This is a part of Jessica's adventure.
Thursday, April 13, 2006
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Michelle & Jessica in Sicily (written 4.5.06)
The Monday after the feast of San Giuseppe, we took Jessica to Buscemi, called a "rural museum" or a "museum of the country people." Buscemi, as I have written about before, is a small village on the Iblean Plateau, spread across the top of a hillside, with records indicating it has been there since Arab times. It's another of the towns in this area devastated by that earthquake in the 1600s and had to be completely rebuilt. The town also has many buildings built in the 1950s, not a stellar time for housing in Sicily and much of it, on close examination, is not very pretty. From a distance, the view is charming however and the cool part of it is the sites they preserved, where people from the countryside actually worked. Several weeks ago we went on this private tour around the town visiting places such as the carpenter's shop, tinker's, shoemaker's, wine-press, oil-press, the farm manager's house and a house of the contadini (day laborers). Jessica found all of this fascinating as we had before and was as surprised as we were to learn that this house, primitive as it was, was lived in as late as the 1960s. Our tour guide explained how poor living conditions were for these people and it made it very clear to us why our great-grandparents left and went in search of a better life.
Palazzolo Acreide, founded in 664 BC on a high hill, is near to Buscemi and contains a large archeological site with a well-preserved Hellenistic theatre, Roman silos and mills and the remains of quarries and Byzantine tombs. It was fascinating to explore. We were able to see the eroded reliefs representing the goddess Cybele, now protected with plexiglass and a sort of shade structure. We love the area around Buscemi and Palazzolo Acreide also, with its green rolling hills and terraces and with everything in bloom it is even more gorgeous now!
On Tuesday we drove to Caltagirone where Jessica and I had fun going in all the little shops and even buying some ceramics. I finally decided on a large platter I had fallen in love with and Jessica found a really pretty flowerpot and some little gifts for her friends. I especially like the work in a shop called "Alessi" and had a hard time decided what I wanted because I like so many things there!
Michelle arrived on Wednesday, later than expected. Her flight from Milan was scheduled to land at 11am but when we got to the airport we were disappointed to learn that it had been cancelled. We waited at the terminal until we were able to ascertain what flight they had her on and when she would be here, thanks to a very helpful young man at the Alitalia check-in desk. Since we had a few hours to kill, we decided to go back to Aci Trezza for lunch and to enjoy the views from the harbor there of the big rocks called "the Ciclopi."
We were all so very happy to see her pretty face walk out of the gate but sorry to hear that her luggage did not arrive with her. With promises that it would be delivered the next day at our apartment in Marina di Ragusa we headed home. Michelle decided that she could wear most of Jessica's things in the meantime, with one exception. This is a funny part of the story as we drove the car to the nearest town we could exit on the freeway, Lentini. It was getting late, we were afraid shops would be closed by the time we arrived in Ragusa and so we made a wild search through the streets for a shop that would sell "unmentionables" - normally a very easy task in Italy since there seems to be one underwear shop for every 10 women! The shop we found appeared to be closing and we dashed out of the car, with a desperate cry of "aperto??" (are you open??) to which the woman replied "certo!!" and ushered the three of us (me, for language; Jessica for moral support I guess and Michelle, well, you know.) What this woman thought of the three of us seemingly desperate for a pair of panties I did not know but I was able to explain to her that our friend had just arrived here from America but that her bags did not and as it was getting late we were afraid we would not find any shops open and were happy that she was! Imagine, that I can say all of that in Italian!! Of course, I think I sound a bit like a Tarzan and Jane movie script - "me Jane, you Tarzan" but I got the point across and she was very understanding.
We drove to Ragusa for Michelle to see the beautiful city of Ragusa Superiore and Ragusa Ibla, the wonderful panorama that we have grown to love so much, spread across, and tumbling down from the crest of the hills. We stopped in Ibla for a late dinner at Nino and Titos, delighted to be together again. Michelle and Jessica have been friends for years and since our daughter moved to Milwaukee, every visit to Phoenix brought a gathering with Michelle, sometimes with their husbands included, most usually just the two girlfriends and Bob and I. We have many happy memories of those times. This was a new and novel extension of it!
The next day allowed for a sleep in and rest up, leisurely breakfast and phone calls to the airline to see what was going on with the luggage. Still saying that the luggage would be delivered some time that day, I volunteered to remain at home while they went out and explored. Bob drove them to Modica to sightsee, not wanting to spoil the one week they had together. I stayed home and rested (not altogether a bad thing after two weeks of non-stop touring with our non-stop daughter!). I took a nap, read my book, made a pot of chicken soup and did some writing. They returned home for dinner and we all drove to Donnalucata for some of the best gelato in the area, not only a feast for the tummy, but a visual delight as the flavors are all piled high and decorated with whatever the particular ingredient might be (lemon slices, bits of fruit, cookies, etc.) Unfortunately, the luggage still had not arrived.
It was decided that in the morning Bob would drive them to Ibla for sightseeing and come home. When the bag arrived, which we were now crossing our fingers about, we would get back in the car, pick up the girls and drive to Siracusa. Best laid plans and all that, needless to say, the bag had not arrived by noon and I insisted they go on without me. Had we thought about it, we probably could have asked Elio to have the bag delivered to his office (as he told me later he would have been glad to do) but we never thought it would take so long to arrive and then didn't want to confuse the issue by changing delivery places. They had a wonderful time in Siracusa and as these two young women hadn't seen each other for over a year (when we left Phoenix) it was good that they had time alone together and so from that perspective really I didn't mind all that much. I do enjoy Siracusa very much though and I was glad they were able to see it. I made myself a lovely little dish of pasta from a recipe in the book "Everyday Italian" my sister-in-law Elaine sent me when we were in Perugia and it was delightful. Finally around 9pm the bag arrived, unharmed, all in one piece! Yeah!! No more waiting!
Our next outing was to be Piazza Armerina and Morgantina. Bob and I visited Piazza Armerina, the Roman villa that was buried for centuries under mud, and its incredibly well preserved mosaic floors, several weeks ago (you can find photos and story in our archives) but had not been to Morgantina. Since Bob had not rested as I had, and since he was the one doing all the driving, he decided to take a little nap in the car while we three "girls" went exploring. Morgantina was a lovely surprise for me. I really did not know what to expect and found this archeological site fascinating. It was a town, founded around 1000 BC and then occupied by the Greeks, followed of course by the Romans and the site is quite extensive and still undergoing archeological excavation. In its day, it was a strategic trade center between north and south Sicily and I imagine quite prosperous. We had a good feel for what the city must have been like, where the shops were, the town bakery, the gymnasium, the sanctuary where they worshipped the goddesses Demeter and Persephone, the city walls, the road leading into the town, and of course, for Jessica, the most special place - the theatre.
The following day was the last one in Marina di Ragusa for our intrepid travelers. They needed time to pack up all their souvenirs, and get their things together as we would be leaving in the morning to spend two days in Catania before their flights on Tuesday morning. We took a drive along the coast, ending up in Capo delle Correnti, the southernmost tip of Sicily. It was a windy, cold day and we wanted them to also see Marzamemi with its pretty little harbor and charming stone buildings but by the time we got there it was getting dark and seemed kind of deserted, not at all like the last time we were there, so we were a bit disappointed that they had not seen it in its best light. We headed home and went to Bacciamolemani, a nice restaurant here in Marina for dinner. It was very quiet when we arrived and we have enjoyed their food in the past but no sooner had we settled in than a large party arrived with several small children who proceeded to run around the restaurant as if they were in a playground. One of the nice things we've seen and appreciated here in Sicily, and even in Perugia, is that children are part of every event. They do not seem to be left behind with babysitters but take part in whatever the adults are doing. This is the way it was when I was growing up and we kids just played around the grownups. During this, our last dinner in Marina, however, I did not appreciate it and wished their parents had corralled them a bit more and not permitted them to run wild among the other diners, who were not part of the family event. I don't think this bothered anyone but me however and it just seemed a very natural thing that they be included and allowed to just be kids.
