Bill Giovinazzo 6/14/21 Bill Giovinazzo 6/14/21

Noto Antica

There are days which will stand out in my life. This was one of them.

Bill Giovinazzo 6/13/21 Bill Giovinazzo 6/13/21

Chocolate, the Blessed, & the Mafia

Today was a simple loop ride to Modica from Scicli. Modica is another UNESCO World Heritage Site. I am thinking at this point that they should have just declared all of Sicily a World Heritage Site and be done with it. However, the architecture of Modica is not what I want to talk about today.

Bill Giovinazzo 6/13/21 Bill Giovinazzo 6/13/21

“Il bar più a sud d’Europa isole escluse.”

We were barely on the road when we stopped at an abandoned farmhouse. The farm had been made into a museum. Apparently, someone who had found some Roman mosaics and were chipping away pieces destroying them and obscuring the story these treasures told. As I understand it, someone had started farming here when they discovered what was under the ground. It reminds me of something a friend once told me. According to him, there is so very much history in the ground that every construction project uncovers something from the past.

Bill Giovinazzo 6/12/21 Bill Giovinazzo 6/12/21

Italia, Ieri, Oggi, Domani.

Today we boarded our flight for our Italian adventure. We battled traffic on the LA freeways, passed through the gauntlet of security, and ourselves into seats that would be restrictive for hobbit. There is not much to tell about my odyssey at this point, so let’s talk about Italy.

Bill Giovinazzo 6/10/21 Bill Giovinazzo 6/10/21

Arrival

Today, after a very long day of travel, we arrived in Syracuse, or more correctly Sircuasa. I am referring to the original in Sicily and not the one in central New York.

Bill Giovinazzo 6/9/21 Bill Giovinazzo 6/9/21

The Road to Noto

What a great day!! It is our first day of riding and it has reminded me of why I love these trips so much. We left Syracuse this morning headed south-west toward the town of Noto. It was a short 34 miles, which I guess is a great way to start the trip. We don’t want to attempt anything too intense and the terrain was relatively flat, very little elevation gain. The sky was overcast as we began our travels making for a cool start to the day.

Bill Giovinazzo 1/15/21 Bill Giovinazzo 1/15/21

Hooped Dresses & Watermills

I feel as if I am continually repeating myself when I say that we rode through some very beautiful countryside today. Such repetition not only lacks an imaginative start but calls my credibility into question.

Bill Giovinazzo 1/13/21 Bill Giovinazzo 1/13/21

Who is your Favorite Guitarist?

If I were to ask you to name a great guitarist, who would you name? If you are from my generation, you might say Clapton or Hendrix. If you are old school, you might go with B.B. King or Les Paul. If, however, you are really old school, and I am talking 18th century old school, you’re going with Mauro Giuliani – no known relation to that other Giuliani.

Bill Giovinazzo 1/3/21 Bill Giovinazzo 1/3/21

Befana & the Epiphany

I love being Italian, well technically Italian-American. There are so many things about our cultural inheritance that enrich our lives. The food. The traditions. The music. From pasta fazool to Verdi’s La Traviata, I love it all. One of these traditions is the observance of the Epiphany and Befana. Growing up in the United States, the Epiphany passed without notice, with no mention of Befana.

Bill Giovinazzo 1/3/21 Bill Giovinazzo 1/3/21

Love Italian Style

It’s Valentine’s Day!! A day of chocolates, flowers, romantic dinners, and sexy lingerie. It is estimated that the average man will spend $300 to $400 on wooing his true love, or at least his current love. While I don’t want to appear as a Valentine’s Day cynic, I can’t help but feel that all this Valentine’s Day furor is more the result of effective marking than heartfelt expressions of devotion.

Bill Giovinazzo 1/3/21 Bill Giovinazzo 1/3/21

Italians, The First Latins!!

Several years back I was having dinner with a group of people. At one point during the meal, a woman at the table began to rant against Latins. The Latins this. The Latins that. All manner of shortcomings were ascribed to Latins. Clearing my throat, I noted that I was a Latin. “You’re not Latin! You’re Italian,” she snapped.

Bill Giovinazzo 1/3/21 Bill Giovinazzo 1/3/21

Bicycle Diaries Siciliano

I have some interesting news for my friends, family, and followers, over the next few weeks to promote my award-winning book, Italianità: The Essence of Being Italian and Italian-American, I will be touring Italy. We will begin with a bike tour along the southern coast of Sicily, the home of my maternal ancestors, followed by a visit to the Amalfi coast, and concluding in the Eternal City, Rome.