We went to Palermo to see the holiday decorations and we were not disappointed!
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Palermo and Christmas decorations
We went to Palermo to see the holiday decorations and we were not disappointed!
Palermo, Cefalu, Baucina and Polizzi Generosa 1.8.06
On Thursday we got up early and drove to Palermo because we wanted to see the Christmas lights and decorations. This has been a goal of mine, to check out as many cities as possible and to enjoy their holiday festivities. Palermo's were as gorgeous as I had hoped. My family emigrated from that area and I have been dying to go to this ancient city to see what it was like, and while there, to visit the two cities where my grandparents were born. It was really just a quick trip. We planned to stay only two nights and to find a place to stay when we arrived.
We left Marina di Ragusa around 8 in the morning and by 11:30 or so we were driving into Palermo. The 3-plus hours went by very quickly though because the scenery between here and there is absolutely breathtaking. The route is not completely direct, as you must drive east about 2 hours to Catania to pick up the autostrada, and then west again across the middle of the island and north to Palermo. Mt. Etna, covered in snow, dominates the landscape along the east coast. We were so surprised that the major highway had the most incredible views. The fields of orange and lemon trees gave way to farms and fields of every shade of green imaginable, from the chartreuse of the fields to the deep greens of the cypress trees, filling the valleys and running up and over the mountains, which are huge. The interior of Sicily is very mountainous but not uncultivated and the colors are truly amazing. In some places it was like the undulating shapes of the mountains were covered in emerald green plush carpeting. I am not exaggerating. At about the center of the island we came upon the city of Enna, on a very high spot, promising ourselves to return to explore that city known as Sicily's "lookout point" because of it's high position among the fertile hills. Once again the feeling of vastness overwhelmed us and we were blown away by how absolutely lush and beautiful Sicily is.
We reached the coast about halfway between Cefalu and Termini Imerese, where the autostrada parallels the smaller Hwy #113, that hugs the coast. The autostrada passes above it and the views are just spectacular. We read a bit about Termini Imerese and its warm springs but our guide book failed to mention the industrial red and white striped smoke stacks and power plant type buildings that don't present the best view. The Gulf of Palermo is hidden from sight as you approach from the east, with a promontory that juts out into the sea just before the curve of the bay. (Next time we will have to go explore that point.)
I found it very thrilling to arrive in Palermo but no sooner did we reach the city limits than we were barraged with its chaotic traffic patterns and a never-ending intrusion of motorcycles, whose drivers we are convinced must all be insane, with suicidal tendencies! To Bob's credit, he is a wonderful - albeit inpatient - driver, but it was really stressful nevertheless to drive into this chaos, especially not knowing which way to turn or where we wanted to be! We have been pleasantly surprised at how well signed Sicily has been, more so than in other parts of the country I might add, but this is not necessarily the case in Palermo. Plus, you have to have eyes in back of your head and be a mind reader to anticipate what those erratic drivers will do next, as they weave in and out of their lanes, which I am sure they take only as a suggestion. Eventually we found our way to centro, which seemed not as large as I had expected and soon were driving through the Porta Nuova, the city gate built in the 16th century. It looked to us like a bell tower with a peaked roof, and we admired the splendid and gigantic carved figures and fanciful details that adorn its façade as we inched our way with the more-stop-than-go traffic and soon were driving into South Palermo. I must admit I had difficulty remembering what was in which side of the city and was confused about where I was a good part of the time!
Palermo is in great need of restoration. It is evident that some of this has already been accomplished and that they are working on it. Since this was our first trip there and a very brief one at that, I should temper my impressions with the knowledge that I have not seen enough of it yet to make an educated judgment. However, since this is my journal and I am recording my impressions, even though I might change my mind later upon further examination, I would have to say that at first glance I found Palermo both incredible and incredibly shabby, even trashy in places. I usually find a city with crumbling walls and pealing paint to be charming in an antique sort of way but sometimes it can just seem neglected. In parts of Palermo I felt the latter. There are a number of buildings with a bombed out look and we wondered if they have been that way since WWII or are just the result of years of neglect. We encountered some structures that seem to be held together by scaffolding posts and were not certain if they were undergoing restoration or simply trying to keep the balconies from falling onto passersby!
We stopped along Via Maqueda, in the center of the city and Bob pulled over so I could jump out to try to locate the Tourist Information office, which was supposed to be on this street. I went into a building that said it was the Public Relations office and a man in there took me outside and to the very next door! I guess he thought that was better than trying to explain! Inside were two young people who could not have been more eager to help me. They spoke pretty good English and told me about places to stay and gave me a map of the city, marking the sights they thought were important for us to see. Rather than driving around searching, we decided to just try the Hotel Sicilia, right across the street from the Tourist Information office and one of the suggested hotels. It was a little bit funky but clean, comfortable and affordable, with a place for our car, so we stayed there for the two nights. It was convenient to all the sights we wanted to see on foot and the room (#22) was at the back and quiet. Breakfast (as it was!) was included.
The young guy at the Tourist Info office recommended a place to get a good lunch and we headed in the direction he suggested, not realizing we would be right in the middle of the Mercato Ballaro, one of Palermo's famous open air markets. The Mercato della Vucciria is the more famous, but we are told that the Ballaro is more authentic. The sights and the smells were over the top, with outdoors stalls literally overflowing with produce and the remnants of produce that has been trimmed and hacked and tossed around! The colors and the textures are a feast for your eyes, as there are entire stalls with nothing but artichokes, chartreuse-colored cauliflower and deep purple broccoli and enough zucchini to feed an army. The oranges are literally jumping out of their crates, the color is so vivid and the bounty so rich. There were tomatoes of every size and shape and rows and rows of glistening black and green olives. Calamari, mussels, snails, eels and more fish than I have ever seen in my entire life filled the stalls of the fishmonger area, some staring back at us (the fish that is). We watched a man cleaning the octopus by dunking them in a pail of water and scraping at them with some sort of a brush and tossing them back onto the pile. Whole sides of beef were being carried along the streets; every part of the animal is there for the buyer who presumably knows what to do with some of this stuff that for us was totally unrecognizable and we shuddered to think what part of which animal it might actually be and how on earth would you prepare such a thing!