On to Catania! We had found a B&B in Catania through the Internet called "5 balconi" (Cinque Balconi - www.5balconi.it). It looked very charming and well located and I enjoyed a nice dialog with the owners, Rob, who is British and his lovely wife Cristina, who was born in Palermo. They bought this large apartment on the 3rd floor of a large palazzo near the Castello Ursino and lovingly restored it. They live in the upper part and created four comfortable guest rooms, that surround a living area, complete with charming breakfast corner. We all thought it was adorable when Rob, after waving at us from one of the balconies, helped us with our luggage up the stairs with the caution in his British "accent": "watch out for the steps, they're a bit rustic and a bit dodgy." The rooms are not "ensuite" (meaning the bathrooms are not in the rooms). The two bathrooms are shared by the guests and as I didn't feel comfortable with that, asked if I had understood correctly that this was the situation. Rob and Cristina suggested that if we wanted to stay with them, that they would not accept any other guests for the two nights that we were there, that we could have the place all to ourselves and we happily agreed. We were so glad we did! We could not have asked for nicer, more friendly, helpful and knowledgeable hosts. They suggested restaurants, told us about the antique market and recommended a little town to visit north of Taormina - that I'll tell you about in a minute. Cristina is also a wonderful photographer and her gorgeous and powerful (and award-winning) black and white photographs of Holy Week in Enna adorning the walls in the kitchen area were a delight to see. She had Bob had a few things to talk about there in terms of photography. Plus they gave us information about this event, which we hope to be able to attend coming up soon.
Jessica's guidebook was not kind to the city of Catania and the way it described the crumbly parts of it would have scared away a less adventurous bunch. But we had been to Catania during the festival of Sant'Agata and knew that the center was very pretty with its baroque churches and palazzi lining the main streets of the city and the beautiful Villa Bellini, the park at one end. With a view of Mt Etna and lovely shops and outdoor cafes, we knew there was more to it than what the guidebooks were saying. It is true, that there are many parts of the city in desperate need of restoration and from what we gathered, there is still a mafia influence that does not seem to be working for the good of the city and building and restoration projects must be challenging to accomplish, although there seem to be many in the process. But Rob spoke lovingly about how much they enjoyed living in the city of Catania and the arts and culture they have found there, plus the way they have been accepted by their neighbors and looked out for as one of their own, once it was obvious they wanted to make improvements and be a part of the community and demonstrated that they were there to stay. We are honored to have met them and hope our paths will cross again. Jessica enjoyed talking with Rob also because prior to opening this B&B he had worked as a location manager for films in Great Britain, and had the entertainment field in common.
We spent the morning wandering around the antiques market and just generally seeing the city, crumbly bits and gorgeous palazzi and everything in between. Lunch was spent sitting in one of the outdoor cafés in the main piazza. The food was nothing special but we sat overlooking the baroque cathedral dedicated to Sant'Agata, and the Fontana dell'Elefante, so it was worth it. Dating from 1736, the fountain contains an elephant sculpted out of lava and topped with an Egyptian obelisk that is the symbol of the city. We went in search of the Roman theatre, surprisingly surrounded by buildings, some of which seemed as crumbly as the theatre, badly damaged during WWII, currently undergoing some restorations. The little museum was interesting and contained architectural and sculptural bits and pieces.
We took their suggestion for dinner at a restaurant called "Camelot" (it's right next to the Norman castle!) and I thoroughly enjoyed just filling my plate with an assortment of antipasti as my main course (grilled zucchini, eggplant, stuffed tomatoes, hardboiled eggs, roasted peppers, & more). I love trying a little of this and a little of that.
The next day was spent in Taormina, visiting the last of the archeological sites for Jessica, the Greco/Roman theatre, and exploring this charming resort city. Rob and Cristina told us also about a tiny town 15 minutes north of Taormina called Forza d'Agrò where there was a fantastic restaurant and a church where they had filmed a scene for one of the Godfather movies. Food and film history plus a fantastic view! What more could we ask? We did enjoy Taormina (more souvenirs for the girls) a delightful walk through the town and the wonderful views at the Theatre overlooking the sea and Mt. Etna and we were off.
Forza d'Agrò is a medieval village with a 16th century castle at the top. It's tiny, tiny, but very authentic and original. We were starving by the time we arrived and the little restaurant, as Rob had explained was indeed the first thing we saw as we reached the top of the mountain. So kind, he had called to let the owner know we were coming (and, I'm sure to be certain they were open so that they could call and advise us if they weren't) so they were expecting us. The weather was gorgeous and warm and we opted to sit outside in what feels like someone's backyard, the atmosphere is very informal and simple. Someone's backyard if they happen to look out over the Mediterranean with a view of Calabria across the Straits of Messina in front of you! It was spectacular. But what was really spectacular was the food! Cristina told us that the husband was Sicilian but the wife was from Tuscany so the food would be a mix of both of these cultures and exceptional. We ordered the antipasti, a pitcher of wine and a bottle of water to start. What we did not expect was that the antipasti just kept coming! Everything we tasted was divine! Bob started singing "Heaven, I'm in Heaven..." which is totally not at all like Bob to break into a show tune sung my Fred Astaire! But that is the effect this food had on us. Maybe we were just hungry. Maybe it was the wine. Maybe the view and the weather and the fact that we were all here together in this charming little spot but everything, absolutely everything we ate tasted like it was the most perfect representation of that particular dish. There were bruschette with fresh tomatoes and garlic, a couple of different eggplant dishes, mushrooms, roasted red peppers like I have never tasted in my life, prosciutto and salamis with cheeses, and more and more. I wish I could tell you all of the other things we ate but my memory now escapes me, I'm sorry to say! And the funny thing was that it seemed to just keep coming. Every time we thought we were done, she would bring out another dish to try. We were so stuffed, we felt there was no room for a first course but we did agree to try the pumpkin stuffed ravioli and were not disappointed. We shouldn't have, but we reluctantly tried the desserts, a moussier version of tiramisu than I have had and a panna cotta that was light and delicious. After all that Bob and I decided we'd better finish it off with a coffee or we'd want a nap for sure.
We tried to find the church from the Godfather but none of us could remember what that looked like in any of the films and so I bet both Jessica and Michelle will be watching the trilogy to see if they can recognize something. We had fun taking photos and wandering around a bit before descending the mountain and driving along the coast again. We ended up driving all the way to Messina, just so we could see the Straits and walk along the harbor. Not enough time to really explore the city but just a quick taste so they could say they had been there. Bob wanted to get on the road and head back to Catania before dark since driving in these cities is challenging enough in the daylight and he was getting tired. We all were, but we didn't want to see the day come to and end. They were leaving in the morning.
Back in Catania we went to a funky restaurant Rob and Cristina has suggested that is underground, in a lava cave complete with a little stream running through it. It was very unusual and very cool! I don't think any of us were really all that hungry after our lunch extravaganza and we ate lightly and drank some more wine before tumbling back to our rooms so they could do their final packing for the flight home.
Jessica's flight left first, and after tearful hugs and kisses we waited with Michelle to be sure she got safely on her plane, only to learn later that she missed her connection in Rome and ended up spending the night in a hotel! Poor thing, her travel experiences were less than stellar on this first trip to Italy but we hope what happened in between makes up for it and she has good memories of Sicily. We know that we enjoyed having them here, even if it did take a week for us to recover from the experience!!
Now we are alone again for a while. My brother and sister-in-law and my cousins and their wives will be here in a few short weeks. There are things we hope to do before they get here. I want to finish up some paintings and go a few other places we may not get to see afterwards. We are looking forward to Holy Week and all the festivities leading up to Easter. We may also have a week's visit from my friend Elizabeth who is trying now to work it all out. I cannot believe it, but when they all leave, we will only have a couple of weeks before we must leave and I can't think about that now.
