Egadi Islands Scores with The Telegraph

It seems that almost with every top 10 or top 20 list of places to travel to, be they lists focusing on exotic, out of the way, food orientated, historical, sunny and beachy or just plain beautiful, and you will see Sicily's name prominently added to the list.

This time it is the Egadi Islands to the west of Sicily, previously covered by this blog.  The Egadi Islands (Aegadian Islands in traditional English) are often unfairly overlooked in comparison to the very funky Aeolian Islands, or the quasi-African Lampedusa, or the mystical Pantelleria (with the magical healing properties of Lake Venus' Mirror or lago specchio di venere, mentioned recently by Siciliamo).

The Egadi Islands do have an amazing amount to offer a traveller and it is no surprise that they were awarded an entry in The Telegraph's Holiday Destinations for 2011.  The Egadi islands include Favignana, famous for its tuna and the traditional way it is fished using an ancient Arab technique known as tonnara, Marettimo, and Levanzo with its Neolithic and Palaeolithic remains.

Favignana's beaches and swim spots are also world famous with a number of calcerinite rock caves by the water creating a turquoise blue, swimming pool clear, type of water to swim in, such as in the majestic Cala Rossa.  In addition to the natural beauty found here, Favignana also shares Sicily's history of being a popular attraction for conquering civilisations with remains found from Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Arabs, Normans, Spanish and so on.

Just a short ferry away is the province and city of Trapani, known as the bread basket of Italy for its amazing variety of food and produce.  You will not go hungry here.  Also close to Trapani is an incredible array of ancient Greek and Hellenic temples and structures located in places such as Selinunte, Segesta and Agrigento (not to mention the archaeological treasure that is Mozia).  If you are a follower of this blog, you will be aware that due to its number of intact temples and structures from Greek and classical times, we consider Sicily to truly be, Magna Gracia.

The Egadi Islands - enjoy.

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.

Sicily: Contrasts at a Meditteranean crossroads

Another interesting pressie about my magnificent island..

GIOVANNA DELL'ORTO writes For The Associated Press

MONREALE, Italy—I am inside one of the most glittering monuments to Christianity—the mosaic-filled cathedral of Monreale - talking to a conservator, whose apron is covered in Arabic script, about President Obama.
As our chat about possible new American policies in the Middle East interrupts his excruciatingly slow restoration of the Duomo's 900-year-old floor mosaic, I can't help thinking, only in Sicily.
Throughout its 2.5 millennia of history, this jarringly gorgeous Mediterranean island has been at the crossroads of drastically different cultures. Miraculously, it has managed to fuse those contrasts in a peaceful dialogue. The fruits of that fusion make Sicily one of the most intriguing regions of Europe.

Twice over the last decade, I have done weeklong tours of the island, marveling at everything from Catholic chapels bejeweled by Muslim artists to the everyday heroism of anti-Mafia businesses. A visit to Sicily is a study in the unexpected fusion of times and cultures. And these are a few of my favorite pairings:
MULTICULTURAL DEVOTIONS: Bleary-eyed from the overnight ferry that took me from Naples to Palermo, Sicily's capital, I made a beeline for the Cappella Palatina, the chapel built in the early 1100s by the Norman king in his palace complex. At 8:30 a.m., I had it for myself for a blissful few minutes before the tourist buses arrived, enough to be transported by the glitters of gold chasing each other from the wall mosaics into the painted kaleidoscope that is the carved wooden ceiling.

Under the patronage of Sicily's first Catholic king, Muslim artists executed the ceiling, complete with Kufic inscriptions, while Greek artists created mosaics representing Christ and New Testament scenes in the Byzantine tradition. Straight from the era of the crusades comes the most dazzling artistic and cultural synthesis of the medieval Mediterranean world. Nobody knows exactly how this harmony came about, but it's both inspiring and humbling to feel they had figured out a way to live symbiotically despite differences we are still struggling with 900 years later.

Other can't-miss glories of the Palermo area from the time of the Normans are the fortress-looking churches that hide eerily realistic golden mosaics: The Monreale Duomo, perched high on a barren, prickly-pear studded mountain; the Martorana church in Palermo, across from the mosque-looking, red-domed church of San Cataldo; and the Cathedral at Cefalu, standing sentinel over the medieval fishing village.