We wandered around and found some of the sights we wanted to see which are wonderful and ancient. The cathedral is an architectural marvel! The different influences that changed it and altered it through the years have created a masterpiece that is incredible to behold. Palermo is the capital of Sicily. Its origins date back to the 8th century B.C. Under the control of the Arabs, its splendor was said to rival Cordoba and Cairo at that time. It has been conquered and controlled by the Greeks, the Arabs, the Normans and the Spaniards. And all of these cultures left their mark on this city. It suffered terrible destruction during WWII and then the political corruption of the Mafia didn't do it any favors. My guidebook describes it as being "splendid and shabby at the same time" and I would have to agree with this assessment. But I do want to go return...
Quattro Canti, the area of the Four Corners is a riot of Baroque decoration and this is where the fanciest Christmas light decorations seemed to emanate from and it was dazzling! The Norman palace has recently undergone renovations and the Capella Palatina is now open after a lengthy restoration. The striking mosaics on the floor and altar inside the 12th century church of St. Cataldo, are original and were built by Arab craftsmen. Its exterior is similar to the cloister of San Giovanni degli Eremeti with its pink domes, giving it a decidedly Arab feeling. The palm trees everywhere only add to the feeling of being in another time and place. The church of Santa Maria dell'Ammiraglio or Martorana, is considered a "jewel of Normal architecture," originally founded in the 12th century and the main part of the church is covered in Byzantine style mosaics that reminded us of the Duomo in Venice and were just as lovely, even if the church is much smaller than St. Mark's. These mosaics and the ones in the Capella Palatina (which we did not get to see this time) are the oldest mosaic cycles in Sicily. I adore these shimmering mosaics, glistening gold with rich tones of reds and blues and the graphic nature of their Byzantine art.
During our afternoon of wandering we found a small puppet shop, where a craftsman was working on his "pupi" the marionette-style puppets so typical of this old Sicilian tradition. All around the shop hung a dazzling assortment of wooden puppets, all in elaborate costumes, staring out, seemingly waiting in the wings to play their parts. We were told that every evening, in a little theatre just across from the cathedral we could watch a puppet show and made sure we were back there at the appointed time to enjoy this unique form of entertainment. This was fun! We wish we could tell you we understood all the dialogue, but we didn't. The puppet master came out before the show started with one of his creations, to explain to the audience how his grandfather had invented this style of puppet that has jointed arms and legs and a different way of working the puppet by a center pole at the top which gives the appearance of the puppet actually walking without having elaborate strings attached to the feet. This ended up being the story of Orlando and Renaldo who both vie for the affections of the beautiful princess but end up having to fight off scores of Saracens (a story right out of the crusades). The battle scenes were as realistic as possible and they thrashed each other around, sparks flying from their clashing swords, with much murder, mayhem and James Cagney-style dying right there on stage! The kids were wide-eyed and totally captivated. This is a dying art in Sicily so we were especially delighted to be able to witness what may be the end of a tradition. We were heartened to see however that the children of the puppet master, now adults, are learning and mastering the skills of their ancestors and will hopefully keep the tradition alive. It would be a great tragedy to lose this.
We left there elated and enjoyed a great pizza at a restaurant nearby, the San Domenico (on Piazza San Domenico, near Via Roma). The best part of the meal was the dessert: a mouth watering, absolutely incredible cassata cake that was truly to die for! With its Arab origins this is considered THE classic Sicilian dessert. To any of you who don't know what this is, it is made from sponge cake filled with ricotta, sugar, chocolate bits and bits of candied fruit, sometimes covered with almond paste. It is truly amazing and this restaurant made one that is perfection itself! For dinner the next night in Palermo, we ate at a restaurant recommended in our "Travel Guide" called Sant'Andrea on Piazza Sant'Andrea that was excellent also but a bit more "upscale" and the food not so traditional. Bob had a nice sea bass and I had a delightful swordfish that was rolled and stuffed with shrimp and breaded. Very nice. The bread has been wonderful everywhere in Sicily. Lovely, crispy, crusty on the outside, doughy on the inside, bread. Sometimes with seeds, sometimes round, sometimes long, sometimes twisted. Really nice. WE LOVE BREAD!
(trying to post photos too, but I'm running out of time this morning and our host is really slow for some reason, so you may have to come back to see the photos!)
(to be continued: Cefalu, Baucina and Polizzi Generosa)
We left Marina di Ragusa around 8 in the morning and by 11:30 or so we were driving into Palermo. The 3-plus hours went by very quickly though because the scenery between here and there is absolutely breathtaking. The route is not completely direct, as you must drive east about 2 hours to Catania to pick up the autostrada, and then west again across the middle of the island and north to Palermo. Mt. Etna, covered in snow, dominates the landscape along the east coast. We were so surprised that the major highway had the most incredible views. The fields of orange and lemon trees gave way to farms and fields of every shade of green imaginable, from the chartreuse of the fields to the deep greens of the cypress trees, filling the valleys and running up and over the mountains, which are huge. The interior of Sicily is very mountainous but not uncultivated and the colors are truly amazing. In some places it was like the undulating shapes of the mountains were covered in emerald green plush carpeting. I am not exaggerating. At about the center of the island we came upon the city of Enna, on a very high spot, promising ourselves to return to explore that city known as Sicily's "lookout point" because of it's high position among the fertile hills. Once again the feeling of vastness overwhelmed us and we were blown away by how absolutely lush and beautiful Sicily is.
We reached the coast about halfway between Cefalu and Termini Imerese, where the autostrada parallels the smaller Hwy #113, that hugs the coast. The autostrada passes above it and the views are just spectacular. We read a bit about Termini Imerese and its warm springs but our guide book failed to mention the industrial red and white striped smoke stacks and power plant type buildings that don't present the best view. The Gulf of Palermo is hidden from sight as you approach from the east, with a promontory that juts out into the sea just before the curve of the bay. (Next time we will have to go explore that point.)
I found it very thrilling to arrive in Palermo but no sooner did we reach the city limits than we were barraged with its chaotic traffic patterns and a never-ending intrusion of motorcycles, whose drivers we are convinced must all be insane, with suicidal tendencies! To Bob's credit, he is a wonderful - albeit inpatient - driver, but it was really stressful nevertheless to drive into this chaos, especially not knowing which way to turn or where we wanted to be! We have been pleasantly surprised at how well signed Sicily has been, more so than in other parts of the country I might add, but this is not necessarily the case in Palermo. Plus, you have to have eyes in back of your head and be a mind reader to anticipate what those erratic drivers will do next, as they weave in and out of their lanes, which I am sure they take only as a suggestion. Eventually we found our way to centro, which seemed not as large as I had expected and soon were driving through the Porta Nuova, the city gate built in the 16th century. It looked to us like a bell tower with a peaked roof, and we admired the splendid and gigantic carved figures and fanciful details that adorn its façade as we inched our way with the more-stop-than-go traffic and soon were driving into South Palermo. I must admit I had difficulty remembering what was in which side of the city and was confused about where I was a good part of the time!
