What Now?

Back in February, our Sindica (Mayor) had declared Modica bankrupt.

Since then, except for the almost-constant (political) sniping; ongoing ‘tit-for-tat’, kiddie-like ‘he said, she said’ carry on; and the locals getting frustrated and venting on social media … nothing’s really changed!
Okay, that’s a bit facetious. Nevertheless, it’s mostly true.
You’d think that declaring a city of 53,000 bankrupt would’ve seen something ... anything ... happening to reflect that status. But that’s not the case.
The Sindica and her current (split) council are carrying on as if nothing’s changed. I mean: The weeding about the place was late (as ever); the water and council rates issues have carried on as they did last year; and the Sindica and her favoured councillors are still cutting ribbons and pushing free concerts and events to keep the citizens ‘happy’!
At least, this was the case, up until a few days ago, when the local press started reporting that five ‘Notices of Investigation’ have been issued to unnamed officials and administrators of the previous administration.
That is, the one run by our mayor’s predecessor, Ignazio Abbate. He being seen as ‘most responsible’ for our city’s current financial state.
Apparently, investigations have been carried out by the Carabinieri and the Guardia di Finanza. The former, while military, are also responsible for law and order; while the latter are financial police, targeting fraud and tax evasion.
Whether true or not, I recall the so-called ‘Chinese’ curse: “May you live in interesting times…”
Yes indeed!

Growing

I created my “All Things Modica” Facebook page nearly two years ago now.

That’s ‘page’ not ‘group’ as it gave me the ability to have full control of it.
The first post was on the 15th September 2023. Funnily enough, it covered an exhibition by “La Coperta delle Mamme di Modica” (“The Blanket of the Mothers of Modica”), a charity group who crochet blankets for poorer families.
That’s ‘funnily enough’ because Alice consequently joined them! Who knew?
Anyways, since then the page has grown somewhat. Albeit slowly to begin with!
I’m writing this now because this month I thanked my page followers. Pointing out that on the 13th May 2024, the page had 246 followers. A number that had grown to 1,580 by the 13th May 2025, an over six-fold annual increase! Surely worthy of the big “Thank You!” post I made to celebrate this milestone.
Why was I ‘crowing’ about reaching (only) 246 followers last year? Well, because I’d posted a reel about a previous “Festa di San Giorgio” ... to point out the then-upcoming one the following week. Subsequently the page went from tens of followers to hundreds in mere days!
By the way, as all my reels end up on the wider Internet, that one posted in May 2024 ended up with 434,000 views! I reposted it again this year to (again) point out the upcoming 2025 Festa. ‘Unfortunately’, this time it only reached 119,000 views…
As of today, my page followers’ number 1,865.
Mustn’t grumble…!

“Murder, He Watched”

I have this secret addiction...
It’s a guilty pleasure I’ve found myself drawn to more and more, because I (apparently) have more time on my hands since retiring.
Sort of! But I can always seem to find the time between updating my “All Things Modica” page, researching our family trees, scanning old photos, writing, and my ‘babies’ (cactuses). Amongst other, more ‘trivial’ things: Like maintaining our home!

Alrighty, what’s this (non-destructive) addiction then? I love ...  “Cozy TV Mysteries”! That’s right! The “Cozies”, as they’re often called, f’sure do it for me.
It’s out in the open now: “Hi. My name’s Andrew, and I’m a cozies addict...”
So, what am I talking about?
Well, ‘cozies’ are a sub-genre of crime fiction in which any violence and sex most often occur ‘offstage’. The detective’s likely (but not always) an amateur, and the crime and detection take place in a village or small town. Cozies stand in contrast to more hardboiled fiction, in which certainly more violence, and often explicit sex, are central to the plot.
My favourites being the likes of “Father Brown”, “Shakespeare & Hathaway”, “Agatha Raisin” and so on. Oh, and I’m happy to re-visit finished series like “Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries”, “Queens of Mystery” and “Jonathan Creek”.
Some don’t really fit into the genre as they involve the police, but I still love ‘em anyways! I’m talkin’ “The Chelsea Detective”, “Death in Paradise”, and the wonderful NZ “The Brokenwood Mysteries”.
There! So now you know…

More Soon...

Anniversary

The five-year anniversary of my blog came and went last month!

I started this journey way back on Thursday the 26th March 2020, when we were still living in London, and my dream was to move to Italy.

My first ever blog post...

