The Fountain of Youth does exist - Lago Specchio di Venere

Nothing prepared me for what I witnessed on the sun drenched southern Sicilian Island of Pantelleria.

Pantelleria - more Africa than Europe, more East than West, more tropical than temperate, but above all, more mythical than real.  Not only is Pantelleria jam packed with some of the most picturesque beaches in Europe but it also guards many secrets, some of which are only recently starting to reveal themselves, such as the ancient mysterious civilisation known as the Sesi with their Neolithic burial mounds.  Others may never be explained.

It is the latter that this post is about.

As your plane descends into Pantelleria's airport, the last few seconds sees you only metres above a beautiful spherical lake carved out of the caldera of an extinct volcano.  The water has a strange - unnatural-like, almost surreal torquise colour.  It is surreal, yet hypnotisingly beautiful, almost as if it were designed that way.  The lake, which incorporates a thermal spring arising from the lava activity of the ancient volcano, is called Lago Specchio di Venere, which translates to Lake Venus' Mirror.  We mentioned this lake briefly in a previous post on Spa Heaven.


Like so much of Sicily, Lago di Venere is the site of an ancient classical Greek legend (I am beginning to see that a good proportion of the Pantheon of Gods made Sicily their home at one point - who can blame them?).  The legend behind this place is that as the water was so strikingly blue and clear in its colour, it was used as the vanity mirror by the goddess of love, Venus.  She especially liked to compare the beauty of her reflection in the lake with that of her rival Psyche.  At no time is the mirror effect more profound than close to sunrise or sunset.


People bathe in the lake and sometimes exfoliate themselves with the thermal mud as a beauty treatment while others swear by the healing powers of the lake.  My experience amazingly corresponded with this.  A week earlier I had a minor motor scooter accident on another Sicilian island, Ustica, off the coast of Palermo.  While I was largely unhurt, the accident left deep gashes and cuts to my leg.  I immersed myself in Lake Venus the day I arrived in Pantelleria and covered my skin with the volcanic mud that is to be found on one side of the shore.  After an hour or so, I stood up to walk further into the lake in order to wash off the mud.  When I returned to shore I noticed the scars and the deep cuts on my leg had almost healed.  Where there had once been a deep scar and crusty surface before, now there was a small mark that resembled an old wound that had almost healed.  It was almost as if my accident had occurred three months earlier and my scar had all but healed.

I don't know what are the chemical properties that make up the thermal mud found in Lago Specchio di Venere, but I am sure that if a company had the rights to bottle and sell the mud, they would be sitting on the rights to "The Fountain of Youth".  I know I would buy a lifetime's supply - and maybe more!  In fact, I am sure there must be a natural cosmetic beauty company doing this now.  I will research and report back to the Blog.  Stay tuned future immortals.

With regard to accommodation there is an amazing place called Suite di Venere located half way up the volcanic wall overlooking the lake.  It has splendid views of the lake which allows you to take in the true beauty and colour of this phenomenon.  It is not for a light wallet unfortunately costing between €200 and €400 per night depending on season.  But where else can you take someone to a place that used to belong to the goddess Venus?

Lake Venus' Mirror - Magic does exist.

Surfing? Sicily? You better believe it

The calm seas of the Mediterranean do sometimes give way to the awesome swells of surf ... in some places ... including parts of Sicily.

Dream of Italy� - Italy Travel News Blog: Surf's Up in Italy

2,500 year "Homer" Ship Found off Coast of Sicily - A Treasure Hunter's Delight

Sicily has many more treasures to give up yet. Recently, a ship dating back to 500 BC was salvaged off the coast of Gela, Sicily. The ship was believed to be sailing from Greece to Gela, a Greek colony, transporting various materials. The 21-metre long vessel, is the largest of its type ever discovered, but what is the most amazing thing to me, is that the ship was constructed using a particular obscure method, of pine planks ''sewn'' together with plant fibre, described in beautiful detail by the legendary classical writer, Homer, in his epic, The Iliad.

It is the best-preserved example in the world of a Greek ship built using this technique, and therefore has earned the title of the "Homer" ship. In fact, according to this article from National Geographic, the ship is, "something of a missing link in the evolution of naval engineering".

Sicily's regional councillor for culture, Antonello Antinoro, went even further in typical Italian flourishing style by claiming that, ''Gela's ancient ship is the patrimony not only of Sicily but of all humanity.''

Go here for an amazing video of the submerged vessel. This significance of this discovery kind of makes you want to get into the diving business as a treasure hunter.

Footnote: Sicily, as readers of this blog will recall, was the site of a number of flourishing Greek city states, such as Gela and Naxos, and including the Daddy of them all, the great Syracusa, which rivalled Athens for dominance in the Hellenic world.

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Not only tarantella

This post might be of interest to all those Italo-Americans or just those simply curious about Sicilian folklore and tradition.

Call me a perfectionist, but being Sicilian I like to make my traditions straight : Tarantella is indeed the most known Southern Italian dance, but not necessarily Sicilian.

In fact, in Sicily, Tarantella acquired special characteristics in different regions of the island, resulting in a wide range of colourful dances, steps and choreographies.

Some examples :

BALLO DELLA CORDELLA

The roots of this traditional dance stem from ties to Cerere (Ceres), goddess of agriculture and abundance, in gratitude for the harvest at year's end.

It is performed by 24 dancers divided in 12 couples representing 12 months of the year. Each dancer hands a coloured silk ribbon linked to a pole. They dance swirling around the pole and combining the ribbons choreographically in four figures that will represent the four phases of the seeding, the sprouting, the cropping and harvesting of wheat throughout the year.