Palermo is in great need of restoration. It is evident that some of this has already been accomplished and that they are working on it. Since this was our first trip there and a very brief one at that, I should temper my impressions with the knowledge that I have not seen enough of it yet to make an educated judgment. However, since this is my journal and I am recording my impressions, even though I might change my mind later upon further examination, I would have to say that at first glance I found Palermo both incredible and incredibly shabby, even trashy in places. I usually find a city with crumbling walls and pealing paint to be charming in an antique sort of way but sometimes it can just seem neglected. In parts of Palermo I felt the latter. There are a number of buildings with a bombed out look and we wondered if they have been that way since WWII or are just the result of years of neglect. We encountered some structures that seem to be held together by scaffolding posts and were not certain if they were undergoing restoration or simply trying to keep the balconies from falling onto passersby!
We stopped along Via Maqueda, in the center of the city and Bob pulled over so I could jump out to try to locate the Tourist Information office, which was supposed to be on this street. I went into a building that said it was the Public Relations office and a man in there took me outside and to the very next door! I guess he thought that was better than trying to explain! Inside were two young people who could not have been more eager to help me. They spoke pretty good English and told me about places to stay and gave me a map of the city, marking the sights they thought were important for us to see. Rather than driving around searching, we decided to just try the Hotel Sicilia, right across the street from the Tourist Information office and one of the suggested hotels. It was a little bit funky but clean, comfortable and affordable, with a place for our car, so we stayed there for the two nights. It was convenient to all the sights we wanted to see on foot and the room (#22) was at the back and quiet. Breakfast (as it was!) was included.
The young guy at the Tourist Info office recommended a place to get a good lunch and we headed in the direction he suggested, not realizing we would be right in the middle of the Mercato Ballaro, one of Palermo's famous open air markets. The Mercato della Vucciria is the more famous, but we are told that the Ballaro is more authentic. The sights and the smells were over the top, with outdoors stalls literally overflowing with produce and the remnants of produce that has been trimmed and hacked and tossed around! The colors and the textures are a feast for your eyes, as there are entire stalls with nothing but artichokes, chartreuse-colored cauliflower and deep purple broccoli and enough zucchini to feed an army. The oranges are literally jumping out of their crates, the color is so vivid and the bounty so rich. There were tomatoes of every size and shape and rows and rows of glistening black and green olives. Calamari, mussels, snails, eels and more fish than I have ever seen in my entire life filled the stalls of the fishmonger area, some staring back at us (the fish that is). We watched a man cleaning the octopus by dunking them in a pail of water and scraping at them with some sort of a brush and tossing them back onto the pile. Whole sides of beef were being carried along the streets; every part of the animal is there for the buyer who presumably knows what to do with some of this stuff that for us was totally unrecognizable and we shuddered to think what part of which animal it might actually be and how on earth would you prepare such a thing!
We wandered around and found some of the sights we wanted to see which are wonderful and ancient. The cathedral is an architectural marvel! The different influences that changed it and altered it through the years have created a masterpiece that is incredible to behold. Palermo is the capital of Sicily. Its origins date back to the 8th century B.C. Under the control of the Arabs, its splendor was said to rival Cordoba and Cairo at that time. It has been conquered and controlled by the Greeks, the Arabs, the Normans and the Spaniards. And all of these cultures left their mark on this city. It suffered terrible destruction during WWII and then the political corruption of the Mafia didn't do it any favors. My guidebook describes it as being "splendid and shabby at the same time" and I would have to agree with this assessment. But I do want to go return...
Quattro Canti, the area of the Four Corners is a riot of Baroque decoration and this is where the fanciest Christmas light decorations seemed to emanate from and it was dazzling! The Norman palace has recently undergone renovations and the Capella Palatina is now open after a lengthy restoration. The striking mosaics on the floor and altar inside the 12th century church of St. Cataldo, are original and were built by Arab craftsmen. Its exterior is similar to the cloister of San Giovanni degli Eremeti with its pink domes, giving it a decidedly Arab feeling. The palm trees everywhere only add to the feeling of being in another time and place. The church of Santa Maria dell'Ammiraglio or Martorana, is considered a "jewel of Normal architecture," originally founded in the 12th century and the main part of the church is covered in Byzantine style mosaics that reminded us of the Duomo in Venice and were just as lovely, even if the church is much smaller than St. Mark's. These mosaics and the ones in the Capella Palatina (which we did not get to see this time) are the oldest mosaic cycles in Sicily. I adore these shimmering mosaics, glistening gold with rich tones of reds and blues and the graphic nature of their Byzantine art.
During our afternoon of wandering we found a small puppet shop, where a craftsman was working on his "pupi" the marionette-style puppets so typical of this old Sicilian tradition. All around the shop hung a dazzling assortment of wooden puppets, all in elaborate costumes, staring out, seemingly waiting in the wings to play their parts. We were told that every evening, in a little theatre just across from the cathedral we could watch a puppet show and made sure we were back there at the appointed time to enjoy this unique form of entertainment. This was fun! We wish we could tell you we understood all the dialogue, but we didn't. The puppet master came out before the show started with one of his creations, to explain to the audience how his grandfather had invented this style of puppet that has jointed arms and legs and a different way of working the puppet by a center pole at the top which gives the appearance of the puppet actually walking without having elaborate strings attached to the feet. This ended up being the story of Orlando and Renaldo who both vie for the affections of the beautiful princess but end up having to fight off scores of Saracens (a story right out of the crusades). The battle scenes were as realistic as possible and they thrashed each other around, sparks flying from their clashing swords, with much murder, mayhem and James Cagney-style dying right there on stage! The kids were wide-eyed and totally captivated. This is a dying art in Sicily so we were especially delighted to be able to witness what may be the end of a tradition. We were heartened to see however that the children of the puppet master, now adults, are learning and mastering the skills of their ancestors and will hopefully keep the tradition alive. It would be a great tragedy to lose this.
