This article appeared in the October 2016 issue of Dream of Italy. Updated 2018. On October 31st, lots of Americans festoon front yards with witches, ghosts, beasts and other frightening figures in celebration of Halloween. Most people who do this have long forgotten the roots of and connections to these scary creations back in the countries we came from. Not so …
Unique Experiences for Kids in Puglia, Sardinia and Sicily
This article originally appeared in the May 2016 issue of Dream of Italy. Updated 2018. Puglia: Trulli of Alberobello Your kids – and you – have never seen anything like the UNESCO World Heritage Site Alberobello – a whole town filled with stone huts sporting conical roofs — trulli. The town looks something like out of a fantasy movie. Want to give your kids an …
Portraits of Sicily: His Wheels Keep on Turning – Sicily’s Last Donkey Cart Painter
This article originally appeared in the August 2015 issue of Dream of Italy. Updated 2018. Imagine a culture without books, newspapers, or text-based signs. How would you remember important dates in history, learn about current events, or know whom to call when for the best groceries? In Sicily for hundreds of years, most of the population was illiterate—just like most of the population …
Portraits of Sicily: A New Chapter in a Sicilian Family History
This article originally appeared in the August 2015 issue of Dream of Italy. Updated 2018. In 1917, Anna D’Angelo and her three eldest children left Castellammare del Golfo for New York City, where Anna’s husband had emigrated a year before. Although he would eventually prove unstable, the couple had six more children. Jean, born in 1924 in Detroit, was the last and most …
Portraits of Sicily: From Cloister to Cookies – A Sicilian Pastry Chef
This article originally appeared in the August 2015 issue of Dream of Italy. Updated 2018. Getting to the medieval walled town of Erice is easiest and most picturesque via the globe-shaped funiculari that leave every 10 minutes from the top of Trapani. As the pods rise, they offer the vistas that distinguish that city from its Sicilian fellows—the meeting of the Mediterranean and …
Five Unique Places to Stay in Sicily
This article originally appeared in the August 2015 issue of Dream of Italy. Updated 2018. If you have preconceived notions about Sicily, you’re not alone—and we’re not talking about stereotypes of Mafia activity or country tables laden with food. We’re talking about the actual land and terrain. Many people, including some of the most sophisticated travelers around, believe that this island, just at …
Edible Souvenirs: Bringing Home Sicilia Naturale
This article originally appeared in the August 2015 issue of Dream of Italy. Updated 2018. A friend who grew up in a home with two Sicilian parents (both had emigrated to the USA in the 1950s) recalls that every meal was a groaning board of food, from antipasti to primi to contorni to secondi to dolci. That might have stemmed, for many Sicilian-Americans, …
Sicily through Its Symbols
This article originally appeared in the August 2015 issue of Dream of Italy. Updated 2018. Today Sicily is officially part of Italy—but don’t try to tell Sicilians that they are the same as Italians. The island has a long, rich history and a deep, complex culture that has many ties to the mainland, but remains separate and distinctive even in the 21st century. Although …
Italy’s Best Cooking Schools: Sardinia and Sicily
Italy's two largest islands are home to unique cuisine and what better way to experience the traditional dishes of Sardinia and Sicily than through a cooking class. Here are our favorites.
Italy’s Best Cooking Schools: Programs With Multiple Locations
These companies offer cooking classes and tours in multiple locations throughout Italy - kind of one-stop shops for cooking schools in Italy. A great resource for planning a culinary-focused trip.