This is a very belated post, as I barely touched my computer (except to watch How I Met Your Mother and Firefly with Tim-bo) from December 15-Jan 21. For several good reasons: 1) I was sick of it and Sicily work requires me to be on it all the time--I needed an unplugging detox. 2) I had better things to do: I was with Tim and his family in England and my days were filled with socializing with our friends, snuggling with my boy, chatting with his mama and dad, and church activities, much as they were in September. More on that in the next post.
But I wanted to fill in some gaps, as the first two weeks in December in Sicily were awesome. We decorated for Christmas and filmed Santa Lucia for a week on the other side of the island (the western coast).
But I wanted to fill in some gaps, as the first two weeks in December in Sicily were awesome. We decorated for Christmas and filmed Santa Lucia for a week on the other side of the island (the western coast).
There will be many detailed posts about Santa Lucia filming on my professional blog in the coming weeks, but I'll give a personalized overview here. Saint Lucy (Lucia) is Sicily's most famous saint, born in the 3rd century in Syracusa and martyred in the early 4th century as a young girl, by the Romans, who persecuted her for her Christian faith and refusal to give her dowry to a Pagan, (as she wanted to give to the poor). She is one of the key female saints in Christianity and is celebrated on Dec 13th across the world, particularly in Italy and in Scandinavian countries (where it is traditional to dress girls in headdress wreaths with candles).
In Sicily, the celebration is passionate, particularly in the corner of Sicily near Syracusa and Mt Etna. We went to a town called Belpasso, where the community spends months constructing beautiful pieces of artwork to commemorate her. (More on that celebration and custom in my recent devotional.) I was struck by the vibrancy and creativity of the whole affair. We celebrated with the community, filming and interviewing throughout, for three days and then travelled to Syracusa (an hour south) to see the more formal procession and celebration.
In Sicily, the celebration is passionate, particularly in the corner of Sicily near Syracusa and Mt Etna. We went to a town called Belpasso, where the community spends months constructing beautiful pieces of artwork to commemorate her. (More on that celebration and custom in my recent devotional.) I was struck by the vibrancy and creativity of the whole affair. We celebrated with the community, filming and interviewing throughout, for three days and then travelled to Syracusa (an hour south) to see the more formal procession and celebration.
The magnificent city, which looks like King Trident/ Poseidon raised it out of the ocean and plopped it on the edge of the island, is luminescent. The whole city just gleams. It's the cleanest place I've seen in Sicily, for one thing. And it's marble and stone, all golden white, reflect the bright Mediterranean sun brilliantly. For the celebration, the city was brimming in people, most dressed in a contrasting black (it is slightly true that all Italians wear black in winter). I adored walking around, peering in the turquoise water to look at the schools of fish and then walking into the food markets, which brimmed with vegetables and freshly caught fish (who weren't as luck as those who remained in the water). To me, Syracusa is the dream of Sicily, in terms of aesthetics. I much prefer other cities in terms of community warmth and culture, but Syracusa is simply engrossing in its beauty.
The lead-up to Christmas was subtle in Sicily, but enjoyable. There isn't as much commercial fuss here about the holiday, which I enjoyed. It gave me space for the first two weeks to reflect on advent and listen to my own Christmas music and pray. I did very much enjoy decorating with Costanza and her family in her grandmother's house on the estate, a lovely European stone house on a hill in the vineyards. We adorned the fireplace and made wreaths out of local greenery that her mother and I collected. I was particularly excited about using rose-hips from the garden, native wildflowers, pine bows, and eucalyptus branches (that have hints of red in the leaves). Costanza made a delicious Sicilian-style BBQ meal of lamb, pork, and sausage grilled in their fireplace.
Fiona left us, tragically, to go back to Scotland. I will miss her dearly. We plan to meet up in May, but it will be hard to be in Sicily without her. But I'm excited for her next adventure, working on an estate in Scotland as a gardener, living with her boyfriend, Duncan, in a picturesque village near St. Andrews, and maybe getting a dog and/or cat. Thanks, Fiona, for being a great friend to me when I arrived in Sicily!
After filming Santa Lucia, I hopped on a plane to England for Christmas, elated by the idea of Christmas in England and seeing Tim and his family. And it was a fantastic holiday (see next post).
After filming Santa Lucia, I hopped on a plane to England for Christmas, elated by the idea of Christmas in England and seeing Tim and his family. And it was a fantastic holiday (see next post).