LA MORESCA

It was brought to Sicily by the Moors. You can see the influence of the Moors in the use of the shawls (to cover the heads of the women), the small lady-like steps taken, and the use of bells to emphasis the beat. It is composed only of women with a focus on the elder of the group.

BALLO DEL TARATATA'

The Feast del Taratatà in Casteltermini (Agrigento) is probably less known but it’s a great event too, with Arab influences in terms of rhythms, costumes and scenes.

The dance is only performed by men that dance holding and clinging long swords to each other, without losing the rhythm of the beating drums.

Casteltermini (AG) - every last Sunday of May.

LA PEPPINELLA

Characterised by the rapid whirling of couples, this dance originated in the Agrigento area.

It is an exciting combination of graceful slow movements and peppy, quick steps.

The Tambourine is used.

TARANTELLA CATANESE

Includes a backward skipping step called the Saltarello. There are some flirtatious mannerisms found in this dance.

BALLO DI SAN CALOGERO

Another typical of 6/8 or 4/4 time dance originating in Agrigento and dances on the occasion of the feast of San Calogero (from 01/07/2007 to 08/07/2007).

Sicilian item of the day : Balcony scene with a twist.

Every typical Sicilian house or villa often displays a harmonious blend of Sicilian ceramic decors, together with scented jasmine or coloured bougainvillea plants strategically placed on balconies, facades or backyards.

With a closer look, some of the pottery in display may reveal a strange series of brightly coloured hand-painted decorations resembling human heads.

Responding to all phases of Sicilian history, Sicilian ceramicists borrowed from the Spanish, the Moors, the Norman and the Baroque, but to the Moorish phase belongs the fascinating tale I am about to tell...

Some of you might have already noticed a coloured ornamental vase representing a dark mustached moor's head in white turbans and gold earrings, but few of you will be aware of the grotesque and bloody legend behind this ornamental Sicilian classic.

The story takes place in the heart of the Kalsa, the Arab quarter of Palermo around the year 1000. There lived a beautiful Sicilian young girl with long silky black hair and eyes that recalled the colour of Mediterranen sea.

As every honourable Sicilian girl was not allowed to walk alone in the streets, the girl spent great part of her days gardening the exotic plants and flowers of her luscious balcony.

The Balcony scene played a crucial role in every woman's social life at that times, as it was the only way of experiencing a tantalising glimpse of freedom, a furtive look toward an open theatre on every day's hustle and bustle of the flourishing Palermo.

One day, a young wealthy Moorish merchant was passing by the girl's balcony and could not help falling in love with such unbridled beauty.

With no hesitation the man decided to declare his love to the beautiful girl.

Impressed by the merchant wealth and flattered by his apparently sincere love, the girl gave herself and her "virtue" away cultivating not only her plants, but a passionate, intense relationship with the Moorish.

But with every passionate drama there is often a twist, the girl soon discovered an awful truth : The Moor was about to return to his country, where wife and children awaited him.

Her "virtue" had been deflowered, her honour lost forever and her heart broken. Things that to every Sicilian woman only recall one simple word : Revenge.

As the two lovers spent the last night of passion together, the girl sneaked into the kitchen, took out a butcher knife and cut the Moors throat, then carried on cutting off his whole head.

The morning after, the Moorish head was on display on the girl's balcony, using the skull as a vase where she planted some basil seeds.

With the passing of time, that basil plant grew so beautifully and scented, raising the envy of every other woman in town, which asked their artisans to have molded a terracotta vase just like the one of the beautiful girl...

So, in brief : Never mess with a Sicilian girl!

The "teste di Moro" - Moorish heads are quiet popular among Sicilian ceramists and make beautiful ornamental vases for gardens and balconies.

If you are planning to come to Sicily they are usually sold in every ceramics shop, but if you would like to buy one online, there is an artisan in Syracuse that also sells online.

Ceramiche La Faience has a wide range of beautifully hand-painted ceramics and "Teste di Moro" under the "Collection Pieces" link.

Palermo : The coolest city in Italy

Recently, the national magazine Panorama described Palermo as "the coolest city in Italy.
With wide avenues lined with palm trees, stylish shops, restaurants and nightclub where everybody dresses up, Palermo transpires style from every angle.
Think of Palermo and its baroque, opulent fashion. People like Dolce & Gabbana, Marella Ferrera or Fulco di Verdura, who popularised the use of coloured stones in creations for clients like Greta Garbo and Coco Chanel.
Palermo is really "Cool". Not exactly in the Milanese way, but in that reflection of pomp and grandeur that is in the air and above all in the Palermitani themselves.

Still do not believe me?
Wander around Via Principe di Belmonte, a pedestrian area right in the commercial district. Or enjoy an aperitif at La Cuba inside Villa Sperlinga.
Tanned, graceful girls in stilettos and stylish handbags, men in dark colour suit with wide silky ties and sunglasses enjoys their aperitifs and coffee breaks at the pretty outdoor cafes.
These are not Mafiosi, they just love to dress well.
Fare bella figura, which roughly translates to "cutting a fine figure," endures as one of the highest Italian virtues, on a par with making a pilgrimage to the Pope. As the Sicilians say, L'onuri è fattu a li robbi, Honor is measured by your dress.
Yes folks, it is all about appearances here.
It wouldn't be fair to i Siciliani to say their obsession with clothing springs from narcissism. Elegance in Sicily shows civic altruism: you are prettifying the landscape for the delight of your fellow citizens. As the old Sicilian saying goes, Mancia a gustu tò, càusa e vesti a gustu d'àutru;
Eat to please yourself, but dress to please others....

