My Sicilian Siesta

Lentini - A Day-trip from Siracusa

2011-12-21T04:36:00.000-08:00

I have been itching to get out of Siracusa for a while. You see, some of my favorite memories and most pleasurable use of time is traveling on the Italian train system, taking in the beautiful scenery of the countryside. In doing so, I get to see things I wouldn’t normally see, like herds of cows, farms, hills, mountains, Mt. Etna (in the distance) and pure unindustrialized Nature.

A few days ago, I took the 8:45am train to Lentini, a small town in the Siracusan province. I really enjoyed my time there. I chose Lentini because it has an archaeological museum (big plus in my book) and therefore, it presented me with something to do besides wander around the town for five hours until the return train. Surprisingly, the town is very compact and walkable, save for the few steep uphill streets. Hills and I don’t agree so much (I’ll tell you another time about Palazzolo Acriede!) and so if a hill is involved, you can bet I’ll pass. Anyhow, here are some pictures from my day trip:

(Here, on the main street Via Etnea, you can see Mt. Etna in the background!)

If you’d like to visit Lentini from Siracusa, you can take one of the urban AST buses from Siracusa’s bus station (times are posted at the station) or do what I like to do - take the train. It’s about a 40 minute train ride and the plus of taking the trains over the buses is – they have bathrooms where the buses do not. Just be sure to carry some tissues or napkins on you, ladies ;)

The bus will drop you off right in the center of Lentini, at the bus station. The train is a little farther out, but an easy walk. The benefit of taking the train to/back is that you will pass Penny Market and Euro Sconto supermarkets, if you want to pick up provisions to have yourself a nice picnic lunch.

To get to the center from the train station, once you exit it, walk to the end of Via Stazione, make a left (past the orange trees) and follow that road all the way into the town center. It’s about a 10-15 minute walk. And if you get lost, just ask for help. The people of Lentini are famous for their kindness and patience in helping others.

My Ode to the Mighty Bidet

2011-12-14T11:55:00.000-08:00

If you don't get the humor in this piece, you need to laugh a little more in life :)

Let’s talk about what a great invention the bidet is! I've said for years now that I want one but they are hard to find in America. I don’t know why Americans get all shy or embarrassed when it comes to talking about washing their ass. Especially after you "do your business". It is better to wash the sh*t crumbs off your ass rather than let them linger in your drawers, no? (No more skid marks, fellas!) Definitely more hygienic.

Besides that, there are many other uses for this nifty device. Say you want to have a quickie before work and you’ve already showered. Nobody likes going to work with that sticky, sweaty feeling all over their personal parts when they have a meeting with their boss at 9am. No problemo! Just hit up your bidet, wash the "used parts" and you’re fresh and new again.

Hand-washing clothes is one of my favorite things to do with a bidet. Especially when you travel and don’t have access to a washing machine. Fill up the bidet with hot water and add some detergent. Massage the liquid gently through your clothes, socks and unmentionables, let them soak for a while, then rinse and squeeze. When you've gotten most of the excess water out, hang them wherever you can – over the radiator, curtain rods, or craft a clothes hanging device like my mom did once for us in a B&B with some string, a binder clip and the luggage rack thing they provide you in the hotel room. Rig it up so it holds and voila! You have a clothes line.

We get really creative and resourceful when we travel. That is one of my most favorite things about traveling. You use what you have! For clothespins, you can also use binder clips, I usually carry a little bag of them with me for impromptu hanging. But back to the bidet…

Stinky feet! After a long day of walking around and seeing the sights, your dogs are barkin’, stankin’ and all that, but you basically smell fresh enough and don’t want to shower in an impossible to move around in European-box shower that day because you're tired and know what an effort it is – just head over to the bidet, and soap up your feet. Good as new again and ready for tomorrow’s trek.

A bidet also makes a comfy cat bed. A few years ago, when I stayed in Florence, I had a substitute cat, Alina, who used to jump across the rooftops, into my apartment and hang out with me. Her temporary home was the bidet, where she lounged and took naps.

So cute!

And lastly, a necessary thing, for me and other women with long hair – when the sink’s too small and the shower sucks, the bidet is a wonderful place to wash your hair with no mess to clean up. You just have to spend a few minutes on your hands and knees. And no, I will save you from me making a perverted comment right there (haha)

With all of these great uses, ask yourself is there any reason to shy away from a bidet any further? Call your local Congressional Office and demand bidets in America today!

What uses can you think of?

Newsflash! Be on the look out for this man.

2011-12-14T11:32:00.000-08:00

Santa is breaking and entering all over Siracusa!

Hang on Santa! Christmas is almost here!

The Olfactory Symphony - Walking the Streets of Sicily

2011-12-04T08:27:00.000-08:00

Walking through the streets in the bigger cities of Sicily is a total immersion for your olfactory senses.

The olfactory symphony goes something like this:

“Oooh! Fresh cornetti!”
Two seconds later, “OMG, it smells like dog sh*t!”
To “Ooooh! The espresso smells so good!”
Then, another two seconds later, “Ewww! Garbage!”
Then, as you keep walking, “Gross! It smells like someone pissed around here.”
And then again it rapidly changes to, “The sea smells delicious!”

It is entirely amusing to count how many different smells that assault your nostrils within a half hour. I think I got up to 10 so far.

The dog sh*t smell can be attributed to the numerous street dogs that just go where they feel like it, and while the streets are also rife with domesticated dogs, their owners don’t really pick up after them.

I have this joke that when I travel to Catania with someone – when the first stench of urine hits them on the back streets, to their initial disgust I laugh and say, “Yep, urine (you’re in) Catania!”

But we must take the bad with the good, eh? And the good definitely outweighs a few seconds of distaste in your nose and the “yuck face” these smells produce. And hey, even with the garbage and urine smells – it still smells better than New York.

Getting to Palermo City Center from the Airport & Vice Versa

2011-12-03T10:41:00.000-08:00

Ciao, folks! I am here in Sicilia. Been spending the past few days getting over jetlag and getting acclimated, moved around a bit and am finally in my temporary apartment. It feels so nice to put all my sh*t down and unpack! For a little while, anyway until I find a more permanent place to stay. When I travel to Sicily, I usually fly into Palermo Falcone Borsellino airport. Palermo is an excellent base for any trip to Sicily because, besides the numerous sites there that can keep you busy for days, there are plenty of transportation options to get you to almost anywhere on the island.

