Kapuhala, Sicily & Bluem skincare 🌞

Hello and happy Spring everyone & cosy Autumn for those down under ~ I hope you had a beautiful Easter. Thought I’d share our recent overnight stay at the gorgeous understated and incredibly comfortable and homey Kapuhala accommodation in Noto, Sicily.

I have been to Kapuhala once before for a women’s gathering with Zingarelle, Sicilia & so enjoyed my time there that I wanted to bring Rafael and Luke back to it one day…

Nestled into the soft rolling meadows in the south east corner of Sicily, Kapuhala boasts a truly peaceful and beautiful place to rest and enjoy. I’ve yet to experience the resort in Summer, I know I will one day and get to return to savor the flavors, scents and vistas from this tastefully decorated and designed haven.

With a gorgeous pool, an outdoor bar and large covered area for outdoor yoga in the warmer months, you’ll find so many corners to explore and choose from to read, exercise, walk and relax. Short drives to the Mediterranean Sea are of course possible and walking throughout the grounds to ground yourself and get reconnected to nature.

I was thrilled to hear about their new wine infused massage therapy on the roof top and hear about their upcoming events and offerings. Unfortunately this time round we didn’t experience the massage but maybe one day…they offer face & décolleté, couples and wine massages.

The botanical outdoor gym and infinity pool surrounded by thriving herbs just makes for a feast for the eyes. The smell of rosemary and so many other herbs as well as fruit trees is a gift for the senses. For dinner meals are served on a long connected communal table amidst the grapevines in the summer months.

Rooms are perfectly set up even for families with children with self sufficient kitchens. For those who love yoga and a healthy active lifestyle there is all you could need to a balance a leisurely holiday or retreat from work or to bring work with you. The resort is renowned for its vegan & vegetarian cuisine and delicacies so if you are looking for a place to explore Sicilian fusion clean-eating and an inspiring atmosphere, step into the dreamy atmosphere of Kapuhala and you will want to return I’m sure of it.
Just like we do 🫶🏻

I’ll leave you with some photos of our little family stay but I hope you are encouraged to experience it for yourself. Complimenti & Grazie to the gracious owners & staff who have truly created a jewel in our Sicilian landscape and I look forward to returning one day. If anything just for their delicious, homemade Sicilian breakfast and dreamy sunsets from their gorgeous patios.

I’d also love to share that Bluem has a 20% off site-wide sale which I encourage you to explore and give a try. It has transformed my skincare routine, helped with post partum skin changes and hyperpigmentation as well simply made self care enjoyable and easy. Let me know if you order something and what you think of it. I loved using their Kakadu Plum serum and Konjac sponge.

Please use my link 🔗 https://www.bluem.com.au/manushkabains

Sending love,

Manu xx

Time for change slowly but surely

Welcome Spring! As much as there is such heaviness in the world today there is much to be joyous about and grateful for. I have always believed where evil abounds, grace abounds even more. It’s almost so hard to even write things that intend to uplift when there’s so much out there bringing us inevitably down – so I hope my little entry in my seasonal blog can bring some joy. I know the ripple effects of speaking up, spreading joy and sharing with love and respect can have immense repercussions. So here’s to hope…something I hope we never lose.

A few Sundays back we enjoyed celebrating Rafael’s 4th birthday at a local playground 🩷 it was so lovely and we got to meet up with a new Australian family who have recently moved here and will be running a ceramics school in Salemi .. near Palermo and Trapani. https://www.salemiceramics.com

It feels like a late arrival of wet weather and wintery days. Mostly a sunny and pleasant winter here in Sicily, we are now getting some much needed rain. This past weekend we had a glorious couple of days of sunshine and the promise of Spring. We enjoyed warmish temps and a lovely couple of days with friends from Ohio/Florence. They are the wonderful couple behind Bosca Leather: https://bosca.com

Photo by Joseph Tallo

Luke had the pleasure of collaborating with Bosca via Gents Cafe last year and we were so happy to host Chris and Courtney over the weekend and show them our little corner of Sicily. Yesterday was the first Sunday of the month which means free entry to archaeological sites & museums across Sicily. So with the almond trees blossoming and a new attraction at the Greek Temples recently inaugurated, we piled into the car and enjoyed a lovely day walking amongst the Ancient Greek archaeological site of “Akragas”. Rafael hasn’t stopped talking about Icarus, so cool that we can drive to these nearby temples and teach him about Greek mythology.

We have put our house up for private sale. As much as Sicily is getting a lot more popularity due to shows and films that have been shot here we aren’t selling it fast and we aren’t in any great rush just eager for the next adventure of homemaking as we are fast outgrowing our cute little townhouse in south west Sicily. Here’s the link to our listing and I’ll add some photos below, maybe it’s something that suits your needs and could be a pied-a-terre for you or someone you know. https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fmanu.bains%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0tENtAgHbpnbS4iF9wtn9fVooB8P1RyXGjf35Y5d9UruTopCWq576CbDcJZ6b7JRXl&show_text=true&width=500

Luke has recently updated the prints section of his website please check it out here if you are looking for some wall art. https://lukerenard.darkroom.com he has some exciting projects on the horizon, I am always excited to hear Luke’s crazy new ideas, so stay tuned… 🙂

For myself I am waiting on hearing back from several audtions/castings and hoping to find a way to collaborate with the community to do some fun things with kids such as reading in the park as the weather gets warmer. I was so honored to see the results of the article I interviewed for in the Gattopardo magazine & from that get to talk on national radio a few days ago.

https://www.facebook.com/share/AHyqDjUKeNuT2mXW/?mibextid=WC7FNe

It’s been a lovely start to the year creatively…We look forward to the warmer weather but we know it will come and when it comes it will be here until October or even November like last year!

