We have arrived!  On May 9, 2016 the Maymester in Sicily participants arrived in Cefalù to start our study of Mediterranean culture.  It was an adventurous day as several students missed connections, had to be rebooked on different flights, and a handful arrived without their luggage.  However, we were able to enjoy a delicious pasta dinner together at Al Porticciolo before settling in for a good night’s sleep.

And now begins our big adventure……

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Observation in Piazza Garibaldi

I decided to do my observation in Piazza Garibaldi, since I casually observed that Piazza Duomo was mainly populated by tourists, whereas the former was mainly populated by Italians. I decided to start my observation at 12:40, since then I could observe the transition from before to during siesta. Before siesta, I noticed that most...... KEEP READING

Posted by cellat on June 3, 2016 in Blog posts

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Interview with Vittoria

I decided to interview our professor, Vittoria. Vittoria is from the village of Aspra, which has a population of around 5,000 people and is about 65 km from Cefalù, where she has worked for the past fifteen years. She mentioned that the village was once much larger, as it was a fishing village specializing in...... KEEP READING

Posted by cellat on June 3, 2016 in Blog posts

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Interview with Davide

Jack Curtis Interview with Davide on 5/30/16 at 15:00 In my interview with Davide, we discussed sports in Sicily.  Since sports is a significant part of the culture of the United States, I wanted to gain a Sicilian’s perspective on sports in Sicily.  Davide works at Culturforum and is the daughter of Vittoria, our tour...... KEEP READING

Posted by curtisjs on June 3, 2016 in Blog posts

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Cefalu Night Life

I decided to interview Theo who works at the local discotheque, Club le Vele. He has an Italian heritage and although he was born in the UK he moved to Cefalu at the age of twelve. Apparently his parents were tired of the weather in London so they decided to pack up and move the...... KEEP READING

Posted by kingaw2 on June 3, 2016 in Blog posts

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A Day in Piazza Duomo

On Sunday, May 29th, I used Cefalu’s Piazza Duomo as a place for observation.  After having spent a significant amount of time in the square already whether it be for morning cornetti at Bar Duomo or visiting the Cathedral, I knew it would provide me with ample observational material.  I initially grabbed a table in...... KEEP READING

Posted by amalfesa on June 3, 2016 in Blog posts

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Education in Sicily

For my interview, I had a conversation with Giusi Amalfa, one of my Sicilian relatives and a valuable resource for information about life on the island.  The interview was conducted in both English and Italian as each of us enjoys working on our non-native tongue.  Giusi is 40 years old, and has lived her entire...... KEEP READING

Posted by amalfesa on June 3, 2016 in Blog posts

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Automotive Sicily

Before traveling to Sicily I assumed that Cefalu would be the holy grail of Italian sports cars. Although its public knowledge that the Italian economy has seen better days, my preliminary research described Cefalu as a relatively wealthy and upscale town with a plethora of Palermitani beach homes and European vacationers. My research apparently was...... KEEP READING

Posted by kingaw2 on June 3, 2016 in Blog posts

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Walking Tour of Agrigento

Walking Tour of Agrigento... KEEP READING

Posted by Karly Wood on June 3, 2016 in Blog posts

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Insights into Sicilian Culture Through Simone Lazzara

The three most frequent and common themes that I picked up on during my interview with Simone were the importance of family, an immense loyalty to his hometown Cefalú, and a sentiment of distrust towards the government. Simone currently works at Food Sicily, one of the town’s most popular food and convenience stores, but also...... KEEP READING

Posted by Karly Wood on June 3, 2016 in Blog posts

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Nonni and Grandpas Aren’t The Same Thing

I often find myself sitting in Piazza Garibaldi, enjoying pistachio gelato from my favorite gelateria. It is around noon and the sun is shining, but its heat is mellow, underpowered by the cool and brisk feeling in the air. This weather is ideal to relax, read your favorite book, or just people watch. As I...... KEEP READING

Posted by labarbam on June 3, 2016 in Blog posts

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An Interview with Davide

One best learns about a land and its culture through those who live their everyday lives immersed in it.  There are some nuances of the culture, that even after a month of living here in Sicily, that I have not noticed or remain hidden to me.  Speaking with Davide allowed me to see Sicilian culture...... KEEP READING

Posted by curnintb on June 2, 2016 in Blog posts

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Observation of Lungomare

I spent an afternoon sitting on a bench on Lungomare, facing the ocean, people-watching, and eating gelato. Around me were couples, families, or random passerby walking, and vendors hawking their souvenir items. I could hear the roar of the waves from the beach and random snatches of Italian floating by on the sea breeze. It...... KEEP READING

Posted by Arthi on June 2, 2016 in Blog posts

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A Chat with Simone

I had the opportunity of interviewing Simone who works at FoodSicily with his father. Simone seems to know everyone, including the girls from our villa. We frequent his shop for sandwiches, and basic groceries. Karly and I set up to meet with him on Monday, in the late afternoon for a quick standard interview about...... KEEP READING

Posted by Savannah Friedkin on June 2, 2016 in Blog posts

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Lunch in Piazza Garibaldi

Its 1 pm, and I am sitting in Piazza Garibaldi eating lunch at Porta Terra Ristorante/Pizzeria with Alana. It’s a dreary day, which explains why the town has been so busy for the past two hours. Though there are still many people walking around the square, it is easy to tell that it is time...... KEEP READING

Posted by petruccj on June 1, 2016 in Blog posts

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Interview with Alessandra

  During my interview with Alessandra, I learned that she has always lived in Cefalu, but she has both Italian and English origins due to her mother being from England and her dad being from Italy. Unfortunately, her mother passed away in 2002, but before that her mother lived in England, and she would often...... KEEP READING

Posted by memishc on June 1, 2016 in Blog posts

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