AN AWARD FOR A HUMANITARIAN

In the midst of so much tragedy and sorrow in the Mediterranean and when it so often seems that recognition that it is happening at all only comes from the wider world when politicians want to use the migration crisis for their own ends, an acknowledgement of Italy's humanitarian work with migrants and, in particular, the part played by one tiny island, is a welcome development. 

This week, Giusi Nicolini, Mayor of Lampedusa, was awarded the UNESCO Peace Prize or Félix Houphouët-Boigny Prize for the humanity and commitment with which she has managed the migration crisis as thousands of refugees - and, often, sadly, their bodies - have arrived on Lampedusa over the years.

In her acceptance speech, Giusi Nicolini said.

"At a time when there are those who want to close their borders and build walls to stop a non-existent invasion, the award of this prize gives us hope for a Europe of solidarity, which has not lost its humanity. It is upon these principles that Europe is built. If we ignore them we, too, risk drowning along with the refugees and migrants who try to cross the Mediterranean."

Giusi Nicolini dedicated the prize to "the migrants who didn't make it across the Mediterranean because they lie beneath it", to Gabriele Del Grande, an Italian journalist and human rights activist who has been imprisoned in Turkey since April 9th for interviewing refugees near the Syrian border and, of course, to the people of Lampedusa.

SOS Méditerranée was also awarded the UNESCO Peace Prize for saving lives in the Mediterranean.

Update, 25.4.17:  Gabriele Del Grande has been freed and is back in Italy.

You can find links to all my posts on migration in the Mediterranean since 2006 here.

A WELL-DESERVED AWARD

It is always good when hard work is rewarded and no oganisation deserves recognition more, in my opinion, than the Italian firefighters, who, on 27th January in Ulm, were awarded the Conrad Dietrich Magirus Award 2016 as the best firefighters in the world. They were chosen from a shortlist of firefighters from nine countries by a specialist international jury.

Receiving the prize on behalf of firefighters throughout Italy were four representatives, including two from Agrigento. The prize was awarded to the Italian corps for their incredible work following the earthquake of 24th August 2016 in Central Italy, when they tirelessly pulled humans and animals from the wreckage, made people safe and comforted them. The important work of their colleagues from Genova and Imperia, who took photographs documenting the events of that terrible day and its aftermath, was also recognised, as were the organisational skills of national coordinators, who sent firefighters and equipment to the scene from all over the country within hours.

As well as winning the Conrad Dietrich Magirus statuette, a team of Italian firefighters will visit the world-famous New York Fire Department but I am sure that they would say that their reward is in the number of lives saved.

Congratulations to these wonderful men and women.

AN HONOUR FOR THE NAVY?

Ensign of the Italian Navy

It's always nice when Italy receives praise rather than brickbats and this week Rupert Neudeck, co-founder of the humanitarian association Cap Anamur, has suggested that the Italian Navy be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for its humanitarian work in saving 73,000 migrants in the Mediterranean during the Mare Nostrum operation.  Mr Neudeck also said in Hamburg that European policy towards migrants is a disaster and that Northern European countries have a duty to take in more refugees to help countries such as Italy.

Mare Nostrum is a controversial initiative in Italy but no one could deny that the Marina Militare are doing a sterling job. It is estimated that they have saved 1,396 migrants in the last 24 hours alone.

But can a military force be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize? What about this? What do you think?

I decided to find out more about Rupert Neudeck and was surprised to learn about this event, which took place a year before I settled in Sicily. It also shows how things have changed.

MODICA GETS A GONG

I'm proud to say that the provinces of Ragusa and Catania have establishments that have won Best in Sicily 2013 awards from cronachedigusto.it .  

Let's start with Ragusa:  Modica's very own Caffè dell'Arte has won the "best bar" award and this is well deserved. They make delicious chocolate, ice cream, granita and pastries and you'll be pleased to know that the loo is OK, too! [In fact, when I first came to Sicily in 1992 it was about the only bar in Modica Bassa with a decent one and I used to go there just for that particular need but, of course, I'd stay on to have a pastry....]  The town of Chiaramonte Gulfi, also in Ragusa Province, wins the award for best "food and wine town".

The best wine producer award goes to Giuseppe Russo of Girolamo Russo in Passopisciaro-Castiglione di Sicilia in Catania Province while Maurizio Spinello of Santa Rita [Caltanissetta Province] has been named best baker. The best pastry shop award goes to Dolcezze delle Madonie in Calcarelli, Castellana Sicula [Palermo Province] and the best restaurant, according to the judges, is that of the Hotel Signum on Salina [Messina Province].  The best pizzeria  award has been won by La Brace di Isnello [Palermo Province] and I sure want to go there!

The awards ceremony will take place on 22nd January at Castello Utveggio in Palermo.

Let's hear it for the Caffè dell'Arte!

Thanks to my friend Carol King for pointing out this news to me.

["Gong" is British slang for an honour or military decoration.]