ANTIQUITY ALIVE: Ancient Greek colonizers snapped up the best vistas in Sicily. I can't decide if the most scenic archeological site in the Mediterranean is Segesta in its splendid valley isolation among pines and honey-scented wildflowers; Selinunte, framed by eucalypti on its Africa-facing sandy shores; the Taormina theater opening over the sea and the volcano, Mount Etna; or Agrigento's Valley of Temples, by sheer size the most stunning of them all. I like the latter best in the late afternoon, when the wind-eroded stone of its two best-preserved 450 B.C. Greek temples - the nearly intact Tempio della Concordia and the Tempio di Giunone up the ridge - turn strawberry gold in the dusk and then are floodlit among the dark silhouettes of olive trees and agave plants.

Much criticism has been aimed at the ugly concrete buildings from modern Agrigento looming over the next hillcrest, but I find the contrast can't possibly spoil this view. At most, I find it shames our modern cookie-cutter architecture juxtaposed to the hushed, solemn perfection of these temples.

REVITALIZING HIDDEN TREASURES: If Sicilians 2,500 years ago stunned by vistas, those who built palaces and piazzas in the Baroque era astonished by intricacies. Noto, Ragusa Ibla and my favorite, the Ortigia island neighborhood of Siracusa, are full of churches and palaces exuberantly carved with mythical figures and floral arrangements. Once literally crumbling in decay, they have been scrubbed to a shine like aristocratic drawing rooms. Subtler and more sumptuous at the same time are the palaces of the Sicilian nobility, those haunted by Burt Lancaster in the 1963 film "The Leopard."

Take two palaces where you can arrange to stay: The countryside villa of Baron Luigi Bordonaro di Chiaramonte, built in the 13th century inland from Agrigento, and the gorgeously frescoed Palazzo Ajutamicristo of the Barons Calefati di Canalotti in Palermo's historic center. Both young owners are gambling that tourism will help their historical treasures stay vital.
Maria Calefati said hers is one of five or six families who are staying in their ancestral palaces, revitalizing the still dangerously neglected core of Palermo. Bordonaro says of the villa and surrounding olive groves that have been in his family for 300 years: "It's my home, it's my commitment."

ATTRACTIONS: Most attractions listed have an admission fee, usually between $5-9 (4-7 euros). A car is necessary as distances are considerable; it's about 250 miles from Noto in the southeast to Segesta in the northwest. But don't drive in downtown Palermo, where congestion, scarce parking and the local driving style are difficult to cope with.

Aida at the Teatro Massimo

The Teatro Massimo in Palermo it is the largest Theatre in Italy and one of the largest of Europe (the third after the Opéra National de Paris and Staatsoper in Vienna), and is world renowned for its perfect acoustics.

The Teatro Massimo was dedicated to King Victor Emanuel II and inaugurated on 16th May 1897 with a performance of Giuseppe Verdi’s Falstaff. Although you will be more likely to recognise Massimo not for its glorious past but for the final scene of the Godfather Part III : The climactic and gripping opera scene shot right on the staircase of this majestic theatre.

Italy is Opera's ancestral home, so why not experience a must see event in one of the most fascinating theatres of the world.

Teatro Massimo offers visitors a rich choice of operatic seasons throughout most of the year.

Aida will be performed from November 26th to December 7th 08. Bookings are essential!

Sicilians DO dress up for Opera - expect some glamour...

Bike Riding in the Sicilian Aeolian Islands

This post is for those of you who are passionate about the joys and benefits of truly experiencing a new place by way of riding a bike. The Travel Mag, International Living, has a Special Report on their choice for "The World's 10 Best Travel Adventures", with an adventurous biking adventure in the two most remote islands of the volcanic Aeolian Islands making the list.

