White Almond Sicily

Last weekend I went to visit the Teatro Antico di Taormina , (the ancient Greek theatre of Taormina). I visited just as the sun was starting to set behind a cloudy Mount Etna. The previous night there had been a performance of Madame Butterfly and another performance of this beautiful opera was to be performed again the following night. The Greek Theatre is the most perfect venue for operas as the stage has natural scenery as background, Mount Etna and the Bay of Naxos can be seen through the ancient columns behind the stage and orchestra pit and it has the most amazing acoustics.  Taormina Arte and Opera season is now in full swing.  Cavalleria Rusticana was the first performance I ever experienced at the Greek theatre. It is a mesmerizing love story with a tragic ending and the most haunting beautiful orchestral music to accompany it. The Greek theatre is my favourite place in Taormina and I could sit there for hours taking in the history and the spectacular

Sicily is where Europe ends and Africa begins. It began its history as part of Ancient Greece and soon became part of the Roman Empire. Thereafter the island was invaded by the Byzantines, Arabs, Normans, French, Spanish and Bourbons before unifying with Italy. Each conquest left its mark on the island and its cuisine, including Breakfast. Breakfast is the first meal of the day and most often eaten early in the morning before undertaking a day’s work. Some believe it to be the most important meal of the day. A traditional Great English breakfast includes bacon, sausage,fried poached or scrambled eggs, fried or grilled tomatoes, fried mushrooms, fried bread or toast with butter and baked beans. You will NEVER find an English breakfast in Sicily unless you beg someone to cook you one. In these hot months in Sicily when temperatures are reaching over 40 degrees you will be thankful of “The Great Sicilian Breakfast” which is a totally Sicilian experi