Please take care, sending love x

Fall-into Winter 🩶

I’m sure I’ve said this before however it seems my blog posts follow the cadence of seasonal changes … I sensed it was time for a post and I noticed my last post was in Summer and as I finally finish this post it’s winter and we are in Oregon for the holidays. It just feels right and the shift of temperatures and the change of the clocks means a timely moment to recap the end of Summer and the busy Autumn we had and what’s to come.

A beautiful autumnal sunset over cianciana, the Sicani mountains and looking towards the Mediterranean Sea

We enjoyed truly a non-stop, back-to-back stream of guests joining us in Cianciana to visit Sicily, some for the first time, some family members looking for their own property and most recently collaborative business ventures with great people! I’ve had to literally force myself to slow down a little when I can as I sometimes don’t realize how much energy is required to stay on top of a home, keep hubby and bub happy and healthy and of course first and foremost myself well so that I can do all of the things above. I’m in AWE of those with multiple children and businesses and just everything that comes with living in this day and age..the world and it’s hurting, it’s trials and tribulations, the bad and also all the good. Sending so much love out to all those who have suffered these past few years, those who I don’t know and who don’t me, love and light to all of you.

Us.

Autumn feels like the right time of year to regather one’s self and shed the unnecessary, whatever that means for you, like another chance to do a spring cleaning and then winter arrives it both feels like a time to switch off altogether or embrace the inwards offering life gives you to better yourself for giving from the inside-out. We are excited and happy to be here in Oregon for Christmas-time and to see the fam and our lovely friends here. Giving us an opportunity rest and fill up our cups and share Rafael and all of his toddler energy and love with our family here. He’s oh, just so amazing and I love him so much and love seeing the new changes and growth and how much more and more of his personality is coming to the surface.

Christmas 🎄 in Oregon

We enjoyed, like I said, many guests this year and I’ll throw some photos in of the various outings and time for connection we had with beautiful people. We also found ourselves having some amazing collaborative artistic projects and ended out the year with the biggest one yet which we can’t wait to share the final results come Spring 2024! New friendships formed and new adventures to new places were had. I’m so grateful for our small town in southwest Sicily, even though at times there may not be all the things I’d like to offer Raf because we are so far from a large city I am always grateful to live there and have lived there.

Some photos from Cefalu with dad and raf during the downtime from the shoot we organized !! So exciting and rewarding 🥰

I’ve been enjoying my self care skin routine thanks to Bluem & I’ll share my affiliate link below so you can try it out for yourself. We’ve also enjoyed receiving some new shades thanks to Solo Eyewear – please check their sunglasses and the amazing work they do. They donate 10 percent of their profits to eye care clinics around the world, this year, they donated over 1000 pair of eyeglasses and sunglasses to the American Cancer Society and Restoring Vision.

Horseriding at bovo marina

Visit from cousin Louise

Friends in CC

Hot springs ☺️

Luke is in a season of planning his next creative pursuits and it’s so exciting what’s in store! I’ve been so stoked with how many cool projects he has been a part of and how many acting/commercial gigs I’ve been able to do this year. Very very grateful!! Will link some below for you to check out. Please also check out Luke’s website if you want to grab some last minute Christmas gifts. While I’m at it and if you are in southern oregon – please check out Radiant Day Spa – my lovely sister in law, Olivia, offers beautiful services there and my sister currently in Sydney, Dani, is available for photo sessions of all kinds.

Thank you for following along 🎄🙏♥️

Thanks for the love, support and sending you all my warmest wishes for a safe and joyous end to the year and a prosperous and happy new start to a new chapter for us all, in 2024.

Projects in 2023:

Acting workshop for performance motion capture in Poland in the Fall – thanks Bart & EnStudios in Poznan! Humbled to be invited to fly over to Poland and run this workshop in an exceptional, state of the art facility.

Check out the course description here that Bart is offering with all of his expertise and some of my acting experience thrown in 😉 https://www.linkedin.com/posts/bartoszbarlowski_virtualproduction-unrealengine-realtime-activity-7137606789491036163-rdug?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_ios

Work for Long Distance Labs

Collaborating with Gents Cafe

A Postcard from Sicily

Bluem Skincare – serums and so much more

https://www.bluem.com.au/?dt_id=404716

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Solo Eyewear

Check out SOLO Eyewear and find your perfect shades 🕶️ You can get 30% off when you use my discount code:

MANU30

https://www.soloeyewear.com

Solo Eyewear donates 10 percent of their profits to eye care clinics around the world, this year, they donated over 1000 pairs of eyeglasses and sunglasses to the American Cancer Society and Restoring Vision.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BvCitO1ljHb/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

The Belize shades

Dani’s work

https://danibainscreative.squarespace.com

Olivia’s work

https://www.instagram.com/renard.esthetics?igshid=YzVkODRmOTdmMw==

Luke’s work

https://www.lukejrenard.com/shop/official-sicily-by-ape-unisex-heavy-blend-hooded-sweatshirt

Summer lovin’

So happy to be enjoying this cooler August than usual and have my sister and her lovely partner Taz here in Sicily. The heat hit us in the face in July and no one was really expecting it to come on that strong with record temps and blazing fires around Sicily but since then everything’s calmed down and it’s just perfect temperatures. Cool first thing in the am and cooler at night and the days are just lovely, either being at the beach or at the public pool. Or like we often find ourselves doing just hanging out at Dad’s house in between dealing with various admin jobs and summer cleaning.