Buona giornata,
Rosemary & Bob
Palazzolo Acreide, founded in 664 BC on a high hill, is near to Buscemi and contains a large archeological site with a well-preserved Hellenistic theatre, Roman silos and mills and the remains of quarries and Byzantine tombs. It was fascinating to explore. We were able to see the eroded reliefs representing the goddess Cybele, now protected with plexiglass and a sort of shade structure. We love the area around Buscemi and Palazzolo Acreide also, with its green rolling hills and terraces and with everything in bloom it is even more gorgeous now!
On Tuesday we drove to Caltagirone where Jessica and I had fun going in all the little shops and even buying some ceramics. I finally decided on a large platter I had fallen in love with and Jessica found a really pretty flowerpot and some little gifts for her friends. I especially like the work in a shop called "Alessi" and had a hard time decided what I wanted because I like so many things there!
Michelle arrived on Wednesday, later than expected. Her flight from Milan was scheduled to land at 11am but when we got to the airport we were disappointed to learn that it had been cancelled. We waited at the terminal until we were able to ascertain what flight they had her on and when she would be here, thanks to a very helpful young man at the Alitalia check-in desk. Since we had a few hours to kill, we decided to go back to Aci Trezza for lunch and to enjoy the views from the harbor there of the big rocks called "the Ciclopi."
We were all so very happy to see her pretty face walk out of the gate but sorry to hear that her luggage did not arrive with her. With promises that it would be delivered the next day at our apartment in Marina di Ragusa we headed home. Michelle decided that she could wear most of Jessica's things in the meantime, with one exception. This is a funny part of the story as we drove the car to the nearest town we could exit on the freeway, Lentini. It was getting late, we were afraid shops would be closed by the time we arrived in Ragusa and so we made a wild search through the streets for a shop that would sell "unmentionables" - normally a very easy task in Italy since there seems to be one underwear shop for every 10 women! The shop we found appeared to be closing and we dashed out of the car, with a desperate cry of "aperto??" (are you open??) to which the woman replied "certo!!" and ushered the three of us (me, for language; Jessica for moral support I guess and Michelle, well, you know.) What this woman thought of the three of us seemingly desperate for a pair of panties I did not know but I was able to explain to her that our friend had just arrived here from America but that her bags did not and as it was getting late we were afraid we would not find any shops open and were happy that she was! Imagine, that I can say all of that in Italian!! Of course, I think I sound a bit like a Tarzan and Jane movie script - "me Jane, you Tarzan" but I got the point across and she was very understanding.
We drove to Ragusa for Michelle to see the beautiful city of Ragusa Superiore and Ragusa Ibla, the wonderful panorama that we have grown to love so much, spread across, and tumbling down from the crest of the hills. We stopped in Ibla for a late dinner at Nino and Titos, delighted to be together again. Michelle and Jessica have been friends for years and since our daughter moved to Milwaukee, every visit to Phoenix brought a gathering with Michelle, sometimes with their husbands included, most usually just the two girlfriends and Bob and I. We have many happy memories of those times. This was a new and novel extension of it!
The next day allowed for a sleep in and rest up, leisurely breakfast and phone calls to the airline to see what was going on with the luggage. Still saying that the luggage would be delivered some time that day, I volunteered to remain at home while they went out and explored. Bob drove them to Modica to sightsee, not wanting to spoil the one week they had together. I stayed home and rested (not altogether a bad thing after two weeks of non-stop touring with our non-stop daughter!). I took a nap, read my book, made a pot of chicken soup and did some writing. They returned home for dinner and we all drove to Donnalucata for some of the best gelato in the area, not only a feast for the tummy, but a visual delight as the flavors are all piled high and decorated with whatever the particular ingredient might be (lemon slices, bits of fruit, cookies, etc.) Unfortunately, the luggage still had not arrived.
It was decided that in the morning Bob would drive them to Ibla for sightseeing and come home. When the bag arrived, which we were now crossing our fingers about, we would get back in the car, pick up the girls and drive to Siracusa. Best laid plans and all that, needless to say, the bag had not arrived by noon and I insisted they go on without me. Had we thought about it, we probably could have asked Elio to have the bag delivered to his office (as he told me later he would have been glad to do) but we never thought it would take so long to arrive and then didn't want to confuse the issue by changing delivery places. They had a wonderful time in Siracusa and as these two young women hadn't seen each other for over a year (when we left Phoenix) it was good that they had time alone together and so from that perspective really I didn't mind all that much. I do enjoy Siracusa very much though and I was glad they were able to see it. I made myself a lovely little dish of pasta from a recipe in the book "Everyday Italian" my sister-in-law Elaine sent me when we were in Perugia and it was delightful. Finally around 9pm the bag arrived, unharmed, all in one piece! Yeah!! No more waiting!
Our next outing was to be Piazza Armerina and Morgantina. Bob and I visited Piazza Armerina, the Roman villa that was buried for centuries under mud, and its incredibly well preserved mosaic floors, several weeks ago (you can find photos and story in our archives) but had not been to Morgantina. Since Bob had not rested as I had, and since he was the one doing all the driving, he decided to take a little nap in the car while we three "girls" went exploring. Morgantina was a lovely surprise for me. I really did not know what to expect and found this archeological site fascinating. It was a town, founded around 1000 BC and then occupied by the Greeks, followed of course by the Romans and the site is quite extensive and still undergoing archeological excavation. In its day, it was a strategic trade center between north and south Sicily and I imagine quite prosperous. We had a good feel for what the city must have been like, where the shops were, the town bakery, the gymnasium, the sanctuary where they worshipped the goddesses Demeter and Persephone, the city walls, the road leading into the town, and of course, for Jessica, the most special place - the theatre.
The following day was the last one in Marina di Ragusa for our intrepid travelers. They needed time to pack up all their souvenirs, and get their things together as we would be leaving in the morning to spend two days in Catania before their flights on Tuesday morning. We took a drive along the coast, ending up in Capo delle Correnti, the southernmost tip of Sicily. It was a windy, cold day and we wanted them to also see Marzamemi with its pretty little harbor and charming stone buildings but by the time we got there it was getting dark and seemed kind of deserted, not at all like the last time we were there, so we were a bit disappointed that they had not seen it in its best light. We headed home and went to Bacciamolemani, a nice restaurant here in Marina for dinner. It was very quiet when we arrived and we have enjoyed their food in the past but no sooner had we settled in than a large party arrived with several small children who proceeded to run around the restaurant as if they were in a playground. One of the nice things we've seen and appreciated here in Sicily, and even in Perugia, is that children are part of every event. They do not seem to be left behind with babysitters but take part in whatever the adults are doing. This is the way it was when I was growing up and we kids just played around the grownups. During this, our last dinner in Marina, however, I did not appreciate it and wished their parents had corralled them a bit more and not permitted them to run wild among the other diners, who were not part of the family event. I don't think this bothered anyone but me however and it just seemed a very natural thing that they be included and allowed to just be kids.
On to Catania! We had found a B&B in Catania through the Internet called "5 balconi" (Cinque Balconi - www.5balconi.it). It looked very charming and well located and I enjoyed a nice dialog with the owners, Rob, who is British and his lovely wife Cristina, who was born in Palermo. They bought this large apartment on the 3rd floor of a large palazzo near the Castello Ursino and lovingly restored it. They live in the upper part and created four comfortable guest rooms, that surround a living area, complete with charming breakfast corner. We all thought it was adorable when Rob, after waving at us from one of the balconies, helped us with our luggage up the stairs with the caution in his British "accent": "watch out for the steps, they're a bit rustic and a bit dodgy." The rooms are not "ensuite" (meaning the bathrooms are not in the rooms). The two bathrooms are shared by the guests and as I didn't feel comfortable with that, asked if I had understood correctly that this was the situation. Rob and Cristina suggested that if we wanted to stay with them, that they would not accept any other guests for the two nights that we were there, that we could have the place all to ourselves and we happily agreed. We were so glad we did! We could not have asked for nicer, more friendly, helpful and knowledgeable hosts. They suggested restaurants, told us about the antique market and recommended a little town to visit north of Taormina - that I'll tell you about in a minute. Cristina is also a wonderful photographer and her gorgeous and powerful (and award-winning) black and white photographs of Holy Week in Enna adorning the walls in the kitchen area were a delight to see. She had Bob had a few things to talk about there in terms of photography. Plus they gave us information about this event, which we hope to be able to attend coming up soon.