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Driving in Palermo (Part 3)

This week we have another instalment of the essential driving companion for roads in Sicily (you will find Part One and Part Two here and here). Read carefully - this could save your life!

Rule #8. What's a Stop Sign Between Friends?
This is a very important rule for you budding students of the art of true driving, so listen carefully and pay attention. Road signs in Sicily are better considered as "advisory". When in doubt, it is better to be polite and nice to your fellow drivers and let them pass regardless of what the road sign says. In fact, upon approaching an intersection where your opposing driver has a stop sign and needs to give way to you, rather than passing him by, allowing him to drive off when the road is safe and clear, isn't it far better to suddenly hit the brakes and stop for him? Not only will your confused opposing driver be appreciative and thankful, but you will also receive the thanks from the five other drivers behind you, who will no doubt be rushing to thank you personally, right after swapping their details with all the other cars they have just crashed into. This method is far more effective when used on the busier roads.

Rule 9#. Roundabout...what the!!!!
There are probably 5,000 roundabouts within the confines of greater Palermo, in fact you will most likely find them on every second or third road corner, but the amazing thing is that very few Palermitans have actually seen one, far less have driven one. This can be the only explanation upon witnessing a Palermo driver who approaches a roundabout as if it was something that landed from out of space. At first sight they immediately slam the brakes on, fearing that the roundabout was suddenly placed on the middle of the road where there was none before. Then as they enter the roundabout you see intense confusion and concentration on their face. "What the @$#% is happening here", you can see them mouth. "Do I drive faster, slower, how do I get out of here?". Often the best method as a student of Sicilian driving is to actually stop while in the roundabout. This is best because it gives you time to think about the way out and to just generally, take a break. When you feel a little more confident you can exit the roundabout, but please do so at either a very slow, snail-like pace, or driving like a man possessed (either extreme will suffice). Make sure you repeat this behaviour during every encounter with a roundabout.

Rule #10. Responsive Emergency Services.
The sound of the Italian language is often regarded by many as being like a song with its dulcet sweet tones and melodious rhythm. It is considered to be the language of love, of passion, of art and of everything beautiful. So to, the sound of the water and of the wind on the Sicilian island of Salina was famously recorded on a tape recorder by Massimo Troisi in the touching movie, Il Postino (The Postman), because it was the most beautiful and peaceful sound he had ever experienced. Beautiful and peaceful sounds are not to be found in the main cities of Palermo. But you will find noise. The only sound that has any rhythm or melody is the ambulance siren. There is an ambulance in full siren mode, passing every hour on any given road in Palermo. It is so frequent and regular (and indeed predictable) than whenever there is a car accident, no one feels the need to call an ambulance for the injured parties, as everyone knows that there is one "right around the corner". "Just as night follows day, and ambulance will pass this road in the next few minutes" - Old Sicilian Proverb

In fact many Sicilian families with very elderly grandparents living with them, often prefer to live as close to the main roads as possible in case their nonna or nonno needs emergency assistance. This is the practical side to Sicilians.

Sicilian Item of the day : Marranzano

Marranzano is thought to be one of the oldest instruments in the world; a musician apparently playing a Marranzano has been noticed in a Chinese drawing from the 3rd century BC.

In English it is known as the Jew's Harp, but it has no particular connection with Judaism, in fact the instrument is known in many ancient cultures by at least forty different names.

Since its droning sounds have known to cause people to go into a trance, the Jew's Harp has been associated with magic and has been a common instrument in shamanic rituals.

The hypnotic sound of the Marranzano is generated by a vibrating air column, the frame is held against the performer's teeth, using the jaw and mouth as a resonator which greatly increasing the volume of the instrument. The Marranzano is in common use among vernacular Sicilian musicians on this island and recently a whole new music festival has been dedicated to it (http://www.marranzanoworldfestival.it/) bringing artists and Marranzano lovers from all over the world.

Marranzanos are available almost everywhere in Sicilian souvenir shops, and Ebay as well.

Sicilian beats

A Spanish mariachi together with Celtic flutes,
some African drums and a heavy dose of oriental beats : this is traditional Sicilian music.
A music that recalls the ancient dialogue among different people in this cross-cultural island called Sicily; a music that endlessly translates its multi-ethnicity into food, language and sounds.
Today, several young and talented Sicilian artists have re-discovered the magic of performing in traditional Sicilian dialect, mixing folk music with a contemporary touch.
Some of them perform in English, alternating instruments from various Mediterranean cultures, others in Sicilian only.
We have followed some of the most promising artists during the main music festivals in Sicily and during indie and world music international exhibitions.

These are the ones that we like the most:

MILAGRO ACUSTICO
Milagro Acustico creates a rich tapestry of exoticism and stunning music. The overall effect presents a dream-like quality that conjures up gypsies and other nomadic people, sharing slices of their lives and then moving on to the next adventure.


I PERCUSSONICI
Experimental Sicilian contemporary music, created by combining instruments like an Australian didgeridoo, African drums and a Sicilian tambourine.


RITA BOTTO
This talented singer/composer/musician is considered one of the best Sicilian voices.


THE SECOND GRACE
A gentle, folky mixture of songs that drew inspiration from Caribbean, American, and English songwriting traditions. They perform in English, but some music arrangements, such as their particular use of the tambourine, are strictly Sicilian.


I BEATI PAOLI
Songwriter and singer Alessandro Mancuso delivers an incredible, almost theatrical interpretation of his music on stage. Their concerts are often accompanied by traditional and contemporary dance performances.