When flying into Palermo Airport, getting to the city center is very easy. After you have collected your luggage, head straight out through the exit doors. Once you are outside, make a right and walk straight. About 50 meters or so, you will either see signs for the fermata (bus stop) or if you make good time, the light silver bus called the “Prestia e Comandè ” will be there waiting.

Here is what the bus looks like:

It stops at the Politeama Theater downtown (for those staying in hotels nearby) and its final stop is at the Stazione Centrale. There are a few stops in between, but they aren’t beneficial for tourists. I always get off at the Stazione Centrale, being that I stay in hotels in Via Roma, one of Palermo’s main streets. I like being near the train and bus station so I don’t have to haul my luggage too far.

The bus runs about every 30 minutes to and from the airport. The fare is 5,80 euro per person and the journey takes about 50 minutes. Tickets are bought on the bus.

Getting back to the airport is even easier. There are signs posted at the bus stops (the same place you got dropped off) that display the pickup times. Don’t forget to allot for the 50 minute journey to the airport when calculating how early a bus you should take to make your flight on time.

If you want to get a head start, here’s a link to the timetables and the stops (in italian).

There you have it, è facile!

Hold that thought!

2011-11-27T14:52:00.000-08:00

Ok, I'm trying to create this whole WordPress blog and it seems I'm having some issues with it... there are some things I like more about Blogger, and then some things I like more about WordPress. Therefore, it's a toss up - I'm not sure which blog I will continue to use, but if you are subscribed to this one, you will receive an email update as to what I decide. Or you can check back in a few days and I'll post my decision here.

I think for the first few new posts, I will post in both blogs, here and on WP. Just to be on the safe side! So, you may disregard the last post about totally abandoning this blog, for I think I am going to bring it back to life :)

Ciao!
LRS

New Beginnings ... New Blog

2011-11-27T13:51:00.000-08:00

It's been quite a while since I added to this blog, but that doesn't mean my love affair with the Mother Land has ended! During my long writing hiatus, I have traveled back and forth to Sicily, taking on new adventures, visiting places that are new to me, and immersing myself in 'the good life'! I have lots more stories to tell, tips to share and wisdom to impart.

I'm taking my blog in a new direction, including how-to-travel tips and tricks to get you around Sicily DIY style. The new direction also includes a new blog address... I have set it up at www.larosasiciliana.wordpress.com . Please subscribe to it via email or follow me on Twitter ( @larosasiciliana ) for updates and new postings. My experience with WordPress is new, so please bear with me through the kinks and quirks, should any arise with the new site :)

I hope you will continue to journey with me for there is much more to see, much more to discover in Sicily, l'isola bella.

Ciao a tutti!
La Rosa Siciliana

What's Cool About Ortigia

2009-05-15T18:13:00.000-07:00

Well, I think I gave a nice roundabout look at Ortigia in this blog, since I spent so much time here, but in this post I'll tell you about some of the funny and interesting things I have yet to mention.

Holy Easter Eggs!
We were lucky enough to be in Sicily during the Easter celebration. The Sicilians take this almost week-long celebration very seriously. You can tell by their eggs:

The Sea: (yes, I'm mentioning it again!)
I adore how it teasingly peeks out between the streets

Hand Painted Papyrus Art:

Ortigian things that make me laugh:

This one is self-explanatory and still produces a chuckle

And Mr. Guido Nutrtion whom I jokingly deemed my "boyfriend"

Come on, isn't this hilarious?! His head totally doesn't match his body! (Sorry, Guido!)

And last but certainly not least...

Looking Up:

Ortigia is all about opening your eyes. You risk missing what is around that next turn, at the end of a ronco, down this or that street, what's hidden right in front of you or most importantly, above you, if you don't.

The point being that I was always discovering something new, especially when I looked up! One thing that made Ortigia memorable for me thing was the variety of goulish decor adorning buildings, railings, and hidden in street corners.

Ghouls, goblins, humans about to get their heads eaten, animals, sirens and angels are everywhere:

Absolutely fascinating! I do not know the meaning behind them or how old they are (which I would love to find out) but they are nevertheless very intriguing. So, remember, if you are visiting Ortigia, do yourself a favor and always look up!

April 7 - Ortigia: Arrivederci, my love!

2009-05-14T16:08:00.000-07:00

This morning we had the most satisfying breakfast at Corsino’s consisting of due macchiati and (drumroll, please) …. the champion of all cannoli. Corsino's gets the award for cannoli supremacy, hands down. It does not get better than cannoli filled to order, ladies and gentlemen! And to top it off, we even got a choice of pistachio or almond pieces. “Pistachio,” we chimed in unison.

From the first bite to the last, it felt like an musical symphony was composing itself inside of my mouth. In other, more inappropriate words, I'd say it was definitely an orgasmic experience. *wink*

So seductive on the eyes you are, you little cannolo.

Mid-morning, we walked back to the area of Tyche on the mainland and visited the Santuario della Madonna delle Lacrime church. It is shaped like a tear drop to commemorate the statue of Mary that it houses which allegedly wept for 5 days back in 1953 and is said to have bestowed 300 miraculous cures upon the people a few months after.

What’s more interesting about this place is that it was built on top of an ancient temple dedicated to Demeter (goddess of grain) and Persephone (her daughter). Yes, the same Persephone that was kidnapped by Pluto that I wrote briefly about in this post. The cult of Demeter and Persephone was widespread in ancient times throughout the Mediterranean and is considered one of the Mystery religions.

Some foundation remains of the temple can still be seen outside of the church

And some mosaic floors have been excavated

Inside the church, near the pews, is a huge hunk of what used to be probably be a temple wall

As you walk up to the church entrance, to the left there is a real cool art park, I want to call it, with sculptures that inspire faith and spirituality

The Queen and I

The free Papyrus museum across the street was next on our list. It wasn't a huge deal, but worth a visit. On display were tools and minerals used for color, canoes and shoes made out of papyrus and a really interesting copy of the Rosetta Stone.

