Sicily

MIPC have successfully identified Sicily as a future investment hotspot and potential property boom. The UK Financial Times confirms MIPC’s vision in a recent article about Sicily

If you are interested in a property in Sicily, the sicilian property market, invest in sicily or a villa in sicily then EMAIL MIPC (link at top of page) for further details about Sicily property.

Italian superenalotto italy

Clicca qui per i risultati del superenalotto.

Follow this link to play the italian superenalotto and to get the results of the lottery in Italy (if you can’t see link click read full article below it will become active)

148 million euros was last nights premium jackpot  in the italian superenalotto won in Tuscany in a small town called Bagnone near Massa Carrara. WInning combination 10-11-27-45-79-88. Europes largest lottery jackpot won in Italy.

Just for the record, the other big winner is the italian state that collects 49.5% of bettings, the remaining 50.5% is split 38.1% to the lottery premiums, 8% to ticket sale points and 4.4% to the SISAL whom manage the italian lottery in Italy.

Follow this link to play the italian superenalotto

Ferragosto in Italy Sicily

15th August is the Italian national holiday of Ferragosto. Strange that a national holiday falling on a Saturday is not compensated with say the Monday but hey thats Italy.

All the city centres of Italy become ghost towns as everyone heads to the italian seaside. Traditionally the whole month of August was a holiday as the northern italian factories shutdown but here too times have changed and now its principally the week before and after Ferragosto that offices, factories close for holiday. There are of course, in this globalised world, some unfortunate italians whom still have to work. Today Friday the 14th the motorways are jammed and ferries shuttling to italian islands full, many of you hopefully have already reached your destination and are now preparing for this evening’s festivities.

Ferragosto eve, that is, the eve and night of the 14th, the festivities start. People chill out on the beach during the day then the evening explodes into beach parties, music pumping across the waves, drinking, and that midnight swim in the Mediterranean sea. “Falo”, beach fires, are common practice as BBQs fire up across the beaches.

Here feragosto in Sicily we are on the beach at Alcamo Marina, near to Castellamare del Golfo in the province of Trapani. The water is warm, people soaking up the sun and catching up on that needed sleep before tonight’s parties. Later were having a bikini apertif party on my friends boat : destination Tonnara di Scopello…should be fun, followed by dinner down at the harbour on the port side of Castellammare del Golfo. Most of the restaurants around the centre of Castellammare del Golfo feature cusucu a pesce (fish coucous). We are booked in at La Cambusa the best of the harbourside restaurants, next door is the Salvinus restaurant (also good). Both similar prices and ambience, with a selection of the catch of the day displayed for your order. Advice: Arrive early or book for the best tables.

The evening should continue into the early morning as we move onto the Lido Zanzibar just out of Castellammare del Golfo heading towards Alcamo Marina….

If you are in Italy maybe Sicily, looking for property in Italy or your holiday home in Sicily then take a break and enjoy Ferragosto. Buon Ferragosto.

Segesta Sicily Theatre Festival

Amazing evening entertainment in the Theatre at the Segesta archaeological site in Sicily last night, just one event of the many in the Calatafimi Segesta Festival 2009.

The open air theatre overlooking the sicilian landscape all set in a warm sicilian evening with the shooting stars of San Lorenzo overhead and the spectacular show of  Lisistrata by Aristofane, staring Eleonora Brigliadori.

Download the Segesta Festival 2009 summer program or find out more about Segesta festival

I would highly recommend a vist to one of the evenings entertainment at Calatafimi Segesta Festival if you are in Sicliy on holiday in sicilian rental property or looking for italian property near Segesta.

Tre Fontane beach Sicily

Another great day at the beach. Tre Fontane on the south coast of western sicily, not far from Mazara del Vallo and even closer to Selinunte. To be honest i’ve been here in winter when its dead, but amazingly from the months of June to September the rolling sandy beaches and crystal clear water bring  the whole coast line to life.

We arrived late on a sunday morning Read the rest of this entry »

Boat hire Scopello Zingaro

Just spent a great day on the  Mediterranean sea on a hired boat…drove out of the marina Castellammare del Golfo, raced across the sea (bit choppy), moored up on the scopello coast and later anchored in a bay in the zingaro reserve and we all dived off the boat in and out in the sea….don’t forget your snorkels…sub acqua scopello good….so i just wanted to explain how easy it is for you too to be part of the jet set cruising along the water on your boat without a boat licence. Read the rest of this entry »

Buy property abroad Italy : Nice article in the UK Guardian analysing the italian property market for those who want to buy a house in Italy. Pity the article doesn’t discuss the booming sicilian property market where great italian property bargains are still largely available.   Click through to Italian Property to read.