We left there elated and enjoyed a great pizza at a restaurant nearby, the San Domenico (on Piazza San Domenico, near Via Roma). The best part of the meal was the dessert: a mouth watering, absolutely incredible cassata cake that was truly to die for! With its Arab origins this is considered THE classic Sicilian dessert. To any of you who don't know what this is, it is made from sponge cake filled with ricotta, sugar, chocolate bits and bits of candied fruit, sometimes covered with almond paste. It is truly amazing and this restaurant made one that is perfection itself! For dinner the next night in Palermo, we ate at a restaurant recommended in our "Travel Guide" called Sant'Andrea on Piazza Sant'Andrea that was excellent also but a bit more "upscale" and the food not so traditional. Bob had a nice sea bass and I had a delightful swordfish that was rolled and stuffed with shrimp and breaded. Very nice. The bread has been wonderful everywhere in Sicily. Lovely, crispy, crusty on the outside, doughy on the inside, bread. Sometimes with seeds, sometimes round, sometimes long, sometimes twisted. Really nice. WE LOVE BREAD!
(trying to post photos too, but I'm running out of time this morning and our host is really slow for some reason, so you may have to come back to see the photos!)
(to be continued: Cefalu, Baucina and Polizzi Generosa)
Wednesday, January 04, 2006
Wild Iris by the Side of the Road
I wanted to call this photo "Wild Iris Road" but Rosemary say that was "much too corny".
Castello Donnafugata, Fields of Wild Iris and Chiaramonte Gulfi 1.3.06
Yesterday was a gorgeous day. We wanted to do a little exploring away from Marina di Ragusa (although it was hard to tear ourselves away from the sea on such a beautiful day!). There were clouds forming in the sky however and we suspected we might get some rain sooner than later, so we went for a drive to see the Castello Donnafugata. We drove along a smaller, secondary road, passing bucolic scenes of cows grazing in fields of white flowers, seeing the meandering white stonewalls, so typical, we are learning, of this part of Sicily around Ragusa, which we are falling in love with. It’s hard to describe the serene feeling of seeing these green fields, rising up the hillsides and separated by these beautiful low walls. The patterns that are created are truly wonderful and at times even seem fanciful, as we have seen swirls of stone and piles set aside for future building. Even trees surrounded by walls in a decorative-looking way.
The little street that leads to the castle is lined with houses and shops on either side, most appearing closed when we arrived except for the restaurant on the corner. The rain started coming down heavily as we ran for cover within the castle entrance. The Castello Donnafugata (www.ragusa-sicilia.it/english/castello_di_donnafugata.htm) dates from the 12th century with definite Normal/Arab architectural details including an ancient tower. It was purchased by the Arrezzo family in the 1600s restored it for their own use. The front of the castle has a Venetian Gothic “loggia” and repeating decorative motif that dates from the early 1900s. In 2002, after about 5 years restoration work, they opened it t the public. There was no guided tour, just a simple brochure and little signs in each of the rooms to indicated the name of the room, which we followed on the brochure, trying to translate as we went along. It is mostly in good condition, with some of the furnishings quite gorgeous, others seemingly out of place and perhaps too modern. The walls of some of the rooms were decorated with painted scenes of Palermo and other places in Sicily and others had fancy fabric walls. A collection of very fancy glass chandeliers from Murano adorned all the ceilings. We have seen many of these now in Sicily and some are quite elaborate and colorful. I am constantly reminded of my Aunt Celeste, and certain she would absolutely love them!
Before we left, it rained and hailed but stopped just in time for a bride and groom and their friends and family to enter the castle for their wedding celebration.
The gardens, according to our friend Elio, are under restoration, although looking out the windows of the castello they look absolutely gorgeous. The presence of palm trees and gigantic Ficus magnolioides gives it a very tropical, exotic feeling.
We had lunch at the little restaurant on the corner and had a nice conversation (in Italian) with the proprietor, who asked us if we would trade places with him, and he could be a “pensionato” like Bob and not have to work any more! Bob was feeling very proud of himself after telling our story in Italian to this man and understanding what was said back to him!
We then decided to go to the town of Chiaramonte Gulfi, not far from the castello, along another smaller road and passed the most amazing landscape! I was looking at the map when Bob stopped the car and insisted I open the door and look down. There on the side of the road were growing wild iris! Everywhere we looked there were little patches of purple alongside another plant that resembled an aloe in shape, but was not an aloe. It had green leaves and tall shoots of flowers coming from the center that were white and pink. The ground all around was green. The hills were green, dotted with carob and olive trees, those wonderful stone walls, and a small house stood on the top of the farthest hill. With the voluminous white clouds, It was so beautiful I had to take out my paints and Bob his various lenses, and for about the next hour I sat on a rock and he wandered around and we just enjoyed this perfect little spot until I became uncomfortable and we were ready to leave.
Chiaramonte Gulfi has a high position, with a wonderful view. The area around it is composed of vegetable gardens, almond and olive trees. The centro of the town is quite charming but from the road, all you see are the newer homes, many apartment buildings with balconies surrounding the older part of town and completely obscuring it from below. But once you drive up the winding road you come upon the center of the city and this is where we were headed. There are lots of shops along the streets around the main square and I bought some chamomile for tea and a couple of bags of oatmeal (so far impossible to find here in Sicily). The woman was very kind and friendly. I enjoyed talking with her. One of the other ladies in the store was so curious; she asked if I was “English” a common question for us from the Sicilians. They either think we are German (“Tedeschi “ – the Italian word for Germans) or English. And they seem to be quite impressed that we are Americans and that we even speak some Italian. It’s very fun. The really seem to get a kick out of us being here.
We arrived just before dark, so the holiday lights were not yet on and it was definitely colder here, being higher in the mountains, than down in Marina di Ragusa, a fact we are quite happy with, living there! We went into a bar for a cup of tea and found that it was completely occupied by men. This is not an unusual occurrence actually. We have noticed that in the piazzas and in the bars, that there are primarily men. The women must be home cooking or cleaning, or watching their soap operas in peace while the men go out into the center of town to hang with their buddies and talk about the old days. I am mostly talking about the older men who, in warmer days are sitting on benches in the squares, but there are also younger men in their midst. In the smaller towns there are groups of 4 or 5 or 6 perhaps, but in the larger cities, we have encountered large groups of men and a very noticeable absence of women. It’s like the outdoor version of the men’s smoking room, where in olden days they would retire to talk politics and smoke their cigars. Here they go out into the piazzas!