Inside the museum

Papyrus Sandals

The plant grows in abundance in Siracusa near the River Ciane. This is the only place in Europe in which papyrus grows.

In the afternoon, we walked around the island one last time at what I like to call the Sicilian pace (walking very slow) wanting to savor every last minute of our time here. Here are some random pictures of Ortigian beauty.

An old Venetian palace turned ristorante

At the very end is Castello Maniace (13th century) Ortigia's Fortress built by Frederick II (and closed at the time of our visit)

What I really love about Ortigia, as well as the rest of Sicily, is that it is a total sensory experience. Let me break it down a little bit:

Smells: I love the smells here. Everyday walking along the streets, I smell fresh bread and pastries being baked, espresso being pulled, the fresh air, open green spaces and smell of the sea, along with her enchanting sound which leads me to...

Sounds: I also love the clanging sounds of the piattini (saucers), spoons and espresso cups being placed down on the bar. I love the sound of the musical language, the people laughing and joking around, the shouts of the market vendors reeling in customers, and all of the characters, who remain faceless, that pass by our door each night in Ortigia.

We are on a ground level, so we can hear everything. There is one guy who I deemed “The Bird Man” who whistles very strangely everyday and night. I believe he is talking to somebody in the way that he whistles. It reminded me of something I saw on one of Andrew Zimmern’s shows in Turkey where the people have an entire whistling language, instead of words. I hypothesized that he was either doing that or practicing some kind of bird mating call…

Tastes: I love the taste of fresh cannoli and with a buttery-smooth macchiato (espresso with a bit of steamed milk) and the pure, rich flavors of the cheeses, fresh fruits and vegetables (especially the greens). The vino is absolutely first-class and very pleasing to the pocket. And the mineral water, what can I say? It tastes so different than back home and makes you feel like you're doing something good for your body. Did I mention limonata? It's a new favorite drink of mine - Lemon Soda. While I don't drink soda while I am in the States, I have also taken a liking to Coke Light, Europe's version of Diet Coke. Even that tastes so much better than the American version.

Sights:Read: This blog

What's on the menu for tonight:
Pasta with butter, olive oil and pecorino pepato and a saute mix of spinach, carrots, onions and pine nuts.

Yum.

After dinner, we did some stargazing by the sea. The moon was just about full and we saw a shooting star. Can you guess what my wish was? (If I tell you, it may not come true....)

As our time in Ortigia comes to an end, I know I will truly miss her and our little 'hood, err, Ronco, but I know I will be back... I must go to the Paolo D'Orsi Archaeology museum, after all!

Tomorrow we'll be taking the early morning bus to Palermo and from there we are train-ing it to Cefalù.

What's Cool About Catania

2009-05-08T18:23:00.000-07:00

10 Things I Love About Catania

I find that Catania is very similar to Rome minus the huge tourist attractions like the Colosseum and such. She has a mixture of everything – ancient ruins, a huge outdoor flea market, the fish/vegetable/fruit market, mass public transportation, supermercati, tattoo shops (a plus in my book) and something Rome does not have...

1. Mt. Etna: While we didn’t make the walk all the way down Via Etnea to get close, we saw her from afar. She was tipped with snow, even though it was about 65 degrees outside. I did manage to get a few nice shots from the train:

Check out the abandoned castle in the foreground!

Not too shabby for train shots, eh?

2. "Everyone's an actor," as they say of Rome:
In Piazza del Duomo, Catania’s most famous square, we saw Superman, leaping from the Duomo into the square.

He was looking for money so I told him if he could fly that I would give him some. No such luck.

3. The Esoteric Bookshop: I found one, to my surprise and delight, off of Via Etnea (Catania's main shopping street) and wished that I had an extensive Italian vocabulary in order to understand their content

Tarot Cards: in the window of the book shop

4. Souvenirs: Catania also has a well-rounded selection

Pupi Siciliani (Sicilian Puppets)

Decorative Ceramics

Sicilian Carts

5. Architectural Adornments: These guys adorn the Post Office building

6. Lava Stone Buildings:

7. My favorite scent: Dolce & Gabbana for men (the one with the navy blue cap) wafts freely through the streets, adding to my enjoyment of this wonderful city. (That scent is a woman magnet no matter what the man looks like) And that's a hint from me, fellas ;)

And last but certainly not least...

8. Dolci
Pasta di Mandorle (Marzipan)

9. Dolci
Biscotti (Cookies)

10. And more Dolci!
The bottom center pastries are representative of St. Agata's mutilated breasts and eaten heavily during her feast in February.

Yes, it's true: Even though my time here was short, I am one of the people who absolutely fell in love with Catania.

Now, ritorniamo a Ortigia! (Let's return to Ortigia!)

April 6 ~ Catania

2009-05-08T16:14:00.000-07:00

A brief history of Catania:
Katane (the city’s ancient name) was founded by the Greek Chalcidians in 729 B.C. Her history is like most of Sicily’s in that she was occupied by various forces including the Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Normans and Spanish. The entire city is overshadowed by the powerful volcano of Mt. Etna. In 1669, Mt. Etna erupted, killing 12, 000 people and destroying the entire city. An earthquake followed in 1693, further devastating the land. The following year Catania was reconstructed with Baroque style construction, breathing new life into the city. The lava stone from Mt. Etna was utilized as a building material for many of the new buildings' exteriors, imparting on her a unique and rich visual mixture of what I like to call "Catnian chiaroscuro".

I have read that you either love Catania immensely or hate it and want to leave as quickly as possible. I was one of the people who pretty much fell in love and found nothing but beauty in her grimy opulence.

At 7:30am we were on board the train from Siracusa to Catania in order to make it in time to witness the big event of La Pescheria, the famous Catania Fish Market.

We entered the market through Porta Uzeda and had no idea what to expect upon entering the belly of the beast.

Porta Uzeda

Our first looks at La Pescheria

To witness La Pescheria is to witness a total event in itself! There is so much energy flying about – vendors yelling out prices, trying to outsell each other and enticing people to buy from them, and customers bargaining to "fare buoni affari" (get good deals) on the numerous sea creatures, fresh vegetables, fruit and cheese on parade.

And into the belly...