Kals'Art

Unquestionably, Palermo is a marvellous city to experience at any time of the year, but the added attraction of Kals’Art makes this a great time to visit it.
Kals’Art is a two month long festival of music, cinema and theatre performances that takes place in various locations throughout the city of Palermo. The streets, parks and pretty piazzas in the former Arab quarter of Kalsa (from the Arabic Khalisa, "pure") are turned over to the event which includes a great line-up of entertainment ranging from theatre performances and film screenings to live music and arts exhibitions.
A huge variety of music is grouped into four sections : Kals'Art Maree offers performances by international talents and Kals'Art Riflessi is dedicated to minimalist, ethnic and jazz tunes. Kals'Art Wawe is all about Mediterranean music, while Kals'Art Mare Aperto showcases young talent.
Visitors can also take the opportunity to join some of the free guided tours and explore Palermo's cultural and architectural marvels, including the Palazzo Mirto museum, Catena and Magione churches and Chiaramonte Palace.
Theatre performances are usually held in the courtyard of Palazzo Bonagia, a historic building in baroque style; while films are shown in the evocative setting of the monumental complex of Santa Maria dello Spasimo, Italy’s first ever public theatre.
In the Kalsa you can dine on everything from pasta to couscous to sushi, and admire architecture embracing Arab, Gothic and Neoclassical, while the ambiance still seems distinctly Arab, with narrow winding streets typical of old cities in Tunisia, Egypt and Iraq.
Visit the website for up-to-date information. http://www.kalsart.it/ (dates are subject to changes every year)
When : 20 July - 26 August 2007

Must see Sicilian movies

NUOVO CINEMA PARADISO
Giuseppe Tornatore's 1989 Academy-Award-winning film takes a romantic look at growing up in a remote village. The filmmaker returns to his Sicilian hometown for the first time in 30 years and looks back on his life, including the time he spent helping the projectionist at the local movie theatre.

MALENA
On the day in 1940 that Italy enters the war, two things happen to the 12-year-old Renato: he gets his first bike, and he gets his first look at Malèna, a beautiful, silent outsider who's moved to this Sicilian town to be with her husband Nico who promptly goes off to war, leaving her to the lustful eyes of the men and the sharp tongues of the women. During the next few years, as Renato grows toward manhood, he watches Malèna suffer and subsequently prove her mettle: her loneliness, then grief when Nico is reported dead, the effects of slander on her relationship with her father, her poverty and search for work, and her final humiliation. Will Renato acquire the courage he so readily admires from Malèna and stand up to defend her?

RESPIRO (GRAZIA'S ISLAND)
In this Cannes award-winner based on a Sicilian legend, a beautiful young mother living on a small island elicits the disapproval of her fellow villagers with her carefree behaviour. When her relatives suggest she need psychiatric treatment, her son helps her escape from the condemnation of their town.

IL POSTINO
Beautiful romance set on the idyllic Sicilian island of Salina during the 1950s where exiled Chilean poet Pablo Nerudo has taken refuge. A shy mailman befriends the poet and uses his words - and, ultimately, the writer himself - to help him woo a woman with whom he has fallen in love.

I CENTO PASSI (ONE HUNDRED STEPS)
"I cento passi" (one hundred steps) was the distance between the Impastatos' house and the house of Tano Badalamenti, an important Mafia boss, in the small Sicilian town of Cinisi. The movie is the story of Peppino Impastato, a young left-wing activist that in the late seventies (when almost nobody dared to speak about Mafia, and several politicians maintained that Mafia did not even exist) repeatedly denounced Badalamenti crimes and the whole Mafia system using a small local radio station, with the arm of irony. In 1978 Peppino (30 years old) was killed by an explosion. The police closed the case as an accident or a suicide, but his friends never accepted this thesis. Note: This is a true story. More than twenty years after Peppino's death, the case has been re-opened. Tano Badalamenti, meanwhile, has been convicted in USA for drug traffic.

JOHNNY STECCHINO
Good hearted but not very wordly-wise, Roberto Benigni (Dante) is happy driving the school bus for a group of mentally handicapped children, while feeling he is somehow missing out on life and love. So he is very excited when after nearly being knocked down by her car he meets Maria, who seems immediately enamoured with him. He is soon invited to her sumptuous Palermo villa, little suspecting that he is a pawn in a sinister plot. Unbeknown to Dante, he bears an amazing likeness to Maria's mafia turncoat husband and it would be convenient for them if the mobster, in the shape of Dante, was seen to be dead and buried.

L'UOMO DELLE STELLE (THE STAR MAKER)
"Dottore" Joe Moretti travels round Sicily doing screen tests for the big Roman studios. He's a conman and takes money or favours for his efforts. Beata, a young illiterate convent girl desperately wants to change her life and falls for him, belatedly he realises his feelings for her. Their love affair is doomed when he's arrested.
Trailer in Italian only :

IL GATTOPARDO (THE LEOPARD)
Luchino Visconti's 1968 film version of Giuseppe di Lampedusa's novel. Set in revolutionary Italy in the mid-1800s, the film stars Burt Lancaster as a Sicilian prince who seeks to preserve his family's aristocratic way of life by marrying off nephew Tancredi (Alain Delon) to the daughter (Claudia Cardinale) of a wealthy, boorish merchant. The lush drama culminates with an elaborate and memorable ballroom sequence that showcases the elegant and noble Sicily.

