Sicily - Taormina and Riposto

I am slowly getting through photos now that the summer is here and there is a little less work for an old teacher. Which means you get flooded with my past holidays, sorry, kind of not sorry. Here we return to Sicily, ahhhh my beautiful Sicily. I wish I'd learned Italian at school, or just from some of my Italian friends when I was growing up.

Here we visit Taormina, a place made famous by many famous people all the way back to dandiest dandy, Oscar Wilde. For me though, it didn't have the appeal, maybe I was having a bad day, but it just felt bland and cliche.

These stairs were pretty though

The side alleyways are nice.

Nothing like a pothead.

Even though these are smoking related, something I detest, they are still displayed in a nice way.

Our old buddy Etna just hanging around.

So after Taormina and a few stops along the coast on our way back to our accommodation, we decided we would like fish for dinner, so stopped at a lovely little seaside village Riposto. Probably once a grand town, not is it just a series of boarded up houses and some recently updated holiday cottages. That said it was full of rugged beauty. That and the fish was super fresh, super cheap and exquisite when I cooked it in a little olive oil. Alas, it was so lovely I forgot to take photos.

The new

vs the old

If I labelled this modern art I could probably sell if for a fortune.

At the end of the day we decided to make an environmental survey and came up with these lovelies, that are now pressed and dried as a momento. Ahhhh the simple life.

Country bits.

Another trip to the "East side" of Poland. A place that always seems to have been positively changing for 7 years now, even though the living standard, apparently, hasn't improved. Don't tell that to all the BMW, Audi and Volvo drivers out there though. So let's have a look at nature instead.

It is wildflower time!

burdocks to the left of me, burdocks to the right. Stuck in the basket by you.

A quiet country lane.

fun clouds at sunset

pretty flappy friends

home of some bird song

Listen to the birdsong in the above not so fantastic video :)

It is hard to capture the beauty of wildflowers.

Sad fallen bark.

barnset.

down comes the sun on another quick trip.

Happy midsommer - Szczęśliwej nocy swiętojańskej

Midsummer is upon us, so celebrate with flowers and fun. Traditionally the women would make wianki (floral wreaths) from wild flowers. Other traditions include bonfires, which you dance around and jump over to give wishes. For the unmarried womenfolk their wreaths would be floated on a river, often with a candle in the centre. If the wreaths went quickly it meant you would be married soon if they bumped into another wreath this was also a positive sign.

Barszcz with the family.

then wreath making

The flowers were collected from our own łąka (meadow) which is normally harvested for hay for the animals.

some local pixies

all the inhabitants were interested

I do love the colours of Polish wildflowers, and the best thing is that they even pop up in town.

everyone gets involved

Bacchus visited

I declare, wreaths for all.

Then it is always important to round off any celebrations with a firm drink. A mixture of ginger ale, lemon balm, mint, lime and dark rum hit the spot.