When in Sicily

When in Sicily...
do as the Sicilians do!  Slightly modified from its Roman roots but still good advice.  So we met Maggie and Branko upon arrival at Comiso airport, and instead of picking up the automatic sedan rental that we had pre-booked, we went the Sicilian way and got the stick shift ALFA ROMEO!!!  (Seriously, no Sicilian is going to drive an automatic sedan) Branko took the wheel and we were off to a roaring start on the backroads of southern Sicily in search of Buffalo cheese.  Woo-hoo!  Oh, and did I mention... the sun was shining.

Cheese can quickly become one’s favourite food in Sicily.  Buffalo mozzarella, baked ricotta, pecorino siciliano, and then for a true delight, the incredible cheeses one samples while waiting in line for their sandwich to be crafted by the “sandwich maestro” in Syracusa. 

Maestro 

 This artisan sandwich maker has become famous and not just because of the tastes, which are awesome, but for the actual “production” which is a stage event in itself.  Every garlic clove freshly crushed for the individual sandwich it will be spread on, likewise for the olives. The meat and cheese sliced at the time of the individual sandwich preparation, never ahead.  With samples of cheese, meats and wine as you wait in line for your sandwich to be made by the master’s hand, waiting in line NEVER felt so good!  Oh, and did I mention… the sun was shining.

A trip to visit Maggie and Branko in the far off regions of the Mediterranean typically includes the bringing of a few items in our luggage that are not readily available locally, so after we dropped off a few light boat supplies

it's not that heavy

A walk in the oldest part of Palermo treated us to an awesome look at architecture that had a layered effect of the many cultures that have inhabited this city over the centuries.  

It also brought us to a fantastic find just a block from our hotel room, an open fire chicken rotisserie, chicken now being added to our line-up of favourite foods found on our foray.   A visit to the Catacombs of the Capuchins and then we were off along the northern coast to Cefalu, a beautiful seaside town with narrow lanes squeezed between the town shops and apartments and balconies lined with fresh laundry drying.

 A great place to dry laundry because, did I mention… the sun was shining.

It’s difficult to choose any one experience on this trip as the “highlight” but Branko’s willingness to guide the Alfa through the narrow, winding roads that cross the central hills of Sicily took us through breathtaking scenery and towns that were very much off the beaten track for most tourists. 

No doubt it also provided local residents with some entertainment as we attempted to exit the small town of Castelbuono, and found ourselves driving past the same group of local townsfolk at least 3 times before finding our way out. A few scenic circles around town were in no way a waste of time though, as Castelbuono was a fantastic hilltop town with remarkable architecture and views. 

And we were in no hurry with all the comforts of home under the hatch. 

Heading further down through the hills of central Sicily, we called at a few towns in search of accommodations and found ourselves in Armerina where we had the treat of staying at the Art Hotel.  Each room decorated in differing styles by visiting art students

The hotel was ideally located affording us the opportunity to explore the town on foot and take respite in the seating in front of the neighbouring cathedral where we dined on wine, cucumber, and melon purchased off a vegetable vending truck that drove around through town much like our more familiar ice cream truck back home (right, I haven’t gotten to the gelato stories yet).

The strange cucumber-like veggie was like no other we encountered, before or since, despite our efforts to locate another at every vegetable market visited in the days that followed.  No doubt these wonderful vegetables had the benefit of the fact that… the sun was shining.

Ah, I just realized I have yet to show you the full grandeur of our amazing Alfa Romeo.  Not only was she sporty, but she was also totally sci-fi with the ability to shrink herself and pass through incredibly tight quarters like the exit from the Art Hotel, pictured here. 

Yes it is a tight squeeze… getting tighter…

 oh, and now a turn

... and away she goes!! 

  Bravo Branko!  Remarkable car shrinking and bending!!  (I can’t share a photo of the occasion later that day when Branko shank the car, moulded it around a corner like Gumby AND dropped it straight down a nearly vertical embankment, much like landing a flying saucer, because I was busy peeing my pants at that exact moment.) We then had the awe-inspiring pleasure of visiting Villa Romana del Casale, a 4th century Roman hunting camp which sports some of the largest, most well preserved and detailed Roman mosaics to be seen 

 and then a quick run up the 142 tile steps of Caltagirone. 