The little city center was completely strung with Christmas lights as well as the streets that radiate from it. We know it will only be another couple of days before all the lights come down so we am making the most of it and enjoying seeing them wherever we go. We walked around a bit more but were getting cold and headed on home, stopping at Elio and Giovanna’s to pay the rent. They told us about an exhibition in Modica about to close of a famous Sicilian artist, Piero Guccione and we decided we would have to go and see it the very next day, which was today! But that’s the stuff of another blog entry.
By the time we got home it was raining. A nice ending to a wonderful day.
A presto,
Rosemary e Roberto
The little street that leads to the castle is lined with houses and shops on either side, most appearing closed when we arrived except for the restaurant on the corner. The rain started coming down heavily as we ran for cover within the castle entrance. The Castello Donnafugata (www.ragusa-sicilia.it/english/castello_di_donnafugata.htm) dates from the 12th century with definite Normal/Arab architectural details including an ancient tower. It was purchased by the Arrezzo family in the 1600s restored it for their own use. The front of the castle has a Venetian Gothic “loggia” and repeating decorative motif that dates from the early 1900s. In 2002, after about 5 years restoration work, they opened it t the public. There was no guided tour, just a simple brochure and little signs in each of the rooms to indicated the name of the room, which we followed on the brochure, trying to translate as we went along. It is mostly in good condition, with some of the furnishings quite gorgeous, others seemingly out of place and perhaps too modern. The walls of some of the rooms were decorated with painted scenes of Palermo and other places in Sicily and others had fancy fabric walls. A collection of very fancy glass chandeliers from Murano adorned all the ceilings. We have seen many of these now in Sicily and some are quite elaborate and colorful. I am constantly reminded of my Aunt Celeste, and certain she would absolutely love them!
Before we left, it rained and hailed but stopped just in time for a bride and groom and their friends and family to enter the castle for their wedding celebration.
The gardens, according to our friend Elio, are under restoration, although looking out the windows of the castello they look absolutely gorgeous. The presence of palm trees and gigantic Ficus magnolioides gives it a very tropical, exotic feeling.
We had lunch at the little restaurant on the corner and had a nice conversation (in Italian) with the proprietor, who asked us if we would trade places with him, and he could be a “pensionato” like Bob and not have to work any more! Bob was feeling very proud of himself after telling our story in Italian to this man and understanding what was said back to him!
We then decided to go to the town of Chiaramonte Gulfi, not far from the castello, along another smaller road and passed the most amazing landscape! I was looking at the map when Bob stopped the car and insisted I open the door and look down. There on the side of the road were growing wild iris! Everywhere we looked there were little patches of purple alongside another plant that resembled an aloe in shape, but was not an aloe. It had green leaves and tall shoots of flowers coming from the center that were white and pink. The ground all around was green. The hills were green, dotted with carob and olive trees, those wonderful stone walls, and a small house stood on the top of the farthest hill. With the voluminous white clouds, It was so beautiful I had to take out my paints and Bob his various lenses, and for about the next hour I sat on a rock and he wandered around and we just enjoyed this perfect little spot until I became uncomfortable and we were ready to leave.
Chiaramonte Gulfi has a high position, with a wonderful view. The area around it is composed of vegetable gardens, almond and olive trees. The centro of the town is quite charming but from the road, all you see are the newer homes, many apartment buildings with balconies surrounding the older part of town and completely obscuring it from below. But once you drive up the winding road you come upon the center of the city and this is where we were headed. There are lots of shops along the streets around the main square and I bought some chamomile for tea and a couple of bags of oatmeal (so far impossible to find here in Sicily). The woman was very kind and friendly. I enjoyed talking with her. One of the other ladies in the store was so curious; she asked if I was “English” a common question for us from the Sicilians. They either think we are German (“Tedeschi “ – the Italian word for Germans) or English. And they seem to be quite impressed that we are Americans and that we even speak some Italian. It’s very fun. The really seem to get a kick out of us being here.
We arrived just before dark, so the holiday lights were not yet on and it was definitely colder here, being higher in the mountains, than down in Marina di Ragusa, a fact we are quite happy with, living there! We went into a bar for a cup of tea and found that it was completely occupied by men. This is not an unusual occurrence actually. We have noticed that in the piazzas and in the bars, that there are primarily men. The women must be home cooking or cleaning, or watching their soap operas in peace while the men go out into the center of town to hang with their buddies and talk about the old days. I am mostly talking about the older men who, in warmer days are sitting on benches in the squares, but there are also younger men in their midst. In the smaller towns there are groups of 4 or 5 or 6 perhaps, but in the larger cities, we have encountered large groups of men and a very noticeable absence of women. It’s like the outdoor version of the men’s smoking room, where in olden days they would retire to talk politics and smoke their cigars. Here they go out into the piazzas!
The little city center was completely strung with Christmas lights as well as the streets that radiate from it. We know it will only be another couple of days before all the lights come down so we am making the most of it and enjoying seeing them wherever we go. We walked around a bit more but were getting cold and headed on home, stopping at Elio and Giovanna’s to pay the rent. They told us about an exhibition in Modica about to close of a famous Sicilian artist, Piero Guccione and we decided we would have to go and see it the very next day, which was today! But that’s the stuff of another blog entry.
By the time we got home it was raining. A nice ending to a wonderful day.
A presto,
Rosemary e Roberto
Happy Birthday Chris 1/4/06
Here we are with Chris in Richmond during our "Farewell Tour" in February 2005
Our son Chris with our grandaughter Kyla, on her first birthday in April
Today is the 36th birthday of our son Chris. Happy Birthday Chris!
We hope he's having a good day back in Richmond, Virginia and send all our love to him on this, the day of his birth. Always on the birthdays of our children, when they were growing up, I would drag out their baby albums and look through the pages, remembering when they were tiny and I could hold them in my arms. I had two little albums for the first year of each of their lives and it was fun to look back and recall those days. For Chris, with his birthday being just after Christmas, we made a very concerted effort to be sure Christmas was over and we could celebrate his birthday. Bob's birthday is Christmas Eve and because he had always felt, as a child, that his birthday was mostly forgotten and blended in with the holiday celebrations, we were determined that Chris's birthday would stand on its own and he would feel special on this day. We never combined gifts as he was growing up although it was quite a challenge to find something to give him right after Christmas when he practically got everything he ever wanted! We did somehow manage to come up with something cool (we hope) and to celebrate his day in as spectacular a fashion as we could come up with! We also had to talk about what we were doing the day he was born. How his dad was at work when my water broke (so progressive we thought we were that we talked about such things!) and how my mom and my brother came over to our house to wait with us, for my contractions to get close enough for us to go to the hospital. We even played Scrabble in our kitchen in Elmhurst, New York, timing my contractions, with my brother getting more nervous with each one. We did not own a car at the time and it was up to him to take us to the hospital. He was so nervous and driving so erratically, it's genuinely a miracle that we actually made it to the hospital!
