Wow. Stunning. I saw the Nutcracker ballet and although the dancing wasn't as good as I expected…read morethe theatre itself was gorgeous and worth the ticket. Ushers were helpful in finding my seat even with the language barrier. Take note there is no bar for a refreshment or glass of wine at intermission but do take the time to walk around and explore the theater.

Fun fun place that my kids enjoy visiting when we are in this mall. Uses tokens and some use euro…read more They have a little jumpy maze that kids can explore. Great little rides here. Don't miss it if you have kids!

Really cool atmosphere. It's theme is an old medicine house from the earlier centuries. Try their…read morehouse beers!

One of my most favorite festivals to experience while I lived in Sicily was the Carnevale di…read moreAcireale or the Carnival of Acireale. This village is northeast of Catania about 30-40 min depending on traffic up A-18. When people think of Carnivale, their minds automatically go to Brazil or Spain. Not many would think that Sicily would host one of the greatest Carnivale festivals in the world. The first thing to be noted is the atmosphere. It doesn't matter if you show up to the festival in a bad mood because it will all fade away. Music is a constant throughout. On one of the years that we went, it seemed like Duck Sauce's "Barbara Streisand" was the theme for the night. It's such a catchy tune that it didn't really matter that it literally repeated over and over for the entire night. The vendors are selling all sorts of wears - masks, cowboy hats, huge glasses, wigs, t-shirts, noise makers, silly string, confetti, and even fake plastic boobs to wear over your shirt (which, of course, my friends bought). The masks can go from your traditional masquerade style masks to ones that those in America would find in stores on Halloween. One of the vendors seemed to like me enough that he just handed me a mask, a purple cowboy hat, and a bag of confetti. The parade is what everyone comes for and the floats are a sight to behold. They are brightly colored and lit up in a way that it feels like you could be Alice walking through Wonderland. Most of the floats for Carnivale are usually done in a way to make fun of the current political situation in the Italy. Although, there are some dedicated to movies or other entertainment. We spotted an Avatar theme float on the year that Avatar was released. In between the floats, there will be marching bands or different talent groups such as dancers or even an entire contingency of clowns. In between all the hubbub, it seems that everyone throws out their serious side and is there to have a good time. As I said above, people buy silly string and confetti to get into a sort of fight with other people. Everyone is always in good spirits, though. We had one gentleman who we kept bumping into and getting into a silly string fight with. He spoke little English, but at our last encounter gave each of us a big hug and kiss on the cheek.