Sicily and the Aeolian Islands for Hike or Bike
The seven small islands sprinkling the waters just north of Sicily contain some of the most picturesque living you can imagine. The smallest and western-most of the islands, Alicudi, is covered by pink heather in the spring, and is mostly overlooked by tourists.
The western half of the island is completely uninhabited, and the steep cliffs drop straight into the blue waters beneath, while the eastern half is covered by steppes on which the village sprawls.
While Alicudi is covered in pink heather, the next island, Filicudi, is covered in green ferns. This rugged island has two small villages on a peninsula, and hardly any noise—the only usable road here is a path for mules. The largest island, Lipari, is an island ofbeautiful contrasts. White pumice-stones and pitch-black obsidian cover the coasts.
Volcanic peaks rise above long white beaches. And though there are 600 thermal springs, it only has four towns.
Four more islands, each a magnificent gem in the crown of the Mediterranean, covered in olive groves, fields of golden corn, and strawberry tree woods. The seven volcanic islands contain a spectrum of diverse landscapes from fields to beaches to mountains. And all of it free of smog, bright lights, and city noise.

And then there is Sicily itself. Olive groves, lava fields, and citrus orchards surround the great Mt Etna, while gorgeous beaches, stylish boutiques and chic cafes will leave you in want of nothing.
Walk and bike these fabulous islands for seven days for around $3,500. Bike Riders offers ready-to-go trips. You may want to throw in a few boat tours to see the beautiful island profiled against the aqua Mediterranean waters, which will be an additional (but worthy) cost. And, don’t forget to sample locally made marzipan and authentic cappuccinos along your adventure.

South West on a Shoestring

Travelling on a budget?
No worries. Sicily is one of the few European destination where, if you know the right places, you can get a delicious meal for less than 20 euro and b&b accommodation on a picturesque rustic farm-house for just 30 euro.

Forget group tours: rent a car (possibly with GPS), drive around and explore this fantastic island in all your freedom.
If you are after great Greek temples and ruins, a stunning coastal drive and some serious wine tasting, head toward South West. You can sleep at the pretty Baglio Pocoroba near Segesta , This large archaeological zone, with its magnificent Doric temple, ranks as one of the best-preserved Greek architectural sites to be found anywhere! Tickets to the archaeological park cost less than 10 euro.
From Segesta you can drive along the scenic Strada del Sale (Salt Road) with the backdrop of the islets of Mozia, Isola Longa, Santa Maria and Isola della Schola, forming an archipelago inside the Stagnone, the largest lagoon in Sicily.
You can lunch or dine at the beautiful Duca di Castelmonte an 18th century Sicilian country house for 22 euro and sample delicious Sicilian produce. You can either spend the night at Duca di Castelmonte's for 40 euros including breakfast or reach Marsala for a very interesting guided tour of the famous cellar and some wine-tasting at the stunning and historic Cantine Florio, the place where the Marsala wine variety was first produced.

Tindari and the Story of the Black Madonna and Medusa

In mediaeval times the legend of the Black Madonna was augmented in France by some especially "esoteric" popular religious sects, common amongst them were the Knights Templars and Cathars. One of the central excuses the French monarchy issued in the persecution and destruction of the Knights Templars was the fact that they had adopted the Maure and had several "Baphomets" in their monasteries. The Templars had brought back with them the devotion to the Black Madonna from the Crusades.

The snake-haired Gorgon triplet Medusa is also a female Maure : And the only country with Medusa's Head on its flag is Sicily. The oldest surviving design of a Medusan Trinicria is in the mosaic in Tindari depicting the head of Medusa, in a geometrically circular black face.

Tindari is a cape that sits 10 kilometres east of the city of Patti on the northern coast of Sicily. Not on your usual tour itinerary, but Tindari, one of the many Greek / Roman sites in Sicily, spectacularly positioned on the island's North coast, is in yet another beautiful high altitude setting. Inside the huge purpose built 1950s Basilica located here, is the much revered Black Madonna - a larger than life iconic figure "from the East" dating back to the second half of the first millenium.

The mystery of the Sicilian Black Madonna , an image, a countenance which like the sunlight came as a gift to this land, via pathways still fraught with mystery from the Christian East sometime during the 7th Century. For hundreds of years it has patiently withstood raids by Saracens and pirates, conquerors and raiders, old and new, exhibiting the elegant sign of a continuity which recent restoration work has revealed in all its dignified beauty.

