Sicily by Tabi

08/07/2025

Nothing better than sharing my favorite spot in Sicily with some very special people 💜💜

Met through a tragic event. She's the cousin of a good friend we all lost to a terrible disease 10 years ago this month! Time flies, the ache numbs but the memories of Marisa will last a lifetime. It has been such a gift to meet Diana and her family! This year they came to Sicily and I got to share my favorite parts of Erice with them!

We braved the heat with cold beer and granitas, tasted delicious arancinis, soaked in the stunning views, visited unique artisan shops, did some shopping, enjoyed pleasant breezes and laughed until my cheeks hurt!

Was such a wonderful day! Can't wait to see you all again either back in Canada or even better, back here in Sicily! So much yet to see, explore and taste!

Arrivederci friends! Until next time! 💜💜

08/07/2025

Have you seen it in person? What did you think?

🇮🇹 ⛪️ Lo sapevi che il Duomo di Monreale è uno dei capolavori più straordinari della Sicilia?
✨ Patrimonio UNESCO dal 2015, custodisce oltre 6.400 m² di mosaici dorati, con un maestoso Cristo Pantocratore alto 13 metri.
A pochi km da Palermo, maestoso e imponente, è una tappa che non puoi perdere.

Scopri di più ➡️ https://www.visitsicily.info/duomo-e-chiostro-di-monreale/

🇬🇧 ⛪️ Did you know that the Monreale Cathedral is one of Sicily’s most extraordinary masterpieces?
✨ A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2015, it features over 6,400 m² of golden mosaics, including a majestic 13-meter-tall Christ Pantocrator.
Just a few kilometers from Palermo, it’s grand, awe-inspiring — and absolutely unmissable.

Discover more ➡️ https://www.visitsicily.info/en/monreale-cathedral-and-cloister/

📷 Arch. Regione Siciliana

02/07/2025

It's gonna be a hot summer! Heat spiked overnight. We didn't see spring this year - went from 18c to 30c overnight. And it's only going to get hotter!
Here are a few tips for coping with the Sicilian heat:

- avoid the big cities. They tend to be hotter! Visit them early in the morning, or after 5pm. If you are staying in a city, make sure you remain indoors between 1-5pm and regulate your AC to 23 degrees, not lower! Why? Because the temperature shock between temp inside and outside will make things worse! Your body will feel the heat more... And you are likely to get a nasty summer cold!

- follow the locals!! Have a siesta time between 1-5pm! In smaller towns, all the shops close down during this time so follow suit! Avoid being in cars too - yes you have AC but you will still overheat! Sun on glass is stronger than any AC.
On this note - slow down your itinerary big time! Do one morning OR evening activity per day - lots of beach time and relaxing. The heat zaps your energies! Don't push it.

- staying by the ocean is cooler and usually has a nice breeze - but the humidity at night is crazy! You will need AC to sleep.

- water parks are a great destination... Offer lots of shade options so make sure to use it during the hottest hours!

- wear the sunscreen - and hat!! You don't notice it in the moment but heat stroke headaches are no joke!
So hat up! Plus the for such cute ones!!!

- keep hydrated! Water too... My rule is one bottle of water to every bottle of beer. Balance 😉

Enjoy your summer!

30/06/2025

One of the most challenging aspects of living in Sicily is the strays/abandoned dogs and lack of sterilization .
Locals don't like to acknowledge it... But it's a huge issue that tugs at my heartstrings daily.

We try to help as much as humanly possible, but it's a constant, overwhelming battle between caring too much, and having to harden your heart and at times even look away.

We need help. In the last few weeks over 20 puppies were found abandoned.. and many need constant care. Times are so tough on everyone right now, but if you can spare something, please send it directly to the association that has taken in these puppies. They operate fully funded on donations and the good will of amazing, loving people - because sadly, currently there is no other support.

I posted the cutest pictures we have - because we don't need any more sadness in our feeds!

Grazie mille

❤️

26/06/2025

The first-ever jazz record was recorded by Nick la Rocca in 1917 in New Orleans - a Sicilian immigrant originally from Salaparuta, a small town on the west side of Sicily - affected by the 1968 Valle del Belice earthquake.

Who would have guessed that jazz has Sicilian roots! 💜

🎷Il primo disco jazz della storia lo ha inciso un siciliano.
Sì, hai letto bene. Dietro l’origine del jazz c’è Nick La Rocca, figlio di emigrati siciliani, che nel 1917 ha cambiato per sempre la storia della musica con la sua band a New Orleans.

Quando il jazz non era ancora jazz… c’era già un cuore siciliano a farlo suonare.

16/06/2025

This also happened in Sicily and is how "granita" became part of the Sicilian culture thousands of years ago! 🧡

❄️ In 500 BC, the ancient Persians engineered massive dome-shaped structures called yakhchals—ice houses that could preserve ice in 110°F (43°C) desert heat, without electricity or modern tools.

These structures used a brilliant combination of evaporative cooling, underground storage, and thermal insulation. Ice was collected in winter or transported from nearby mountains and stored deep inside the yakhchal, where temperatures remained low year-round. What did they do with this ice? Among many uses, they invented the world’s first frozen desserts, mixing snow with saffron, fruits, or rosewater—over 2,000 years before Italy ever made gelato.

It wasn’t just impressive—it was centuries ahead of its time, and many yakhchals still stand today, a testament to the genius of ancient Persian engineering.

16/06/2025

16/06/2025

Day 8 - Castellammare del Golfo and Cefalù

Time to say goodbye to Erice! After a nostalgic farewell we headed towards Cefalù with a seafood lunch in Castellammare del Golfo Port.

The views are stunning - pictures do not do it justice! Ever! The seafood was fresh and delicious. Always a great stop.

Then we proceeded to visit Cefalù. Explored the old town, found an Aperol spritz and explored.

We then proceeded to Piraino for a memorable sunset and incredible pasta dinner before checking into our villa.

🧡

13/06/2025

How do you feel about spaghetti Al Dente? 🍝

Too tough? Perfect? Rather mushier?

Saw this meme and had a good laugh. "Al Dente" means "to the tooth" as in, the pasta is cooked at the level where it's still a little hard - beers a tooth to cut it. Sometimes it can feel a little undercooked and tough, depending on how you are used to eating it.

One fact I learned since eating a lot more "Al Dente" Is that it's a lot easier on your digestive system and less gluten is released!

Buon Appetito 🤗🧡

09/06/2025

Great family! A pleasure to have them visit our corner of Sicily 🧡

19/02/2025

The moment we have all been waiting for 😂😂😂😂