We’ve had some lovely guests visit us recently and more to come at the end of this month after the madness of Ferragosto is over next week. A gorgeous wedding back at the beginning of summer in Cefalu and meeting dear friends over on the north coast to Sicilian festivals like first time Tinca Timpa this Summer really started with a bang. Dani’s home (what was mum’s house) keeps evolving into this gorgeous gem of a place that bears memories of much laughter and delicious meals in the way the light hits the walls and the smells that exude from that small but big hearted home. Its being a revolving door since before my in-laws came and really whenever the house is empty someone finds a home in it whether it’s just for a few nights or a few weeks.

In July I had the pleasure of being a part of an amazing little Commedia dell’Arte show in Turin. I was invited to join in as an actress from a lovely director I had the opportunity to work for back when I met Luke almost a decade ago! Action theatre in English with ten actors put together a show from scratch in 5 days and we performed it in the countryside just outside of Turin. A magical week and a blessing to get to do what I love and have Luke enjoy one on one time with Raf being the best Dad. It was such a great experience meeting actors from all over Europe, Italy & the UK and enjoy being back on the stage. Fingers and toes crossed the show can be taken further … stay tuned for hopefully exciting news to come…

Cianciana has tripled in size and is full of people both, tourists and people with ciancianese heritage who return every year for this huge holiday Festa time – when pretty much all of (at least southern) Italy shuts down for the period of Ferragosto during the middle of August. It conveniently ties in with a catholic holiday but also essentially gives Italians a time of rest from heat, work and of course school which closed early June and won’t reopen till first week of September. Another nearby town with a similar international community; Mussomeli, recently celebrated the 2 year anniversary of the Good Kitchen started and run by Danny Mccubbin and his team of amazing volunteers. You can read more about the Good Kitchen and our friend Danny in the links at the bottom of this post.

I’ve been so enjoying the restful yet busy social time and the gentle projecting of plans for the months and year to come. Rafael has been a stud and enjoying socializing during these hot weeks and long nights. The council and local businesses put on such a jam -packed schedule for the town during August and I’ve been blown away by the Sagra (the festival of ancient grains) the various bands that are playing almost every night and so far my favorite; the outdoor art exhibition at an old fountain in town. You don’t need to go anywhere in August really, as Cianciana provides it all, you just need to get out to go for regular trips to the beach.

If you or know someone who might be interested in staying in our gorgeous town over the Christmas period we are putting our place up for rent and would be happy to talk – just drop me a line.

Links to festivals or activities, places or businesses mentioned in my post:

Tinca Timpa festival in Sicily: https://www.tincatimpa.com

Action Theatre in Turin: https://actiontheatreinenglish.com/#/home

Our production website: https://www.foxandbullproductions.com

Good Kitchen: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064575380844

Take care and happy restful Summer friends and family 🧡 love from Manu xx

Springtime changes and learning to bloom & grow in spite of bad weather :)

We have recently put our house up for private sale. It’s not selling as fast as we’d like but that’s ok as it has been our first home and we’ve loved it but we are just eager for the next adventure of homemaking, preferably with some land as we are fast outgrowing our cute little townhouse in south west Sicily. Here’s the link to our listing https://www.idealista.it/immobile/25792576/ and I’ll add some photos below, maybe it’s something that suits your needs and could be a pied-a-terre for you or someone you know.

Since I’ve last written a post here we have been to Australia and then returned to Sicily to host my lovely in-laws over this strange spring we’ve had in Italy. Only now does it finally feel like it’s getting warmer and summer is just around the corner and yet there is still such stormy weather about. We have also experienced the “scirocco” winds from Africa like I’ve never seen before…the air has been thick with sand and the cars show how dirty the rain has been. So that’s affected mine and Rafael’s allergies somewhat. I’ve always suffered from hay fever but it doesn’t stop me from going outside 🔆 I’d love to know what helps you if you suffer from allergies in the springtime.

Hiking with @Cianciana Experience https://www.facebook.com/ciancianaexperience

Visiting my old stomping grounds in Perth with Rafael and Luke was so fun. It was Luke’s & Raf’s first time in Western Australia where most of my mum’s side of the family live. Most of them have met Luke but it was their first time meeting Raf which was extra special both getting to celebrate his 3rd birthday there and also celebrate my nonna and nonno’s birthdays whilst we were there. We arrived during what felt like a heatwave in Perth and it was definitely a shock to the system how the sun shines different in Oz..similar to NZ. So we got a lot of sun-smart beach time and definitely more pool time as it was safer and more relaxing with a toddler than braving the waves & strong currents. We loved just getting to laugh and talk and reconnect with family especially after Mum’s passing last year. Definitely so so thrilled to see Raf and his cousin Romeo play together & create a special bond which we can try to keep up via FaceTime calls from time to time. Thankful that old friends could meet up for a beer or a coffee in Freo and see a lot of the places we frequented whilst growing up in Perth. It was a beautiful time and we so enjoyed spending a week in the south, house sitting and staying with a good friend of my parents. Magical weather and beautiful memories.