The Black Madonnas are associated with the earth, with darkness, mystery, and most importantly, with miracles. Many have theorised that these images and statues hearken back to the worship of the ancient Goddesses Isis and Demeter; indeed, some of the statues themselves are believed to be pre-Christian.

Many writers seeking to interpret the Black Madonnas suggest some combination of the following elements:

• Black Madonnas have grown out of a pre-Christian Earth Goddess tradition. Their dark skin may be associated with ancient images of these goddesses, and with the colour of fertile earth (such as around the volcanic Etna).

• Black Madonnas derive from the Egyptian goddess Isis. The dark skin may echo an African archetypal mother figure.

• Black Madonnas portrayed the original skin tone of the Virgin Mary, thus placing the figures in apt historical contexts, as Jesus' family was more likely than not to have Semitic colours and features.

Another beautiful legend arising from Tindari is the story of the Lagoon of Tindari. The story tells how a woman pilgrim refused to pray to the Madonna because she was black. The woman accidentally dropped her baby in the sea but the Black Madonna raised the sand in order to save the baby and demonstrate her compassion. The shape of the sands of the lagoon now show an image representing the profile of the Madonna (see photo).


If all of this intrigues you, why not consider a stop over in Patti, only a short stroll from Tindari. You can sleep at the picturesque farm-stay accommodation, Villa Rica surrounded by centuries old olive trees, lemon groves, fruit orchards and the particular Mediterranean vegetation.

Restoration Alert: Villa Romana del Casale

Where: Villa Romana del Casale
Piazza Armerina (Enna)

Restoration estimated time : Two years (expected to finish, early 2010)

There is a Restoration Alert on what experts credit as the most well preserved Roman Villa of its type, Villa Romana del Casale in Piazza Armerina, dating back 330 AD. The Villa Romana del Casale is world famous for its well preserved and evocatively beautiful mosaics that decorate the floors and walls of this grand villa. The mosaics were developed by master craftsmen of the time and provide the viewer a snapshot of life as a noble in Sicily during this period. It is a mystery as to who originally owned the Villa but such is the size and sheer beauty and craftsmanship that we are lead to believe that it was built for someone of Roman Senatorial class, some even speculate that it was a possession of the Imperial family, or the Emperor himself.

In 1997, the Villa Romana del Casale became a UNESCO World Heritage site where it's mosaics were declared as "the finest in situ in the Roman world".

The Villa Romana del Casale was constructed on the remains of an older villa in the early part of the fourth century, probably as the centre of a huge latifundium covering the entire surrounding area. How long the villa kept this role is not known, maybe for less that 150 years, but the complex remained inhabited and a village grew around it, named Platia, derived from palatium. It was damaged, maybe destroyed during the domination of the Vandals and the Visigoths, but the buildings remained in use, at least in part, during the Byzantine and Arab period. The site was finally abandoned for good when a landslide covered the villa in the 12th century CE, and remaining inhabitants moved to the current location of Piazza Armerina.

While parts of the building are still open to the public, restoration work is happening on the best section of the house containing two of the most popular rooms, the Great Hunting Room (which depicts the hunting and capture of wild animals in North Africa for transportation to Sicily) and the Room of the Ten Maidens (depicting incredibly well preserved mosaics of what appears to be the first ever pictorial recording of the bikini swimming costume).

A visit is only recommended for the most enthusiastic traveller but with the knowledge that only a small selection of the mosaics and the Villa is open to the public.

On the bright side, entry costs are only 3 euro during Restoration period or free during Sicilian Culture Week, 30 March to 7 April 2008.

For a great 3D tour, go to here.

The Castle of Carini

Constructed by Ruggero II between 1075 and 1090, the Castle of Carini is superbly positioned atop the highest rock of the hill. Stately and unconquered from the North side, while looking down on a strong and imaginary enemy already defeated, it is outlined against the blue sky during the day as if it were at the outer limits of the universe, while its silhouette against the dark night sky makes one shiver with fear as if it were a Shakespearean Castle.

