Sicily may be extraordinarily photogenic, but the real island cannot be squeezed into an Instagram carousel. Its beauty comes with heat, chaos, bureaucracy, fierce family bonds and food so good that even the ricotta could inspire a religious conversion.

This week, Daniel is joined by Danielle Nemesio, the American-born travel and lifestyle creator behind @danielle_in_sicily. After visiting the island for a decade, Danielle moved there with her Sicilian husband and began sharing an honest, funny and affectionate account of life beyond the holiday photographs.

Danielle takes us beneath Sicily’s polished surface. She explains why Palermo is the best place to begin, why trying to conquer the Mediterranean’s largest island in five days is a terrible idea, and why June, September and October are usually kinder than the blistering peak of summer.

We travel from the street-food markets of Ballarò and Vucciria to the pistachio town of Bronte, the black volcanic landscape of Mount Etna and the dazzling white cliffs of the Scala dei Turchi. Danielle also makes a persuasive case for Sicily having the finest food in Italy, with caponata, pasta alla Norma, freshly filled cannoli, sarde a beccafico and the considerably more adventurous stigghiola all entering the conversation.

There is plenty of practical advice too. Danielle explains the importance of learning a little Italian, the local approach to tipping, what Sicily’s famous one-euro houses really involve and why an agriturismo or vineyard stay can offer a richer experience of the island. She also shares the romantic story of meeting her Sicilian husband while they were both working at Walt Disney World’s EPCOT, a meeting that eventually led to what she calls her ‘reverse American dream’.

Most importantly, this is a conversation about what Sicily feels like from the inside: a place where life moves piano piano, community comes first and saying goodbye can take an hour because there is always another kiss, hug or conversation before you finally reach the car.