That’s what it was too: A dream. If’n you’d asked me back in March 2020 why I started up my blog, I couldn’t really tell you. Okay, I knew I wanted a change. A drastic one at that.
I’d had enough of the to-me pointless roundabout of work: Of keeping corporates happy; of massaging egos; and the endless repetition of doing the same old same old … year in and year out!
So, change was needed, and I found it entirely therapeutic then (and still now) to put my thoughts down on (figurative) paper. Therefore, what you’re reading now is the result of five years of (semi-)therapy!
Ha!
Looking back to that five year younger me, I recall (and re-read) that back in the day my ‘mission’ was trying to persuade the then-sceptical Alice that moving to Italy (specifically Sicily) would be a grand idea. And an entirely ‘doable’ one at that!
One of the key lessons learned was that hard facts were needed: Not appeals to the romance and adventure of the thing; nor alluding to the fact that we weren’t like those who may’ve lamented about the rapidly-approaching Brexit ... but weren’t prepared to do anything about it.
F’sure that 61-year-old me must’ve been persuasive: ‘Cause here we are!

Cold Feet?

I don’t like using the term ‘expat’ (much preferring ‘immigrant’), but I’ll use it for simplicity’s sake.
Anyways, an expat couple we’re acquainted with have recently been seen about the city again. I type ‘again’ because they’re spending more and more time back in the UK now. I don’t have any problem with that, of course, it’s their life and they’ve made their intentions very clear to us: They’re selling up and leaving Modica to return ‘home’.

Couple of things here: Good luck trying to sell in this market; and are you entirely sure that’s what you want to do?
I say this because, when we’ve bumped into them recently (three times now), he’s rather pointedly asked me at least five times questions along the lines of: “So you still like it here?” and “Are you staying in Modica then?”
Now I ask myself a question in response: “Why’s he asking such loaded questions?” And, I’ve decided, rightly or wrongly maybe, that the answer has to be he’s unsure of himself. Of this rather momentous decision.
Otherwise, why ask me such questions?
I’ve been making decisions for both myself and on my family’s behalf for decades now. Naturally! And I’ve always tried to base them firmly around facts … rather than (only) emotion. To me, the facts are here that while Modica is f’sure more chaotic and bureaucratic than the UK, the living’s still way better and easier here.
I ain’t movin’ … and that’s a fact!

Busy As...

I’ve said it before and, because this is my blog, I’m sayin’ it again: You gotta keep busy!

Not for me!

That’s one life lesson I’ve learned repeatedly since I’ve retired. I mean: Do something. Hobby, interest, whatever. Just do … something!
It’s uber-important to me, and should be to you who’re now in the Autumn of your working years.
Actually, scratch that. It’s important to everyone really, no matter your age or circumstances.
One of my ‘truisms’ has always been: “Work to live, not live to work...”. And f’sure it’s one I’ve tried to live my life by over the years.
So, I made a conscious decision when I retired to do those things that needed doing, given I would now have the time to properly dedicate to them. Regardless, and of course, many I was already trying to keep up with, even when working full time.
Things like researching the family tree, reading those books I’d always put off reading, doing more writing (this blog being a part of that decision), working on all those old (physical) photos we had lying about the place and (finally) trying to grow something that wouldn’t die on me...
Amongst much else. All the important stuff, as you can see! Now the question here is: “Is any of this of any actual use?”
Like, will it matter to my children? Or even to theirs? Perhaps yes or maybe not.
What’s important is it matters to you … so just get on with it!

More Soon...

It’s Sprung!

If you were to ask me to sum up Spring here in one word?

That word would have to be: “Yellow”.
Why choose a colour, rather than say a mood, temperature, and/or date? It’s simple really! It’s because the gardens, roadsides, and fields here are (quite literally) blanketed in that colour.

From horizon to horizon in many cases, you’ll spot yellow flowers of all shapes ‘n sizes everywhere. Tiny to large, from the city into the countryside, and along the streams, rivers and by the sea too!
Everywhere.
Followed a distant second by your ‘run-of-the-mill’ purples, mauves, and reds, it’s f’sure yellow that dominates.
Mind you, I’m not talking about neat rows of plants in formal borders, flowerboxes, or anything near as civilised as that. Nope, ‘cause here in Sicily, it’s all about the weeds! Or, perhaps if’n I chose to be polite here, I could maybe stretch to ‘wild flowers’.
Having lived in the UK, I loved seeing the acres of rapeseed flowering every Spring there. Who wouldn’t? But I have to say I prefer it here. There’s something ‘primeval’ about the disarrayed flower displays here that appeals more. 
It’s worth noting that, given my Australasian heritage, what also grows wild hereabouts are poppies!
That now-eternal symbol of ANZAC Day (25th April 2025) in both New Zealand and Australia, they too grow wild here. You’ll find ‘em tucked amongst the other (yes ... mostly yellow!) flowers.
So, and regardless of your colour preference, make mine yellow please!