WOMAD in Taormina

WOMAD stands for World of Music, Arts and Dance, expressing the central aim of the WOMAD festival - to bring together and to celebrate the many forms of music, arts and dance drawn from countries and cultures all over the world.
WOMAD was originally inspired by Peter Gabriel: "Pure enthusiasm for music from around the world led us to the idea of WOMAD in 1980 and thus to the first WOMAD festival in 1982. The festivals have always been wonderful and unique occasions and have succeeded in introducing an international audience to many talented artists.
This year WOMAD will be returning to the spectacular Teatro Greco on the Mediterranean hillsides of Taormina for three evenings of concerts this July 13-15, with a thrilling line-up of international artists.
The Teatro Antico is constructed within the spectacular ruins of a Greek amphitheatre overlooking Mount Etna and the bays below - a venue that's hard to beat for atmosphere and location.
The WOMAD 2007 program:

July 13th 2007 Gilberto Gil
July 14th 2007 Buena Vista Social Club
July 15th 2007 Robert Plant
www.womad.org/Taormina

Fairytale's weddings

Sicily was one of Italy’s best-kept secrets.

Today it has turned to one of the hottest wedding destinations worldwide. And for good reason. Sicily is not only one of the most beautiful islands in the world, but it prides itself on having some of the most beautiful churches and ancient architecture you are likely to find anywhere. You will simply not believe your eyes when you see the gold gilded domed Byzantine Abby near the picturesque town of Palermo, where the ancient kings and queens of Sicily were once wed.
Sicily is extremely romantic: It was on this enchanting island that D.H. Lawrence wrote "Lady Chatterly's Lover," based on a real-life Sicilian love story, and it was to Sicily that Liz Taylor escaped with Richard Burton when they first fell in love (during the filming of "Cleopatra" in Rome).

Tying the knot in Sicily is easy and there are no residency requirements.

In order to get married, you and two witnesses must appear before the town clerk and declare your intention to get married.

A civil wedding is however recommended before having a religious or symbolic ceremony, as a Catholic religious ceremony is extremely difficult to arrange unless you have a civil ceremony first.

In general you will need the following paperwork (please note that the exact papers required vary somewhat depending on your country of residence). You will need to present your passport and a a birth certificate.

For residents of Canada and the United Kingdom, one of the most important documents is the Certificate of Non Impediment, meaning neither husband-nor-wife-to-be is currently married and there are no other reasons why the couple shouldn't be wed.

All paperwork must be translated into Italian by a certified translator and certain documents must have what is known as a Apostille Stamp from the Secretary of State in the state in which you live. Its always good to contact your Secretary of State’s office to find out how to obtain this stamp.

What young girl hasn’t dreamed of her fabulous wedding in an ornate, gilded, 14th century church or in an ancient palace where once lived a king and queen? And following her fairytale wedding, what bride-to-be hasn’t fantasised that she and her Prince Charming are whisked away by horse-drawn carriage to a dream-like castle where a fabulous reception is flawlessly laid out? In Sicily your dream can come true....

Sicily among the safest regions in Italy

The Godfather, The Untouchables, The Sopranos. They all have one think in common: Mafia.

But do Mafia movies and television shows affect the image of Sicily and Sicilians? Hell, Yeah!

Isn't it a bit unfair that while far more potentially dangerous countries like Russia or Brazil enjoy the glory and fame of their emblematic Vodkas and hot Samba dancers, while Sicily is defamed by its Mafia stigma, mainly with thanks to the entertainment industry?

We have been living in both Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo and we can ensure you that it was far more dangerous than Palermo or even Mafia capital Corleone.

Yes, Mafia is still a plague, as it is Camorra in Campania, Ndrangheta in Sardegna as well as Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka and gunfighting gangsters in South America. But when one happens to shake hands with a Columbian you are much less likely to say: "Oh really, Bogota?...drug dealers! Kidnappers!" Instead, when one shakes hands with a Sicilian, the same old song plays over and over again :" Oh really, Palermo?...Mafia!"

But believe it or not, despite the bad publicity, Sicily is among the safest regions in Italy!

According to the ISTAT (Italian Institute of Statistics), Sicily registered one of the lowest crime rates in the country in the past few years.



Crimes every 100,000 people:

Sicily 3,481

North-West 4,770

Turin 6,823

Bologna 7,223

Pickpocketing every 100,000 people:

Palermo 124

Center Italy 446

Italian average 287

Stolen cars, robbed stores and apartments:

Palermo 2,152

Milan 3,780

Bologna 4,485

Rimini and province 5,761



Numbers talk! Sicily is a safe destination. If you refrain from visiting Sicily because of safety concerns, keep in mind that there are more chances that something could happen to you in a big North American city. Unfortunately though, publicity for Sicily is still pretty bad. The images of The Godfather are well entrenched in peoples' minds all over the world!

May I suggest that next time you shake hands with a Sicilian you might consider to say :"Oh really, Palermo?...Damn good food there!"

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Driving in Palermo (Part 2)

Following on from Part One of this series...


Rule # 6. Ready...Steady...Toot.

In a civilised world where gentlemen drink tea and eat cucumber sandwiches over a lively game of croquet, the idea of tooting one's car horn is seen as quite distasteful and downright boorish. In another world, that is equally civilised (in its own endearing way), the idea that one does not toot their horn is almost unheard of. In Sicily, the art of tooting has progressed to such an extent that has witnessed the development of the "pre-emptive toot". Yes; this is a toot that occurs, not in response to an alleged slight or wrongdoing on behalf of the opposing driver but on the belief that the opposing driver may be about to do something wrong. And nowhere is this more evident than at the busy traffic lights in an average Sicilian city. A mere split second before the light turns green one hears a chorus of tooting from the myriad of cars behind the first row. The drivers, of course, are rightfully assuming that the driver in the first row is either not paying attention to the changing traffic lights or has simply fallen asleep (as is often the case in the land of siestas), and in their civic duty to traffic order, these drivers take it upon themselves to warn the front row drivers, just in case they happened to have forgotten what a green traffic light actually means. The highest form of the pre-emptive toot that I have witnessed occurred in Messina when a large semi-trailer employed a pre-emptive toot strategy even though, when the traffic started moving, the truck's acceleration was so excruciatingly slow, that all those around it started tooting at it too. This, for clarification purposes, is called a "post-incident" toot.
As a postscript, if you think the Sicilian pre-emptive toot is extreme, may I advise you to travel to Malaysia where drivers refuse to drive their car and claim it doesn't work upon discovering that their horn is broken.

