The Yellow Bucket Brigade

July 16, 2012

“What are you doing, Mister?”  (She wonders.)

Me too.

Sicilian Man Digging for Clams in Beach, copyright Jann  Huizenga

Not being quite as shy as she, I stick the camera in Tarzan’s face: “What are you doing, Mister (Signore)?”

Sicilian Man Digging for Clams on the Beach, copyright Jann Huizenga

“Digging for *+*&^%$#.”

I do not understand the word, and ask if he is looking for clams.

No, it is something else, though a bivalve of some sort (he shows me one). “For lunch,” he adds.

Sicilians are always foraging in the fields for something to eat, so why should it be any different at the beach?

Sicilian Man Digging for Clams in Beach, copyright Jann  Huizenga

This boy is on the hunt for crabs. How many do you need for pasta with crab?

Crab in Yellow Bucket, copyright Jann Huizenga

Yellow Bucket on Beach, copyright Jann Huizenga

 

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Wee Babes in Sicily

July 10, 2012

It’s taken me days to recover from the hyperbolic Festa di San Paolo in Palazzolo Acreide.

Sicily: Land of Immoderation.

The day was pizza-oven hot. You needed shorts, a cold beer, and your back against a cool blue wall as you waited for Saint Paul to parade out of the church amid pyrotechnics so intense it felt like the town was under bombardment.

Sicilian Men Against a Blue Wall, copyright Jann Huizenga

My American Man wore shorts, too. (Folks, this is totally beside the point, but do you know how hard it has been to coax him out of his Paul Bunyon duds and into Italian-made clothes? And yet: he now wears embroidered floral shirts and carries lavender blessed by a priest.)

While the men stayed cool with beer, the women fanned themselves (Sicily’s Spanish heritage on full display).

Sicilian Woman with a Fan, copyright Jann Huizenga

The animals have been blessed by the priest…

Animals Blessed at Festa di San Paolo in Palazzolo Acreide, copyright Jann Huizenga

though they don’t look too happy about it.

Cow at Festa di San Paolo in Palazzolo Acreide, copyright Jann Huizenga

Waiting, waiting…

Come on. Hurry up, Saint Paul!!! We’re dying out here.

Men Wait for San Paolo to parade by in Palazzolo Acreide, copyright Jann Huizenga

Waiting for San Paolo to Parade By in Palazzolo Acreide, copyright Jann Huizenga

OK, the explosives are just about rigged up–all over the church, thousands of them.

Rigging up Fireworks for Festa di San Paolo, Palazzolo, copyright Jann Huizenga

Notices have been posted everywhere that it’s your own damn fault if you get blown to bits.

Sweet Jesus. What’s in store?

You run as far away from the piazza as you can. The locals have warned you that “there will be no air” there.

Then all hell breaks loose.

Even blocks away from the epicenter, kids have to plug their ears.

Festa di San Paolo, copyright Jann  Huizenga

And run for cover.

Impossible. Completely impossible!

Imagine a war zone. Shock and Awe. Combine that with an earthquake and Etna exploding. That’s what it feels like.

Festa di San Paolo, copyright Jann Huizenga

Now here he comes, the hero of the day. Paparazzi move like Ferraris through the baked streets.

Paparazzi in at Festa di San Paolo in Palazzolo Acreide, copyright Jann Huizenga

 More heroes below. (And we think we’re cooking?)

Festa di San Paolo in Palazzolo Acreide, copyright Jann Huizenga

Wee babes, all pink and dimpled, barely out of the womb, are passed up in the hot sun to be blessed by San Paolo.

Festa di San Paolo in Palazzolo Acreide, copyright Jann Huizenga

And then it’s home for siesta.

***

The Feast of San Paolo takes place in Palazzolo Acreide every year on June 27-29. The same town hosts the Feast of San Sebastiano in August (dates vary). Both festas are amazing, though I prefer the latter because the piazza where it is held is roomier so you get a better view even when you’re far away. Don’t miss the morning parade that winds all over town to collect bread.

***

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My Men in Rome (Slideshow)

June 23, 2012

OK, girls. You asked for it: I give you a legion of Roman men, circa June 2012.

(Yes, that’s me looking smitten at the Roman cop.)

 

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Roman Daddies

June 21, 2012

Any fool can be a Father, but it takes a real man to be a Daddy!

I’ve heard Italian women complain about their husbands’ lack of involvement in childcare, and a recent study found that Italian fathers dedicate only 45 minutes a day to children on average, less than in other parts of Europe.

However, I’m noticing lots of Roman daddies out and about alone with their kids. Way to go, guys!

Roman Father and Daughter in Rome, Italy; copyright Jann Huizenga

Roman Father and Child; copyright Jann Huizenga

Roman Father with Son in Rome, Italy; copyright Jann Huizenga

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Cocktail Hour with a Roman Twist

June 19, 2012

Romans love to relax at the end of a long (hot) day with a drink, and this is how they do it.

Pair of Roman Men Having an Aperitivo; copyright Jann Huizenga

Two Young Women Having an Aperitivo; copyright Jann Huizenga

Roman Man on Bench under Graffiti; copyright Jann Huizenga

 

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PS: If you go, you must know this about Rome: An inexpensive alternative to dinner is having an aperitivo at a bar sometime between 6pm and 9pm. You can get a drink and LOTS of delicious nibbles (chicken wings, sausage, mini-pizzas, salads, deep-fried veggies, etc) for under €10 . A real deal. Trastevere is a good place to find such bars, but they’re all over town.

 

 

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