Jessica's guidebook was not kind to the city of Catania and the way it described the crumbly parts of it would have scared away a less adventurous bunch. But we had been to Catania during the festival of Sant'Agata and knew that the center was very pretty with its baroque churches and palazzi lining the main streets of the city and the beautiful Villa Bellini, the park at one end. With a view of Mt Etna and lovely shops and outdoor cafes, we knew there was more to it than what the guidebooks were saying. It is true, that there are many parts of the city in desperate need of restoration and from what we gathered, there is still a mafia influence that does not seem to be working for the good of the city and building and restoration projects must be challenging to accomplish, although there seem to be many in the process. But Rob spoke lovingly about how much they enjoyed living in the city of Catania and the arts and culture they have found there, plus the way they have been accepted by their neighbors and looked out for as one of their own, once it was obvious they wanted to make improvements and be a part of the community and demonstrated that they were there to stay. We are honored to have met them and hope our paths will cross again. Jessica enjoyed talking with Rob also because prior to opening this B&B he had worked as a location manager for films in Great Britain, and had the entertainment field in common.
We spent the morning wandering around the antiques market and just generally seeing the city, crumbly bits and gorgeous palazzi and everything in between. Lunch was spent sitting in one of the outdoor cafés in the main piazza. The food was nothing special but we sat overlooking the baroque cathedral dedicated to Sant'Agata, and the Fontana dell'Elefante, so it was worth it. Dating from 1736, the fountain contains an elephant sculpted out of lava and topped with an Egyptian obelisk that is the symbol of the city. We went in search of the Roman theatre, surprisingly surrounded by buildings, some of which seemed as crumbly as the theatre, badly damaged during WWII, currently undergoing some restorations. The little museum was interesting and contained architectural and sculptural bits and pieces.
We took their suggestion for dinner at a restaurant called "Camelot" (it's right next to the Norman castle!) and I thoroughly enjoyed just filling my plate with an assortment of antipasti as my main course (grilled zucchini, eggplant, stuffed tomatoes, hardboiled eggs, roasted peppers, & more). I love trying a little of this and a little of that.
The next day was spent in Taormina, visiting the last of the archeological sites for Jessica, the Greco/Roman theatre, and exploring this charming resort city. Rob and Cristina told us also about a tiny town 15 minutes north of Taormina called Forza d'Agrò where there was a fantastic restaurant and a church where they had filmed a scene for one of the Godfather movies. Food and film history plus a fantastic view! What more could we ask? We did enjoy Taormina (more souvenirs for the girls) a delightful walk through the town and the wonderful views at the Theatre overlooking the sea and Mt. Etna and we were off.
Forza d'Agrò is a medieval village with a 16th century castle at the top. It's tiny, tiny, but very authentic and original. We were starving by the time we arrived and the little restaurant, as Rob had explained was indeed the first thing we saw as we reached the top of the mountain. So kind, he had called to let the owner know we were coming (and, I'm sure to be certain they were open so that they could call and advise us if they weren't) so they were expecting us. The weather was gorgeous and warm and we opted to sit outside in what feels like someone's backyard, the atmosphere is very informal and simple. Someone's backyard if they happen to look out over the Mediterranean with a view of Calabria across the Straits of Messina in front of you! It was spectacular. But what was really spectacular was the food! Cristina told us that the husband was Sicilian but the wife was from Tuscany so the food would be a mix of both of these cultures and exceptional. We ordered the antipasti, a pitcher of wine and a bottle of water to start. What we did not expect was that the antipasti just kept coming! Everything we tasted was divine! Bob started singing "Heaven, I'm in Heaven..." which is totally not at all like Bob to break into a show tune sung my Fred Astaire! But that is the effect this food had on us. Maybe we were just hungry. Maybe it was the wine. Maybe the view and the weather and the fact that we were all here together in this charming little spot but everything, absolutely everything we ate tasted like it was the most perfect representation of that particular dish. There were bruschette with fresh tomatoes and garlic, a couple of different eggplant dishes, mushrooms, roasted red peppers like I have never tasted in my life, prosciutto and salamis with cheeses, and more and more. I wish I could tell you all of the other things we ate but my memory now escapes me, I'm sorry to say! And the funny thing was that it seemed to just keep coming. Every time we thought we were done, she would bring out another dish to try. We were so stuffed, we felt there was no room for a first course but we did agree to try the pumpkin stuffed ravioli and were not disappointed. We shouldn't have, but we reluctantly tried the desserts, a moussier version of tiramisu than I have had and a panna cotta that was light and delicious. After all that Bob and I decided we'd better finish it off with a coffee or we'd want a nap for sure.
We tried to find the church from the Godfather but none of us could remember what that looked like in any of the films and so I bet both Jessica and Michelle will be watching the trilogy to see if they can recognize something. We had fun taking photos and wandering around a bit before descending the mountain and driving along the coast again. We ended up driving all the way to Messina, just so we could see the Straits and walk along the harbor. Not enough time to really explore the city but just a quick taste so they could say they had been there. Bob wanted to get on the road and head back to Catania before dark since driving in these cities is challenging enough in the daylight and he was getting tired. We all were, but we didn't want to see the day come to and end. They were leaving in the morning.
Back in Catania we went to a funky restaurant Rob and Cristina has suggested that is underground, in a lava cave complete with a little stream running through it. It was very unusual and very cool! I don't think any of us were really all that hungry after our lunch extravaganza and we ate lightly and drank some more wine before tumbling back to our rooms so they could do their final packing for the flight home.
Jessica's flight left first, and after tearful hugs and kisses we waited with Michelle to be sure she got safely on her plane, only to learn later that she missed her connection in Rome and ended up spending the night in a hotel! Poor thing, her travel experiences were less than stellar on this first trip to Italy but we hope what happened in between makes up for it and she has good memories of Sicily. We know that we enjoyed having them here, even if it did take a week for us to recover from the experience!!
Now we are alone again for a while. My brother and sister-in-law and my cousins and their wives will be here in a few short weeks. There are things we hope to do before they get here. I want to finish up some paintings and go a few other places we may not get to see afterwards. We are looking forward to Holy Week and all the festivities leading up to Easter. We may also have a week's visit from my friend Elizabeth who is trying now to work it all out. I cannot believe it, but when they all leave, we will only have a couple of weeks before we must leave and I can't think about that now.
Buona giornata,
Rosemary & Bob
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Photos of San Giuseppe feast day
“Cena” (dinner) Tables spread with the most incredible feast
The Holy Family arrives, and after washing their hands in wine and water, sits and eats a simple pasta dish, at the “Cena” in front of them
That night, the statue of San Giuseppe was taken in candlelight procession through the streets of Marina di Ragusa
The Holy Family arrives, and after washing their hands in wine and water, sits and eats a simple pasta dish, at the “Cena” in front of them
That night, the statue of San Giuseppe was taken in candlelight procession through the streets of Marina di Ragusa
The Festival of San Giuseppe 3.19.06
Sunday, March 19th, was the Festival of St. Joseph (San Giuseppe in Italian), the patriarch of the Holy Family. It's a big deal in this part of the world. As we had just returned from our week of traveling (I already posted the story of our trip) to Palermo and the west coast of Sicily, we decided to see what our little town of Marina di Ragusa was doing and not to travel any further from home. Around 8am we were awakened by what sounded like fireworks and of course I had to run down to see what was going on. Bob and Jessica opted to stay in bed and sleep and were not quite as curious as I was at the goings on down in the "centro" of our town. I threw on some clothes and walked along the Lungomare to Piazza Duca degli Abruzzi where all the streets surrounding the square had decorations strung across them, much like the Christmas and Carnevale celebrations. As there didn't seem to be much going on, except for all the people going into Mass, I decided to join them and at least get a peak at the inside of the church and then just stayed through the Mass, something I haven't done in a very, very, long time. I found it to be a very meditative and relaxing way to spend the next half hour and then walked around the corner to our paneficio to buy some bread. Maria Rita, the very friendly young woman who works there showed me the traditional bread that is made just for San Giuseppe day, one in the shape of a fish, the other a cross, elaborately decorated bread and I bought one of each. She asked me if I had seen the "cena" and told me where to go to see this very particular part of the San Giuseppe festival. I just sort of wandered around until I noticed that some people were going into a building across from the church where the "cena" was set up. The "cena," are tables decorated with flowers, bread and other foods that create the most amazing feast. Bread is crafted into all sorts of fantastic shapes like fish, baskets and huge bunches of grapes, decorated with little pieces of bread and baked. Every sort of Sicilian delicacy (but no meat, which is supposed to represent the poverty of the Holy Family) was displayed there. The bounty was unbelievable (not sure how this plays into the whole "poverty" theme) and there were huge bowls of fruits and vegetables and bouquets of flowers everywhere. Decanters of deep red wine stood on the tables, each with a great big orange placed on top as a decoration. There were beautiful pastries, cannoli, arancini (those rice balls that are deep fried) cookies, towers of honey balls with sprinkles, ricotta pies and other treats I cannot even name.