Not being big fish eaters, we ended up fishless, but I did purchase 200 grams of ricotta al forno, or baked ricotta, from the lunch meat and cheese truck for an afternoon snack.

We headed back through the Porta Uzeda, which divides the city from the port, into the main square of Catania, Piazza del Duomo. The 11th century Duomo, also known as the Cathedral of St. Agata, is absolutely the most beautiful that I have ever seen! The impressive façade, with its grey lava wash, contains two columns taken from the site of the ancient Roman Amphitheater. The exterior also boasts many baroque style sculptures, adding to the chiaroscuro effect that I mentioned above.

A closer look at the Duomo

St. Agata is the patron saint of Catania. In 250 AD, she was horrifically mutilated (her breasts were hacked off and she was rolled in hot coals) because she refused the advances of Quintian, a Roman prefect. She was martyred after her death and the cathedral was dedicated to her as protectress of the city.

Also in Piazza del Duomo is la Fontana dell'Elefante (Fountain of the Elephant). Constructed in 1736 from the lava stone of Mt. Etna, Liotru (as it is called locally) dates back to the Roman period and supports an Egyptian obelisk. Its original owner was Eliodorus, a magician who made his living by turning people into animals. And thus, the Liotru became the prized symbol of the city because it is believed to have magical powers that calm the activity of Mt. Etna.

Liotru, or la Fontana dell'Elefante

On our walk back to the rail station, I witnessed a totally unexpected gem – a huge fountain depicting the Rape of Persephone. A very, very short summary of this myth: Pluto, god of the Underworld kidnaps Persephone (daughter of Zeus and Demeter) against her will to reign with him in the Underworld. For a much more detailed version of this story, I’ll make a post on my other blog, Venerating Antiquity, in the future, so stay tuned! (and subscribe to that for updates)

La Fontana di Proserpina

Holding up to my promise of trying a cannolo in every city we visit, we purchased the best cannoli we've had up date at Caffe del Duomo, right in the square. We took it portare via or “to go” and ate those bad boys while we were sitting at the rail station, awaiting our train back to Siracusa.

Picture perfect!

It was 7pm when we got back to Siracusa. As tired as we were, we managed to cook dinner. Hey, I never said red wine didn't give me a second wind ;)

What's on the menu for tonight:
Roasted chicken and potatoes, sautéed spinach with carrots, onions and pine nuts, fried eggplant, ricotta fresca (my new love) and pane integrale (whole wheat bread)... and yes, more vino!

With all that vino in my system, I forgot to use flash! Oh well, you get the jist.

April 5, 7:30PM ~ Ortigia, Cannoli Quest & My Alpheus...

2009-05-06T18:27:00.000-07:00

7:30PM, Pre-dinner cannoli quest

My mom and I wanted to get our cannoli on before we ate dinner so we went back to Corsino, only to find they were fresh out of cannoli! (Damn!)

So instead we headed down to Piazza Duomo and each had coffee and shared a cannolo at Antico Caffe Minerva on Via Minerva. Some guy was playing the accordion and church bells were ringing, it was really the perfect Sicilian setting to enjoy our pre-dinner dessert over.

Afterward, we walked around the alleyways of Ortigia, down to the Marina and browsed some of the shops. On the walk back to the apartment, some guy passed us and goes, over dramatically, “Ciao, BELLA!” I caught him out of the corner of my eye and started laughing and we just kept walking.

We stopped in front of Apollo’s temple remains (from 6th century B.C.)

to bask in the antiquity of the site for a minute

when my mom turned around and said, “Let’s go, he’s across the street coming this way.” (Turn off #1 - Never follow a lady if she's not interested)

Lovely. Now we’re booking it down these little alleyways of the old city and all of a sudden behind me I hear, “Senora, senora! Posso parlare con te?” (Can I talk to you?)

I turned around and caught sight of the most beautiful blue eyes. He wasn’t bad looking at all with his dark, curly hair, tan skin and those Ionian blue eyes. So, I talked to him. His name is Samhet he's from Morocco.

“Darn, he’s not even Italian,” I thought, silently amused. (Why is it that I meet every other ethnicity when I come here, but never manage to meet an Italian?)

Everything was going well until he flat out told me that he needs a girlfriend (turn off #2) and asked if we could go have a coffee and talk. After 5 minutes of his persistence, I asked if I could just give him my number so he could call me tomorrow. I didn't see any way out of the situation besides this. So, of course I gave him the wrong number. In hindsight, I felt a little bad about because I don't like doing that but, hello, dominating!?!

Now, you may be saying, "Why didn't she give him a chance?" Well, while I'm touched, being pursued for about one city block is a little unnerving and downright scary. Persistence is not an attractive trait and neither is not getting the hint. Plus, I am not even a smidge interested in finding a boyfriend on my vacation, I am here to explore and enjoy time by myself :)

And so I have discovered drawback #1 of living in a small village.

April 5 ~ Ortigia, Palm Sunday

2009-05-06T17:53:00.001-07:00

I am really starting to like it here, Ortigia has really grown on me.

This morning we had absolutely gorgeous weather and fulfilled our promise of trying the cassata. We bought two cassatinas (small version of the huge cassata cake) and oh my goodness, they were absolutely scrumptious! So fresh and soft! The outside is made of marzipan and inside is filled with cake and cannoli cream. There are also bits of candied fruit pieces in it. Delizioso! And not overly sugary at all, like the one I had at Dagnino’s. Right on, Lynn! (I was so anxious to try it that I didn't take a picture, shame on me)

We only have 2 days left in Ortigia and tomorrow we are going to Catania so we wanted to enjoy the sea as much as possible before we leave. On our walk down by the Fontana Aretusa, we came across a procession for Palm Sunday. There were children singing and holding flags, a man holding up a cross, and a priest chanting and blessing everyone (including us), all taking place in front of the sea.

Even though I am not a Catholic, I had an intense emotional experience with it. Being in the middle of it and feeling how powerful these peoples’ faith and devotion was combined with the joyous singing of the children, it was overwhelming… in an intensely good way. I almost cried. Good thing I had my sunglasses.

We were tempted to follow it

but then decided against it because we thought we might end up somewhere clear across town and then we wouldn’t have our time with the sea, as planned. I love the sea.