Rule # 7. Your life flashing before your eyes.

Upon overtaking another car, please ensure that you flash your lights incessantly at the car you are overtaking. Never mind that you are either blinding the unfortunate driver or sending him or her into an epileptic fit, without a series of high beam flashes there is simply no way in the world they can tell that you are about to overtake them.. You see, rear vision mirrors were never meant to be used to see what is behind. Oh no, on the contrary, they were produced to enable Sicilians to hang a plethora of rosary beads, fluffy dice, crucifixes, Padre Pio toys, and anything else that provides a bit of colour to their cars. The fact that they also obscure the view of oncoming traffic is an added bonus. What I love about this rule is the assumption that everyone on the road will inevitably sway into your lane just as you are overtaking them and no one will ever look behind. The scary thing is that they are right.


Part Three of this series can found here.

behind the Siesta

A bit of Wikipedia first:

Siesta is a short nap taken in the early afternoon, often after the midday meal. Such a period of sleep is a common tradition in hot countries. The word siesta derives from the Latin HORA SEXTA - "the sixth hour" (counting from dawn, therefore noon, hence "midday rest").
Siesta has nothing to do with a simple cat-nap. This is a whole different concept, as siesta means the deep, dreamy, and "comatose" postprandial sleep.

I really HATE siesta, the whole country goes dead and you literally cannot do anything for four hours! Business hours in Sicily are usually 8:00 to 12:00 and 16:00 to 20:00 and in the black hole of Siesta, getting anything done becomes next to impossible. Need to speak with a call centre operator? The phone will ring through. Need to report a crime? The police officer will tell you to come back at 16:00. Need to shop for supplies? You can starve...
But worse thing is, instead of having rush hour traffic only in the morning and the early evening, main cities in Sicily have rush hour traffic four times a day: Morning, beginning of siesta, end of siesta and end of work day. Secondly, those two hours of spare time are too long to hang around in the office, but too short to do anything meaningful. Third, when I finally get home and have made myself dinner it is too late to do anything of substance if I want to get a full night sleep before work.
Getting started is half way to getting the work done, what happens with productivity when you have to get started twice a day???

My mother took siestas this all her life, to a point that her body had adjusted to the nap time, and literally '"shuts down her system"' everyday at 14:30 on the dot. After lunch each day, she disappears into her bedroom and like clockwork, fall into a deep sleep. The entire house falls into a religious silence and the telephone absolutely must be off the hook. By doing so for many years, my mother would party hard until 4 am, be up by 7 and to the office by 9, then sleep from 2 to 4 in the afternoon. Then back to the office and party again. And always feeling fresh.
I had started to wonder what all the fuss is about Siesta and what the positives might be, so I started to research a bit more about this Latin beloved habit. Here is some interesting facts I managed to uncover:

FACT: A siesta goes beyond the 30 minute rule at which the brain suddenly goes in to deep sleep with undesirable consequences. Naps are short, refresh the mind and body and, according to scientists, improve night time sleep.

FACT: Siesta lovers... Winston Churchill did it, even during the London blitz. Spanish and Portuguese gentlemen do it, not to mention Italians. Most upper-class Greeks used to do it -- although the practice has stopped because there are no real Greek gentlemen left. Gianni Agnelli, of Fiat fame, does it every day, as did Aristotle Onassis, Charles de Gaulle, Benito Mussolini, the Duke of Alba, Juan Peron, the King of Spain, and Lucky Luciano, among others.

NEWS: France's health minister has floated the idea of making the siesta official government policy on
the grounds that "a short nap is good for efficiency and safety at work".
Under his proposal, French workers would be encouraged to doze off in special "quiet rooms" provided by their employers and also be equipped with a "sleep passport" in which they could record how much napping they fit into their day.
Why should only the French, the Spanish and the Italians have all the fun? Should the Anglo-Saxon world adopt the siesta too and thus relax, enjoy life more and generally "chill"?
Or is the siesta a symbol of everything most decadent about life "on the continent"? Is it just a rationalisation of the Mediterranean countries' natural laziness?

Couscous, Up From Africa, at Home in Sicily

Source: The New York Times

Couscous, the dish of steamed wheat grains most readily identified with the countries of North Africa, belongs to Sicilian tradition as well. Until recently, though, its elaborate preparations were undertaken only to mark some special occasion.

I first tasted Sicilian couscous about 30 years ago, when a childhood friend of my husband's who had emigrated to the States brought his small daughter back to visit his native land. His former schoolmates celebrated his return with couscous, prepared by their wives and served up at my in-laws' beach house.

We wives labored at length under the direction of another friend's mother, former chef to an aristocratic household in Trapani. A small, stout woman in black, she arrived midmorning, wedged into her daughter-in-law's minuscule Fiat amid bags of couscous, branches of bay leaves and crates of assorted fish balanced on stacks of ceramic platters and bowls. Cradled on her lap was a huge aluminum couscoussiera, a double boiler in which the tight-fitting upper pot is perforated like a colander. She was an exacting taskmaster and I was a hopeless novice, but for however little I contributed to the making of the couscous, I more than compensated in the eating of it.