One of the days we were there I took Rafael to the suburb where Dani and I grew up to meet an old friend from kindergarten and meet her gorgeous kiddo. On the way back to my Auntie’s I stopped in at the driveway to our old house – a large bush property that borders a nature reserve. I scrunched up some dried eucalyptus leaves in my hand to get a whiff of the smell that instantly brought me back to the memories of walking that driveway each morning to catch the school bus, riding my horse DJ on our property and all the nights playing Spotlight when we hosted awesome parties at the house…so many memories. After a little (happy) cry, Raf and I carried on back north with a quick pit-stop at the local beach we would always go to growing up Woodman Pt., an isolated beach that Dad would like to take us to because we could always find a section protected from the wind, aka the ‘Fremantle doctor’ that picks up in the late morning.

Then we got back to Sicily to receive guests and make some lovely new friends as well as celebrate both mine and Dad’s birthdays. Such a strange Spring with all over the place weather but we’ve tried to enjoy the sunny warmer days out in nature as much as possible also fighting off colds and allergies. My lovely in laws arrived mid April and we enjoyed spending a memorable month and a half with them 🥰 they got to visit Florence and Rome on this trip and we were just so blessed to have them watch Raf so we could go off and do some creative projects!

So excited for the summer to finally begin! My sister is back in Europe in nearby Slovakia working on an awesome volunteer project, excited to see her and follow along with her updates https://instagram.com/dani_bains_creative?igshid=MmJiY2I4NDBkZg== Many different adventures in store, making up new plans and of course inevitable setbacks but it’s been so so awesome to see the great momentum Luke has had since putting his “Sicily by Ape” series out into the world! You can watch all 10 episodes here: https://youtu.be/CwULRmMbpG8 please like, follow along and subscribe it means so much to us!

Bring on the beach weather and surrendering worries, stresses and doubts. Life is short and like Mum said in her days before she passed; go out and enjoy 💗 Hope you are all staying well! Thank you and sending love 🫶🏻

P.s.In other exciting news I’ve been made a Bluem natural beauty product ambassador and would love to share with you all the company based out of Australia and my personal affiliate code so you can explore and try their gorgeous products! https://www.bluem.com.au/manushkabains I’ve been so impressed with the natural clean quality of their oils and soaps and especially love that it’s helped clear up sun spots and just gives me a chance to pause and do some self care rituals 🌞🫶🏻

Getting into the new year swing of things

Just a simple snapshot of a day in the life of living in small town rural Sicily; I love that living here you can never expect what can happen in one day! Our lives during the pandemic in Portland seem so calm compared to the busy lives we lead here in our small Sicilian village.

View from the convent where we went to pick up Giovanni’s saxophone!

Just the other day we had errands in the morning to run as we prepare for our trip to Australia in a couple of weeks. Then lunch and another outing after organizing some framed photos for an artist friend. Before I knew it I found myself giving a lift to a lovely older man who wanted to retrieve his saxophone to bring back up to our fantastic neighbor’s place for a jam session. I was happy to give him a lift and of course it meant a quick visit to his home to meet his lovely wife and be offered a spremuta/fresh pressed orange juice or an espresso, in typical Sicilian hospitality; you will not be able to leave without being offered some drink, dessert or snack. I opted for an espresso even though a spremuta is possibly one of my favorite things about winter in Sicily. Packed full of vitamins and so refreshing. Then goodbye to his sweet wife, dropped him off at the impromptu musical incontro and headed to my English conversation session that I host with a lovely new friend, who I will link her business endeavors below.

Everyday is different but with Raf going to preschool each morning it’s provided some more structure to my days and this past month has been busy with supporting Luke as he finishes editing his self-produced and self-made series “Sicily by Ape”. Please check out the trailer and subscribe to Luke’s channel, it helps him to continue creating content and living out his passion as a filmmaker and creative. We truly appreciate it, grazie mille, thank you🙏

Rafael and Luke kicking a ball around at our local soccer stadium with views of Cianciana behind

Rafael has found his groove with school and made friends and it makes me so happy to see him enjoying it. He gets some stimulation outside of home and socializing, all in Italian of course. He’s been speaking so much more (in English) but definitely has some comprehension of Italian and knows some basic words. It’s such a trip this journey of being a parent and so wild seeing how so much changes in such a short amount of time. Bring on the next stage of toddlerhood 💪🏼😅 Rafael will be turning three this month 🌟☺️

Rip and Raf – best friends

Speaking of a short amount time, we will be heading Down Under in less than two weeks! It will be my first time back in Perth, where I grew up, in over a decade! So special that I am returning there with my husband and son, to spend quality time with my Mum’s side of the family and after Mum’s passing last year I am so happy to hug them and remember her as we get closer to her one year anniversary of no longer being earth side. As much as I miss her so much it hurts at times, I can’t help but smile when I shake and dust off my tears and feel her warm smile shining on me and her perfect way of telling me to get on with it, life is for living and I now need to focus on being a joyful mum and wife and follow my heart’s desires. Learning as I go and welcoming the mistakes and challenges as they only sharpen us and make us stronger.

