I was thrilled to talk to the world-famous travel gurus, Arthur Frommer and Pauline Frommer LIVE on the radio today! When I heard that Arthur just returned from Sicily, and was devoting his show today to my beautiful isola, I just had to call in to tell him about my blog about Sicilian food. Here is the link where you can hear the show: Travel Show about Sicily May 27, 2007
I called in somewhere around the middle of the show. The show is on every Sunday from
noon until 2pm on WOR 710 HD. Arthur is really a font of travel
information -- you can learn so much just from listening to his show.
I always tune in when I am in the states. It was so much fun to talk to him! He even mentioned the name of this blog for his listeners.
I noticed a big jump in newsletter subscribers right after the call, so I want to thank Arthur and Pauline for taking my call, and I want to thank any new subscribers to my newsletter. I am updating the post about cooking schools and my culinary tours to Sicily.
On the show, Arthur asked me if I would agree that travel to Sicily is safe for tourists. I said yes, and that I have traveled alone there over the past 8 years. I am a savvy traveler who is fluent in Italian, and I understand the Sicilian culture, so I have an advantage.
I want to add a few things that I did not mention on the radio:
1. It helps if you speak a little Italian or Sicilian when traveling there. Part of the charm of Sicily is that fewer people speak English than in Northern Italy. Brush up on your Italian before your trip or try to take a few private lessons. (check my Amazon shop for books I like)
2. If you do not speak any Italian, you may want to consider traveling with a small group tour or hiring a translator or guide for parts of your trip. This would enable you to communicate with the locals and experience their Sicily. To understand how generous and joyful and "solare" (sunny) Sicilians really are, you must spend some time with them and somehow be able to understand them.
3. Be careful where you walk around at night when you are alone in Catania and Palermo. They are gorgeous cities, but there are areas where you do not want to be after dark (especially as a tourist). This is true for any city in the world almost, but know that there are some "rough" areas of Sicily's biggest cities.
4. Do not expect an Americanized Sicily. The beauty of Sicily is its old world charm which is still very much alive. As travelers, we should arrive there with a little knowledge of the language and customs if possible, and we should not expect things to be just like in America. For example, stores have different hours, eating customs are different, etc.
5. Don't just head for the classic tourist stops such as Palermo and Agrigento. Visit unheard of towns too! They are often forgotten but have so much to offer to travelers.
Next weeks posts include, "Cooking with The Silver Spoon," "Southern Italian Cooking Schools," "Saving the Italian Countryside," and more! I look forward to sharing with you and hope you'll post some comments too! Please let me know what you'd like to read about most.
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