Christmas in Sicily

 

I have just experienced my first Italian Christmas, in Taormina Sicily.

 

 

 

Being Swedish and having grown up with cold white or totally grey and dark winters, it is a particular nice feeling to still have all the Christmas feeling and traditions, that are similar to that I am used to, but with the addition of light, flowers palm trees and citrus trees. Ohhh the citrus trees… all the mandarins, oranges and lemons are ripe and ready to pick now.  Now that is a magic feeling…picking oranges on Christmas day.

 

 

 

 

 

Taormina is a lot more beautiful this time of the year than I could have imagined. It’s really well decorated with traditional lights, stars, Christmas trees and religious symbols and big bon fires…plus this year they have a great sculpture exhibition spread out in the centre of town. Taormina over the holiday season is magic, warm, cosy and welcoming. If you haven’t planned anything for New Year yet…come on down here, it’s fantastic.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photos for Hotel Imperiale

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That was some some of the photos I took of the terrace…now for something totally different. Some food fom the Restaurant at Hotel Imperiale. It was a very quick shoot using natural light together with Litepanels  Micro Pro LED light. www.litepanels.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Buon Apetito!

 

 

 

 

 

Hotel Metropole, Taormina Sicily

Here are some of the photos that I recently took for 5star Hotel Metroploe in Taormina, Sicily. You will soon be able to see them on their website and in their brochure as well. I still have a few more photos to finish and will upload them here as well once that is done….and with some more hotel info. In the meantime, enjoy the photos and start planning your trip to Sicily   I do recomend a visit if you are in Sicily…even just for a meal or a drink.

I am writing a post for the photo enthusiasts as well, about how I went about some of the shoots…you will find it under “Lessons” in a couple of days.

 

 

‘

It won’t happen again

 

I haven’t written a post for a few weeks; I am a terrible blogger! I am feeling like a bad mother that has abandoned her baby. Dear sweet blog, forgive me. I will not forget about you like this again.

 

So what I have been up to; been down to Sicily on two trips, taking photos for 3 hotels:

 

Il Piccolo Giardino; a very charming neat, clean and modern 3 star hotel in Taormina with very friendly and helpful service and with a top location just a few stairway steps  from the main street. Really cute garden and great roof top with pool, bar sun beds and with an amazing view over Taormina, the Greek theatre and the ocean.

 

Hotel Metropole, a  magnificent 5 star Hotel with a long and interesting history,  reopened last year after 40 years of sleep, right on Corso Umberto in Taormina, with fantastic views over the sea. It’s a must see, even if you just pop in for a meal (food is fantastic) or for drinks during their weekly jazz festival.

 

 

 

Il Parco Degli Ulivi in Villafranca, a spacious and very tranquil 3 star resort on a secluded hill with uninterrupted views of the Sicilian countryside and the ocean; great for nature and horse lovers (yes they have horses for rent) and families with children…also great spot for weddings and business events. Infinity pool overlooking the Aeolian island and with magnificent sunsets over the sea.

 

 

As soon as I have finished the post production of all the photos I will post them here with some more info on the hotels.

 

 

Now I got to get organized for today’s outdoor photo shoot.

 

Have a great day!

Welcome to Speedo land

Welcome to Speedo Land

Before I went to Sicily a couple of summer ago, I had mainly seen Speedos on professional swimmers and lifesavers. I remembered when I first saw the south Italian men, how I couldn’t stop staring, laughing and shaking my head. But now, I have to admit that I am used to it, it’s very entertaining. Every shape size and age squeezes themselves in to tiny Speedos, often with little pockets, built in belts and in see-through materials. Sometimes completely worn-out and pulled up to the waist, other times low on the hips and just wide enough to fit a horizontally placed penis. Great care is taken to ensure it is well placed and comfortable and this is done on the beach, in public with the hands down the pants…grabbing, tucking, moving, lifting and readjusting the package. Once satisfied with the result, one of the show-off poses is being struck:

 

Pose Nr 1, pelvis tilted somewhat forward, hands in the sides, but only with the fingertips touching the hips, matched with a carefree, uninterested look on the face.

 

Pose Nr 2, this is normally used whenever a camera is pulled out… hips slightly rotated and tilted forward, preferably with an open or cupped hand near the package to really emphasise the location, shape and size. If you got nice abs, this is when they are being squeezed to the max. As for the face, it’s the cool, sexy look that’s important in this pose.

 

 

Pose Nr 3, normally used in group photo sessions…in this pose it is important that the arms goes behind your friend/friends and the whole pelvic region and lower body is pushed forward and up in a bow. Facial expression is happy and friendly, showing you have many friends and like to party.

 

 

 

This how it’s done in Italy.  You still have time to practice before “beach 2011″!