I’ve felt a return to my mojo since trying to be more active whether it’s a long walk under the Sicilian winter sun or joining the local Zumba class! I love dancing and am so grateful for these things that are offered here even though we live in what a lot of people think is quite an isolated town. One can find the things they need, even if it means creating those opportunities yourself…where there’s a will there’s always a way.

Recent beautiful event held at one of our favorite locations – “Il Ritrovo” – a Circlesong workshop run by Alessio Castellacci
http://www.the-world-is-sound.com/spring-intensive-1?fbclid=IwAR14tNw0RIiKNe6sUYdpyzggMaC1KaUfkpsTMK1iEX9I5C2f3vQ2Tpzxhg4

We recently got a dose of travel up to the north of Italy in what ended up being a work & leisure combined trip. I was called by an colleague from my Turin days, to jump into a theatre show to be performed in highschools in the Treviso area as a part of a tour for a show called #Virginie. The play follows the story of a girl who was bullied and is based on true events. It was so great to finally return to the stage since becoming a mother, since my last onstage appearance was in a rendition of All My Sons in Oregon well before Rafael. So grateful for the opportunity and that we could combine it with seeing new and remarkable places like Bolzano and the gorgeous city of Treviso. Great parent travel hack was realizing we could take our car seat free of charge on Ryan air and so saved €70 on hiring one. We used booking.com and AirBNB and found some great accommodation in Treviso and Bolzano, that were either in the center of the city or a short drive away. Parking was also free. I’m always blown away by the diversity of this country. Sicily is another world compared to the far north of Italy, Bolzano was an Italian Switzerland and Treviso was an inland Venetian style city with far less tourists. We did pop into Venice for the morning before our flight and realized very quickly it’s not an ideal place to visit with a toddler, with no pram and lots of bridges and tight alleyways to traverse with him on our shoulders or in our arms (N.B bring a backpack kids carrier next time). We still had a lovely time and we were very happy to get home to Sicily’s warmer temperatures even though we were greeted by snow capped mountains on our drive home to Cianciana. A very rare sighting to have snow in Sicily however Mt Etna and the Madonie mountains do offer skiing in the winter as those ranges and of course tall Etna gets enough snow.

Treviso, Bolzano & Venice

It’s already been such a busy start to the year and I can’t help but slap my self around when I get caught up in thinking too far ahead. We only have energy for these 24 hours. If I didn’t need my phone for work updates I’d gladly take much longer breaks for being so “connected” all the time. Moderation in everything, even moderation. Mumma Lina used to say that one a lot x

Now one of our next adventures to try and sell our sweet little townhouse here (as we have definitely outgrown it and are longing for a garden of our own) and to try wrapping my head around putting together an e-book for travelling to Sicily 🤙🏽🫶🏻🌞

Diane (horticulture & Sicilian olive oil production) : https://www.zest4organicfoodgrowing.com/ https://instagram.com/zest4organic?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Luke’s YouTube channel & trailer for “Sicily by Ape”: https://youtu.be/IcRGUiJmgCc and little write up on his project including a little bio here on fb: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid02fcSyxMErrjbsM2ZmkJdmfK7Hc72jHcHXCpjMZT8VhezRnKgktG6rwpCvNSJHje6ul&id=100040970356989

Harvest time before hibernation time 🐻

Well my blog posts seem to come about during a change in seasons…noticing a pattern here…that the change in season seems to also reflect a shift in life, a transition or a new adventure. Recently, Dani left Sicily for Australia and New Zealand and in the last couple of months Raf has started preschool, (a huge new chapter in our lives as a family). Clever Dani, or “Tsitsi” to Raf, knows how to follow the sun and make sure she doesn’t do winter unless she needs to 🙂 We have so loved having her here and going on adventures or just knowing we are down the road from eachother and can go get a coffee or an aperitivo. She’s touched down in Perth and spending some time with our mother’s side of the family before heading back to NZ.

We also plan to be down under (GW) in the new year as we have tickets booked for mid-February still in time to catch the end of Summer down under. Till then we have several projects on the go; from editing Luke’s APE series, to reviewing Code Red and looking into how we can create a full length film or series to enjoying Christmas in Catania and wrapping up our days on the set of a film being shot here, that all three of us have roles in!

As the colder weather has started to settle in, I keep pinching myself that we get to be on this Mediterranean island that doesn’t really get a serious winter. It can rain a bit, which makes the farmers happy and those that love fresh produce even happier, because this fertile soil needs a good dose of H2O after the dry summers that we get. When the rain does come though, it pours and the streets in our hilltop town turn into rapids cascading from the Calvary down over the cobblestone streets. It can get a little hard to navigate the country roads when there’s been consistent rain and the mud builds up. It also cleansing in many ways and a warm invitation to stay cosy inside and surrender to this time where life can be quieter than in the warmer months.