Back in Marina di Ragusa, we had the pleasure of staying on board another night when Megan arrived to join us

(yes five of us on board and still way comfortable.  H2obo might appear to be a 39 foot sailboat but she is well put together and has the feel of a cruiseship) We then moved “next door” to a fantastic housekeeping flat on the beach that Maggie recommended and which was totally awesome.  The apartment had a marvellous indoor-outdoor living feel with all of the rooms coming off of a partially covered outdoor courtyard.  We then got to “host” the hosts at our place. 

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The spoils from our road trips, Sicilian wine, an amazing fresh seafood bbq, and bakery delicacies made of sweet ricotta cheeses and finely ground almond and sugar pastries, created the relaxing atmosphere for a friendly little euchre competition which prevailed nightly up until departure, when, with both teams tied in the number of games won and both within one point of winning the game, Maggie and Linda won the hand, and the overall championship.  Oh yeah!  You go girls!  You got them by the…

And despite our travels far and wide across the island, we also found time to engage in one of our mutually enjoyed pastimes…fermenting.  Maggie’s carefully cultured kefir travelled the countryside with us, Branko’s kickass hot pepper ferment adorned home cooked meals, and we even had a chance to bubble up a tasty sauerkraut, sans caraway because that is one spice you won’t find available in Sicily.  (so if you happen to be visiting, a pocketful of caraway seeds might be well appreciated).

Sicily was unusually hot for the period, making for fantastic swim weather, and, did I mention… the sun was shining.  No, not just once, not just for a couple of days, but everyday.  There is this incredible lifting of the human spirit when one wakes up in the morning and doesn’t go to look at the weather report because they have become acclimatized to simply knowing that the day will be… Sunny!  Just like yesterday, and the day before, and the day to follow!  The sky will be blue, the sun will be shining, the sea will be warm.  Well at least until October 24th when, defying the cool wind that had arisen we took our last dip, and even then, it was no colder than Lake Huron in August.  Local surf enthusiasts had moved into full wet suit gear but this was still bikini weather for the northern visitors.

A few more road excursions took us to Modica,

where we were able to sample tiny pieces of Aztec chocolate in a wide selection of incredible flavours until the sugar and cocoa made us dizzy, and to Syracusa

.   

A quick stop at the Neapolis greek and roman ruins outside Syracusa created a moment in history for Gene (Augustus) Ceasar

(yes it looks in the photo as if there is only an audience of two persons but the house had been packed until the beer and pretzel vendor arrived.) We made the loop around Etna, with a stop in Castelmola for a panoramic view of the sea and coastline

 and then into Catania to find a few treasures at the massive market 

(oh-la-la the finds one can make at the Euro tables!), and yet a few more edible treasures, in the way of fresh street roasted chestnuts  

On our final day, as we flew out of Comiso past Etna and enroute to Rome, we could see the clouds coming in.  Good thing, as those much sought after cucumbers need both sun and rain.

I think we can best sum up our visit with a few choice Sicilian sayings:
For the weather, "cu gaddu e senza gaddu, diu fa journal” meaning  “God will make the sun rise with or without the rooster”.  We didn’t see a rooster everyday, but we certainly saw the sun.  For that we humbly say “thanks”.

And for our friends Maggie and Branko we say, "semu ricchi e nuddu u sapi” meaning  "We are rich and nobody knows it”.  Thank you both for the richness of the time spent together.

For the food, "cu mancia fa muddichi” meaning  "Who eats, makes crumbs". We made a LOT of crumbs.

And finally, for why it took us a very long time to write this blog entry, "panza china coli riposu” meaning  "People with a full stomach need to rest”.

Grazie, ciao, and next year… double duet…Jackson… you name the place!

Linda and Gene

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Olive Pickin'

Back in November I was invited to spend a day picking olives in a traditional, organic farm, somewhere between here and Siracusa.   The drive was beautiful, winding roads, farms, olive groves, mist laden hills and green landscapes.