Hurry Up!

Talking of colours here, let’s carry on this theme.

Rain, rain, go away...!

Because, for now, I’m feeling a wee bit blue! That’d be because the weather’s not been so good recently. In fact, it’s been all over the damn place this last week or so! Clouds, rain (some torrential), gale-force winds, interspersed with short bouts of actual sunshine.
And it’s been cold too. Down as low as single figures celcius overnight most nights.
All of which means it’s f’sure way too early to pack away the Winter jerseys and coats, and put away the electric blanket, as well. Unfortunately.
Okay, I’ll admit I’m a complete big girl’s blouse when it comes to the cold. I can’t stand it, y’see. I discovered, many years ago now, that Summer is my season of choice. One of the prime reasons I shifted here to Sicily, and of course. Bring on those 40-plus celcius days, I say!
Anyways, it is what it is and, as my wife likes to (constantly) say, I should just grow a pair, and get on with it. I should, and I would, but it’s too cold Alice!
Regardless, I did move my ‘babies’ (my cactuses and succulents) outside the other day, as they’re all showing signs of ‘waking up’ after their Winter dormancy. Maybe they, and the Spring flowers, know something I don’t? As in: Regardless of what’s going on right now, the cycle of life continues, and maybe Summer is just around the corner. Bring it!
Please hurry though…

It’s Official…

As it’s (officially) Spring, it’s time to get on with the ‘Spring Cleaning’.
Although I count that not as simply cleaning, but as something akin to: "Getting on with those jobs we put off over Winter."

In previous years, that’s meant key stuff, like fitting a new kitchen, putting in double-glazing and painting the exterior. Or, year before last, repairing the north-facing wall due to water incursion.
That latter wasn’t too unexpected, remembering that our ‘kiwi4everhome’ here is somewhere between 150 to 250 years old!
Thankfully, last year was a little less fraught, as we had no real outstanding jobs, so it was more like the traditional cleaning then. Granted that respite, and after resting on our laurels in 2024, it did get us thinking more about maintenance. As in: Since we’ve already tackled those key, unavoidable jobs, it’s time to concentrate on … painting!
No. I’m not talking ‘bout whipping out an easel and paintbrush to do some landscapes here!
Nope. The rough-plastered interior walls of our home are looking a bit sad at the minute. As in: Neglected, flaking and dust-causing. No surprise, of course, given it hasn’t been re-painted for nearly nine years now.
So that’s the project for this year then and, as every room here sports either a way high barrel or groin vaulted ceiling, it’ll certainly end up being a ‘biggie’! As a for instance: The kitchen ceiling is 2.5 metres high, and the entrance area is three metres!
Wish us luck!
More Soon...

Declaration

She only went and did it!

Now there’d been increasingly shrill rumours flying about the place for a number of months now.

Our Mayoress...

And, of course, her current action only brings to a head what we’d been hearing about since her predecessor had stepped down in June 2022. It has to be said though that it’s likely she knew about the situation, having been a key part of the administration herself up until her own appointment to the top job back in May 2023.
What am I talking about?
Well, the Città di Modica (City of Modica) ... my city, our city ... is bankrupt!
The Sindica (Mayor) Maria Monisteri having declared this, formally and officially, during an apparently somewhat fraught and marathon-length council meeting held on the evening of Tuesday the 7th January 2025. She had no real choice in the matter because, as she summed up during the declaration: “We can’t go on like this.”
As I say, no real surprise for anyone following the local news here, as it was well-known the accounts had been in the red for years. That’s way deep in the red, too: To the tune of around € 120 million!
It was stated at the time that both the mayor and city council would remain in office in order to approve and facilitate a recovery plan that’ll (obviously) involve both massive cuts and (unfortunately) increasing local taxes.
What does this mean for us living here in Modica though?
Nothing good, I’m afraid!

The Morning After...

The seven odd (very odd!) weeks since our mayor declared our city bankrupt have proven to be … interesting. It’s turned into a “Tragicomedy” but without the usual happy ending, I’m afraid!

