour edition contains 3 bonus games, giving step-by-step instructions for 15 Sicilian card games, with photographic illustrations. The book also includes an interesting explanation of the origins of Sicilian playing cards.
The Dangerously Truthful Diary of a Sicilian Housewife – The book
When career-girl Veronica flies to Sicily for a friend’s wedding, she accidentally falls in love with one of the groom’s three-hundred cousins. A year later she has given up her job, house and friends, and is planning her own wedding with her Latin Lover in the shimmering heat of Sicily.
Evil Eye: The Orphan of Istanbul
Freshly graduated and orphaned at the same time, day-dreamy Celeste is hypnotised by the ethereal mosques and dazzling bazaars of Istanbul as an escape from all that hurts her. Yet running away from her problems only leads her into new ones.
Friends with Secrets
New York, 1993: Mistry thinks she has a safe job in a bank, but when she realises a client is using her to launder money, someone tries to kill her. How can she outwit a criminal who has already outwitted the police?
How to Protect Yourself against the Evil Eye
This is an intriguing and entertaining book which explains where the Bible, the Koran and most religions warn of its dangers and offer defences against it, as well as revealing the more ancient secrets of amulets, purifying rituals and protective gestures still used across the world to this day. After reading this book, you will never see the world in quite the same way again.
The Godmother: The Sicilian Housewife Diaries Volume 1
This anthology of articles was originally published online in 2012 but is now only available in print from all Amazon websites worldwide, and as an e-book (Kindle and other formats). The author discusses, amongst other things, the Sicilian language, the role of women in Sicily and their portrayal in modern Italian media, the immigration crisis which began in Sicily in 2012, the fact Italians sell pasta for dogs, and some of the UNESCO world heritage sites that embellish the magnificent island of Sicily.
Giochi di Carte Siciliani: Guida Facile ai Giochi Classici
L’edizione in lingua italiana del bestseller statunitense e britannico, questo è l’unico libro di giochi di carte siciliani in stampa a livello mondiale. Questo libro fornisce istruzioni molto chiare per dodici giochi di carte siciliani, con illustrazioni fotografiche.
Scala dei Turchi, beware the Instagram models on the white cliffs of Sicily!
Scala dei Turchi, which means the “Turkish staircase”, is on Sicily’s southern Realmonte coast in the Provincia di Agrigento. The Sicilians are a bit sketchy about foreign nationalities. The place used to see lots of pirate raids from North Africa, and since Arabs, Moroccans, Tunisians and other foreigners are basically the same thing, the Turks…
Sicily’s Valley of the temples, Agrigento
There’s a modern town called Agrigento on Sicily’s southern coast, but alongside it, in a fertile valley, lies an ancient Greek city also called Agrigento. These cities give their name to the Sicilian Province of Agrigento. Agrigento was founded around 582–580 BC by Greek colonists from nearby Gela, who named it “Akragas”. In its heyday,…
Castellamare del Golfo
A day in Castellamare Del Golfo involves seeing the sea a lot. It’s quite romantic! It’s in the Trapani region, which is in the Mediterranean but looking out in the direction of the Atlantic. I think it gets extra wind for that reason – there’s something about this side of Sicily that feels more adventurous…
Sicily’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites
I think you can tell the people at UNESCO were a bit overwhelmed with how much wonderful stuff there is in Sicily. When they were naming World Heritage Sites, they just lumped together nine towns all in one go, or an entire group of islands. Each part of these sites merits a listing in its…
Sicilian sea urchins
We were at My sister-in-law’s in Sciacca, on Sicily’s south coast, last summer when a friend turned up in swimming trunks, carrying a bucket. He had just come back from the beach with a ridiculously large quantity of sea urchins. Several bucketfulls, in fact. So he decided to give a bucket of them to us….
A trip to Sicily and it’s Rather Fishy
I wouldn’t normally share photos taken in a supermarket. In fact, I wouldn’t normally take photos in a supermarket. But Sicilian supermarkets are different. First I got distracted at the fish counter. Then I couldn’t decide which cheese to choose. Moving in closer didn’t help. By the time we got onto the salami I was…
A new book about Sicily, Earthquakes and Pasta for Dogs
I have just published a new book about living in Sicily. It includes all the usual adventures, among them the time we were in an earthquake, some thoughts on the Sicilian language and whether it will survive, and a debate on the fact that in Sicily you can buy really, I mean really really large…
Sicily in Jewels: The precious legacy of Duke Fulco Di Verdura
I wrote a few days ago about Villa Niscemi, once home to Fulco Di Verdura, the Sicilian duke whose memoir so enchanted me. As an adult he moved to New York and became a jeweller. His dazzling artistic legacy has Sicily in every jewel. First let’s look at this elephant: He was inspired by the iconic…
Christmas stocking filler: A simple guide to classic Sicilian card games
What kind of Christmas would it be for a Sicilian family without playing riotous card games amid a heap of pistachio nut shells? Join in the tradition this year with some bargain stocking-filler gifts. The bestselling pocket edition This book gives very clear instructions for twelve Sicilian card games, with photographic illustrations. It is the…
Villa Niscemi, Palermo – the most lavish palace in all Sicily
One day strolling through Palermo – OK, staggering in the heat – I chanced to notice a pair of gates which felt very familiar. I had never seen them before, yet I knew them so well. I knew there was going to be a false river inside them inhabited by expensive imported ducks. So we…
Sicily’s marvellous mechanical dining table in the Palazzina Cinese
One of the things that has made generations of English aristocrats fall in Love with Sicily over the centuries is the mutual passion for eccentrics. I don’t mean subtle characters, like one of my beloved uncles whose favourite food was broad bean and custard sandwiches. I mean flamboyant filthy rich people who could construct a…
My new book out now – THE GODMOTHER
THE GODMOTHER THE SICILIAN HOUSEWIFE DIARIES Volume 1 The journal of an English woman handling parenthood, the Mafia and a Sicilian mother-in-law, all at once. (And yes, that is myself on the cover.) ‘The Godmother’, the first book in the series, introduces the formidable mother-in-law and godmother to seven children who dominates family life. To…
Yes I speaking the English
I dropped in on an old friend, Mr. Cake, in his place of work recently. He owns and runs a cafe bar with his brother, which is always mouth-wateringly stocked with seasonal Sicilian pastries and delicacies, mainly baked by their elderly dad. As you can imagine, I enjoy dropping in on them very much. Since…
Sicilian Ceramics in Palermo
Last summer I dashed down to Sicily and wanted to purchase some gorgeous Sicilian majolica ceramic art for my new house. So I toddled off to “Tre Erre” in Palermo. What to buy? An owl? Something fruity? Something fishy? How about some heads? Or even Medusa’s head? In the…
Last minute Christmas Shopping?
I always leave Christmas shopping till the last minute. When I am in Sicily, it’s because the cafes subversively waft smells out to distract everyone into eating this lot: When I am in England, it’s because of this: In the end, I always resort to last-minute shopping online. So if you’re in the same boat,…
Reimagining Sicily – a new documentary (featuring me!)
I was very excited when Sicilian American film director Mark Spano asked if he could interview me for a documentary he was making, called Reimagining Sicily. I was particularly impressed when he managed to book nearby 17th century Villa Palagonia to do the filming; for this gorgeous villa is owned by 32 different people, none…
Cathedral Building… or was it Economy Building?
All the cathedrals across Europe were built in the space of about 200 years, at the height of the crusades. They look expensive, but they were actually money machines. Whilst there may have been an element of religious fervour to them, they were also a way of demonstrating power to potential enemies and the illiterate…
The Dangerously Truthful Diary of a Sicilian Housewife 