Raf on set ♥️

Life with a toddler though is never truly quiet but this stage we are in has been so fun. Understandably there can be challenges but I find music, walking & dancing really helps whenever I feel like I’m stuck in a rut. I’ve noticed that the frustration is usually directly related to someone needing a nap or a snack and that applies to all three of us 😉 Raf is seemingly enjoying preschool, it’s such a big learning curve and so wonderful that he gets to socialize with the lovely kids in his class. I only speak to Rafael in Italian about some of the time at home. So he’s just been such a good boy adapting to this new chapter in his life. And his speaking is really starting to develop more and more with so many new words as of late. He’s been a bit slower with talking but from what I am told, it’s to be expected when a little one is exposed to more than one language and a new culture.

Zingarelle Autumn Gathering @ Piazza Armerina – was absolutely stunning. We enjoyed a lovely weekend at the beautiful Villa Trigona, served a delicious dinner and had such terrific hospitality. But above all we got to take a collective exhale altogether and stop time with eachother to just be, share and reconnect. So glad and grateful for this community that is continuing to grow and be nurtured here by like-minded women across the island.

It’s so heartwarming to know such lovely people here in Sicily and my wider international community, from recent new friendships forged and meals shared, namely a wonderful thanksgiving feast hosted by a fellow Zingarelle to old friends like Anna visiting us with her family at the end of Summer. Friends and family all over the world that have been so thoughtful and sent notes over the past 8 months, checked in on us and given us space to grieve and grow. That precious time we had with Mum before she ascended to a Higher Ground has filled me up with so much love and although she’s not here anymore I talk to her often, think of her everyday and feel her warmth and love over us all.

I am excited to get back in front of the camera in my first acting role since becoming a Mum, and so excited it’s here in Sicily on the set of an English movie production. It’s a tiny part but like Stanislavsky said, “there are no small roles, only small actors”. I can’t wait to share it with you when it’s released as hopefully you’ll get to spot all three of us in it. And in other exciting news, Luke’s short film Code Red received third place in the people’s voting at a groovy international short film festival in Catania just the other week! It was such an honor to be invited and enjoy a night together 🥂

I am going to add some photos of the olive harvest at Dad’s, as well as the beautiful time we had in Switzerland and then in Oregon at the end of the Summer. We enjoyed a wonderful time camping & just hanging out with our U.S. family and friends and so look forward to seeing them all again soon. Rafael was such a champ whilst travelling and continues to blow us away with just how cool he is when we throw him into new situations and experiences. Thankful for him, my lovely Luke, famiglia, amici & my bedda Sicilia.

Stay warm and hopeful & remain ever joyful even if it means a quiet joy and inner-calm that no one can take from you. Happy Festive season folks. With love, Manu x

heat waves and remembering Mum ✨

This Summer started with such an intense heatwave then it leveled out and then got hot again and then we were all reminded that Sicily is just hot in July and August. Plain and simple. But man it has been exhausting at times and I never thought I’d say it but I have been grateful for our AC! It’s been an awesome summer so far and we’ve been fortunate to host friends, go to Germany, I got to get away for a weekend, help the town put on an outdoor movie night…and the adventures aren’t over yet…we have a trip to the States coming up via Switzerland! I’m excited to see my in laws and see them enjoy quality time with Raf and reconnect with friends in southern Oregon as well as go back to stay with my wonderful host family in Switzerland from when I was an au pair at 18 years old.

I’m so happy I’ve had another summer with my family here in Sicily, staying strong together since farewelling Mum, we have been grieving, growing and surrendering to the heat and rest that comes with it. During the siesta time one can only really rest or be in the water in this heat and so I have very much taken advantage of still having a napping toddler and enjoying a rest most days myself. Interspersed in with the summer socializing and town festivities that take place every year around this time for “Ferragosto”!

Having Luke by my side to cheer me up and the constant reminder that I have a great responsibility and love to nurture and grow right under my nose has helped me to not get too low and be sad for too long with the rawness of Mum’s passing. Dad continues to always lift us all up as well and I can’t imagine summer without his country casa always ready to host whoever rocks up for a post beach nap or meal on the terrace. I miss her so much some days but know she would want us to be “going out there and enjoying life”. She would then proceed to increase the volume of whatever music she had on and whip up some amazing meal while we all left her in peace, and then return hungry to have our tummies and souls fed with good food, laughter and conversation.

Rafael is so fun and loving at the moment. At the same time, it feels like he’s getting faster by the minute and still eating his go-to favorites and not quite expanding his palette yet…even though I keep trying and won’t give up trying to get him to taste new things. Mama hood is like a constant bootcamp and the rewards are so amazing but you gotta keep moving forward and allow for the challenges to make you better and stronger. As humbling as it is rewarding. When I see him smile and laugh I give myself grace and know that he’ll reach all of his “milestones” on his own timing, as long as there’s love, everything else will fall into place.

