Unusualities near Mount Etna

To see unusual things in Italy is very common, however, I wanted to share these unusualities with you:

1. What if you were somewhere close to a Volcano and at 5am a warning siren went off?

Would you panic and climb out onto the rooftop to get the best angle to photograph the eruption, right? This is exactly what happened to me in a small village near Mount Etna, in Sicily. But you shouldn’t worry. Locals said it was just a tradition.

2. What comes to mind when I say Italian desserts or sweets? I am sure you are going to say Tiramisu, Gelato, pastries, Crostata, and all sorts of pies.

I introduce you to “Crespelle di riso” (or “zeppole di riso”), fried rice flavored with orange and drizzled with honey and Sfinci di Ricotta. Both of them are fried in a big pan and drizzled with honey. They were, let’s say, delicious.

In Italy is very common to see street food in markets, but it was the first time I saw real street food, a single stand in the main street of the village.

3. The village has volcanic sand everywhere, except in the food, as does every village nearby. And many times you are going to feel a fairy tale atmosphere.
4. Many houses and street walls are covered by very nice paintings that represent the city.
5. Locals are very creative (and unusual!) as well. Most can be found dancing in the street at all hours.
6. The name of the city is quite exotic: Linguaglossa, “lingua” means tongue and “glossa” is a variation of “grossa” which means thick, a reference to the volcanic lava.

Are you curious about the other ones? There are so many more, but I don’t want to spoil your trip. Come to Sicily!

Reported by, Ives T. Bell