22 things I love about Sicily

I'm on a trip to Palermo, Sicily, sponsored by Oldways, an organization that promotes healthy eating and the Mediterrean diet. In the past 5 days I've experienced more delicious tastes, aromas, and wonderful people than I ever imagined possible. Here are my top favorites (right at this moment; give me a few hours to reflect, and I bet I'll come up with even more!):
I haven't seen one fast food restaurant

1. European yogurt is much creamier and less acidic than American yogurt
2. Grilled tomatoes aren't just a British breakfast tradition
3. Fresh apple juice can really be a lovely green color (and this is really it)
4. I prefer swordfish in my pasta sauce to sardines; it's less fishy
5. Spleen sandwiches taste great, and they're a local tradition
6. Freshly baked genovese, a local pastry specialty in Eriche, melt in your mouth and simply can't be replicated.
7. Lunches that last two hours and dinners that last three hours or more are a wonderful way to spend the evening
8. Warm, freshly made ricotta cheese tastes like no ricotta cheese you buy in a supermarket
9. Tiny little strawberries, fragoline, are picked in the wild by hand
10. Agri tourisme, or agricultural tourism, where you can visit a working farm, eat lunch, and even stay overnight
11. Olive oil that smells - and tastes - like freshly mown grass makes a piece of bread sing
12. Freshly made bread that contains bits of olives and chopped walnuts, spread with creamy honey
13. A dinner table set with three forks to the left of the plate, two knives to the right, two spoons to the top of the plate, and 5 crystal glasses of various sizes for water, white wine (often two different types), red wine, and dessert wine
14. Coke, Pepsi, and other typical American sodas are really difficult to find
15. Gelatto (ice cream - but far creamier and with a fresh, just-picked fruit taste) served in a brioche, or type of bread
16. Blood orange and fennel salad, dressed simply with olive oil
17. Eating dinner with 9 new friends where we shared 5 appetizers, 4 pasta courses, and 2 entrees
18. Singing happy birthday to one of these new friends in the hotel bar, accompanied by an Italian with a lovely tenor who adores singing
19. Palermo markets where you're cheeck-to-jowl with people, motorscooters, bicycles, cars, dogs, and every imaginable type of food
20. A stray dog who stole a silver slipper from one of the market stands; the shoe store owner simply threw up his hands while everyone else laughed
21. Bread that needs to be sliced before you eat it
22. Granita, a refreshing dessert made from sweetened fresh fruit juice (try orange, lemon, or strawberry) then frozen to a 'slushee' consistency, served in a crystal goblet and eaten with a small dessert spoon
23. It's possible to wander upon two separate weddings and a girl's first communionand chat with the locals about the events even though we don't speak each others' language

Look for pictures and video of my trip to Palermo, Sicily, in the next few days!

Ciao!

Lynn

More than a half

There is a wonderful article on the More half-marathon experience published in today's Manchester Journal newspaper. Take a look at it here: http://www.manchesterjournal.com//ci_8959230?IADID=Search-www.manchesterjournal.com-www.manchesterjournal.com

Linda Maness, the author of the article, traveled with us to NYC to document the experience. I think she ended up with a lot more than she bargained for! In fact, she may be inspired herself to join the 2009 group next year.

Yep, some of the women are already talking about running the race next year - faster, of course. Or perhaps running instead of walking. Or riding the bus and staying in the hotel with the group to have a more complete (and fun) experience. People in town stop me to ask how they can sign up for next year's race and training program.

Who knew a 13-week training program and a half-marathon would have this much impact on so many women?

April challenge completed

My April challenge was a group effort, and what a group! I led a training group for the More half-marathon in NYC on April 6th. For 13 weeks through the long, cold, dark winter here in Vermont we ran or walked 3-4 days per week, building up to 12 miles before the half-marathon (13.1 miles). We didn't only run or walk; we had a pot-luck dinner, made new friends, learned about each others' lives, and worked together to meet our goals.

Almost 50 of us went to NYC for the half-marathon, and had an awesome experience. This challenge wasn't about me. It was about working with a group of women, most over 40, to help them reach a physical goal. As we went through the 13 weeks, it became more than just the physical goal of completing 13.1 miles. Many of the women made other changes in their lives, became empowered to try something different, and set aside time for themselves within their busy family lives.

Yes, I ran the half-marathon. My time isn't the important part of this challenge. What's the cool thing here is that every single person finished the half-marathon, most faster than they predicted. They all crossed the finish line looking great and feeling wonderful. My personal challenge was coaching them through this experience, everything from renting a 55-passenger coach bus to take us to NYC, to organizing team jackets, to sending out encouraging emails to get women through difficult spots.

We did it!