Then I saw a band enter the town and begin to play, marching all around through the streets like pied pipers and I could not help but follow to see what would happen next! They basically did a spin all around the center of the town and back to the church again, where I recognized our landlord Elio's brother Salvatore at the entrance to the church. They also own an apartment in Marina di Ragusa and were there attending Mass with his wife Marinella's aunt. Salvatore invited me to join them and explained what would happen next. Some of the town's people were dressed as the Holy Family and would go around and visit homes throughout the town where other "cena" tables were set for them. I was delighted, because I really didn't know what to expect from this festival or how it all worked. What I thought was that there would be food booths in the center where I could buy some typical Sicilian food. But I was mistaken.
The way it works is this. People follow the band around, stopping at the different houses who are presenting their own version of the "cena' (dinner, in Italian). I understood him to say that these are people who have something to be grateful to St. Joseph for and so they put on this feast. Many people help in the making of this feast and a lot of hands take part in the cooking and preparing. The first home we reached had lights up on the balcony and a huge number of people crowded into their home. I imagine this house was very large because a lot of people fit before they cut it off. Salvatore and Marinella explained that we would have to find another to see if we could get in and luckily met a friend of theirs and I believe, learned that one of their other friends was hosting a "cena" and off we went to their house!
We were welcomed so warmly into this home and Salvatore explained that I was an American, renting his brother's house and that I also wrote a blog and would like to take photos of the event so that I could post them there. The spread on the table in this home was even grander than the one I had seen earlier and I only hope that my photos do it justice! I saw that at one end of the table three chairs had been set and in front of these three chairs there was a large round loaf of bread and on top of this a little assortment of everything that was on the table and these were gifts for each member of the "Holy Family" to take with them later.
The excitement was building and the woman whose family was hosting, explained what would happen next. My, albeit limited, knowledge of Italian really came in handy as I understood most of what she said. When the Holy Family arrived at the house, they knocked three times. The elderly matriarch of the family was at the door waiting. After the third knock, she asked "Chi è?" (who is it?) to which "St. Joseph" replied "We are Joseph, Mary and Jesus. May we come in and eat?" The door was opened and they solemnly entered. Everyone stepped aside for them to enter. Water and red wine were poured into a waiting basin where they washed their hands and then took their seats at the table. They were then served a steaming bowl of pasta with tomato sauce and I learned that they would do this three times in this one day, at each of the houses they would visit! Some of the people in this room, including Salvatore and Marinella told me this was the first time they had actually taken part like this in a "cena" and it was all very exciting.
After the Holy Family ate, Salvatore excused us and we departed. He explained to me that the eating of the food on the table was only for the immediate members of the family. I was a bit disappointed at this as I had been salivating over trying some of these delicacies! But, I just had to satisfy myself that I was extremely lucky to have been able to witness this event first hand as I am certain that I would not have been permitted into this house had they not known who I was. So I extend thanks to Salvatore and Marinella for allowing me to accompany them.
They went off to their own lunches (pranzo) and I went home and see if my sleeping family had awakened yet to find them lounging around in their pajamas. The day was rainy and chilly and we just hung out and had a late breakfast. I told them all about my morning and we planned to go out again later to see what else was going on.
According to the posters all around town, there was to be a "cena" in the center at 3pm but when Jessica and I walked down there all we saw was an auction of what I think were the foods that had been prepared earlier, that I had seen in the room across from the Church and other donated food items. There were even some live rabbits being auctioned off! Not really sure what to do, we decided to have some gelato and go back home. Later that evening we walked back downtown for the procession of the statue of San Giuseppe, had dinner at one of the restaurants in centro, a pizzeria/restorante called, surprisingly "The Imperial," and then watched a little fireworks display before walking back down the Lungomare and home. I was very happy that Jessica got to see at least some of this festival and was equally happy that it was taking place right in the little city where we lived, to see it all dressed up and get to meet some of the people who live here and witness this special day in a very personal way.
Her friend Michelle from Phoenix is with us now and as you may have read already, we are still waiting for her bags to arrive. Yesterday I stayed at home and waited while they went off to Modica and today, still waiting, I am stuck again. Alitalia assured us it would definitely be delivered by noon but as it hadn't arrived yet (it's now after 1pm) and they would do nothing further than tell us it was on the delivery truck, I have no choice but to wait here for the bag to show up. They are on their way to Siracusa now and I am feeling sorry for myself because I really like Siracusa and wanted to spend this day with them. Oh well. Nothing really do be done but grin and bear it and at least catch up on my journal writing.
Tomorrow we are scheduled for a day in Piazza Armerina and Morgantina so I hope I get to join them!
Wish us luck!
Rosemary & Bob
Then I saw a band enter the town and begin to play, marching all around through the streets like pied pipers and I could not help but follow to see what would happen next! They basically did a spin all around the center of the town and back to the church again, where I recognized our landlord Elio's brother Salvatore at the entrance to the church. They also own an apartment in Marina di Ragusa and were there attending Mass with his wife Marinella's aunt. Salvatore invited me to join them and explained what would happen next. Some of the town's people were dressed as the Holy Family and would go around and visit homes throughout the town where other "cena" tables were set for them. I was delighted, because I really didn't know what to expect from this festival or how it all worked. What I thought was that there would be food booths in the center where I could buy some typical Sicilian food. But I was mistaken.
The way it works is this. People follow the band around, stopping at the different houses who are presenting their own version of the "cena' (dinner, in Italian). I understood him to say that these are people who have something to be grateful to St. Joseph for and so they put on this feast. Many people help in the making of this feast and a lot of hands take part in the cooking and preparing. The first home we reached had lights up on the balcony and a huge number of people crowded into their home. I imagine this house was very large because a lot of people fit before they cut it off. Salvatore and Marinella explained that we would have to find another to see if we could get in and luckily met a friend of theirs and I believe, learned that one of their other friends was hosting a "cena" and off we went to their house!
We were welcomed so warmly into this home and Salvatore explained that I was an American, renting his brother's house and that I also wrote a blog and would like to take photos of the event so that I could post them there. The spread on the table in this home was even grander than the one I had seen earlier and I only hope that my photos do it justice! I saw that at one end of the table three chairs had been set and in front of these three chairs there was a large round loaf of bread and on top of this a little assortment of everything that was on the table and these were gifts for each member of the "Holy Family" to take with them later.
The excitement was building and the woman whose family was hosting, explained what would happen next. My, albeit limited, knowledge of Italian really came in handy as I understood most of what she said. When the Holy Family arrived at the house, they knocked three times. The elderly matriarch of the family was at the door waiting. After the third knock, she asked "Chi è?" (who is it?) to which "St. Joseph" replied "We are Joseph, Mary and Jesus. May we come in and eat?" The door was opened and they solemnly entered. Everyone stepped aside for them to enter. Water and red wine were poured into a waiting basin where they washed their hands and then took their seats at the table. They were then served a steaming bowl of pasta with tomato sauce and I learned that they would do this three times in this one day, at each of the houses they would visit! Some of the people in this room, including Salvatore and Marinella told me this was the first time they had actually taken part like this in a "cena" and it was all very exciting.