SICILY IS 6th BEST ISLAND

Ortigia, Siracusa

Sicily is sixth in the ranking of the world's best islands in Travel and Leisure Magazine's 2011 World's Best Awards. According to the list, the most popular island for tourism is Santorini [Greece] followed by Bali in second place, Cape Breton Island [Nova Scotia] in third place, then Boracay [Philippines] and the Great Barrier Reef Islands [Australia] in fourth and fifth positions respectively.  Well done Sicily, which moves up from seventh place in 2010.

Marco Bevacqua, the Sicilian  president of UFTAA, warns against complacency, however:  signor Bevacqua points out that although tourism statistics are better for Sicily this year, they are only better when compared with the past few years of the economic downturn and are not as they were before.  He also reminds the travel industry that one of the reasons for the increase is that many tourists do not want to visit North African or Arabian countries at the moment.

Travel and Leisure Magazine has also published a list of the ten best tourist cities in the world:  Bangkok heads the list with Florence in second position and Rome in third.

THANK YOU, THE ADDICTED BAKER

I was delighted to receive this award from my new friend, The Addicted Baker.  I'm supposed to tell you some things about me in accepting it but I'm going to pass on that and tell you a little about The Addicted Baker instead:  She loves trying out new recipes, she has an interesting blog and she's still at high school.  Oh, and she also loves ketchup!  I think all this is great and I know you will, too, if you visit her blog.

As for passing the award on, I'd like to offer it to all my blogging friends, old and new.

THANK YOU, LUCIA

Simi and I are delighted to have received this award from our friend Lucia over in Canada.  Lucia has Sicilian roots and I always think of her as an Italian!  I'm sure we are going to meet one day in Sicily.

Grazie, Lucia.

THANK YOU, ANNE

My friend Anne in Oxfordshire is very creative and she has designed this lovely award for her friends and commenters, of whom I am proud to be one.  Anne has a very pretty blog and she takes great photos of her travels, so do go and have a look if you don't know her blog already.

Anne and I have never met but blogging brought us together and we often chat on Messenger.  Anne is always there for me, worries about me if I don't post for a couple of days and phones me when I'm down.  Thanks for the award and thank you for being such a good friend, Anne.

SWEETBLOG

I was delighted to receive the "Sweetblog" award from my Sicilian-Canadian friend Lucia and I'm also delighted to be able to pass it on to ten other bloggers.  These are all sweet blogs written by sweet people who brighten my days:

Secret Forest, whose first blogversary is today.
Finding life hard?
Miss B from California
Nobody Important
Mountain Girl's Musings
Mopsa
Daydreamn World
Garden Cat Cottage

And I would like to include two very special, very sweet, blogging cats:

Alex, who keeps his "hooman beanz" Nick out of mischief

and the always entertaining

Gatto 999 .

Thanks, Lucia!

A HAPPY POST

From a rant to something that makes me happy - well, several things that make me happy, actually.  First of all, I am delighted to have received the "Happy Award" from my friend fullet in Catalonia.  Thank you, fullet.

Now I have to pass the award on to the authors of ten blogs that make me happy.  Only ten? There are lots of blogs that make me happy, but, since I must limit the number I mention here, I'm going to award some of the Italian bloggers.  I'm about to cheat and pass the award on to eleven wonderful blogs about Italy, though!

1.  Romancing Italy
2.  Ciao Amalfi
3.  Bella Baita View
4.  Rubber Slippers in Italy
5.  Holly Berry's World
6.  Bell'Avventura
7.  Gatto 999
8.  lost in Sicilia
9.  loveSicily
10. italy tutto - top blogs on italy
11. A Welshie in Italy

Visit any of these blogs for a great read!

THANK YOU, BEV

I was delighted to receive this award from Bev of Romancing Italy last week. Do take a look at Bev's blog - she always has fascinating stories to tell and she takes great photos.

A condition of the award is that I have to tell you 7 things you may not know about me. As I've done this kind of post before and am fairly open about myself on my blog, that's not easy to do but let's see....

1. I was scared of dogs till I was 9, when my Dad bought me one.
2. I got medals for tap-dancing as a child.
3. I never learnt to skip. My coordination just wouldn't let me!
4. I can't sew to save my life.
5. I can't remember my natural hair colour - mousy-blond I think - as I've been "helping" it since I was 14. And I'm sure not going to look at what colour it is now!
6. One of my favourite films is La Dentellière because I can identify with the main character.
7. I hate money, am scared of it and am hopeless at managing it.

OK, now I have to pass the award on to 7 bloggers and I thought you'd like to meet some new friends of mine:

Carmen's Chronicles - Carmen's poetry will cheer you up.

A Welshie in Italy - read about Nerys's adventures.

Keeping Time - raising 2 girls in Italy.

Holly Berry's World - great photos of Sicily and of food!

Blografando - this is where I get those pretty Italian widgets in the sidebar.

The Garden Cat Cottage - a very creative lady.

Rochambeau - for the sheer beauty of her blog.