Nero D´Avola, one of my favourite restaurants in Taormina

 

Nero D´Avola (Mentioned in the Micheline guide) is located near the Post Office and Porta Catania, next to Palazzo Duchi Di Santo Stefano, just down from the main road Corso Umberto. The atmosphere is relaxed and friendly, the food is fantastic and the wines have been carefully selected. Turi, the man behind (and in) the restaurant is a well of inspiration and knowledge; his passion and skill is remarkable and his enthusiasm is catchy. He is a bit of en eccentric… a very positive, passionate and knowledgeable one. Ask him about the origin, ingenious and making of his Sicilian specialties and you will get a story almost to good to be true…almost that is, because it is true. It is true that he gets up before sunrise to hunt rabbits and pick the finest mushrooms or wild asparagus depending on what the season has to offer. He goes to the fish market himself to pick out the best seafood and he drives out to small family run business in the country to get the best organic pasta, vegetables and meat. Turi is always on the lookout for organic local products of top quality and makes a point of sponsoring small local businesses.

 

He is a connoisseur of fine wines and has a big interest and experience of Sicilian wines…. especially from the Etna region. One evening in September last year I went with him to Passopiscare in Etna, for a unique opportunity to try the best wines, from ten different producers around Etna. I had the privilege of not only trying some fantastic wines but also to be personally introduced to all the vineyard owners. It was a great experience and I can warmly recommend a visit. My favourites out of the wines I tasted was Aietna Etna Rosso from Cantine Edomé www.cantinedome.com and Ero Nero D’Avola from www.villapetriolo.com

 

Turi is a sought after chef that frequently cooks for the rich and famous, royalty and people in power. He wears the same singlet and worn jeans or board shorts as when trekking on the slopes of Etna, as he does when he meets the rich and famous. He has cooked for the Swedish crown princess Victoria and got fans all over the world. Turi is frequently hired to cook for party’s in Dubai and now when I met him again in March, he just got back from a trip to Kenya with his customers; bringing boxes of typical Sicilian products with him.

A visit to Nero D’Avola will not only satisfy your taste buds, pallet and stomach; it will give you a rich experience of the genuine Sicily and will most likely awaken or strengthen your interest in the Sicilian cuisine. And if you really want to emerge yourself, get to the heart of Sicilian fine wining and dining and unravel the secrets of the menu; I can warmly recommend that you ask him to hold a cooking course or a wine, olive oil or cheese tasting session.

 

If you have a bar, restaurant, gourmet shop or a genuine interest in Sicilian food and wine you can ask Turi for advice…he’s like the organic gourmet ambassador of Sicily. Due to the restaurants popularity it is advisable to book in advance during the summer months.

 

If you just want a quiet romantic meal it’s best to not ask him that many questions….he loves to talk and can be very intense.

 

 

 

Restaurant: Osteria Nero D’Avola

Adress: Vicco Puches 8 (near Porta Catania), Taormina 98039

Email: osterianerodavola@alice.it

Phone: +39 339 401 0863

 

 

 

 

 

Turi’s olive oil and wine favourites are not surprisingly all from Sicily:

 

Product: Red Wine

Lable: Sciave 2005

Grape: Nero D’Avola, Eloro

Vinery: Riofavara

Area: Ispica (RG) di Massimo Padova Valledolmo, Sicily

Web: www.riofavara.it

 

Product: Red Wine

Lable: Quota 600 Etna Rossa 2006

Grape: Nerello mascalese and  cappuccio grapes

Vinery: Alberto Aiello Graci

Area: Passopisciaro, Castiglione di Sicilia (CT)

Web: www.graci.eu

 

 

Product: Red Wine

Lable: Grammonte 2002

Grape: Merlot

Vinery: Cottanera (the Cambria family)

Area: Castiglione di Sicilia (CT)

Web: www.cottanera.it

 

 

Product: Wine White

Lable: Shiarà

Grape: Cataratto Lucido

Vinery: Castellucci Miano

Area: Valledolmo, (PA), Sicily

Web: http://www.castelluccimiano.it/

 

Product: Wine White

Lable: Grappoli del Grillo

Grape: Grillo

Vinery: Marco De Bartoli

Area: Marsala, (TP) Sicily

http://www.marcodebartoli.com/home.html

 

Product: White Dessert

Lable: Moscato Di Siracusa

Vinery: Don Nuzzo

Area: Siracusa Sicily

 

Product: Extravergene Olio di Oliva

Lable: Merlino

Olive: Nocellara Etnea (at least 70%) with up to 30% Brandofino olives.

Producer: Marco De Bartoli

Area: Randazzo, Etna , Sicily

Web: www.oliomerlino.com

 

Product: Extravergene Olio di Oliva

Lable: Filicjuso

Olive: Nocellara Etnea and Brandofino olives.

Producer: Chiara Vigo

Area: Linguaglossa, Etna , Sicily

 

Product: Extravergene Olio di Oliva

Lable: Sallemi

Olive: Tonda Iblea

Producer: Roffoch Sallemi

Area: Gulfa, Siracusa

Web: www.oliomerlino.com