After the Holy Family ate, Salvatore excused us and we departed. He explained to me that the eating of the food on the table was only for the immediate members of the family. I was a bit disappointed at this as I had been salivating over trying some of these delicacies! But, I just had to satisfy myself that I was extremely lucky to have been able to witness this event first hand as I am certain that I would not have been permitted into this house had they not known who I was. So I extend thanks to Salvatore and Marinella for allowing me to accompany them.
They went off to their own lunches (pranzo) and I went home and see if my sleeping family had awakened yet to find them lounging around in their pajamas. The day was rainy and chilly and we just hung out and had a late breakfast. I told them all about my morning and we planned to go out again later to see what else was going on.
According to the posters all around town, there was to be a "cena" in the center at 3pm but when Jessica and I walked down there all we saw was an auction of what I think were the foods that had been prepared earlier, that I had seen in the room across from the Church and other donated food items. There were even some live rabbits being auctioned off! Not really sure what to do, we decided to have some gelato and go back home. Later that evening we walked back downtown for the procession of the statue of San Giuseppe, had dinner at one of the restaurants in centro, a pizzeria/restorante called, surprisingly "The Imperial," and then watched a little fireworks display before walking back down the Lungomare and home. I was very happy that Jessica got to see at least some of this festival and was equally happy that it was taking place right in the little city where we lived, to see it all dressed up and get to meet some of the people who live here and witness this special day in a very personal way.
Her friend Michelle from Phoenix is with us now and as you may have read already, we are still waiting for her bags to arrive. Yesterday I stayed at home and waited while they went off to Modica and today, still waiting, I am stuck again. Alitalia assured us it would definitely be delivered by noon but as it hadn't arrived yet (it's now after 1pm) and they would do nothing further than tell us it was on the delivery truck, I have no choice but to wait here for the bag to show up. They are on their way to Siracusa now and I am feeling sorry for myself because I really like Siracusa and wanted to spend this day with them. Oh well. Nothing really do be done but grin and bear it and at least catch up on my journal writing.
Tomorrow we are scheduled for a day in Piazza Armerina and Morgantina so I hope I get to join them!
Wish us luck!
Rosemary & Bob
Views of Selinunte, then Scicli & San Giuseppe
This was our view from the beach at Marinella where we spent the night
After our day in Selinunte we met Elio & his brother Pippo in Scicli for the Cavalcata of horses, decorated for the feast San Giuseppe.
Monday, April 10, 2006
Trapani and Erice
Trapani from AiLumi B&B Balcony
Pescatore on Favignana, in the Egadi Islands off Trapani
View of Trapani from Erice
Erice Castle
Actual color of the sea without retouching
Pescatore on Favignana, in the Egadi Islands off Trapani
View of Trapani from Erice
Erice Castle
Actual color of the sea without retouching
With Jessica in the Egadi Islands
The sea at Favignana
A street on the island of Favignana, Egadi Islands
A fishing boat off the island
Roof detail
A street on the island of Favignana, Egadi Islands
A fishing boat off the island
Roof detail
Sunday, April 09, 2006
Friday, April 07, 2006
Thursday, April 06, 2006
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Trapani and the West of Sicily 4.02.06
(this is the second part of our journal about the visit of our daughter Jessica to Sicily. It continues from the entry "Jessica's trip to Sicily")
We had never been to the west coast of Sicily and wanted to see this area and the famous saltpans and charming windmills and thought we'd go there with Jessica as part of her tour of Sicily. It also made sense to do this from Palermo since it is not far from there and we could swing around the west coast from the north, stopping in Selinunte on the southwest coast and continuing on home to Marina de Ragusa. On the Internet we found Ai Lumi Bed & Breakfast, which was also mentioned in our guidebooks as having one of the 10 best restaurants in Sicily! Staying at their B&B, they give you a discount at the restaurant, and the food really was excellent. They served a wonderful breakfast there, with different kinds of breads and jams, cereals, yoghurt and some delightful cakes. The owners are friendly and helpful and we also enjoyed talking with Davide, our handsome young waiter who served us breakfast and dinner and spoke a little English. Our room was like a little apartment with a bedroom and a sofa bed in the little living room area. The room also had a table with chairs and a tiny kitchen corner we found very convenient and comfortable. Tràpani (with emphasis on the "tra" - as in TRAH-peny) is a very charming city, filled with beautiful palazzi and a pedestrian only zone in the historic center. It appears that in years passed, the citizens have moved out into the periphery, but are starting to come back and renovate these elegant palazzi and to reclaim the city center but it seems they have along way to go and we hope that trend continues. Ai Lumi is located right in the heart of centro on Corso Vittorio Emanuele (www.ailumi.it) making it convenient for walking around the center.
The town of Tràpani was built on a piece of land that juts out into the sea in the shape of a sickle. It was a port city in ancient times and all the usual cast of characters played their parts here. It was a convenient place apparently for the Crusaders, since it is close to Africa. It has a picturesque harbor as well and ferries leave this port regularly for the Egadi Islands. During the summer you can get a ferry that tours all the islands, but since it was off-season we had to choose between two to visit. When we arrived, we found that there was a ferry leaving shortly and we decided to jump right on it. Favignana was the island we chose and its little town center includes a church, a town hall, some shops and restaurants, mostly closed at this time of year and clearly catering to the summer tourist industry. We enjoyed the rocky coastline; the water was the most incredible shade of blue, aqua really. We tried to find the Roman bath but had no luck. Even the men sitting outside the café had not heard of it or, most likely did not understand what we were looking for so we just wandered around enjoying the peacefulness of the island and the incredible color of the water around us.
The following morning we had planned to go to Erice, a wonderful ancient city high on top of Monte San Giuliano. You can see Erice from Tràpani, way, way up on the top of this lone mountain. Our drive took us ever higher until we thought we were just going up into the clouds. The views were magnificent of the Tràpani harbor and the surrounding salt pans and the sea. And still we climbed higher. The air got much, MUCH colder. And still we climbed higher! Unbelievably high, sits this charming city, with its Norman Castle built on the ruins of a temple to Venus Erycina, goddess of fertility, in ancient times. Erice's medieval streets were charming with little shops and small squares, many little churches and even remains of city walls, some built by the Phoenicians which still contain letters of the Phoenician alphabet carved in them, and later additions by the Normans. The weather in Tràpani had been quite mild and comfortable but in Erice, we froze! Fortunately I had my coat in the car; Jessica and Bob only had sweaters and were quite cold. We enjoyed seeing this mountain top town but eventually had to admit we were too cold to stay any longer and headed back down the winding road to Tràpani.
Tràpani was once a big tuna fishing center. In fact, canned tuna was invented here, so of course Jessica had to bring some home to her husband Nick just for fun. He mused about why they call it Tuna FISH, since we don’t say, for instance “Chicken BIRD.” We were a bit disappointed that the saltpans didn't seem to be in operation and learned that it just is not the season for it, as the "harvesting" of the salt occurs later in the year. We did enjoy the town however and it made a good base for exploring the area.
After driving around searching for windmills (Don Quixote comes to mind!) we decided to take a drive to Segesta, which appeared on our maps to be not very far away, but inland, due east about 20 miles from Tràpani. We were glad we made the effort. Jessica was delighted to see the monumental temple that stands on a hillside in all it's majesty in the late afternoon sun, gleaming. And with not a smidge of scaffolding anywhere in site! The area around Segesta is quite extensive as an archeological site, including the ruins of the town with the remains of some buildings visible, a wonderful 3rd century BC Greek theatre and spectacular views all around. It was a late afternoon well spent and Bob was happy to be able to photograph the temple at this lovely time of day while Jessica and I wandered around some more, "touching old stuff" and exploring. It was a very full and very productive sightseeing day!
