Exploring Our Connection to People and Place
The Cathedral in Nicosia, Sicily, built in the 14th Century, is dedicated to St. Nicholas of Bari, which is said to be how the town got it’s name. Yes, this is the same St. Nick associated with gift-giving, but he is also the patron… Continue Reading “Duomo di Nicosia”
I only spent one evening in Palermo, the capital of Sicily, despite spending eleven weeks in Covid19 isolation, only thirty minutes away. Palermo has a population of 673,000 – which to some folks may feel small. Certainly small compared to Rome or Florence or… Continue Reading “Palermo, Capital of Sicily”
Why does one place feel like home and another place, while beautiful or lovely in many ways, does not? To put it simply (very simply), places become imprinted on us when our experiences there are significant and good. Typically, these imprints happen when we… Continue Reading “Finding Home: Imprints and Italy”
Sicilian roads are harrowing yet offer the most incredibly views. Ultimately, they have a lot to say about my own life and journey.
After several months of being in Italy during Covid19, I was worried about getting home. Katie Keleher at Channel 2 News Tulsa tried to help.
So much of who I am and what I love was shaped by my time on Grama Baird’s farm. Technically no longer hers, by then it was owned and operated by her grandson, Mick, who lived with his family across the field. And technically… Continue Reading “A Home-cooked Meal”
Valley of the Temples is a must-visit UNESCO site in southern Sicily. And walking it during Covid19, when few people were around, was truly incredible.
The Turkish Steps are white rocky cliffs on the coast of Realmonte, Sicily. This gorgeous natural site, blindingly white when the sun is shining, accentuates the colors of the sea. My photos do not do it justice. Normally a favorite tourist spot, and a… Continue Reading “Scala dei Turchi”
It’s often said that we travel to see new places and meet new people. To expand our lives and our point of view. I think even more importantly, we travel to learn something about ourselves.
Cefalù is considered one of the most beautiful towns in all of Italy and is certainly the most visited city in Sicily. And for those reasons alone, and since I was told the city literally overflows with tourists in the summer (and I better… Continue Reading “Cefalù and Castelbuono”
How I found my own version of Walden Pond while in Italy during the Covid19 pandemic and nation-wide lockdown.
The town of Monreale (meaning “royal mountain”) sits 300 meters above sea level, overlooking Palermo. The Monreale Cathedral, built between 1170 and 1189 AD, is considered the most beautiful church in all of Sicily. A unique blend of Norman-Romanesque architecture and Byzantine craftsmanship, with… Continue Reading “Monreale Cathedral”