Western Sicily for Food Wine and Culture
Tour Western Sicily, personally guided by Dominique Rizzo to take an in-depth look at of Sicily’s most historic cities and sights.
10 Things We Love About Sicilians
In my years of traveling back to my ancestral homeland of Sicily, I have had the great pleasure of getting to know many of the amazing local people. In my Sicilian food tours, I love to ensure my guests experience the local people as much as possible. Sicilians really are the salt of the earth. I thought I would share with you some of the qualities that make Sicilian people so special, and Sicily such an amazing place to visit.
Historical Sicily – Piazza Armerina, Villa Romana di Casale, Caltagirone
Learn all about Historical Sicily at Piazza Armerina, Villa Romana di Casale and Caltagirone on Dominique Rizzo’s Sicilian tours.
On your trips to Sicily, Caltagirone is a must-do
Perched on a hilltop like many hidden treasures is the town of Caltagirone, the town of ceramics.
A place which always takes my breath away on my trips to Sicily, is Caltagirone.
A long time ago, the soil here was perfect for making the original terracotta pots used by the Greeks. The original designs were usually yellows and browns with geometric patterns. Influences from the Arabs brought the art of firing. Pottery also became highly decorative with the introduction of colours such as blues and yellows. Designs became more intricate.
The ceramic stairs
On your trips to Sicily, you will find a major interest in this tiny town with it’s wonderful staircase studded with decorated tiles. Colourful hand painted tiles line each of the 142 stairs. They entice you to journey to the top where the views of the town are magnificent. During the festival of the Madonna, the locals will line the stairs beautifully with tubs of flowers precisely placed. They form a floral design when you view the staircase from the bottom or top. In the evening they line the stairs with candles. This makes for an amazing photo and unique visiting experience.
They are often studded with the iconic ceramic pine cones that feature in many ceramic shops throughout Sicily. The road leading into Caltagirione is lined with vases and glorious coloured cones.
They remind you that this is the town of the vases. While browsing the many stores, you will notice that the ceramics come in many designs. With traditional and artisan patterns, some historically original and others unique to each artist. You can often find artists hand painting the ceramics as you enter in the stores.
The ceramics are not only a sight to behold in Caltagirone, they are a fantastic experience of Sicilian culture that you can enjoy on my Sicilian Tours.
For the latest news on trips to Italy, go to Dom’s travels to Italy and Sicily, and her next tour dates
Any questions? Contact me.
All About Italian Cheese
Italians and Sicilians in particular do cheese so well, that’s why I love to incorporate cheese as part of my Sicilian food tours!
dhivya-subramanian-35aBPjqsjX4-unsplashtuna and rice bakeBaked Dishes
Baked Dishes of Pasta, rice or vegetable are something that we all grew up on and the best thing about having them for dinner is that they taste even better the next day.
brooke-lark-qdyBKWSzpSI-unsplashSmoothies for Better Health
Smoothies are a perfect quick breakfast for anyone on the go, there are two different types of smoothies, a high protein smoothie and a fruit and or blended fruit and vegetable smoothie.
monika-grabkowska-EM8ljm8UOD8-soupSoups
Soups are a perfect meal for a snack, lunch or dinner and make use of all the vegetables that you may have lying around in the fridge. To these basic recipes, you can add any of your own cooked proteins or have the soup as a starter then have your protein with a salad. Soups are perfectly accompanied with a small bread roll, pita bread or flour tortilla and can be easily transported in a thermos flask keeping them hot or take them to work in a container to be reheated later.
mariana-medvedeva-usfIE5Yc7PY-unsplashSalads
If you have the time a salad is a perfect lunch or dinner option and is another excellent portable food that can be deliciously healthy and really quite filling. Salads are perfect as you can include many grains, legumes and some great tasty proteins teamed with fresh seasonal leafy greens and vegetables. The most important aspect to a good salad is the dressing.
sara-dubler-onCLJoVTYFM-unsplashwrapsIts A Wrap!
Wraps are the best way to enjoy a healthy lunch or dinner and they can include anything, Take advantage of wholemeal tortillas, lavash bread, and pita bread and use fillings such as boiled eggs, roast chicken, lean ham, curried eggs, poached or grilled fish, tinned tuna, salmon or sardines. You can flavour these with salsas, smashed avocado, mustards, a small amount of mayonnaise, pesto, hummus or yoghurt dips, even a squeeze of lemon.