Your Egypt

[Poly]

As I will be leaving soon, I thought of sharing some information and photos with all of you about where I am living now.. Have been here for a year a half already but only recently I started to realize how much I will miss this place when it is time to move-on
I will post some facts and information about the culture and people but will start with the photos. For me, Sicily is very close to Egypt, and my person theory, which I try to convince many Italians with, that they (Italians and esp. Sicilians) are Egyptians cousins :) -- they are just funny, friendly, always talking loudly with their hands flying around while they talk (keep a distance during a conversation with Sicilians and don’t worry, they are not angry with you, they are just talking, may be about lunch).. Family is very important for many Sicilians, if not for all. They are more conservative though compared to Romans for example, but once they know you well, they will warm up and you will be invited to lunch and dinner at their houses — and Man, if you can eat ALL the food they give you, you are a hero, they are very serious about their food, esp. sweets (just heavenly sweets I have to tell you) – but sometimes I just can’t breath from the amount of food I am offered, I feel attacked without any defence, except may be of saying that I am a vegetarian (which I am not) so I can skip the 3 fish I am expected to eat after 100gms (only!!) of pasta and still vegetables, salad and sweets are on their way.
I just love them, though I get frustrated when I have to deal with any governmental office here, but then again they are our cousins so I understand. Anyone interested to know more? Well I will stop babbling now and try to upload some photos, hopefully I can do it as I am a bit slow with technology
:oops:

[Harrison]

Poly,

You say you are leaving Sicily soon. For where? Loved the photos. Did you take them?

Yes they do sound like Egyptians, especially the hand waving and the loud voices. It takes some getting used to when you have been brought up in a very conservative society.

[Winky]

Wonderful!
Poli don't forget to buy the "souvenirs ". So many times I regretted not buying more of the local art typically from the area. You tend to get used to seeing it around, so you don't bother buying and then suddenly it is too late !!
More photos please well done
But I neede to log out to see them , because my page was HUGE !! :lol:

[Poly]

Harrison wrote: Poly,

You say you are leaving Sicily soon. For where? Loved the photos. Did you take them?

Yes they do sound like Egyptians, especially the hand waving and the loud voices. It takes some getting used to when you have been brought up in a very conservative society.

Have no idea Harrison where will I go, may be Malta but it is getting difficult everyday since Malta joined the EU (and I am not an EU national), so getting the work permit thing is not easy though I have a job offer.. we shall see anyway, hope things will work out soon :)
Well.. I kind of directed taking the photos ;) -- a friend of mine took them last August while we were traveling together -- I have similar ones but not digital.. decided to buy a digital camera this week so I can take more photos for Sicily.. it is a beautiful place..

[Poly]

Winky wrote: Wonderful!
Poli don't forget to buy the "souvenirs ". So many times I regretted not buying more of the local art typically from the area. You tend to get used to seeing it around, so you don't bother buying and then suddenly it is too late !!
More photos please well done
But I neede to log out to see them , because my page was HUGE !! :lol:

I know.. I used to feel like that before, traveling and not buying the souvenirs, then feeling sad “why I’ve never got something from Germany or Dubai!!”.. Last year, I promised myself to buy something from every place I go to, even when I went to Paris, I got something (was almost in tears because of the prices so I could only afford a painting for Paris at night for 2 euros)
In Sicily, they are famous of their beautiful pottery, and it’s a must that I buy couple before I leave.. :)

[Poly]

Here are more photos.. couple for Palermo's beautiful Cathedral and for Mt. Etna, Europe's most active volcano which is in Sicily as well (by the way this is smoke not clouds!!).. A bit of history about the Cathedral: Palermo's cathedral is known officially as "Santa Maria Assunta" or Saint Mary of the Assumption. Some scholars believe that a temple existed here in Roman times. There is no doubt that the site once had a large Byzantine Greek (Orthodox) church. Arab records mention the existence of a large "pagan" temple present on this site when they conquered Palermo in 831. This was turned into a mosque. In 1072, when the Normans wrested control of Palermo from the Saracens, Count Roger promptly saw to it that the Great Mosque was reconsecrated as a Christian church. The present cathedral was not completed for another century, and greatly modified through the ages. In 1185, the English Archbishop of Palermo, Walter of the Mill, assumed responsibility for the completion of the cathedral. We don’t know precisely when the remains of Odo of Bayeaux, brother of William the Conqueror, were interred here, but it may have been while Walter was bishop. The Cathedral of Palermo underwent major changes in the following centuries, manifested in the form of renovations and additions, such as the cupola constructed in 1785. This dome, and the extensive Baroque reconstruction of the interior, completely defaced the beautiful Norman Arab arches and lines of the inside of the church and corrupted the exterior's intended effect.