I mean, and entirely predictably, the ‘blame-game’ kicked off within hours. It began with both our current and previous mayors blaming the mayor-before-last, which didn’t go down too well with anyone, especially given these two had held power for over a decade between them.
Then, in a twist I saw coming a mile off, our current mayor then blamed her immediate predecessor. Who instantly countered by stating she shouldn’t have declared bankruptcy, before blaming both her and his predecessor (again) for the whole sorry situation.
And who doesn’t love local politics?
Our previous mayor, the Honourable Ignazio Abbate, called such because he’s now a member of the Sicilian Regional Assembly, was so pissed with his erstwhile hand-picked protégé that, in a fit of pique, he had a poster of her removed from the window of the local party headquarters. A political party both are supposedly members of! An ‘event’ widely reported (and derided) in the local press, it must be said.
Now our council was stuffed with Abbate supporters, making the situation even more fraught. The mayor responding to her ‘mentors’ attacks by firing the lot, and hand-choosing her own supporters to make up a council she could govern through.
Meanwhile, Modica’s local government has ground to a halt.
You couldn’t make this stuff up!

Well Then?

Well then, what’s this mean for those of us living here?
Obviously the comune has, and we’re talkin’ f’sure here, taken their eye entirely off the ball when it comes to local issues. A predictable situation due to them being far too busy infighting, (still) playing the blame-game, and jostling for political position, to care much about anything else.
And that includes us rate payers. Of course!

Silver-linings

So … has life here begun to give us lemons and turn sour? Funnily enough, the answer to that would be a big “Nope!”
Okay, the current mess is that: A mess. But something’s changed. Something entirely unforeseen. At least by me. And, I’m sure, it’s taken many others by surprise, too!
Because the locals appear to have had enough.
Enough of the bullshit brought about by years of neglect and waffle; of fine words backed up by inaction; and problems being papered over by offering free concerts in the main square.
Now, we worked out quickly that Modicans have never really been given to complaining. Local protests have been few and far between, no matter the situation. Until now.
Because now it looks like about everyone is vocal in their criticism of the mayor and her predecessors, and both the current and previous councils. Which is entirely a good thing, I say!
So then, along with Spring being just around the corner, the sun shining bright, and the living still being cheap, life here’s not too bad really.
Everything considered…

More Soon...

Somewhere Different

 Is London the greatest city on the planet?

Abso-bloody-lutely!

I used to think so a few years ago, and nothing has changed my opinion of that. Not even a little. This after after visits to Paris and New York, Melbourne and Bangkok, amongst many others.
Okay, this is my personal opinion of course, but as I spent many years both living and working there, I reckon I can (semi-subjectively) make such a judgement.
Is it my most favourite city on the planet though? Nope: It wasn't then and still isn't now. Although, it must be said, it did run a very close second back then.
'Back then' being over four years ago now.

So why am I writing about London when this blog is supposed to be about Modica?
Well, that'd be because I find myself back in the UK capital once again. In fact, I'm writing these lines in a holiday apartment not 10 minutes walk from the imposing Tower of London. Y'see, we came back to the UK for Alice's goddaughter's wedding in nearby Windsor. A place we'd also lived in for many years, back when both of our sons were young.
We'd decided that, since we made the journey there, we may as well visit London once again, so here I am doing my blog, looking out on another cold and blustery, but thankfully not damp day today.

Have I gone ahead and compared this city to my now-home city? Most foolishly perhaps, of course I have! I'm only human after all.
So I just have to try and compare the giant apple of London to the wee orange of Modica. I feel it'd be somewhat remiss of me if'n I didn't.
Now I'm not going to talk about things like size, population and influence. I'm not a complete numpty! Instead, let's talk of life, living costs, weather and the general 'feel' of both cities. I'll not be doing this in any depth (who wants that?), but using very broad 'brush-strokes' only.

'Life' first then.
To be honest, life in London is good. Good if you don't mind commuting and large crowds, but then the Underground and the buses are an absolute Godsend. Can't grumble about public transport here! It beats Modica hands down in that department.

Which leads us nicely into 'living costs', because while awesome, the cost of that commute is uber-high.
Then the general cost of living, especially when comparing rents and house prices, fruit and vege, eating and drinking out, is way higher here. Naturally. But, importantly, also way higher here when compared to locals' incomes.

'Weather' next.
Do I really have to do this? No. No I don't!

When it comes to general 'feel' though, I will admit I do love it here.
The cultural side, and hands down, more than holds in comparison to Modica. How can it not though, when London was the centre of a vast empire, and has been at the very centre of history for millennia. That culture don't come cheap though! Yesterday, I saw it'd cost £34.80 for a single entrance ticket to the Tower of London. Although 'only' £27.70 for an old fart like me!

Overall then ... while I do love London (and how can you not?), I much prefer to live in my now-most-favourite city on the planet: Modica.

So goodbye for now from my (now) third-favourite city on Earth...

More Soon...