Meet our Sicilian Santa, "Babbo Natale"! He will be visiting our shop Sunday, Dec. 4th from noon - 5pm & have FREE Gifts for the first 75 children. Shop our newest arrivals too: Holiday Gift Baskets, Holiday Cakes, Torrone & Cookies and much more!

This year I will be in Rome on Christmas Day and in Sicily for the New Year! Although I have spent an extensive time in both places these last 10 years, this is a first for me. While in Rome I will pay Christmas homage in the Vatican. I will wander the Sistine chapel in amazement and admire the work of the Masters in the Vatican Museum.

This year I have been reading a lot about ancient Rome (I just finished Plutarch's book on the Lives of the Ancient Romans), and when I visit the Roman Forum, the Palatine Hill and the Colosseum, I will have and better appreciation for all things Roman. I will visit too my most favorite museum in all of Rome, the Borghessi Museum on the grounds of the Villa Borghese.

I will feast at my favorite restaurant in all of Rome, Tuolio's (by the American Embassy),and will join my friend Luigi for a drink at the best hotel in Rome, the Hassler, located at the top of the Spanish steps and think about how the rich and famous live. Actually what I described is my famous "Zip thru Rome in 3 Days by Al Itinerary"...something that I have suggested to my friends over the years to rave reviews. One of my friends, Beau Segal, liked Tuolio's so much he ate there twice.As I had suggested, he ate their absolute killer lamb entry.

On New Year's Eve Day I travel on "Always Late On Take Off and Landing"(Alitalia) on a short one hour flight to Catania. If I am real lucky, and the stars are aligned in just the right position, I might....just might. Arrive in time for New Year's Day. I will spend time with Massimo and his family for New Year's...taking advantage of a typical New Year's Day feast at Anna's mother's house in Via Grande, and then the next day, Massimo and I begin a 10 days tour all over the Island visiting our suppliers.

I have to get used to Christmas Day with no snow on the ground. As a New Englander, that is what Christmas means to me. In Sicily the weather will be in the low 60's every day and the flowers are still in bloom....what a difference! We will eat the seven fishes for Christmas and I will listen to stories about Babbo Natale and La Befana many times I am sure.

All in all, I am very excited about this upcoming trip and hope that it will be truly memorable. If I do not see you in the Lawrence store over the holiday shopping period, let me be the first to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

May God Bless America (and Italy too!) this upcoming year and May everyone's dreams come true!
Ciao! Al

Catania-is all decked out for Christmas! Visit the Duomo for a beautiful Christmas nativity display!

Palermo, Syracusa, and Messina-all have wonderful displays, nativity scenes as all of Sicily celebrates the birth of Jesus!

Acireale: Living Nativity Scene (December).

Every village in Sicily has beautiful scenes too on their town squares so it is a perfect time to drive around and enjoy the sights and sounds of Christmas!

Enjoy a midnight Mass too at any Church for the treat of a lifetime!