I keep saying to my mom, “I’m so happy. I’m so happy here.” And she keeps spontaneously breathing sighs of exhilaration. It’s so awesome.

The Marina

Ragazzi collecting clams

We enjoyed cappuccinos by the sea, lingered in the moment and then walked around the mainland of Siracusa, trying to find a supermarket that was open so we could get some milk and water. In our long, enduring quest we came up with … niente! It’s SUNDAY. Hello, self! Duh.

The area surrounding La Fontana Aretusa

The bells on the Duomo are ringing right now as I am writing. I love it. It’s 5:15pm.

Piazza del Duomo

We went to use the internet today because I totally forgot to email my boss! You can see where my head was not.

There was this real hot Indian guy at the café from Cashmere, India. Since he saw our passports and knew we were from America, he started speaking English to us, I figure probably because it’s not often that he has the chance to. Anyway, he ended up not charging us to use the internet! Totally a surprise! I have to so go back there one day when I’ve showered and flirt with his fine a**. :)

Domani (tomorrow) we are going to Catania, or Katane, as it was called in ancient times. I’m uber-excited!

What’s on the menu tonight?
Well, after our we eat our pre-dinner cannoli (don't fret, folks, the cannoli post is a-comin!), we’re making pasta with olives and carciofi (artichokes), sprinkled with some pecorino pepato (peppered pecorino romano cheese). Oh, and vino, of course! (1, 59 euro a bottle). I’m making the sugo!

The results of our concoction

Now, why would we go out to eat when we could cook a wonderful meal like this for under 10 euro?!

April 4 ~ Ortigia

2009-05-06T17:14:00.000-07:00

This morning we went to the Ortigia market.

Lots of fresh fruit and vegetables and many types of sea creatures that I have never seen. I saw a huge, live octopus in a bucket of water waiting to be purchased and yes, the huge swordfish heads...

Amazing! I have yet to try the swordfish but hear it is the best.

I didn’t buy anything however because I always feel so overwhelmed at these markets, not knowing what to get from who. Stall after stall of all this stuff can put my little head in a whizzy!

The colorful olives looked very good though

As did the fresh herbs & spices

With our indecisiveness, we took the bus from Ortigia to the Maxi Sidis supermarket instead where we spent a good 50 euro on food for the rest of our time here. Finally, we can get to cooking! Again, I will say that shopping in foreign supermarkets is a big highlight of any trip for me. I love seeing what types of stuff they have and much rather cook my own food and get a genuine cultural cooking experience rather than go out and eat all of the time. Plus, I get to live/shop like a local.

After we dropped our groceries off at the apartment, we headed back over the bridge onto Corso Umberto to have lunch. I spotted the Arabian place our first day there and just had to go back and try it out.

Tile detail from inside Arabian Kebab Mediterraneo

It was very cute inside, and the guy at the cassa was even cuter!

I ordered us two falafel paninis, and they were delicious

The cute guy smiled at me when I was paying. Damn, how I wished I was up on my Sicilian dialect!

We tried to do some shopping on Corso Umberto but we were there at the wrong time because everything was closed. This is the life, man! The stores open from 9-1:30, close, and then reopen from 3:30-7:30. I’m down, I definitely could get used to those hours!

Since everything was closed, we walked back to the apartment. At our moment of arrival, we decided to become true Sicilians and took a long siesta, err, nap. We slept until about 6pm and then got ready for our drink appointment with our charming landlord Lynn. What a great lady she is! She’s from Africa and lived in Florence for many years before moving to Ortigia, after her husband passed away.

We all had some wine and chatted about food (she has her own cookbook), sewing (she makes all of her own clothes), the mosquitoes in Florence (and how we can’t stand them), things we love about Sicily, our families, and just life in general.

She recommended that we try the Sicilian Cassata at this pasticceria called Corsino’s near the Fountain of Diana. I told her I a cassatina once at Dagnino’s in Rome but didn’t think it was a true cassatina. It was quite gross as a matter of fact.

She told me, “No, you have to try the real thing. You cannot say you've tasted cassata until you've actually had it in Sicily.”

And so, that’s what we'll be doing for breakfast...

April 3 ~ Ortigia, The Old City

2009-05-03T14:17:00.000-07:00

On the walk back to the apartment we did some souvenir shopping. A few of the vendors were asking me about my Trinacria tattoo. The Trinacria is the symbol of Sicily and shown on the header of this blog. I was surprised that everyone seemed to like it because in my travels in mainland Italy, tattoos weren’t too much the rage and deemed in a way, uncivilized. So I am glad at least the Sicilians understand me! They were really interested and excited to discuss the history and meaning of the Trinacria with me. I feel really at home in Sicily. It’s a little strange, but in a great way.

Some cool souvenirs:

(I love the Cyclops)

In the afternoon, we took a slow, leisurely walk to discover the old town of Ortigia. Ortigia is a tiny island surrounded by the Ionian Sea and connected to Siracusa by a bridge. The Corinthians arrived in 733 B.C. and colonized the island at the advice of the Delphic Oracle in Delphi, Greece.

Ortigia is a very old, small and charming city. The mostly pedestrian-only streets are about 3 people wide, winding and cold, because the sun does not reach in between their tangled web.

Typical Ortigian streets

There are little “roncoes” where the streets end, which are like alcoves. The entire scene reminds me of a little Moorish village and is an awesome and new experience for me. I love it!

Walking all around the edges of the island to capture different views of the Ionian sea was such a serene event. The Ionian is a magnificent shade of aqua blue intertwined with hints of jade green and is absolutely mesmerizing.

We relaxed by her side and listened to her enchanting call a lot longer than we expected. Time seems to have no meaning here and I am enjoying every minute of it.

"Somewhere Beyond the Sea" ~ the Frank Sinatra tune fit perfectly and it kept creeping into my mind over and over again as I was staring down below, so I just started singing it. Next thing you know, Mom joined in with me :)

If you look real closely, you'll see the our shadows in the sea

After about 3 or 4 encores, we departed with our new found love, the Ionian, and continued on to the most precious and charming place, to me, on the island – Piazza Archimede, one of Ortigia's main squares, flanked with the 19th century Fountain of Diana in the middle. She is one of my favorite deities in mythology and she looks absolutely gorgeous here.

