The closest neighbor to the Maltese Islands is Sicily. In 2015 we spent a few weeks in Palermo and Elizabeth Briel's Artist's and Writer's Studio in Cianciana. We then also explored the South and Agrigento, but skipped the island's East and Mount Etna. This is why I took the ferry connecting Valletta and Pozzallo on Friday 13th to spend a prolonged weekend in Taormina. There is superstition around this day, but I assume that the outbound trip has been moved to the middle of the night, and the return sailing has been canceled has been due to bad weather, and this not connected to a number, but is a result of the seasonal meteorological constellations. I made it back with a flight from Catania.

I had only postcard impressions of Mount Etna, but was amazed when I stood in front of it. The 3300 meters make it as impressive as Mount Fuji. I could not reach the crater and the Vulcanological Observatory, as of heavy snow and storm. I even had to assist a few Land Rover Defenders to be pulled out. It was not the car which brought them into this, but some points where the drivers put coolness before competence.

Also Taormina and Castelmola are very nice, not just because of their location between the sea and the volcano, but also the towns themselves. It was clearly off season now, but I can imagine how popular this must be from spring to autumn. I will for sure return, and then also take a hike to the crater.

Landscape of volcanic ashes, approaching the higher regions of Mount Etna.

Mount Etna seen from Taormina in the early morning of January 16th. For many other days the summit was in clouds.

We have spent a month in Italy, out of which three weeks in Sicily. A week in Rome, was a nice start. Always good to have a stop over in the Eternal City. Then we took the train to Palermo and stayed there for a week, spending a lot of time in the magnificent library. But the major part of our escape to Sicily we spent in the island's South, in the village Cianciana. We were kindly invited to stay in the studio of our friends Elizabeth Briel and Roy McClean, who have been refurbishing the old village house into an artist's studio. It is a wonderful place and here I got more work done, than in the months before.

One of the three entrance doors to ElizabethBriel's studio in the old part of Cianciana. — One of the three entrance doors to ElizabethBriel's studio in the old part of Cianciana.

There is a lot to learn from an artist's life style when it comes to productivity, not just creativity. When I think of the dimension, in which I will create my future work space, it will be a blend of a studio, a laboratory and a library. I have learned in the last two weeks what a studio can do to you. My summer project is to sort my photos. Not quite finished yet, but I am working on the photos every day. It is a very long and deep journey back to far away places and far away people. Also this website had quite a make over, and I prepared lectures and laid the foundation for a research project on what some people call the "Silicon Valley Business Model" - but this time from a quite different angle.

Morning hike in the surroundings of Cianciana

Cianciana is located in the South of Sicily and North of Agrigento, and is part of the province called after that town. You can actually reach it by bus, but we decided to rent a small car for our time here. This allows also to see the little corners around, and the other lovely mountain villages here, like Sant Angelo Muxaro.

Surroundings of Cianciana. Sicily is a quite large island and there is lots to discover. But we mainly stayed in this area.

One place to visit for sure, is the Valle dei Templi at Agrigento. It is a Doric style temple cluster founded 580 BC which is in the United Nations World Heritage List. Another site with Greek remains is Selinunte, which is about 90 minutes drive of Cianciana. It is based on population of the Sicilian Greek colony Megara, daughter city of the Greek Megara. Founded between 628 - 654 BC. Captured by Carthage in 409 BC and destroyed around 250 BC. There were later Arabian fortifications and even use of the Acropolis by the Barbary Pirates in the 16th century. But city has never been rebuilt.

Satellite view of the Selinunte Archeological site. You see the two main temples, the Agora, the city settlement and fortification.

We will not drive over to the Etna this time, as it is a three hour drive and we have many things to do in our village. But we are very confident that we will come back to Sicily and have other opportunities to do so. Perhaps later this year, when we also stay in Malta.