Just checking in from Kinko's. Do I give you the impression that I'm obsessed about this thread, cmt? :-)

Happy holidays, everyone!

I think you may be thinking of gelato-Italy-Marco Polo-Sicily-Catherine de Medici-France-palate. However, while iced confections were probably first developed in China, I think current research supports the position that it did not spread from China to northern Italy to the rest of Europe. Without disputing that China may have been very first to develop iced confections (though not necessarily with milk and cream, which I think have not been common foods in the far east), there seems to be more credible support for the view that the iced confections that spread to the WESTERN world developed in Sicily. The Greeks and Arabs nmade some culinary use of Etna's snow, and the Arabs who dominated much of Sicily mixed it with sweet fruit syrups, which were and still are a typical middle eastern treat. This was the origin of granita, whcih was develoepd best in Sicily. It may have spread to northern and central Italy, and from there, to other countries, the same way pasta spread from Arab Sicily.

111op: No accusations, but if you're posting from an Internet cafe in a foreign country....:) Happy holidays.

You got it cmt. Historical accounts are varied, my thread supports the evolution of sorbet; however, therein lies the basis of a granita and ice cream too. As you know, granita is the same combination of ice, fruit, water as sorbet. Between the Middle East and Orient strains, we Westerners have been left with some tasty desserts!

Your turn!

Name these two 19th century romantic composers. Their surnames, translated into English, are 5 letter words for ingredients of a pastry dessert. One has 5 letters in his first name and 5 in his last (second letter of last name is the "i" from Catherine de Medici), and the other has 7 in his first name and 7 in his last (second letter of last name is the "m" from Marco Polo). These two composers were from different countries. The first named composer (the one with letters 5/5) was born in a town with 8 letters (penultimate letter is the "a" from palate), which now has a different name with 7 letters (third is the "i" from Sicily). The other one was born in a town whose name has 8 letters (third is the "t" from Catherine de Medici), or 10 letters (same third letter), depending on the spelling used.

Franz Liszt
Bedrich Smetana
Doborjan (Hungary)
Raiding
Litomysl (Bohemia)
Leitomischl (actually 11 letters)

You have it, flour (Liszt) and cream (Smetana).

Thanks for the cream tip (I had the flour part!) :)

Ok, here's my clue.....

Long ago, this was once an idyllic area of SE Europe, however, conquests and conflict have made it an area of unrest that has continued to this day. It was conquered by the Romans in 156 B.C., and became the province known as (9 letters - 2nd letter is "l" from Liszt). In 10 A.D., this province was split into 2 areas, (8 letters - 3rd letter is "n" from Franz) in the north and (8 letters - 4th letter is "m" from Smetana), in the south. Roman Emperor (10 letters - 7th letter is "t" from Liszt) made this southern province famous by building a palace for himself close to this city, now called (5 letters - 4th letter is "i" from Bedrich).

The province changed hands between the HRE and the Eastern Roman Empire in the 800s. Then this European maritime city (6 letters - 4th letter is "i" from Raiding) took over most of the province by 1420, ruling for nearly 380 years. Then this ruler, (8 letters - 7th letter is "o" from Doborjan) gave the province back to Austria, in return for Belgium. After WW2, the province became known as (10 letters - 5th letter is "s" from Litomysl), disintegrating in 1991 into the independent country of (7 letters - 6th letter is "i" from Bedrich).

I'm just here looking for a friend, but I thought I would try the question.

Illyricum
Pannonia
Dalmatia
Diocletian
Split
Venice
Napoleon
Yugoslavia
Croatia

I think I found who I'm looking for, and if so can I get a free balloon?

You got it MissScarlett24 - your turn!

I guess I'm not the only insomniac here, unless the rest of you are on the west coast!

I am on the west coast and it is 12:30 am now.....

I am on the east coast, and I should be sleeping!
Bonne nuit!

MissScarlett24: If you're not ready to make up a new puzzle clue yet, would you just post something letting us know you saw this and will be posting one? (It will be nice to have a new person making up clues for a change.)

Wow, this is the only thread she's contributed to. Maybe she's someone's alterego. :-)

That, or one of those elusive posters. Clue anyone???

Sorry everyone, I did not intend to hold up this whole thing. Unfortunately, I am very busy and do not have the time to come up with a clue anytime soon. So I am passing my turn off to someone else so things may continue. Hopefully I will be able to join the fun soon. Sorry again.

Ok, I'll go.
This tiny village (2-9) is near a very popular small village (6) in this very touristic area (8) of this country (6). It contains a small romanesque church, surrounded by a necropolis in which most tombs are the size of children. According to the beliefs of the time, unbaptized children who had died were brought here, resuscitated for a mass in which they were baptized, then they died again and were buried at this spot.

The 6th letter of the tiny village is the "L" from Illyricum.

Sorry this is so gruesome; would have been a better choice for near end of Oct. or Nov. 1.

This must have really grossed people out!

Clue, for anyone who wants to continue with it: the area is the Vaucluse.

I'm trying, but so far only found a place in Switzerland.