In those days couscous was something of a clandestine affair. It was not easy to find it outside the area of Trapani, Sicily's westernmost province, or anywhere but private houses. Relatively few restaurants served it regularly, and few people outside Sicily suspected its existence. But now that the world has discovered Sicilian cuisine, the word is out, and many foodies arrive with couscous inscribed on their lists of dishes to taste while on the island. Although the Trapani region maintains its near monopoly, today there are a number of good restaurants there that include couscous on their daily menu.

That couscous is an immigrant from the Maghreb, or northwest Africa, is beyond doubt. Its origins are Berber, but just when it made the leap from North Africa to Sicily is a matter of debate. One school of thought believes that couscous arrived with the Saracen invasion in A.D. 827, and lingered after the 250-year Arab occupation ended, while other food historians claim that it was introduced (or reintroduced) only in the 19th century.

Couscous grains appear, however, on the price control lists of the Palermo markets during the 15th and 16th centuries, and the 1694 Christmas Day menu for the nuns of the San Salvatore Monastery in Palermo included a couscous dessert, similar perhaps to the pistachio-flavored cuscus dolce still made today by the nuns at the Spirito Santo abbey in Agrigento.

However long it has been here, the couscous that is served today in the homes and the restaurants of the Trapani area has evolved in its own particular fashion. In the first place, it is almost always served with fish, as opposed to the meat or vegetable versions characteristic of the Maghreb, and the rituals of preparation differ as well.

The proper Trapanese housewife disdains the precooked variety for the unprocessed, and sets great store by her ability to execute the 'ncocciata: swirling the rough-ground semolina grains around with one hand in a wide ceramic basin called a mafaradda, she uses the other hand to sprinkle it with just enough water so the individual grains gather into loose but not lumpy clusters.

Then the couscous, seasoned with a little olive oil, salt and pepper, is steamed over water rather than broth. Once cooked, the couscous is turned out into a large bowl, the fish broth is ladled over it, and then the bowl is wrapped in blankets and left to stand for half an hour, while the grains absorb the broth.

Within this general scheme there are many variations: our friend's mother used to line the upper part of her couscoussiera with bay leaves before she put the couscous in; a cousin remembers toasted almonds sprinkled on top; another friend claims that a pesto of garlic and blanched almonds added to the fish broth as it simmers is essential for an authentic couscous, and she adds that the broth must be made of 14 varieties of fish and shellfish.

Although Sicilians use spices much more sparingly than the North Africans, cinnamon gave a distinctive flavor to some couscous dishes that I have eaten in Sicily, while cloves were a distinctive note in a couscous that I recently ate at Alla Kasbah in Mazara del Vallo. This is a pleasant restaurant, only a few steps from the new museum that houses "The Dancing Satyr," a classical Greek statue in bronze that was recently swept up in the nets of a local fishing boat.

Here, perhaps because Mazara is a town with a very large North African population working on its fishing fleet and in its vineyards, the couscous is quite reminiscent of its African forefathers. It comes amply surrounded by fish (there is also a meat version) and is a meal in itself, especially if preceded by the house antipasto, which includes a miniature Tunisian brik, a fried egg pancake with a potato-and-tuna filling.

Elsewhere it is more common to serve couscous, accompanied by just a few morsels of fish, as a first course to take the place of pasta. That is what we were given at the Trattoria Garibaldi in the wine-producing city of Marsala, just north of Mazara, where we went in search of what is reputed to be the best couscous in the region. The crowd there that August evening bore witness: the tables spilled out the door and filled the small piazza squeezed between a Baroque church facade and the crenellated wall of the Renaissance town hall. The couscous itself was very good - straightforward, not particularly spicy but perfect in texture and balanced in seasoning.

I have a particular fondness for eating couscous at the Ristorante Monte San Giuliano in Erice, where it is served with fish broth on the side to add as you like. This enthusiasm is perhaps fanned by my love for this little medieval town, which crowns a solitary mountain overlooking the port of Trapani and beyond to the Egadi Islands.

I have had the good fortune to watch the San Giuliano chef, Matteo Giurlanda, do a couscous demonstration, to admire the dexterity necessary for a proper 'ncocciata and to see how he seals the two layers of the couscoussiera with a flour-and-water paste so the steam will not escape. Little rings of the same paste are placed on top of the couscous while it steams: when they are fully cooked, so is the couscous. According to his headwaiter and partner Andrea Coppola, these rings were once the first taste of festivity for the small children of the household.

It is not necessary for the curious to go farther afield to compare the Sicilian variety to the North African original. In recent years numerous restaurants have been opened by immigrants from the southern shores of the Mediterranean. The Trattoria Amilcar in Palermo, for example, offers couscous and other authentic Tunisian dishes that are as good if not better than many that I have eaten in Tunisia itself.

Finally, for the truly obsessed, the lighthouse on the rocky tip of northwestern Sicily is a beacon. It illuminates the pretty little fishing village of San Vito lo Capo, which celebrates the end of the summer with an annual international couscous festival, held during the third week of September. Each country sends a team of chefs who dish out their national couscous specialty to throngs of visitors and, on the final evening, to the international jury whose happy job it is to pick the winner.

Restaurant Information

An expensive wine or fish course will increase these prices considerably.

Ristorante Alla Kasbah, Via Itria 10, Mazara del Vallo; telephone (39-0923) 906126. Closed Monday. $30 to $38 a person, including wine, at $1.25 to the euro.