After a restful night's sleep and a hearty breakfast we took one last spin around Tràpani and headed south towards Marsala where we were happy to find their windmills and salt pans, so pretty in the morning light. I saw the piles of sand, covered as I had read about, with terra cotta tiles looking like little houses that have been buried under ground with only the roofs exposed. We could see the white of the salt at the ends of these piles and enjoyed photographing the pretty Dutch-style windmills with their red roofs and white stucco exteriors. Marsala of course is also the city famous for its wines and we had fun tasting a few at a winery outside the town. It's a medium-sized city with a population of 85,000 whose origins go back to around the 4th century BC. It was settled by the Greeks, who were wiped out by the Carthaginians, conquered by the Romans and taken over by the Saracens. Marsala was the first place Garibaldi landed in Sicily and the first to be part of a unified Italy. Unfortunately though, it also got the heck bombed out of it during the World War II, which destroyed much of its historic character. One more reason to hate war (as if we needed another reason).
We also made a stop in the fishing port of Mazara del Vallo to find them excavating a large part of one of the main squares. Not sure what was going on, it seemed they must have uncovered an ancient site and a team of archeologists were busy brushing, sifting and measuring in a fenced off area in the beautiful Piazza della Repubblica. Our time of arrival in this city was not ideal, as we got there right in the middle of riposo, which meant everything was closed. Jessica lamented this custom in Italy of everything closing between the hours of 1pm and around 4pm as being not very convenient for sightseeing tourists and I guess I have to agree. It's a pretty big chunk of time and you really do not get a good sense of a city when all the shutters (like individual garage doors) are pulled down tight. It is a fact though and one, as tourists, we just have to deal with. We try to have lunch, obviously, during this time as restaurants certainly remain open. Bob and I often use this time to photograph and sketch, or to drive from one place to another.
We had not made reservations for this next night but planned to find something near Selinunte, another Greek temple site in Sicily we wanted to visit. We called a hotel that was in our guidebooks from Mazara del Vallo, the Garzia (www.garzia.com) and were not surprised that they had a room available, so off-season as this is. It is located in the little seaside resort of Marinella, right next to the temples archeological area. When we arrived we realized we could have had our pick of all the little hotels along the shore there but were happy with our choice. Especially when we saw the little sign they had made welcoming us to their hotel. We had the most fun! We had brought along a bag full of cheese and bread, fruit and nuts and a bottle of wine and we sat out on the terrace of the hotel looking out over the Mediterranean and at one of the Temples on a nearby hill, as the sun was setting, drinking wine from little plastic cups and eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and bread slathered with Nutella! It doesn't get any better than that. We laughed a lot, walked on the beach and then ate fresh sardines that had been breaded and fried, (a first for Jessica who was surprised to find that she actually liked them!) that our waiter brought to our table, free of charge, along with the pizzas we ordered for dinner. We enjoyed the company of our daughter and were delighted to be able to share a bit of our experience with her in this way.
We shared a triple room to save on expenses and in the morning had our breakfast and drove the short distance to the temples. The guidebook said you will need at least 2 hours to visit this archeological site. We needed more! Because they were not able to determine which gods were being worshipped at each of these temples (at Selinunte, there are many, some only gigantic piles of rubble) they used the letters of the alphabet, as in Temple A, B, C etc. Seems very uncreative to me, but that's the system they used and who am I to argue? The area of the acropolis sits on a bluff overlooking the sea and you can only imagine what it must have been like in ancient times when all of these majestic stone structures stood tall and proud against the Sicilian landscape. Originally, the Acropolis, (the place of the temples and public buildings) was surrounded by a colossal wall with two gates. The ruins of the ancient city can still be seen and we wandered all around, walking along the very old streets on stones worn by time and weather. We tried to imagine what life was like for the people who inhabited this place and the horrible destruction they suffered at the hands of the Carthaginians who brutally captured the city, destroying the temples, and slaughtering the citizens they didn't sell into slavery. Eventually earthquakes brought down what they did not tear down and the city itself disappeared under the soil until around the 1600s when archeologists began digging. I think you can hardly put a shovel in the ground here in Sicily without bringing up some ancient bit of history!
By around 3 in the afternoon we were headed home. Just as we were approaching Gela, about an hour or so drive from Marina, we received a phone call from Elio inviting us to join him and his friends in Scicli where a festival in honor of San Giuseppe was taking place. There was to be a Cavalcata, a parade of horses decked out in all their finery down the main streets of the town. This was part of the celebrations in honor of the feast of San Giuseppe on the following day. Tired as we were, we decided to give it a try and went straightaway to Scicli, found a place to park and then, amidst a centro filled with people, attempted to find Elio! It was no easy task as they had the different areas roped off and we could not at first find a way to pass through. The horses were magnificent, some of them completely covered in flowers, like living floats and we wondered how they could see where they were going! Others had bells and ribbons and all sorts of decorations. What I had forgotten was my total and complete allergy to horses! No sooner had we arrived then I stated sneezing and by the time we found Elio and excused ourselves from the rest of the festivities, I was having a full-blown allergy attack. Fortunately, as we got further from the horses I started to feel a bit better but only getting home, taking some medication and going to bed really helped. We were all pretty worn out by the time we arrived back in Marina di Ragusa and fell into our beds. I cannot even remember if we ate dinner or not, that's how tired we were! But it was so much fun, I wouldn't change a minute.
(to be continued, see “Michelle & Jessica in Sicily”)
We had never been to the west coast of Sicily and wanted to see this area and the famous saltpans and charming windmills and thought we'd go there with Jessica as part of her tour of Sicily. It also made sense to do this from Palermo since it is not far from there and we could swing around the west coast from the north, stopping in Selinunte on the southwest coast and continuing on home to Marina de Ragusa. On the Internet we found Ai Lumi Bed & Breakfast, which was also mentioned in our guidebooks as having one of the 10 best restaurants in Sicily! Staying at their B&B, they give you a discount at the restaurant, and the food really was excellent. They served a wonderful breakfast there, with different kinds of breads and jams, cereals, yoghurt and some delightful cakes. The owners are friendly and helpful and we also enjoyed talking with Davide, our handsome young waiter who served us breakfast and dinner and spoke a little English. Our room was like a little apartment with a bedroom and a sofa bed in the little living room area. The room also had a table with chairs and a tiny kitchen corner we found very convenient and comfortable. Tràpani (with emphasis on the "tra" - as in TRAH-peny) is a very charming city, filled with beautiful palazzi and a pedestrian only zone in the historic center. It appears that in years passed, the citizens have moved out into the periphery, but are starting to come back and renovate these elegant palazzi and to reclaim the city center but it seems they have along way to go and we hope that trend continues. Ai Lumi is located right in the heart of centro on Corso Vittorio Emanuele (www.ailumi.it) making it convenient for walking around the center.
The town of Tràpani was built on a piece of land that juts out into the sea in the shape of a sickle. It was a port city in ancient times and all the usual cast of characters played their parts here. It was a convenient place apparently for the Crusaders, since it is close to Africa. It has a picturesque harbor as well and ferries leave this port regularly for the Egadi Islands. During the summer you can get a ferry that tours all the islands, but since it was off-season we had to choose between two to visit. When we arrived, we found that there was a ferry leaving shortly and we decided to jump right on it. Favignana was the island we chose and its little town center includes a church, a town hall, some shops and restaurants, mostly closed at this time of year and clearly catering to the summer tourist industry. We enjoyed the rocky coastline; the water was the most incredible shade of blue, aqua really. We tried to find the Roman bath but had no luck. Even the men sitting outside the café had not heard of it or, most likely did not understand what we were looking for so we just wandered around enjoying the peacefulness of the island and the incredible color of the water around us.
