Spring is a fantastic time to travel in Italy. Temperatures warm up, flowers are in bloom, and there are fewer tourists than in summer. Here’s a look at what Italy has to offer in spring. Why Travel to Italy in Spring? Beat the heat and tourist crowds of summer. Find reasonable airfares and hotel prices….
Category: Fun Facts
Polo’s Pasta? e “No!” A Few Words About Italy’s Staple
Since most all of my recipes will be centered around “Italy” now through the Easter celebration, today, I would like to share a bit about pasta; its origin, uses and some of my fondest childhood memories surrounding them. Nothing says Italy like its food, and nothing says Italian food like pasta. Wherever Italians immigrated they…
“Festa della Primavera” The Taste of Italian Spring!
Spring and summer offer the most stunning flower festivals in Italy. Today, on March 21st the celebration “Festa della Primavera” offer guests, of most every town in Italy, streets covered with gorgeous, multicolored flowers, regional fare made to resemble flowers and some actually made of flowers themselves. While visitors and townspeople alike stroll and…
Solstices & Equinoxes: The Mystical Meaning Throughout History
Solstices & Equinoxes: The Mystical Meaning Throughout History Solstices and equinoxes were not celebrated as purely physical events. They also held vast ritual and spiritual meaning in many cultures. The life cycle of the sun finds its parallel in the lives of solar deities and spiritual figures around the world and in the legends of…
Spring; The Vernal Equinox, What Pleasure It Will Bring…
Ah, spring! This season brings increasing daylight, warming temperatures, and the rebirth of flora and fauna. The word equinox is derived from the Latin words meaning “equal night.” Days and nights are approximately equal everywhere and the Sun rises and sets due east and west. Spring is also the time when worms begin to emerge…
The 411 on Saint Patrick, 3-17 and a wee More!
While much of St. Patrick’s life is clouded by legend, there are some generally agreed-upon facts. Most historians agree that he was born in Scotland or Wales around 370 A.D and died on March 17, 461. So, our celebration of Patrick is on the day that he died. His, birth name was Maewyn Succat, born…
Is There Really a Pot of Gold at the End of the Rainbow?
Picture of Sedona Rainbow Dating back to Old Ireland, the legend of the pot of gold is claimed eagerly by the Irish. They’ll tell you tales of fairies putting gold there and that leprechauns guard it from us humans. The leprechauns decided that humans could not have the gold because of what our greed would…
Leap Castle of Ireland: The MOST Haunted in the World!
Perhaps the most haunted castle in Ireland is “Leap Castle” and according to legend was built on a Druidic site. The O’Carroll family once lived here, and they were vicious murderers, who would throw the bodies of their victims down a hole in the wall called an “oubilette.” There is a small windowless room below…
Who are the “Wee Folk” or Leprechauns of Ireland?
As part of Irish mythology and folklore the Leprechauns are part of Ireland’s faerie folk, called by some as the “wee folk”. As a cousin of the clurichaun they are known to have inhabited Ireland well before the arrival of the Celts. Small enough for one to sit comfortable on your shoulder they are very…
A Tale of Ireland Sure to Warm the Cockles of Your Heart
This is a true personal account drawn from the memory of my dear British friend, Jackson Stones. We thank you, Jackson for your time, warmth and generous contribution. “It was a few years ago now, but I remember it well. Galway, is a tiny city in the far west of Ireland. A small university town…
Once Upon a Spice 