It was here, in this Castle, on one clear morning of December 1563, in contrast to the beauty of that day, the limpidity of the sky, the green of the hills and the mountains, that the Baroness of Carini fell victim to the murderous fury of her father, to the blind rage of a father cruel and inhumane. This is according to the story that the unknown poet tells us throughout his poem.
This deed of blood spilt would have been lost in the darkness of time, if this poet, had not romanticised that tragedy of the Talamanca-La Grua family, giving us, at the same time, one of the most beautiful poems of the Sicilian literature.

"The fine lily, that spreads its scent, immersed in its own leafage, it wants to soothe the worries of love... and it doesn't answer these cares; but inside powerful ardours blaze. She goes dreamy and all confused...and always that the reason has no value, that so love rules everybody" Read more

A poem full of humanity, compassion, true sorrow, and poetic beauty, making us forget that we really do not know the true story of the tragedy that hit the Talamanca-La Grua family in that distant year of 1563, and helps us in empathising with the pain of that great loss. One thing is certain, even if now we are in the most mature stage of the Humanism, no rights existed in the human and civil history of man.

The feudal system is in full flow and the people are subject to injustice and barbarism. These are endured not only by the subjects at large but impose themselves on every social rank to the point that the dreams of young people were exchanged as mere merchandise; in fact weddings were arranged by families based on political motives, keeping in sight the social rank and power together with the price (how much they owned) of the candidates, without any regard at all to the spiritual welfare nor the feelings of those candidates.

The news (of the death of the Baroness) caused reverberation all over Sicily: It caused astonishment, wonder, gossip and sorrow. It is in the intrinsic ties of pain with the Sicilian soul from whence rises the unknown voice that cries, threatens, condemns, and at last, takes vengeance over the brutality, haughtiness, insensibility and hypocrisy of the feudal system. It is the suppression of the individual liberty by the feudal tyranny and the bondage of the values held most dear to man that the voices rise up.

In the case of the "Baroness of Carini" it is the ineffable pain of the loss of the beautiful Castellana that makes the Sicilian language flourish in all its splendour. As the story goes, in 1563 the very beautiful daughter of Count Mussomeli, Laura Lanza, bride of Don Vincenzo La Grua, falls in love with Ludovico Vernagallo who reciprocates her affection. Her father, desiring to protect the honour of the family name, attempts to end to this dalliance, but it is the love which is between them that resists all attempts.

The count, Laura's father, was pitiless and murders them both in order to ensure that the honour of the family has been protected. In the passing of time the episode has assumed colours of legend and has become one of the most favourite subject of poets and ballad-singers.

With a splendid view of the coast, Carini leads along Corso Umberto I to the horseshoe-shaped stairs surrounding the mediaeval fountain of the abbey.

Having climbed the stairs and passed beneath the 12th century arch, you will come to the old hamlet and the Castle.

How to get there :

Only 20 km from Palermo, to reach Carini is very easy : Simply follows the A29 motorway toward Trapani-Mazzara del Vallo. Exit Carini. Then follow the SS113 and turn left to SP3 - A scenic drive will bring you up on a hill, where Carini is nestled.

Palermo, a sporting city

Watching Palermo play at home, amidst a noisy sea of pink and black, is a memorable experience. US Città di Palermo is an Italian soccer team which currently plays in Serie A, the top level of Italian football.

The Stadium Renzo Barbera has one covered stand, with three uncovered areas framed by the huge hills behind the stadium. The stands are two tiered, with both end stands curving away from the pitch. The Curve Nord is where you'll see the flares and the choreographed Tifosi (Italian for hardcore fans). Away fans will be allocated 2,000 in the Curve Sud, undoubtedly surrounded significantly by the Carbonari.

The stadium is located around 5km north of the city centre, close to the A29 Autostrada in the San Lorenzo area. To get to the stadium from the Stazione Centrale, catch bus number 101 or 107. The nearest suburban station is the Imperatore Federico Stadio which is on the road of the same name just south of the stadium.

Tickets can be bought online around two weeks before the games at http://www.ticketone.it/. Tickets range in price from €27.50 for a Curva Sud ticket to €72 for a top of the range Tribuna Laterale ticket. Tickets can also be bought from a number of Snai outlets in Palermo. For the majority of matches this season, tickets will not be on sale on the day of the game.