In those days (waaaayyy back in 1970) they didn't let the husbands come into the delivery room. Or, in our case, even up to the maternity ward where their wives were going through labor alone, or with the "help" of often very crabby, unsympathetic nurses (as was the case with our hospital!). Being a big baby, (and only 20 years old) I had prearranged with my doctor to put me out during the delivery so that I would not feel any pain. Silly girl, I still had to go through the labor and then did not have the joy of seeing my baby as soon as he was born. But, I was only in labor for about 4 hours and woke to find that Chris had been born, at 2:00 in the morning. Poor Bob, it was the dead of winter in New York and he was sitting in the waiting room when they told him to go home, that it would be a long time before my baby would be born so he headed back to his parent's house. Not having a car and with no buses or trains running at this late hour, he walked all the way there. No sooner did he reach the house, he got a phone call that Chris had been born. I don't know why he didn't call my Mom or brother, who would have picked him up and driven him back. I guess because it was the middle of the night and it would be his nature not to want to call them at such an hour and wake them up. Knowing my Mom, she was probably not sleeping anyway! At any rate, he walked back to the hospital only to find that they would not let him in to see us before visiting hours anyway and so he fell asleep on the couch in the waiting room and was awakened by the cleaning lady in the morning and was finally able to go upstairs. He actually saw Chris before I did.
All he would do was stare through the glass at his newborn son, thrilled and delighted to see him and realize he was now a father. New mothers know the thrill I felt when they first laid that newborn baby in my arms for the first time. I will never forget the feeling. It is not unlike the one I get each time I see him now and I am able to wrap my arms around him. All 6'2" of him!
Happy Birthday Chris. I couldn't resist retelling the old story. Too bad I don't have baby pictures to look at now. But attached are some recent photos. Chris is now the father of 20-month old Kyla and I'm sure he has his own stories now of what his life was like the day she was born and how his life changed forever once he held her in his arms.
Forgive me the rest of you. I know this has nothing to do with our adventures in Italy and I hope you don't mind my reminiscing today.
A domani,
Rosemary & Bob
Sunday, January 01, 2006
New Year's Day, January 1, 2006
Here I sit. It's the first day of January, of the new year in Sicily and I am out on the terrace facing the sea. It's an overcast day and we think it will probably rain but wearing a warm sweater I am comfortable out here and not a bit cold. The sea looks pretty rough with big waves. We walked this morning down to the main square which was filled with people stopping in what seems to be everybody's favorite bar, having Prosecco and Campari drinks and sampling all the goodies on the bar.
Yesterday was a kick. It was New Year's Eve and in the main piazza there was a show for kids. It reminded us of the traveling carnival in the classic Fellini film with Anthony Quinn and Giuletta Masina called "La Strada," that tells the story of Zampano a rather cruel carnival strongman and this sweet young woman who runs off to join the circus with him to live what she mistakenly thinks is going to be a glamorous life. In yesterday's version, there were little brightly colored chairs set in a semi circle for the kids - 3 to about 6 year olds kids and a colorful backdrop. There was a clown who juggled while a beautiful woman added more and more layers to the rolling base he was on and a strongman/contortionist who performed incredible feats, like eating fire (the announcer cautioned the kids from trying this at home), and contorting his body into all sorts of astonishing shapes. The beautiful woman entered a box with plastic sides into which were placed several different dangerous-looking snakes, which crawled all around and over her (she did not look very comfortable with this!). The kids in the audience were entranced by these performances and even got to participate by singing along and making animal noises to the Italian version of "old MacDonald had a farm" which was adorable to watch. When the show was over the beautiful woman made cotton candy right in front of them as they gathered around to watch her spin sugar into this wonderful treat! (even some of the older folks like me got a taste! Bob says I am just a big kid and I guess I would have to admit I am.)
Last night we hung out in the apartment and watched "The Incredibles" on our laptop. We had a simple dinner and then around 11pm we grabbed a bottle of Prosecco and a couple of glasses and headed out to have a midnight walk, to welcome the New Year out on the beach. Lots of people were out shooting firecrackers and roman candles - we're not sure it's legal here - but it was fun to listen to all of this noise and merriment (as long as we didn't get too close and no one lost any fingers that we know of!) At midnight we popped the bottle open and nearby firecrackers were going off with a fireworks display just down the road from where we were standing! You could see in the distance, along the coast east of us, 5 or 6 different displays going off from each little town from here to probably Sampieri.
We tried to reach our kids by phone but were unable to get a signal. So we hope to talk with them later today and to hear that they had a nice time as well.
Today we are just relaxing and enjoying Marina di Ragusa, watching the changing colors of the sea as it goes from turquoise to green to indigo, with clouds passing overhead and the sun sending streaks down through them. White waves are crashing and the palm trees swaying, with the late afternoon sun lighting up the building across the piazza and turning it golden. I have plans to cook a nice dinner with the fresh ravioli I bought yesterday and experimenting with a sauce made from fresh tomatoes and peppers and a nice piece of pork for the "gravy." There's more Prosecco in the fridge and more celebrating to do before the day comes to an end.
With that, we want to wish all of you a very Happy New Year filled with all those things that bring joy to your hearts. In the new year, we hope for peace in the world, an end to poverty, violence and intolerance. We are looking forward to continuing our exciting adventure and for keeping in touch with those we love and hold dear.
Auguri (wishes!)
Rosemary & Robert
Yesterday was a kick. It was New Year's Eve and in the main piazza there was a show for kids. It reminded us of the traveling carnival in the classic Fellini film with Anthony Quinn and Giuletta Masina called "La Strada," that tells the story of Zampano a rather cruel carnival strongman and this sweet young woman who runs off to join the circus with him to live what she mistakenly thinks is going to be a glamorous life. In yesterday's version, there were little brightly colored chairs set in a semi circle for the kids - 3 to about 6 year olds kids and a colorful backdrop. There was a clown who juggled while a beautiful woman added more and more layers to the rolling base he was on and a strongman/contortionist who performed incredible feats, like eating fire (the announcer cautioned the kids from trying this at home), and contorting his body into all sorts of astonishing shapes. The beautiful woman entered a box with plastic sides into which were placed several different dangerous-looking snakes, which crawled all around and over her (she did not look very comfortable with this!). The kids in the audience were entranced by these performances and even got to participate by singing along and making animal noises to the Italian version of "old MacDonald had a farm" which was adorable to watch. When the show was over the beautiful woman made cotton candy right in front of them as they gathered around to watch her spin sugar into this wonderful treat! (even some of the older folks like me got a taste! Bob says I am just a big kid and I guess I would have to admit I am.)
