White Almond Sicily

Recently I have received a few lovely messages and emails asking if Sicily is a good holiday destination for families. The answer is YES. Italians love children BUT Sicilians adore them. Sicilians show deep respect and admiration for little ones and restaurants, bars and hotels are eager to accommodate families and children, so there is no need to be shy about asking for special favours or services and you will find that they will probably even have a fuss made of them in the streets by the locals while you are out and about. Sicilian families stick together and often eat out in large groups sometimes into the early hours. As Summer drags on the afternoon siesta gets longer and evening meals start later so you will probably notice that the local kids stay up until well after midnight. Food in Sicily is unlikely to be a problem, kids love pizza and pasta right? Menus in Sicily do not always have a separate menu for children but a mezza porzione (smaller portion) is usually...

The English have always had a love affair with Sicily and the island boasts a lot of British history. From the travellers of The Grand Tour, which always concluded in Taormina and resulted in many of those tourists choosing to relocate there to Thomas à Becket who in the middle ages after being exiled to France found refuge at the court of King William II of Sicily. Lord Nelson who owned two properties, one in Bronte and one in Taormina. Even though he never set foot in either of them his plan was to live in Sicily for the rest of his days with Lady Emma Hamilton. Benjamin Ingham and John Woodhouse who discovered Marsala wine importing it back to England in the 1800's who were followed by the wealthy Whitaker family who owned luxurious properties in Palermo. Then there is the conspiracy theory that tells that the English play writer William Shakespeare was in fact Sicilian and from the city of Messina.  But do you know the legend of King Arthur and Mount Etna? Could Etn...

Hands up how many of you lucky girls and guys went back to work this New Year sporting a sparkling new ring on your left hand. Christmas and New Year is a time for love and romance so it is no surprise that it is the most popular time of the year to get engaged, closely followed by Valentines Day. Weddings abroad can often be more intimate, less costly and a lot less stressful with beautiful weather which is why more couples are opting to get married overseas creating memories that will last a lifetime. Italy has always been a favourite choice offering romance and a variety of options. Over the past five years wedding tourism in Sicily has increased dramatically. This includes the initial reconnaissance of the region, meetings with wedding planners and their venues and suppliers, the actual wedding day, guests who travel to our beautiful island to witness this momentous occasion and happy newlyweds who decide to stay on for their honeymoon. There are many beautiful venues...