Society

Talking to children about cancer

A child’s voice matters

In the UK press recently, there has been a big campaign and much publicised details about the mental health crisis concerning children between the ages of five and 18. Every

November 7, 2023by Penelope Best
woman smilling

Pearls of wisdom

As soon as I entered the plush interiors of the dental clinic in Lourinhã – our dinosaur town on the Silver Coast of Portugal – the first thing that caught

November 4, 2023by Nickunj Malik
Sage in my garden|Sage and Chanterelles|Sage and its flavour affinities

50 Shades of Sage

My earliest memory of sage takes me back to my grandparents’ house, where they grew a garden filled with a remarkable variety of vegetation. My grandmother would perform daily inspections

November 3, 2023by Irina Mikhailava
The Greek temple of Concordia in Agrigento, one of the largest and best-preserved Doric temples in the world. It was built ca. 440-430 BC.|The Benedictine cloisters of the Duomo in Monreale, just west of Palermo. It was built in the 12th century in the Norman-Arabic style and is a UNESCO World Heritage site.|Palermo Duomo, erected in 1185 but rebuilt many times since, resulting in a melange of architectural styles.|The relatively unassuming tomb of Frederick II Stupor Mundi (1194-1250) in Palermo Cathedral. He became King of Sicily at the age of four and Holy Roman Emperor in 1220|The statue of Guiseppe Garibaldi (1807-1882) in Giardino Garibaldi in the Piazza Marina in Palermo.|This Ficus Benjamina is over 150 years old and is located in Gardini Garibaldi|Mt Etna, towering 3,400 meters over northeastern Sicily, is an active volcano – its last eruption in August 2023 closed Catania airport for a day. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site|The stage of the Greek theatre in Taormina, dating from the 3rd century BC. There are wonderful views looking out over the east coast. Today, the theatre is used as a venue for the annual arts festival ‘Taormina Arte’|The Greek Theatre in Siracusa is located in an archaeological park. It was first built in the 5th century BC and rebuilt in the 3rd century BC. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage site of Siracusa|This stairway in Erice, in northwestern Sicily, is typical of the narrow and steep passages found in many of the small Sicilian towns|Gangi, a small village which stands on Mount Marone in Palermo province and is overlooked by Ventimiglia castle, was nominated the most beautiful village in Italy|The staircase of Santa Maria del Monte in Caltagirone. It was built in 1606, is over 130 m long and is entirely decorated with polychrome ceramic tiles. Caltagirone has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2002|Vincenzo Bellini, a bel canto opera composer, was born in Catania in 1801 and died very young in France in 1835. Catania claims him as a favourite son|A wine tasting at Barone di Villagrande in Milo. Alfonso Caltagirone is having Vibeke and Poul Snorgaard and David and Linda Grindley taste the winery’s Carricante white

Impressions of Sicily

When you think of Sicily, what do you think? Great place to vacation? Historically important? Impressive architecture? Good food and wine? Home of the Mafia? Yes, it is all of

November 2, 2023by Larry Hampton