The destination, Palazzolo Acreide or should I say just on the outskirts of the beautiful old town.   As we drove into the farm,  we were greeted by Mila, Paulo (owners) their baby girl and entertaining young son plus 17 puppies and a couple of Mama dogs.   The farm was owned by Paulo's parents and he grew up picking olives, almonds, walnuts, carob and tending the vegetable garden.   Paulo and Mila, a young couple, now live/run the organic farm, with help from volunteers.  

Interestingly, Mila has advertised the farm on a work/vacation website and in the 6 months since her first post,  they have had people from all over the world stay and work on the farm.   Room and board is gratis and the work is gratifying, scenery beautiful and clean air, free.   We arrived just as an Israeli family of 3 was leaving, having spent over a month living and working with Paulo and Mila.

But we were there to work, so off we went to the olive fields.   Traditional picking was necessary to not bruise the olives.  We had to climb into the trees and hand pull off the olives, after we had spread a net below the tree to capture the fallen olives.   We worked 8 hours with a 40 minute break, 8 strong, healthy adults and we only filled 8 crates...hard work this olive picking.  But the scenery was breathtaking, especially from the top of an olive tree.  Oops maybe I was taking in the view a little often.    

After we finished, Mila (and a new farm hand from Austria) served us a meal of lentil stew and fresh made bread, oh and the homemade wine too.   Delicious and perfect food to fill our bellies, although I found myself quietly falling asleep at the table.  

Paulo then took us to the olive pressing cooperative in town.  Forget the bar or cafe because the olive pressing warehouse was the place to be.  Everyone was there, talking, drinking and laughing and I believe some olives were pressed too, but not sure.  The process was interesting due to the cold versus hot pressing, what constitutes organic, which olives are better.   

http://www.oliveoilsource.com/page/extraction-process

Thinking that somehow the Sicilian olives are worked differently, I discovered making olive oil is a standard practice.   Above link has the most concise and fast read on olive pressing, if your interested.

Thank you Sandra for organizing this adventure.

Maggie

(pictures courtesy of Nicola, S/Y Emerald)

Terri and Drew, Excellent Sicilian Road Trip

Drew and I were met by Branko and Maggie at Comiso airport on a sunny Saturday afternoon. We quickly got caught up on our way drive to Marina di Ragusa, stopping to provision on the way.

We had planned to make this trip a combined visit on the boat plus side trips around the island, so we settled in on Water Hobo, where we started making plans over a dinner of delicious pizzas from the local pizzeria.

Starting out in Ragusa

The next day, we took a day trip out to Modica, a Unesco heritage town, rich with beautiful colour and architecture. It was a beautiful sunny Sunday, and lots of people and families were taking in the day, walking around. We saw several groups of young men (soccer players perhaps?), dressed in identical team-like sweaters, and a playful group of 4 allowed me to take their picture against the beautiful backdrop of the city rising into the hills. We wandered around, taking in views of the churches and the history, and sampled some chocolate along the way. We continued on to Ragusa Ibla, admiring the baroque style of architecture that had been meticulously restored after a devastating earthquake.

Modica, everyone loves a pic

Modica 

Ibla di Ragusa

Ibla di Ragusa

Back at the boat, we finalized our plans for the next part of our stay – 2 days out to the west coast of Sicily, with Marsala and Erice as our proposed destinations. Driving on the Sicilian roads can be tricky at times, and it takes longer to get around, as most roads are only 2 lanes. We had booked a small apartment through Airbnb, so had a place to stay once we got there.

Sciacca

Sicilian pottery

Entrance to Marsala

On the drive out, we caught some great views of the ancient ruins of Agrigento, but decided that there was not enough time to take them in on this trip. After a brief stop in Sciacca we continued on to the beautiful seaside town of Marsala. We were early for our arrival at our accommodation, so took in a cappuccino and the views of the sea. Our initial attempt to locate the apartment using GPS was futile, but our host Vito was very quick to meet and guide us in. We were thrilled with the lovely setting of the apartment, with orange trees, pretty gardens, and Italian marble completing the scene. We had the use of the owner’s charcoal barbeque, so settled in for an evening of a delicious meal, wine, music (Branko’s guitar), and an ongoing euchre tournament. Maggie and I are in fierce competition against Branko and Drew, and were determined to defend our title….more on this later.

