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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