By Mitchell Slepian
Guidance can help all of us. It opens our minds. Recently, I spent some time in Sicily. Book your flight. It will be a rewarding experience on all levels – culture, dining, fashion, history, sites, and more. Much more.
On the tour, we had several local guides. One stayed with us for about three days. She gave us a hands-on tour of Mt. Etna, the archeology museum, ruins and the Roman theater. She was a fountain full of knowledge. We first met her at the archeology museum. Keep in mind, I am a member of nearly every museum in NYC and the Smithsonian (which has a few venues in NYC).
As we got off the bus and walked out of the museum, I thought, why can’t I do this myself? I do this once a week at home. One thing I did take into consideration was that, at this venue, none of the exhibit descriptors are written in English.
As soon as we walked into the museum, I started learning from my guide. Our guide taught us so many things. We were looking at the Sicilian people’s contributions to water and wine jugs, their creation of safety pins, and cooking equipment. She explained what was going on during the timeframe leading up to the creation of these items.
Listening to her, I realized I must look at museum displays a little differently. She gave a shout-out to the Sicilian art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She spent some time there a few years ago. I was there a few days ago and asked where the exhibits were. I found them. I learned so much more about Southern Italy’s culture than I ever would have on my own. I am now on the path to learn and appreciating it more. So, never underestimate the power of a good tour guide. They can open ancient worlds and teach you how some of what happened affects what’s going on in today’s world.
Mitchell's thoughts, photos, etc. 