I wanted to take her home!

On Ortigia's east side is the Fontana Aretusa, or Fountain of Aretusa, which is now populated with papyrus trees. This part of Sicily is the only place in Europe where they grow. The papyrus plants are thought to have initially been brought by the Arabs and the plant grows spontaneously in Siracusa along the banks of the Ciane river.

La Fontana Aretusa

The story of the fountain goes like this: Aretusa was Diana’s (aka Artemis) right hand woman. She transformed Aretusa into a fresh water spring to protect her from the unwelcome pursuance of the river god Alpheus. Aretusa, as a spring, fled under the sea all the way from Arcadia, Greece, with Alpheus in hot pursuit. Their waters merged as they came to the surface in Ortigia. As much as she didn't want him, the story's kind of romantic in a way, no?

Alpheus & Aretusa

So now we come to an even sweeter part of the story:
Across from the Fontana Aretusa I noticed a little bar/gelateria that boasted a sign screaming “Bignè.”

I quickly darted across the street, Mom in tow, to get the one thing that I have missed so much – a bignè con gelato. I tried this sweet, filling treat last time I was in Sicily, in the town of Termini Imerese and have been fiending for another one ever since.

A bignè is a sweet roll type of thing and in this case it is cut in half and the gelato is put inside.

I told the woman behind the counter that I wanted 2 bignès, one with coconut & lemon (for me) and one with coffee & cream puff for Mom. Well, to my surprise and delight, this lady pulled out the god of all bignès and proceeded to make us both a straight up gelato sub! She finished them off with a wafer cookie in the middle.

A 3 euro 6” looong (what up Subway!)

Mmm, mmm good and oh so filling! How do you spell heaven? G-E-L-A-T-O is close enough for me!

Walking back home we passed Piazza del Duomo, Ortigia's most famous square.

The Duomo

Something that moved me more than the presence of the church itself is that the church, or duomo, was built around an ancient temple dedicated to Athena. The columns from the old temple are visible from the outside, but much more prominent on the inside.

Duomo Exterior

Duomo Interior

While the inside of the church wasn’t that striking (I’ve been spoiled by Roman churches), it was definitely refreshing to see ancient Doric columns supporting the it. The original Greek temple dates back to 5th century B.C. and was known throughout the Mediterranean, getting much exposure thanks to Cicero, who visited it in the 1st century B.C. In its heyday, the interior of the temple was adorned in gold and ivory and on its roof stood a golden statue of Athena that the sailors used as a navigation point. Today, there is a statue of Mary in this same spot.

Our plans for tomorrow: Hit up the big outdoor fruit and vegetable market, have lunch at the Arabian restaurant in Siracusa and after dinner we're off to Lynn's house for a drink. On Monday we are going to Catania and I’m very excited about that! Then on Wednesday we are off to out apartment in Cefalù to relax by the Thyrennian Sea.

Yes, I know! And here's something that I love about her:

It’s amazing to see so many people smiling and to hear so much laughter. The kids I have encountered – young to teenage – are all so genuinely happy and they all hang out together. There is something to be said for just sitting by yourself, with many people all around you speaking a foreign language, and you not totally understanding it, but feeling the joy in the sounds of their voices. Ahhh, I must breathe out loud because I am totally encompassed by exhilarated feelings. And I love it. I don’t get to witness this type of stuff where I am from. Their happiness is contagious, I find myself smiling a lot here too :)

April 3 ~ Siracusa

2009-04-28T15:46:00.000-07:00

This morning, in order to get a huge chunk of the sightseeing portion of our trip out of the way, I had planned for us to go to the Neapolis Archaeological Park and museum. The museum was to be one of the highlights of my trip here in Siracusa.

Because we woke up early, instead of waiting for the bus to take us there, we walked it from Ortigia to the modern area of Tyche, on the mainland. It was about a 25 minute walk. On the way, a homeless dog crossed our path and I started talking to it. Well, that turned out to be a big mistake! Next thing you know it’s following or leading us, rather, everywhere. We even tried running the other way to lose it, but it found us. It would walk ahead of us and then turn around every few seconds to see if we were still behind. So cute and funny but I felt bad because we couldn’t keep him or take him with us.

“Hmm, how are we going to get rid of it?” I thought. On the right, I noticed a bar and we quickly ducked inside and had a coffee. It didn’t take long for him to notice we were gone and next thing you know he’s at the door of the bar, scratching at it, trying to open it to get in! Smart little thing, he was. After a few minutes of failed attempts, he decided to take off. It hurt my heart a little, but there was nothing I could do.

My tasty cappuccino helped ease the pain a bit ;)

As we headed toward Tyche, we finally found a supermarket! A maxi one at that… Maxi Sidis. (Maxi would mean super huge in this case) There are NO supermarkets on Ortigia, only alimentari and salumerie so imagine our delight when we actually found a huge one! That would be our much needed next stop after sightseeing.

Finally, we arrive at the Paolo Orsi Archeological Museum at around 9:10am. To my utter disappointment I learned that it was CLOSED for restoration. Until April 25th!!

What a bunch of baloney!

(from the Maxi Sidis)

Yeah, I was pretty bummed but figured that seals my decision to come back here sometime…

And so we headed north to the Neapolis, Siracusa’s most visited ancient site. It was an interesting collection of ruins. The first thing we saw was the 3rd century B.C. Ara di Ierone II or Altar of (the ruler) Hieron II, which was a sacrificial altar used for religious rites, celebrations, victories, you name it. Up to 450 oxen could be sacrificed on it at one time.

Although there is not too much left of it, one can grasp the immensity of this monolithic altar by the presence of its foundation. The steps are pretty much in tact too and I found myself imagining people leading the bulls to the altar to be sacrificed.

The next stop was the Orrechio di Dionisio (Ear of Dionysis), an ear shaped grotto in the limestone quarry. It was dubbed the “Ear of Dionysis” by renaissance painter Carravaggio because, due to its acoustical capabilities, he believed that Dionysis (not the god, but the ruler) used it to eavesdrop on his Athenian enemies that were imprisoned in the quarry after the war between Athens and Siracusa in 413 B.C. That and because of its obvious shape.

