Don Genova's Blog

This morning we went for coffee and a pastry in downtown Sciacca.  As we were slurping (espresso for Ramona, cappucino for me) and downing a tiny cornetto stuffed with pistachio cream, a slim, well-turned out woman who appeared to be in her 40’s sauntered up to the gelato bar, her considerable cleavage on display as she hung over the pots full of the house specialties.  We watched in amazement as the server took a sweet looking bun, halved it, then stuffed it with fior de crema gelato. (translates as rich, and richer)  Then he turned on a machine full of whipped cream and piled a few gobs on top of the bun, stuck a spoon in the gelato/cream mix and handed it over to our Sicilian Nigella.  Forsaking the spoon, at least to start, she lustfully bit into the bun, leaving a smear of cream all over her lips.  This was very sexy!

After we recovered, we were off to the Sciacca Terme Piscina, a large swimming pool fed by sulphurous hot springs, reputed to have healing powers for those with skin conditions and stuff like rheumatoid arthritis.  After a nice hour-long soak, Ramona thinks she has been cured, at least for today!

We also toured the port area of Sciacca and stopped for lunch at Ristorante Al Faro, a nice family-oriented trattoria where we indulged our seafood fantasies.  I had mussels in tomato sauce and spaghetti with sardines, while Ramona had a chewy-in-the-right-way spaghetti vongole. (doesn’t that sound better than spaghetti with clams?)

The Italian Job: Our car is not an Austin Mini, just a little Fiat Panda, but not so little that we don’t have to pull in the side-view mirrors as we negotiate the narrow streets of Sicilian hill towns.  Today I had to pilot my way through a seething mass of shoppers at a flea market that was set up just outside of our hotel, then gun it down a mass of hairpin turns to get to the port area.  Thanks to my ancestors for proving those Sicilian driving genes once again!

Pic of the Day:  Me, spaghetti in mouth.  Ramona says it’s the real me, captured in digits.

Pic of the Day, Two.  This guy has the longest fishing pole I've ever seen.  Looks like he's having a nice day, even if he never gets a bite.

Ramona and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary today by 'having lunch' with one of our favourite fictional detectives, Inspector Salvo Montalbano of the Vigata police force in Sicily.

Montalbano is the invention of writer Andrea Camilleri. Camilleri spends part of his year in Porto Empedocle, the small Sicilian port town which serves as the model for Montalbano's Vigata.  Porto Empedocle also happens to be the birthplace of my mother's mother!  Here we are with a bronze representation of the Inspettore, who will put any of his cases on hold while he satisfies his appetite, usually with seafood.

Since the Montalbano series has become more popular the town has adopted the name of Vigata and although we tried to find the Ristorante San Calogero that apparently is a real restaurant that Camilleri eats at in Porto Empedocle we had no luck.  But a kind gentleman who saw us wandering the streets pointed us in the direction of the 'Montalbano restaurant', La Grotta di Vigatta Trattoria, where we both enjoyed the Montalbano menu until our guts were bursting at the seams.  Thus fortified, we carried on to the town of Sciacca, where we are looking forward to the Saturday market which will apparently be taking place just down the street from our hotel. (where you have to pay for internet by the hour 🙁 )

Oh, and 'Get the Hell out of Gela' refers to town we had to drive through twice on our journey.  It is a very industrial town that has a huge refinery as its main feature, and odorous pollution as a secondary surprise.  We got stuck in a traffic jam for about half an hour as the Sicilians couldn't figure out how to create an alternating pattern around a single paving machine laying new asphalt on a bridge.  But when we stopped for coffee and pastry we were treated to a guy who looked exactly like a miniature civilian version of Patrick Stewart.  He came into the coffee shop and had a very animated and loud discussion/argument/discourse with the owner while we tried and failed to not look like stupid tourists.  All in a day's holiday, I say.

Pic of the day:  A glass of very nice rose wine from the bottle we enjoyed a couple of days ago at a nice restaurant in Ragusa Ibla. (with Ramona's new hat in the bg) Somehow polishing off a bottle of wine at lunch + a beer for me, makes us want to have long afternoon naps.  We just keep blaming it on the jet lag.

