Every year, as the calendar approaches July, people across America start to feel excitement and anticipation. Why? Because it's almost time for their annual trip North of the Tension Line. Pretty soon they're humming familiar songs that make them think…
Having told you about Island Time from our recent vacation, I thought I would tell you something about our time on the Island. Our route there was very simple; we don't usually take the freeways anymore. We headed north out…
It seems like everyone speaks of time -- poets, authors, philosophers, comedians, even rock stars. "Time flies over us, but leaves its shadow behind." -- Nathaniel Hawthorne "Every second is of infinite value." -- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe "Whether it’s…
Ever since Thomas Jefferson sent Lewis and Clark out there, Americans have been making their way to the Pacific Northwest. This corner of the country evokes images of rugged rocky beaches, lush rain-soaked forests, and snow-covered mountains. But the landscape…
July is always a great month, not just because it's the month of my birth, but also because it's the time when Island Fever sweeps the country and happy people everywhere head to that friendly place North of the Tension…
We would be leaving Sicily on an early flight out of Falcone Borsellino Airport, west of Palermo. Since that's located several hours from Santo Stephano di Camastra, we decided to move closer to the airport the day before. We took…
As I've mentioned before, Santo Stefano di Camastra is a relatively small town. And yet, it is one of three Sicilian towns celebrated for their ceramics, the other two being Caltagirone and Sciacca. According to an article in Italy Magazine,…
We ate a quiet breakfast, packed our bags, and prepared to leave Palermo and the rest of the Road Scholar Treasures of Sicily participants. When we had first met two weeks before, the Group Leader, Enrico Nucci, asked each of…
Saturday morning -- a great time for a walk through one of Palermo's boisterous street markets. We headed over to the Ballarò Market, the oldest, most authentic and largest of the markets in Palermo. This market originated in the 10th century…