A Month in Bella Italia

[Pumbaa]

Love those fruit markets in South Europe - They do offer so plenty fresh and yummy things

Lovely pool

Fluttervy

[Flutterby]

Nice food, I love pasta!

But not slugs/abalone or whatever that shell stuff is...

Why are there cages around the churchbells?

The boy must wear socks!

They're called mussels and they're delicious! Those aren't cages around the bells, it's the mechanism to make them ring. The boy is wearing socks, you just can't see them.

Love those fruit markets in South Europe - They do offer so plenty fresh and yummy things

Lovely pool

Fluttervy

Yes Pumbaa, the markets are lovely.

[Flutterby]

We had had such an amazing time with the family in Santa Elisabetta and were sad to say goodbye to them, but this was the day we were meeting up with the other family. We were rather apprehensive as I had last seen them about 18 years ago and we didn't know how much English they could speak....hardly any, as it turned out! Anyway, my Italian definitely improved in the 4 days we were with them!

They guy in the yellow shirt is SO's cousin, with his wife and two sons.

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They live in Palermo but spend their summer holidays at their holiday home in Tre Fontane (Three Fountains), which is a seaside resort in the province of Trapani. It took about an hour and a half to get there, where we met SO's aunt and uncle. After a quick pasta lunch we went to the beach. This is a very small town with nothing to see except the beach. SO went there when he was about 15, and I don't think much has changed since then.

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The beach front at night.

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There were kids everywhere on their bikes and they just disappeared and did their own thing...very different to SA where you can't let your kids out of your sight!

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The holiday home. SO's aunt (his mom's eldest sister) is sitting on the chair. She is about 85 and took a shine to me. She doesn't speak any English at all but that didn't stop her chatting to me constantly in Sicilian! Luckily, I could understand her most of the time.

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[Richprins]

So true about the safety of children, Flutts!

And imagine all the exercise they get while out of sight!

Looks generally neat and clean.

[Lisbeth]

Tre Fontane looks like a nice place where to relax, with a lovely beach

I forgot to try out your Italian

[Mel]

I just caught up on your Italy trip, Flutts, and enjoyed it very much. Somehow your photos transport some kind of laid back atmosphere.
Nobody seems to fuss about things, everyone looks rather content.

Great places in Sicily that you visited!

[Flutterby]

So true about the safety of children, Flutts!

And imagine all the exercise they get while out of sight!

Looks generally neat and clean.

Yes, it's a totally different lifestyle.

Tre Fontane looks like a nice place where to relax, with a lovely beach

I forgot to try out your Italian

It's a very quiet little town. I'm not mad about the beach, but it was nice to see. Better that you forgot.

I just caught up on your Italy trip, Flutts, and enjoyed it very much. Somehow your photos transport some kind of laid back atmosphere.
Nobody seems to fuss about things, everyone looks rather content.

Great places in Sicily that you visited!

You are right Mel, everyone is very laid back and not worried about what other people are doing. We never saw any aggressive behaviour which we get quite used to in SA.

[Flutterby]

Our second day in Tre Fontane was spent at the house and the beach with SO's other cousin who came to lunch with his family.

SO's uncle picking prickly pears in the garden.

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Sisi the cat.

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We then went to the nearby town of Campobello di Mazara to buy mussels for lunch.

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More stray cats that SO's uncle feeds. They would wait for him every morning and evening.

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After a big lunch it was back to the beach.

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[Lisbeth]

You have got your part of "cozze" during the trip At least you could be sure that they were super fresh there....I presume

What was wrong with the beach? Did it look squalid?

[Flutterby]

The mussels in Florence were actually nicer...but just because they had a nicer sauce.

There was nothing wrong with the beach, I'm just not a fan of lying on sand all day getting burnt, when there are much nicer things I could be doing instead!