This is the view from Enna, a central Sicilian capital from which you can see Mount Etna.  The volcano did not erupt, but we were very hot. (baked)  The 'shake' part came from Ramona's constant worries as I drove our gutless little Fiat Panda up and down mountainous roads, complete with hairpin turns and crazy drivers who love to pass around curves and hills.  Even on the highway you have to watch out, as the slow lane is too slow for me, and the fast lane is too fast for me, so there is a lot of in and out.  The first car that cut me off after we picked up the rental car was a silver-grey Mercedes hearse.  Somehow its occupant was in a hurry to get somewhere more urgently than we were…maybe that's how he/she ended up in the hearse in the first place!

From Enna we carried on our shaking and baking to Ragusa Ibla, an old baroque town. The directions for the B+B ended miles away from where we were supposed to be.  A $10 phone call on Ramona's iPhone later, the owner came and met us in his car and led us through a completely incomprehensible route to his place, which is very lovely and from where the car will not budge until we leave tomorrow morning.

Paolo at the B+B recommended a great restaurant to us and we wandered our way through the narrow, winding streets to find it.  That was after we collapsed for some well-deserved R+R after the day's drive….I didn't tell Ramona at that moment that our next accommodation in Sciacca may be just as difficult to find.  After we finished dinner we saw where the townsfolk collect to chat and drink and just generally have a good time well into the evening. Such a nice way to spend part of your life!  We need more 'piazzas' in Canada, and front porches where we can watch life go by and talk to our neighbours.

And the good 'stinco'?  We shared a shin of pork at the restaurant, the Quattro Gatti (4 Cats), along with excellent antipasti, ravioli, gnocchi Norma and decadent cannoli and watermelon gelatine.  Stinco is the name of the shin of pork.  I had heard of it before when I lived in Italy but Ramona could not get over the name.  "Why would anyone order something that sounds like stink?"  She wanted me to tell the waitress/owner to change it.  I refused.  Some things just have to be stinky.  Sorry our pic of the day is a little blurry, but lighting was low (we don't use flash in restaurants) and we were on our second half litre of wine! (Nero d'Avola)

To market, to market!  Spent part of our day yesterday wandering in the Capo market area of Palermo, browsing spice shops, marveling at the variety of fresh fish, picking up some salted capers and saffron, and generally enjoying people enjoying life.

This city is very vibrant and as we stepped out of our wonderfully quiet hotel you quickly become awash in the sights and sounds of downtown Palermo, men standing on the street for their morning conversations, hands waving wildly for emphasis, Vespa scooters whizzing by like the wasps they are named for; the scooter impression of the day was on one of the main streets, two men crunched together on a scooter, leading a horse by its halter on a brisk pace down the thoroughfare.  Too bad I didn't have my camera ready for that!

The Oh-My_God moment of the day:  Caponata (a traditional Sicilian sweet and sour appetizer predominantly made with eggplant) made with artichoke hearts instead. This was absolutely mouth-watering in combination with a tangy tomato sauce, capers, olives and celery. YUM.  We cocktailed our way around the city a bit in the evening, where happy hour nets you significant antipasto buffet items and a drink such as a Negroni for a paltry 5 Euros. 

Late last night we walked up a flight of stairs to a pizza place, and got to share a table for two on a tiny balcony hanging over the street.  We watched the world go by as we enjoyed green salad and a tomato and mozzarella and basil salad and a pizza loaded with mushrooms, arugula, and more cheeses. Ahhhh…

Today it's back to the airport to pick up a rental car and start our drive to Ragusa, in southeast Sicily.  We plan to stop at Enna for lunch, a city that is the highest provincial capital in Sicily…and the weather is crystal clear so the views should be spectacular.

This is the view from the rooftop terrace of our hotel in Palermo, a sweeping panoramic vista of the city.  Arrived late yesterday afternoon after a long day of traveling. Campari and sodas on the terrace followed by seafood dinner at a very rustic trattoria nearby with scooters whizzing by our table just inches away and alley cats waiting for morsels of our dinner.  Ramona obliged.

Pic of the day:  My lovely wife, managing to stay awake and take it all in as we polished off our plates of seafood.