The following morning we had planned to go to Erice, a wonderful ancient city high on top of Monte San Giuliano. You can see Erice from Tràpani, way, way up on the top of this lone mountain. Our drive took us ever higher until we thought we were just going up into the clouds. The views were magnificent of the Tràpani harbor and the surrounding salt pans and the sea. And still we climbed higher. The air got much, MUCH colder. And still we climbed higher! Unbelievably high, sits this charming city, with its Norman Castle built on the ruins of a temple to Venus Erycina, goddess of fertility, in ancient times. Erice's medieval streets were charming with little shops and small squares, many little churches and even remains of city walls, some built by the Phoenicians which still contain letters of the Phoenician alphabet carved in them, and later additions by the Normans. The weather in Tràpani had been quite mild and comfortable but in Erice, we froze! Fortunately I had my coat in the car; Jessica and Bob only had sweaters and were quite cold. We enjoyed seeing this mountain top town but eventually had to admit we were too cold to stay any longer and headed back down the winding road to Tràpani.
Tràpani was once a big tuna fishing center. In fact, canned tuna was invented here, so of course Jessica had to bring some home to her husband Nick just for fun. He mused about why they call it Tuna FISH, since we don’t say, for instance “Chicken BIRD.” We were a bit disappointed that the saltpans didn't seem to be in operation and learned that it just is not the season for it, as the "harvesting" of the salt occurs later in the year. We did enjoy the town however and it made a good base for exploring the area.
After driving around searching for windmills (Don Quixote comes to mind!) we decided to take a drive to Segesta, which appeared on our maps to be not very far away, but inland, due east about 20 miles from Tràpani. We were glad we made the effort. Jessica was delighted to see the monumental temple that stands on a hillside in all it's majesty in the late afternoon sun, gleaming. And with not a smidge of scaffolding anywhere in site! The area around Segesta is quite extensive as an archeological site, including the ruins of the town with the remains of some buildings visible, a wonderful 3rd century BC Greek theatre and spectacular views all around. It was a late afternoon well spent and Bob was happy to be able to photograph the temple at this lovely time of day while Jessica and I wandered around some more, "touching old stuff" and exploring. It was a very full and very productive sightseeing day!
After a restful night's sleep and a hearty breakfast we took one last spin around Tràpani and headed south towards Marsala where we were happy to find their windmills and salt pans, so pretty in the morning light. I saw the piles of sand, covered as I had read about, with terra cotta tiles looking like little houses that have been buried under ground with only the roofs exposed. We could see the white of the salt at the ends of these piles and enjoyed photographing the pretty Dutch-style windmills with their red roofs and white stucco exteriors. Marsala of course is also the city famous for its wines and we had fun tasting a few at a winery outside the town. It's a medium-sized city with a population of 85,000 whose origins go back to around the 4th century BC. It was settled by the Greeks, who were wiped out by the Carthaginians, conquered by the Romans and taken over by the Saracens. Marsala was the first place Garibaldi landed in Sicily and the first to be part of a unified Italy. Unfortunately though, it also got the heck bombed out of it during the World War II, which destroyed much of its historic character. One more reason to hate war (as if we needed another reason).
We also made a stop in the fishing port of Mazara del Vallo to find them excavating a large part of one of the main squares. Not sure what was going on, it seemed they must have uncovered an ancient site and a team of archeologists were busy brushing, sifting and measuring in a fenced off area in the beautiful Piazza della Repubblica. Our time of arrival in this city was not ideal, as we got there right in the middle of riposo, which meant everything was closed. Jessica lamented this custom in Italy of everything closing between the hours of 1pm and around 4pm as being not very convenient for sightseeing tourists and I guess I have to agree. It's a pretty big chunk of time and you really do not get a good sense of a city when all the shutters (like individual garage doors) are pulled down tight. It is a fact though and one, as tourists, we just have to deal with. We try to have lunch, obviously, during this time as restaurants certainly remain open. Bob and I often use this time to photograph and sketch, or to drive from one place to another.
We had not made reservations for this next night but planned to find something near Selinunte, another Greek temple site in Sicily we wanted to visit. We called a hotel that was in our guidebooks from Mazara del Vallo, the Garzia (www.garzia.com) and were not surprised that they had a room available, so off-season as this is. It is located in the little seaside resort of Marinella, right next to the temples archeological area. When we arrived we realized we could have had our pick of all the little hotels along the shore there but were happy with our choice. Especially when we saw the little sign they had made welcoming us to their hotel. We had the most fun! We had brought along a bag full of cheese and bread, fruit and nuts and a bottle of wine and we sat out on the terrace of the hotel looking out over the Mediterranean and at one of the Temples on a nearby hill, as the sun was setting, drinking wine from little plastic cups and eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and bread slathered with Nutella! It doesn't get any better than that. We laughed a lot, walked on the beach and then ate fresh sardines that had been breaded and fried, (a first for Jessica who was surprised to find that she actually liked them!) that our waiter brought to our table, free of charge, along with the pizzas we ordered for dinner. We enjoyed the company of our daughter and were delighted to be able to share a bit of our experience with her in this way.
We shared a triple room to save on expenses and in the morning had our breakfast and drove the short distance to the temples. The guidebook said you will need at least 2 hours to visit this archeological site. We needed more! Because they were not able to determine which gods were being worshipped at each of these temples (at Selinunte, there are many, some only gigantic piles of rubble) they used the letters of the alphabet, as in Temple A, B, C etc. Seems very uncreative to me, but that's the system they used and who am I to argue? The area of the acropolis sits on a bluff overlooking the sea and you can only imagine what it must have been like in ancient times when all of these majestic stone structures stood tall and proud against the Sicilian landscape. Originally, the Acropolis, (the place of the temples and public buildings) was surrounded by a colossal wall with two gates. The ruins of the ancient city can still be seen and we wandered all around, walking along the very old streets on stones worn by time and weather. We tried to imagine what life was like for the people who inhabited this place and the horrible destruction they suffered at the hands of the Carthaginians who brutally captured the city, destroying the temples, and slaughtering the citizens they didn't sell into slavery. Eventually earthquakes brought down what they did not tear down and the city itself disappeared under the soil until around the 1600s when archeologists began digging. I think you can hardly put a shovel in the ground here in Sicily without bringing up some ancient bit of history!
By around 3 in the afternoon we were headed home. Just as we were approaching Gela, about an hour or so drive from Marina, we received a phone call from Elio inviting us to join him and his friends in Scicli where a festival in honor of San Giuseppe was taking place. There was to be a Cavalcata, a parade of horses decked out in all their finery down the main streets of the town. This was part of the celebrations in honor of the feast of San Giuseppe on the following day. Tired as we were, we decided to give it a try and went straightaway to Scicli, found a place to park and then, amidst a centro filled with people, attempted to find Elio! It was no easy task as they had the different areas roped off and we could not at first find a way to pass through. The horses were magnificent, some of them completely covered in flowers, like living floats and we wondered how they could see where they were going! Others had bells and ribbons and all sorts of decorations. What I had forgotten was my total and complete allergy to horses! No sooner had we arrived then I stated sneezing and by the time we found Elio and excused ourselves from the rest of the festivities, I was having a full-blown allergy attack. Fortunately, as we got further from the horses I started to feel a bit better but only getting home, taking some medication and going to bed really helped. We were all pretty worn out by the time we arrived back in Marina di Ragusa and fell into our beds. I cannot even remember if we ate dinner or not, that's how tired we were! But it was so much fun, I wouldn't change a minute.
(to be continued, see “Michelle & Jessica in Sicily”)
Monday, April 03, 2006
Mt. Etna from the Greek Theatre in Taormina
Rosemary said I had to put a pretty photo up so that the first thing you see is not dead people.
Sunday, April 02, 2006
I See Dead People
Cripta dei Cappuccini, Palermo Sicilia (The Catacombs of the Convento dei Cappuccini)
Via Cappuccini - phone 091212117- open 9-noon & 3-5
Friday, March 31, 2006
Images from Jessica's visit
The Greek Theatre in Siracusa, preparing the stage for a performance
Arabesque window in Siracusa
Dionysius’s Ear, a cave in the stone quarries, an archeological site in Siracusa
Sunset in the harbor at Siracusa
Arabesque window in Siracusa
Dionysius’s Ear, a cave in the stone quarries, an archeological site in Siracusa
Sunset in the harbor at Siracusa
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