Last night we hung out in the apartment and watched "The Incredibles" on our laptop. We had a simple dinner and then around 11pm we grabbed a bottle of Prosecco and a couple of glasses and headed out to have a midnight walk, to welcome the New Year out on the beach. Lots of people were out shooting firecrackers and roman candles - we're not sure it's legal here - but it was fun to listen to all of this noise and merriment (as long as we didn't get too close and no one lost any fingers that we know of!) At midnight we popped the bottle open and nearby firecrackers were going off with a fireworks display just down the road from where we were standing! You could see in the distance, along the coast east of us, 5 or 6 different displays going off from each little town from here to probably Sampieri.
We tried to reach our kids by phone but were unable to get a signal. So we hope to talk with them later today and to hear that they had a nice time as well.
Today we are just relaxing and enjoying Marina di Ragusa, watching the changing colors of the sea as it goes from turquoise to green to indigo, with clouds passing overhead and the sun sending streaks down through them. White waves are crashing and the palm trees swaying, with the late afternoon sun lighting up the building across the piazza and turning it golden. I have plans to cook a nice dinner with the fresh ravioli I bought yesterday and experimenting with a sauce made from fresh tomatoes and peppers and a nice piece of pork for the "gravy." There's more Prosecco in the fridge and more celebrating to do before the day comes to an end.
With that, we want to wish all of you a very Happy New Year filled with all those things that bring joy to your hearts. In the new year, we hope for peace in the world, an end to poverty, violence and intolerance. We are looking forward to continuing our exciting adventure and for keeping in touch with those we love and hold dear.
Auguri (wishes!)
Rosemary & Robert
A Trip to the Emergency Room 12.30.05
And it wasn't even Bob this time! On Friday, we went to the town of Scicli to see an art exhibit we had heard about called "Sicilia come Donna, I Vestiti." The photos were by a Sicilian photographer, Giuseppe Leone, very famous here and for good reason. His black and white photographs of women wearing the clothing of the late 18th and early 19th centuries were gorgeous. The exhibit consisted of his photographs reproduced as large digital prints on canvas that created a backdrop to the actual antique clothing displayed on mannequins. A very lovely woman met us at the entrance and escorted us through the exhibit, explaining what we were seeing, and we understood a lot of what she said, but not everything. But still we enjoyed it very much and purchased a book of Leone's photographs.
The city of Scicli is so beautiful. We have driven past it and through it a number of times, on our way to and from Siracusa but had not stopped to look around. We had earlier in the day gone to Modica, to find the Euronics store there, as Bob needed to buy some DVDs for photo storage. We were astonished to find it not only there, but a huge store with all kinds of up to the minute electronics gadgets, that you would expect to find anywhere in the states. Sicily seems to be much more with it technologically speaking than we had anticipated. This entire area of Modica, in the newer part of the town, was not unlike any modern suburban area; complete with every type of shop imaginable and very much in the 21st century. We were tempted to buy a DVD player, which we resisted since it is perfectly fine to watch an occasional movie on our laptop (live cheap and make art, remember?) but we were reminded of how seductive it is to go into these types of stores and how easily you can be persuaded to buy stuff you don't really need!
Anyway, I digress! We approached Scicli from the north, and the panoramic views were spectacular, as promised by our guidebook. Along the first street we entered we were enchanted to find an antique shop displaying all manner of old crusty stuff outside, which of course, Bob could not resist in photographing. We expected the town to be sort of run down based on this first street, with its crumbling facades, and houses seemingly built into the mountainside. We were completely surprised to find this beautiful town, which another book describes as being one of the most attractive in Sicily! We haven't seen enough of them yet to agree or disagree with that assessment, but we will say that we were quite impressed with how pretty it was. The colors of this city are white and tan and light colored. There is a wrought-iron bandstand in one of the piazzas and palm trees lining all the main squares and some streets. There was evidence of much restoration work being down and a few of the baroque churches were under scaffolding. That was disappointing I must admit, but the town nevertheless was worth exploring and we enjoyed just walking around.
Scicli is rich in history and art, dating back to the Siculi people (the first Sicilians), with remnants of the early Greeks, Romans, Normans, Arabs and Agagonese. Like the rest of this part of Sicily, it was devastated in the 1693 earthquake and rebuilt in the baroque style. It has several beautiful churches and palazzi and we even encountered a book shop/art gallery with a contemporary art exhibit of some of the local artists that was really wonderful. So much of the art we are exposed to in Italy is of a religious nature, in the churches and museums, we are always happy when we find some really exciting contemporary work and this was no exception.
After wandering around a bit we found a nice little trattoria and had lunch. The ravioli con maiale (pork) ragu was wonderful and Bob's linguine with mussels fantastic; the bread, to die for. A nice local red wine finished it off.
We set out to explore further and just as Bob was taking photos of a church door, I stepped up to brush some dirt from the keyhole and then, forgetting that I had stepped up, walked straight off the step, lost my balance and went down like a tree! Fortunately it was cold there and I was wearing a warm sweater under my winter coat that provided a lot of cushion to my fall. I did not tear my coat, but I did cut my elbow. Right through all that clothing! A group of young people, college age, had been hanging around in the piazza and they all rushed over to see if I was OK. Embarrassing, but nice that they were concerned. Everybody helped me up and I had to sit a minute to compose myself. As Bob and I walked away I felt a definite wetness on my elbow and discovered I had punctured a hole in my elbow! Well, not a VERY big hole, but enough to cause it to bleed quite a bit. Bob wanted me to go straight to the hospital but I wanted to see if it would stop bleeding all on its own, since I am a big baby when it comes to things like stitches and tetanus shots! One of the young men helped us by washing it and covering it with a bandage and we made a hasty retreat back to our car and home.