Others believe it was an acoustical soundboard that was utilized with the next ruin we visited: The Teatro Greco or Greek Theater.

Initially, I was prepared for the dumbfounding awe that accompanies the first site of such a huge ruin but unfortunately, it never happened because most of it was being covered for the plays that would be performed on it in May. Bummer # 2. But it was still worth seeing, nonetheless.

With that we walked down to the remains of the 2nd century A.D. Anfiteatro Romano or Roman Amphitheater, which was used for gladiatorial battles, like the Colosseum in Rome. This Anfiteatro is the third-largest in Italy, only after the Colosseum and theater in Verona.

It was very peaceful here. Nobody was around except us and the cheery singing of the birds. Oh, and the lizards! There are many tiny green lizards in the area. I wanted to catch one to keep as a pet, but these little dudes are quick! And so adorable.

We hung out for a bit on some rocks overlooking the Anfiteatro and while we embraced the fresh air, we planned our afternoon.

April 2 ~ Arriving in Ortigia

2009-04-27T15:56:00.000-07:00

A Brief History of Siracusa & Ortigia:
Siracusa (or Syracuse) was one of the strongest powers in the ancient Mediterranean world and the most important city of the entire Magna Grecia area. Today it is called the "modern" part of the city. Ortigia, the tiny island off of Siracusa called the “historical center” today, was settled by the Siculian tribes (one group of Sicily’s original peoples) about 3000 years ago. Both were colonized by the Greeks in the 8th century B.C. and naturally became a part of the Hellenized culture. A sophisticated urban city, Siracusa was home to many famous, historically known Greeks, including Archimedes. The city was noted by Cicero as “the greatest Greek city and the most beautiful of them all.”

At 2:30pm on the dot, the bus left Palermo and headed south through the interior of Sicily, through some of the most beautiful scenery that I have ever been witness to. Miles and miles of green pastures, hills and mountains so high they seemed to reach the sky, vineyards, horse herds, sheep herds, cow herds, cacti with prickly pears growing on them, the sea… Nature. Untouched and untainted, in her freest form.

I was in heaven! Sitting on the bus, I indulged in my fantasy of living up in one of the hills, stealing a cow for milk and a horse for transportation, just Nature and I... Pure bliss. Or I could live in a Ficus tree. Seriously! I was locked in to it throughout the entire ride. To me, this is the right way to live - surrounded by Nature, wild and free. I was already the happiest I have been in a long time and our trip had only begun.

When we arrived at Siracusa, we were supposed to get dropped off on Corso Gelone, only we got dropped off around the corner from the train station. Since street signs tend to be a rarity, I asked the bus driver, “Is this Corso Gelone?” He said no and that it was pretty far away. Great. Now what? I called Lynn, our landlady and asked her how to get there. “Just take the small navetta bus, it’s free and it will take you right over the bridge in Ortigia.” Okay, sounds simple enough. The guy at the ticket booth told me it was bus #20 and to wait for it at “the end.” This was all I understood from his Italian/Sicilian dialect. What end is that exactly?

We ended up walking around for a few minutes, not finding any notation of where this bus came, so we said screw it and decided to walk all the way down Corso Umberto, the main street, over the bridge into Ortigia. It wasn’t that bad of a walk, only about 10 minutes.

Crossing Corso Umberto in Siracusa

Into the paradise of Ortigia

Once we were over the bridge, we were in a totally different world! The streets were very tiny and had no type of street plan, they just curved around and most of them were lacking in street signs. Very cool, when you’re not hauling luggage!

We tried following Lynn’s vague directions to the apartment and ended up in all these different “Roncoes” (little alcoves, similar to a cul-de-sac, only not). It was all very small village-like. Finally, we found our way to our Ronco. Our street is about 2 people wide and I am glad we found it before it got dark out.

This is our "Ronco"

Now we are inside our little studio apartment. It’s nice but it smells moist like, I guess from it’s proximity to the sea. It’s also cold in here, and in this little village web of streets. Only when you get out in the open do you feel the sunshine.

I went through our cupboard to see what we had already and didn’t have to buy. Everything was moist and stale. I guess things don’t stay fresh too long here, because of the moisture. The Nutella was as hard as a candy bar and the breadsticks were stale and slightly wet. And you can’t drink the water here because it has a strange taste, unless you boil it. But I have read that things are like that in Ortigia, because it is a tiny island. I will say however, the sea is about 2 minutes from the apartment, and that's a definite plus in my book and totally worth the moisture.

First impressions: I like the streets of the old city and you can smell what people are cooking for dinner. Anonymity is practically a no-go and everybody knows everybody, so when you are a newbie, they know and stare. I don’t mind though, it’s actually refreshing. It is easy to get lost in these tangled streets though, even with a map.

But we'll be here for a week so it will be cake walk in no time! Or should I say "cannoli" walk...

What's Cool About Palermo

2009-04-26T08:30:00.000-07:00

Besides the obvious, here are some cool, unconventional things I love about Palermo:

It’s a mixture of history, beauty, ugliness, chaos and wonderfully good looking men! Eye candy is in full abundance here, however, their underwear judgment puzzles me...I really get a kick out of the designs (actually, this applies to all of Italy I have visited)

(Yes, that says "BOMB")

Some of the street signs are also in Arabic

Designs in architecture that may be hidden to the average eye (hard to see when it's small, but this is a dragon catching the rays of the sun)

Graffiti

Construction signs: "Shoveling Sh*t" is what I like to call this one

When I first saw this sign I couldn’t help but laugh. It reminded me of my life back in New Jersey, "shoveling sh*t"… at the job, with other people, etc. It fit the tone perfectly and reminded me why I was on vacation in the first place...

Ah, this is going to be a great trip!

April 2 ~ Palermo

2009-04-26T07:39:00.000-07:00

April 2, 2009
No cannoli for breakfast this morning! What was on the menu: a fresh roll with swiss cheese and prune jelly, some cereal and a cappuccino instead. It was pretty good, considering that my cannolo was absent!

The hotel is really nice. Rick Steves even stayed here in his show on Palermo. We have a balcony in our room and I saw the Moon shining brightly above it last night. I also noticed a twin size bed in the street full of cement. Possibly a container for construction purposes, but I’m not really sure.

