by HELEN ROSEMARY WOOD
Invaders came from many places
to claim this jewelled land;
Greeks, Romans, Muslim Byzantine forces,
Norman French, Vikings and Spanish kings,
all cast their sights on Sicilian soil.
Dark, rich and fertile
from Etna’s bounty,
red rock landscapes underfoot
like a Martian desert.
‘The Lady’ rises more than 3,000 metres,
a smoking giant exhaling
iron oxide and sulphur gases,
smouldering and slumbering
through a balmy Sicilian Summer.
Bathers escape the searing heat
to cool turquoise waters
of Mondello and Cefalu Beach,
or the cliff-top village of Taormina –
pearl of the Mediterranean.
A kaleidoscope at the crossroads of
Europe, Africa and Middle East,
Mingling of cultures, customs and cuisines;
marine inspired pastas with clams, mussels, oysters,
signature d’avola and golden semolina breads.
Alfresco pavements alive with aperol spritz,
while music makers parade
through cobble stone streets,
exuding Palermo spirit
Sicilian first
Italian second!