Trattoria Garibaldi, Piazza Addolorata 35, Marsala; (39-0923) 953006. Closed Saturday lunch and Sunday dinner; $30 to $38 a person, including wine

Ristorante Monte San Giuliano, Vicolo San Rocco 7, Erice; (39-0923) 869595. Closed Monday. $30 to $35 a person, including wine.

Trattoria Pizzeria Amilcar, Via G. Marconi 9, Palermo; (39-333) 1909238. Closed Tuesday. $25 to $30 a person, including wine.

Information about the annual Couscous Fest at San Vito lo Capo can be found at http://www.sanvitocouscous.com/.

Behind the Trinacria

The symbol dates back to when Sicily was part of Magna Graecia. People attribute the origin of the Trinacria, to the triangular form of the island, which consists of three large capes equidistant from each other, pointing in their respective directions, the names of which were Pelorus, Pachynus and Lilybaeum. 
 

But for a symbol that must be older than any cartographic conception of the island, there are surely other interpretations, since this symbol is associated with a multitude of triads.

While the greeks called it Triskele, The Celtics called it Triskelion and the Romans Trinacrium, meaning "star with 3 points", other Spiral forms of Trinacria are often classed as solar symbols ; supposedly Pagans. Since earliest ages, the concept of the Great Goddess was a trinity and the model for all subsequent trinities, female, male or mixed. The Goddess Triformis ruled heaven as Virgin, earth as Mother, and the underworld as Crone, or Hel, or Queen of the Shades. This was remembered even in Chaucer’s time, for his Palamon invoked her “Three Forms,” Luna in heaven, Diana on earth, Proserpine in hell. (See, Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales at 81, 511). The old name of Sicily, Trinacria, invoked her as a “centre of the earth” with three realms.
Besides, the Trinacria is quite similar to the three-legged heraldic symbol of the Isle of Man, another medieval Norman dominion, but all pagan religions were soon stomped out by the rise of Christianity, and today the official history of Sicilian Trinacria is only to be attributed to Greek legends.
The head in the centre of today's Triacria was that of Medusa, whose hair was turned into snakes by the outraged goddess Athene. In their wisdom, the Sicilian parliament, which uses the Trinacria as its Flag, replaced the Medusa head with one that is less threatening to the innocent onlooker who, after all, should not be anticipating being turned to stone....

Count the Devils

In the city of Palermo, specifically in the district called Olivuzza, you can find an enormous palace that looks like a castle; its name is Zisa. Zisa has a huge entrance, made of gold and full of charming frescoes; right in the center is a marble fountain that sprays fresh water and in which the golden mosaics of the walls are reflected. They say that the Zisa has an enchantment and a treasure of golden coins hides there. The guardians of both are the Devils whom originally were meant to guard them against the Christians. This palace was built at the time of the Pagans and it was here that they were hiding the Emperor's treasures. The Devils' paintings are located in the entrance and whoever goes there during the Festivity of Saint Annunziata (March 25) can see their tails snaking and their mouths growling. Nobody really knows how many there are; some say there are 13, others 15, perhaps more. They are devils and for this reason nobody will ever be able to count them. Even the golden coins, nobody knows how many there really are and nobody has ever been able to find them. Perhaps one day somebody will solve this mystery and Palermo will be rich again.

Clearing Up Some Vinous Misinformation

Shiraz is undoubtedly Australia's king of the wines, but its origins are elusive and many erroneous stories have surfaced.

We know the shiraz we have in Australia was brought from the hill of Hermitage by James Busby in 1832. We also know that due to an aphid known as phylloxera devastating Europe's vines in the late 19th century, Australia is now the possessor of the oldest shiraz vines on Earth. But did they originate on the Rhone Valley's hill of Hermitage? Perhaps the Iranian city of Shiraz is the correct birthplace? Then again they might have all started in the Sicilian city of Syracuse (which is why shiraz is commonly known as 'syrah').

The most popular story runs as follows. A French knight by the name of Gaspard de Stérimberg brought cuttings back from the city of Shiraz (in the country then known as Persia) and planted them on a hill. He became a hermit and built a chateau on the hill that was consequently named after him  Hermitage. The vines were then naturally named after the city of their origin.

And here's the facts: Gaspard was a knight, he was injured on a crusade, built the chateau and planted the hill with vines.

The problem with the story is that he was injured on the crusade of Albigeois in 1224. This was a crusade of Catholicism on the Cathars and was fought in southern France. Shiraz during this time was well within the Persian Empire and was not subject to any crusades. So unless Gaspard de Stérimberg was one of 13th century France's greatest travellers, he never went anywhere near Shiraz. The city itself had a reputation for producing the finest wines in the Near East. Perhaps he named his vines in honour of the Persian capital.

Syracuse  is home to one of the world's greatest ever mathematicians, Archimedes  still grows shiraz to this day and produces delicious Sicilian wines from it. Syracuse is much closer to France than Shiraz, so perhaps Gaspard named his vines 'syrah' after some great wine he had tasted from Sicily. Perhaps the word 'syrah' was corrupted to 'shiraz' somewhere down the line and this is why it is known as shiraz in Australia although the French, Americans, Sicilians and many others know it as 'syrah'.

Whatever the truth of its name, DNA testing has been able to unlock its place of origin and it is…the Rhone Valley.

What Gaspard de Stérimberg named shiraz came from the Rhone Valley and certainly not from Shiraz or Syracuse where he almost certainly never was. Shiraz's parents, the undistinguished monduese blanche and dureza, are also both Rhone Valley varietals.

So it's a French grape after all, with a name that is either Italian or Persian and with a distinctly Australian flavour.