We set out in the morning, with several towns to visit throughout the day. We entered the gates of the old town of Marsala, where the pedestrian-friendly street took us through mainly baroque-style buildings. While I was in the post office, Drew found and photographed a very cool display of vintage WWII motorcycles.

Trapani Windmills

Marsala small boat harbour

On the way to Erice, we made a stop near the Trapani salt flats, where we took some photos of the old still-working windmills. Storm clouds chased us up the winding climb to Erice, and on our arrival were briefly blasted with cold wind and rain. That, of course, provided the perfect opportunity for a stop for a cappuccino and a sweet treat. We had heard so much about the delicious food and sweets of Sicily, and have not been disappointed. The rain cleared away, and we wandered around this pretty town, the cobblestone brick roads adding to the charming atmosphere. There were many displays of local crafts and ceramics along the way.

Branko and Erice cat

Erice Castle

View from Erice castle

A local cat that had been out basking in the sun enjoyed a friendly scratch behind the ears from Branko. As we kept walking, we looked back a few times, and found Branko’s new buddy following along a few steps behind, apparently looking for more, and was happily obliged.

The highlight of Erice came when Branko walked ahead and found an ancient Norman castle. We followed up and were treated to dramatic views of the sea and coastline below. By this time, the clouds had cleared, making the scene even more picturesque.

We wound our way down from Erice and headed to Salemi, our final destination of the day. Salemi is a small working town, and Maggie and I walked and explored a little, while Drew and Branko took a rest stop in the car. During the walk, we found some interesting architecture and ruins. After a brief stop, we went back to the car, bound for another night in our Marsala villa.

In the morning, we started our journey back to the marina, and had decided to take in a couple of the mafia towns on the way back. We stopped first in Corleone, where we had lunch in a park near the city centre. There was a group of Sicilian men sitting together in the park and enjoying the day, and they allowed me to take a photo of them. We also stopped by the town of Prizzi, before heading back to the boat.

Corleone Men

Modica street scene

Trapani harbour

The inland roads were quite challenging at times, and avoiding the “white” roads on the maps was generally the course that we took, since those roads could be rough and unpredictable. That was the case until we met an impassable roadblock on the main road. Rather than double back, Drew ran ahead to check the path of a narrow white road, and other than a significant bump about halfway down, we found our way safely back to a main road…..whew!

Back at the boat, the weather suddenly took centre stage, as steady high winds swooped in. We hunkered down for the duration, making sure that all was secure. The surf that was churned up as a result was quite spectacular. The weather settled down enough after a day or so, allowing for our last road trip of this visit.

Our destinations this time were north and east to Taormina and Catania. Taormina is another Sicilian gem, high on a hill and full of panoramic views. We wandered around the streets, admiring the well-restored buildings and architecture, and the many local shops.

The weather started to turn nasty again, so we headed down to Catania where we would be staying the night. Torrents of rain began to fall, and as it turned out, continued through the night and into the next morning. We settled into our apartment, and continued the euchre tournament, hoping for a decent enough break in the rain to go out for dinner. By now, Branko and Drew had caught and passed us, and were winning by a few games.

Taormina plaza

Terri & Drew, Taormina

Entering Taormina

The rain was not letting up, and hunger prevailed so we finally decided to just go for it. We raced to a quaint little family run restaurant, where the mom (Maria), seated us. Her son Eduardo came and introduced himself to us, and after chatting about his style of cuisine (Roman cooking versus Sicilian), treated us to several delicious homemade pasta dishes.

The next morning, it was still raining, but we decided to swing by the Catania market anyway. A number of vendors were open for business, but many of the market stalls were vacant due to the conditions. Maggie and I were able to get a few photos, and bought some sandwiches and treats for the ride home. We headed back to Ragusa, where there had been a severe storm advisory the evening before It was a relief to find on our return that all was safe.

Terri in Catania

Catania fish market

Our final time back on the boat wound down as we readied for the journey back to Rome and then home. The euchre tournament that night ended with a tie between the boys and the girls…a nice way to end until the next time! Thanks again Maggie and Branko!

Terri and Drew