As you might imagine, it did not really stop bleeding and it became evident as the evening wore on that it was not going to stop on its own and that it might be worse and take longer to heal (Bob's words of wisdom) so I finally agreed to seek medical treatment. But of course we did not know where to go to do this and so-called Elio and Giovanna to ask their advice. They insisted on having us come to their house in Ragusa and taking us straightaway to the hospital. We learned that Giovanna had been a nurse for many years and knew everyone in the hospital and exactly where to go and what to do to get me taken care of. After assuring themselves that nothing was broken I was given 2 little stitches to the elbow and a tetanus shot on the rear, as well as a prescription for antibiotics and orders to return in 8 days to have the stitches removed. The most amazing thing was they did not ask us for a cent for all of this treatment and I am sure I will be good as new in no time. I am not in any pain at all and I am so grateful once again to these wonderful people who are taking such good care of us! I'm trying to take it easy and Bob's helping even more than usual. I can't complain except about my own carelessness.
We just took a break from this writing to prepare our New Year's dinner, some pieces of pork meat roasted with the fresh tomatoes, onions and peppers we bought at the market the other day, drizzled with extra virgin Sicilian olive oil, splashed with Marsala wine and sprinkled with basil and garlic. It's something new we are trying, not in any cookbook but trying to use all these fresh ingredients on hand. We are having fun. It's been a bit like playing house for us and we are making the most of it.
Let me once again wish you all a happy and healthy new year, with our love,
Rosemary & Bob
The city of Scicli is so beautiful. We have driven past it and through it a number of times, on our way to and from Siracusa but had not stopped to look around. We had earlier in the day gone to Modica, to find the Euronics store there, as Bob needed to buy some DVDs for photo storage. We were astonished to find it not only there, but a huge store with all kinds of up to the minute electronics gadgets, that you would expect to find anywhere in the states. Sicily seems to be much more with it technologically speaking than we had anticipated. This entire area of Modica, in the newer part of the town, was not unlike any modern suburban area; complete with every type of shop imaginable and very much in the 21st century. We were tempted to buy a DVD player, which we resisted since it is perfectly fine to watch an occasional movie on our laptop (live cheap and make art, remember?) but we were reminded of how seductive it is to go into these types of stores and how easily you can be persuaded to buy stuff you don't really need!
Anyway, I digress! We approached Scicli from the north, and the panoramic views were spectacular, as promised by our guidebook. Along the first street we entered we were enchanted to find an antique shop displaying all manner of old crusty stuff outside, which of course, Bob could not resist in photographing. We expected the town to be sort of run down based on this first street, with its crumbling facades, and houses seemingly built into the mountainside. We were completely surprised to find this beautiful town, which another book describes as being one of the most attractive in Sicily! We haven't seen enough of them yet to agree or disagree with that assessment, but we will say that we were quite impressed with how pretty it was. The colors of this city are white and tan and light colored. There is a wrought-iron bandstand in one of the piazzas and palm trees lining all the main squares and some streets. There was evidence of much restoration work being down and a few of the baroque churches were under scaffolding. That was disappointing I must admit, but the town nevertheless was worth exploring and we enjoyed just walking around.
Scicli is rich in history and art, dating back to the Siculi people (the first Sicilians), with remnants of the early Greeks, Romans, Normans, Arabs and Agagonese. Like the rest of this part of Sicily, it was devastated in the 1693 earthquake and rebuilt in the baroque style. It has several beautiful churches and palazzi and we even encountered a book shop/art gallery with a contemporary art exhibit of some of the local artists that was really wonderful. So much of the art we are exposed to in Italy is of a religious nature, in the churches and museums, we are always happy when we find some really exciting contemporary work and this was no exception.
After wandering around a bit we found a nice little trattoria and had lunch. The ravioli con maiale (pork) ragu was wonderful and Bob's linguine with mussels fantastic; the bread, to die for. A nice local red wine finished it off.
We set out to explore further and just as Bob was taking photos of a church door, I stepped up to brush some dirt from the keyhole and then, forgetting that I had stepped up, walked straight off the step, lost my balance and went down like a tree! Fortunately it was cold there and I was wearing a warm sweater under my winter coat that provided a lot of cushion to my fall. I did not tear my coat, but I did cut my elbow. Right through all that clothing! A group of young people, college age, had been hanging around in the piazza and they all rushed over to see if I was OK. Embarrassing, but nice that they were concerned. Everybody helped me up and I had to sit a minute to compose myself. As Bob and I walked away I felt a definite wetness on my elbow and discovered I had punctured a hole in my elbow! Well, not a VERY big hole, but enough to cause it to bleed quite a bit. Bob wanted me to go straight to the hospital but I wanted to see if it would stop bleeding all on its own, since I am a big baby when it comes to things like stitches and tetanus shots! One of the young men helped us by washing it and covering it with a bandage and we made a hasty retreat back to our car and home.
As you might imagine, it did not really stop bleeding and it became evident as the evening wore on that it was not going to stop on its own and that it might be worse and take longer to heal (Bob's words of wisdom) so I finally agreed to seek medical treatment. But of course we did not know where to go to do this and so-called Elio and Giovanna to ask their advice. They insisted on having us come to their house in Ragusa and taking us straightaway to the hospital. We learned that Giovanna had been a nurse for many years and knew everyone in the hospital and exactly where to go and what to do to get me taken care of. After assuring themselves that nothing was broken I was given 2 little stitches to the elbow and a tetanus shot on the rear, as well as a prescription for antibiotics and orders to return in 8 days to have the stitches removed. The most amazing thing was they did not ask us for a cent for all of this treatment and I am sure I will be good as new in no time. I am not in any pain at all and I am so grateful once again to these wonderful people who are taking such good care of us! I'm trying to take it easy and Bob's helping even more than usual. I can't complain except about my own carelessness.
We just took a break from this writing to prepare our New Year's dinner, some pieces of pork meat roasted with the fresh tomatoes, onions and peppers we bought at the market the other day, drizzled with extra virgin Sicilian olive oil, splashed with Marsala wine and sprinkled with basil and garlic. It's something new we are trying, not in any cookbook but trying to use all these fresh ingredients on hand. We are having fun. It's been a bit like playing house for us and we are making the most of it.
Let me once again wish you all a happy and healthy new year, with our love,
Rosemary & Bob
Thursday, December 29, 2005
Folk Art from the artist Vindigni, Monterosso Almo
We thought these were absoultely fantastic but he wouldn't sell. The craftsmanship was amazing and the details beautiful.
Tuesday, December 27, 2005
A few new watercolors from Sicily
Artichokes or "Carciofi" in Italiano
A little seascape with palm tree
Duomo in Caltagirone, Sicily
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