A Brief History of Palermo:
It is hard to sum up the history of Palermo, or even of Sicily, in a few simple sentences but I am going to try to keep it as brief as possible. Palermo is nearly 3000 years old. It has been conquered by many peoples including the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Normans, Swabians and Spaniards (not necessarily in that order) making the ancient as well as modern city an eclectic mix of all of these cultures. However, thankfully Palermo retains it’s Sicilian personality even among all of this infiltration. Under the Arab dominion (827-965), Palermo became the second most important city in the ancient Islamic world, only after Constantinople, which left a heavy impact on the culture. Sicily was bombed in WWII and some of the damage can still be seen in modern day Palermo.

I had been to Palermo before on my first trip to Sicily and was anxious to come back. It is after all where my father's side of my family is from. It turns out that we have a popular last name and I saw a street sign, a cafe and a bookstore donning it. Very cool! The bookstore and cafe were closed, however, so there is no telling if they are long, lost relatives. I'm sure they are in some way, shape or form. I'll leave finding that out for my next trip!

After breakfast, we checked out of the hotel and left our bags to pick up later. Our bus to Siracusa didn’t leave until 2:30pm. So we spent the morning walking around Palermo and reminiscing from our last trip, passing by our old haunts:

The Garibaldi Gardens with its beautiful 150 year old Ficus trees

Look at these roots!

Our old street (where our apt. was last time) with it's characteristic street sign(see the wooden arrow saying "Via Giacalone"?)

And the Vucciria Market

To name a few.

Then we walked by the Port of Palermo, passed the Politeama Theater and on to the 99 Euro-cent store. GS, the supermercato, was of course on the menu for today. Shopping in foreign supermarkets (not just the street markets) is one of my favorite things about traveling to other countries.

At GS, we purchased a quick picnic style lunch – a hunk of Palermitano cheese, wheat rolls and yogurt, and sat outside on Via della Liberta and ate. After we filled our tummies, we headed back to pick up our luggage and head to the Interbus station on Via P. Balsamo. We arrived at the station at a 1:45 and the strange thing was, we weren’t allowed to buy our tickets until after 2pm, which I still do not get. So we ended up sitting in the station.

I have been getting really strange feelings since I have been here, I can’t really explain how it feels, but like I feel I am home. Like I knew I was going be here, or maybe I was feeling the call of my ancestors. Not deja vu, but more of a ‘knowing’ feeling.

I’m trying not to speak any English to anyone here except my mom. I need the practice!

April 1 ~ Roma to Palermo, Sicily

2009-04-26T07:30:00.000-07:00

April 1, 2009
Our flight to Rome was also delayed about a half an hour, but I wasn’t worried as the flight to Palermo didn’t leave until 7pm. Again, we were planning on going to the center but our time was cut short, so we hung around Fiumicino Airport. We had about a 4 hour wait and by this time, we were exhausted and trying to stay awake!

We each ate a salad at the Autogrill and had about 3 macchiati (espresso with a tad of milk) each to keep us from falling asleep. I bought a Ricaricard to re-up my Itlalian cellphone as well.

For our Blu-Express flight, we had to check our carry-ons which kind of pissed me off because we were already going to arrive there late, at 8:40pm, and I knew we only had 20 minutes to catch the Prestia e Comande bus into Palermo city center.

But, it did feel kind of nice not having to lug them around the entire 4 hour wait. I made the mistake of not realizing how taxing 3 flights in two days would be on us and our bodies, but we made it! However, I will never do it again. We were so exhausted!

Finally, at 7:30pm, our flight to Palermo left. We landed about 45 minutes later and, by the grace of the luggage god, ours were the first to come out of the baggage rack. Ding! I grabbed them so fast and we practically ran outside of the airport (TG it’s small!) and bolted to get the bus. We made the Prestia e Comande by TWO minutes! Whew! I really didn’t want to wait another half hour. High fives were definitely in order.

We arrived at the Stazione Palermo Centrale at around 9:30pm and were counting on having some McDonald’s (something I would not normally eat) at the station for dinner, only when we arrived, it was closed. Arg! We were starving at this point; what a long day! But we kept on and walked to the Hotel Center on Via Roma, straight down the street from the train station. We got in our room and passed out shortly thereafter, still hungry and exhausted. I was up in bed for a while though, thinking about the cannoli that I was going to have for breakfast. I tried to quell the growls of my stomach as I drifted off in to dream land.

March 31, 2009 ~ Frankfurt, Germany

2009-04-26T07:21:00.000-07:00

It’s hard to remember exactly what day it is! It's April 3, I think. My mom and I are currently in Ortigia, the island connected to Siracusa, Sicily. Since I don't want to skip anything, let me start from the beginning…

March 31, 2009
Our overnight flight to Germany was pretty much on time. Wait, now that I think about it, it was actually an hour late. (Forgive me, adjusting to the time change here!) I had hoped to go into the city of Frankfurt for a few hours, as is why I booked the flight with a 5 hour layover, but because our flight was about an hour late, I didn’t have the chance to. We had walked around Frankfurt Am-Main airport which is HUGE, trying to find the rail station that is on the bottom level of the four-level airport. Finally, after a long walk, we found it, only to discover that the train ticket machines were only operating in GERMAN, a language of which my knowledge only extends to “danke.” Great.

I scanned the stops listed on the machine and didn’t see one for Hauptbahnhof, the main train station in Frankfurt. Finally, a German man came to use the machine and so I asked him. He assisted me in getting our tickets for the S-Bahn 8 into the center and we were ready to go. We got on a train and everything but at the last minute decided to get off. We had our time cut by an hour and had our heavy luggage with us, so I thought it be best to not chance it and end up missing our flight to Rome. Oh well, I was happy that at least I got to see Frankfurt from the plane window.

Instead we walked around the airport, looking at the shops and even found a German supermarket. We bought vegetable sandwiches for breakfast and went outside the airport for fresh air. I bought a pack of Winston Blu’s and was finally able to enjoy a nice, fulfilling European smoke. We walked across the street to the McDonald’s stand and had a 1 euro cappuccino …. It was pretty damn good, I must say!

The Extent of My German Booty