This is really a gratitude post for my family and my Sicilia bedda. Having my lovely sister (a talented creative soul) here helping me with Rafael and being there for each other with the great shared loss we have experienced this year has been monumental. She’s been so generous in opening up Mum’s home; now her home, to guests that we’ve had. From my Swiss host sister back in the spring to lovely Blake & Kat from Australia and most recently sweet highschool friend, Ella who was solo-travelling through Italy. I always love how Mum loved hosting people and as we continue to do so we get to see new parts of Sicily and enjoy it from a visitor’s perspective. A new highlight had to be seeing the Greek temples in Agrigento by night for the first time and visiting Belvedere Kainon for sunset up above the Turkish Steps…magical memories ✨But I think the most memorable has to be the outdoor movie night that Ella arrived just in time for. The whole audience were so engaged in the film, “Nuovo Cinema Paradiso” and it was a lovely evening that I hope is only the start of many more outdoor movie nights in Cianciana…

There have been constant gentle reminders to take time to be alone or to say less or to say more with actions. It’s also been a time of learning to let go of thoughts and emotions that get in the way of holding onto Hope and remembering that the peace that surpasses all understanding can liberate us from trying to understand it all; a release from needing to know why things happen the way they do and to simply exhale and be ok with the here and now and know that everything is going to be alright…andrò tutto bene 🙏

Some photos below of our Zingarelle (international female community) gathering in July in Comiso area where stayed at the amazing Chiusa del curiale https://www.facebook.com/chiusadelcuriale we enjoyed a visit to a friends lovely home and saw her horses…swam at Marina di Ragusa, did a clay workshop, ate a delicious dinner and simply had time to connect with other international and Sicilian ladies who live on the island 🌞 A dopo!

3rd season, chapter 1

With my 30th birthday just around the corner I’ve been reflecting on my life and the people I’ve come to know, the different countries I’ve lived in and the experiences I’ve had that have made the person I am today. The greatest adventure yet becoming a Mum and the hardest so far saying goodbye to my wonderful Mum and best friend. What a journey just this last year alone has been and as much as this Spring has been so hard and such grief has been felt, such a new and raw emotion for me and my family, I have such a peace in my heart. Even though a great part of my life is now gone, she is felt forever more in spirit, in Raf’s cheeky smile and in the Sicilian sunshine and salty water we so love to bask in…

Life is so short, so beautiful, so hard sometimes and so incredibly mysterious. I’ve been overcome with such emotion these last couple of months and re-discovering the strength in Joy and the peace in surrendering to God and His care and plans for me and my family. This town and community we are living in have enveloped us in such love and support, we can’t say enough how much care and kindness has been demonstrated to us. From all of the messages and phone calls from abroad, from her sweet family and the people she knew and loved, thank you so much!

Since Mum’s passing we have been learning to be still which is hard for us but also not shy away from opportunity and adventure. As much as we’ve needed to grieve we’ve had these beautiful experiences that fell so timely into the space between her departure and the adjustment back to our day to day lives. Like a weaning process and a safe harbor of family time and support while we came to terms with everything, stronger together, reminiscing all of the fun we had and imagining just how much fun she’s having now. At complete peace and rest ❤️

From Rafael’s second birthday we have been slowly welcoming the change of season and we are so excited to start swimming again and enjoy the salty Mediterranean in all of its glory. I’ll go backwards, to recap the spontaneous adventures we’ve been on in the last couple of months starting with my first proper dip in the sea close to Palermo airport. After enjoying the hot thermal Springs in Segesta, Dani acting as tour guide at the Segesta Greek temple where some of Indiana Jones film was shot & a delicious meal in Terrasini piazza, I dropped off my sister (who headed to France to visit an old friend) and Dana at the airport.

Dana was my host sister from when I worked as an au pair in Switzerland 12 years ago! She’s now my age when I started travelling and left New Zealand! It’s so amazing to see both my sister and Dana turn into these beautiful & smart young women with their whole lives ahead of them. We had such a fun and busy time with her visiting us and after sending them off on their journeys, I threw myself in the water to reset, met up with a new friend for a snack on the beach and got ready for the drive home to Cianciana.

Before Dana visited we travelled up to the north of Italy for a few days for a creative project that Luke had set up with a boat company on Lake Iseo. An absolutely breathtaking place to visit, especially off-season. I think it’s my favorite time to travel, when places aren’t overrun with tourists and even Dad joined us which was so fun. We had a magical time and both healing and tiring enjoying the immense natural beauty of the snow capped mountains and glistening lake. The most beautiful thing with being altogether since Mum has gone has been the relationship between Rafael and my Dad blossom, it’s moved me to tears..to see Dad become a Nonno. Both him and Mum didn’t meet Rafael until he was almost 1.5 years old and I’m so eternally grateful for the Summer we had here last year and see them both step into the shoes of Nonna & Nonno ❤️

Before Lago d’Iseo we went to Mt Etna for a spontaneous meet up with some new friends that Dani and I met through a beautiful new community of women living on this island, both Siciliana and International who have made Sicily their home. We enjoyed an awesome day in the snow and Rafael loved sledding after Luke taught Dani to ski! It was a great trip, short but so sweet. We got to visit a beautiful place outside of Catania called Etna Urban Winery run by an awesome couple and new friends who I met through “Zingarelle” this new community that was born out of a need to create connections between mothers and women living here on the island and started with a gorgeous retreat we organized shortly after Mum passed. So thankful for these new friendships and seeing new corners of Sicily.

