July 27, 2011

Greetings from Sicily.

Sorry for not posting lately but I have been in language school and not really keeping up with my priorities.

We have been in Catania for almost three weeks and I have truly enjoyed the time and friends we have met. Since we are so close to Etna we also have been renting a car to visit some of my favorite producers. (I will be writing more about who I enjoyed a glass or two of wine with.)


Here are some of the highlights of my time visiting Catania and Mt. Etna.

The elephant in Piazza Duomo with friends from school.


My class


My favorite grape Nerello Mascalese


Etna vineyards


The best lunch at Re del Sole.

The beach

July 9, 2011

Gelato in Sicily.

If you are in Palermo stop by Stancampiano Gelateria. Whenever I am in Sicily I MUST stop by for a brioche with gelato, especially for breakfast.



Breakfast of champions!

HD in the gelato zone.

Gelato = Happiness!

July 2, 2011

A visit to Pompeii.

In 79 AD when Mt. Vesuvius erupted it left a perfectly preserved glimpse of a city that once was vibrant and alive. Lava and ash destroys the city of Pompeii and Herculaneum along with the nearby vineyards. Since Pompeii was rediscovered in the 1700’s, much has been learned about its history.
We visited Pompeii with our friends from Mastroberardino winery to view the town and get an amazing tour of the vineyards that they have planted. Since the late 90’s, they had begun experimenting with ancient grape varieties within the walls of Pompeii.

Inside the vineyard.


Fountain inside one of the five vineyards.
While touring the streets it was interesting to see how important wine was to this ancient city. We saw many anforas (an ancient jar with two handles and a narrow neck used to hold or make wine) inside many of the homes.


Anfora 


Anforas in a typical home.


looking inside a home


wall murals inside a home


indoor fountain used to collect rain water for bathing


outdoor fountain perhaps used for drinking water


After two centuries of excavation, archaeologists have still not uncovered all the town. Who knows what hidden treasure awaits for them to find.