Thank you for letting me share my journey with you. It’s been hard, and for anyone that has experienced this heartache I am with you and I am learning to continue to enjoy life, with all of it’s ups and downs. I want to make her proud and try to live my life to the fullest and be the best mother I can be to Rafael and wife to Luke 🙏🏼

I hope we can carry on some part of her legacy and interweave it into our own lives. She was a fiery one, a beautiful soul and man she loved to have a good time! Her food floods my memories, the music always playing in her home and her smile and laugh was a true gift getting to share in it and have so many fun and crazy experiences with her. Thank you for blazing so many trails Mum, in typical Aries fashion. Love you, I know you are having such fun in paradise – angel and friend forever 🙏🏼

Solo trip for Mum, a Sicilian Christmas & here’s to a Happy New Year!

Just before Christmas was a huge milestone for me this past year, amongst all of the other incredible milestones we’ve experienced as new parents. I took a solo trip to New York and had an amazing time even though it was so strange to be away from my baby boy. I missed him so much and was so grateful to Luke and my mum for helping, so I could sneak away for several nights to attend my friend’s wedding in Saratoga Springs. I came back with a recharged battery in spite of all the traveling during these strange times and how quick the trip was, the feeling of anonymity when traveling and the ‘reset’ that I experience is so worth all of the logistics of planning a trip, big or small.

Even with all the distancing and wearing of masks, I got to meet some really cool people on the journey there and back. Whether it was a familiar Aussie accent in the check-in line, a family with young kids, a professional soccer player or one of my favorites; when an older couple want to share their whole life story with me. I was so glad I connected with several mums, all with kids similar to Raf’s age and each with different backgrounds. We could commiserate on certain aspects of having young kids during a pandemic but we also shared the silver linings and one of the plus sides to technology and social media is that we can stay in touch easily and hopefully cross paths again.

One couple from Calabria on my flight to the US were visiting their son in New York. The elderly gentleman introduced himself as a mathematics teacher and severely claustrophobic but so excited to meet their new grandson and to top it off this was his first flight EVER! It was very special and sweet to keep turning around and checking in on them. He did so well! There was also a dog on the same flight over, in the row next to me. It didn’t move the whole time and even though everyone was quite shocked to see & smell an animal on board, he behaved better than some human passengers on the flight 🙂

While I had the opportunity to, I soaked up my time away from being ‘Mama’ by indulging in a therapeutic massage, thrift shopping, finding cute little breakfast spots and watching a whole film…from start to finish, and it didn’t have any Disney characters in it. This little jaunt to the US was the perfect chance to reflect on the last two years and everything that’s happened, to honor the awesome long journey of breastfeeding with Raf which has now come to an end and moving with a baby to Italy, to a home not yet fully renovated and how wonderful my best friend and partner in life is through all of the change and adapting, Luke has remained constant and loving. I’m so excited for what’s in store for him this year.

I was able to truly relax and I hope to try to relax more and more into motherhood. It’s such a daily surrendering act for me and as we enter into this new phase of toddlerhood with Rafael I’m learning the power of patience and rest and grace when big emotions come into play and to remember to laugh even when it’s tough. He’s such an amazing boy and it’s such an adventure being his mum. I honestly still can’t believe it sometimes that he’s our son. Ok back to the journey, here’s some photos of the trip, snowy wonderland and a decadent wedding venue and scrumptious massage table 🙂

When I began to write this entry I was sitting in a typical American coffee shop; bagels and treats readily available and a jazzy soundtrack accompanying the early morning political debate going on at the table behind me. I clearly looked very at home on the worn-in leather couch as what seemed like a regular patron of the cafe commented on how comfortable I seemed…I was! How could I not enjoy a breakfast bagel and a dirty chai; a drink that’s hard to find in Italy, snow falling outside and feet sore from a night of dancing at the wedding of my dear friend and boss.

The wedding was also like a reunion for me as I had such a lovely time being with friends from New Zealand who are like family to me. The food was amazing, the ceremony was truly divine and I loved chatting to the wonderful mixture of guests at the reception. The day after we all got to visit the family of the bride’s apple farm, enjoy brunch and a drink or two in the brewery. It was by far the most elegant reception I’ve ever been to and I loved getting to experience an upstate New York wedding, complete with a perfect dusting of snow and a dreamy train trip back to the city to fly home to Sicily.

Returning home to Christmas & New Year’s festivities has been so lovely and The Bains’ are altogether, plus my two foxes for the first time in 5 years and of course Rafael’s first Christmas with my side of the family. Each night our little hilltop town plays Christmas tunes that echo down the Main Street, the Christmas lights twinkling all evening long and the clock tower steps adorned with a red-carpet of poinsettias. It’s been a special times; good food, games and lots of laughter; both laughing at and with certain members of the family. To top it all off my sister who is here for a few more days has been jumping into the sea since we’ve had such a nice stretch of warm weather and she‘ll be returning to cold ol’London-town for work. A real Kiwi/Ozzie Gypsy like me she gets a round of applause from the New Year’s day patrons at one of the beach restaurants. So I couldn’t help myself and jumped in the Med on New Year’s Day! A great way to start 2022!

Wishing you all a great start to the New Year, may it bring about great change and a fresh new start to us all. Praying for safety, love and good health for all 🤍