Stadium Renzo Barbera

Viale del Fante 11, 90146 Palermo

Sicily, not only seafood

With Kofi Annan, Burt Lancaster and even Pope John Paul II as previous guests, it’s worth taking a 20 minutes taxi journey from Palermo to Monreale to this rustic, highly renowned restaurant tucked away in the Sicilian countryside.

La Botte (The barrel) was a traditional trattoria when first opened in 1929, eventually "La Botte 1962" was revamped into a top-class restaurant in the year in question by Celebrities' Chef Maurizio Cascino. The accent is on local specialities embellished with simple, fresh herbs, washed down with well chosen Sicilian wines.

Set in an ancient wine cellar, La Botte is a destination for demanding gourmet diners and offers typical Sicilian cuisine and a well-stocked wine list.

Specialities: gnocchi potato dumplings "alla bava" and wild boar with red wine...

"La Botte 1962"

http://www.mauriziocascino.it/

C.da Lenzitti, 20 (S.S. 186, Km. 10)

Monreale (Palermo)

tel. +39 091 414051

Booking required

Long live the lentils..and Salvatore!

Known all over the world as Italy’s first natural marine reserve, it is called the ‘black pearl’ or ‘solitaire’ of the Tyrrhenian sea : Ustica, is a special island that brings back eternal memories of my childhood. Ustica is an island that has never changed from that sleepy, beautifully preserved feeling, a timeless island not only because of its old geological age, but because of its people...

Signor Salvatore born in Ustica 75 years ago personifies for me the ancient, long-lasting - eternal feel of this tiny volcanic island.

I coincidentally ran into his stone-built house on my last trip to the island as I was looking for some Lenticchie di Ustica (Ustica's lentils) to buy. I found Salvatore still sitting under the ancient olive tree where I had left him some years ago. He was still weaving baskets of reed and cane with his gnarled hands. His wide-brimmed straw hat (which he wears while trotting along on his donkey, transporting vegetables) was on the ground beside him.

I walked across the road to the wall where Salvatore's baskets hold the produce they sell to summer visitors: eggplants, peppers, tomatoes, onions, capers, fava beans and the famous, delicious ustica lentils.

The crickets seemed to perform their never ending chirping tribute to a beautiful mid-summer sunset and I, once again fall in love with the colour of Ustica : pristine white and pastels of the stuccoed houses, black of the volcanic rock walls dividing the fields, red and purple bougainvillea and red, white, pink hibiscus bursting in flashes of colour, here and there. White-flowered caper vines grow from crevices in the the black rock walls and crawl along the cliffs which drop to the aquamarine sea.

As Salvatore keeps weaving his baskets, I ask him about the secret of his long life. A life of hard work in the fields, cultivating the land with his bare hands under the strong Sicilian sun.

"It must be the lentils" he smiled. "I always eat a plate of our lenticchie for dinner"

Cultivated on the lava rich soil of Ustica, local lentils are seeded in January and picked in the first half of June.
The little plants are left in the field to dry, then they are uprooted and collected in bunches in the stables in order to be struck.

Salvatore and his family still harvest the lentils in the traditional way : dividing the straw from the lentils trampling on the little plants with big stones dragged by donkeys and then throwing them in the air.

Ustica lentils Lentils are considered legumes with high nutritional value and contain about 25% of proteins, 53% of carbohydrates and 2% of vegetable oils. They are also rich in phosphor, iron and vitamins of the B group. According to a nutritional point of view, 100 grams of lentils are equal to 215 grams of meat. Lentils - just like all the other legumes - are characterised by a high quantity of proteins, a good quantity of carbohydrates and a low quantity of fats.

Ustica lentils are also rich in vitamins, mineral salts and fibres, in particular phosphor and potassium. Lentils are a food suited for the prevention of arteriosclerosis because the low quantity of fats contained in them are of the unsaturated type.
The richness in fibres make lentils very useful for the proper functioning of the bowel system and they are also useful in lowering cholesterol. Lentils are considered - thanks to the good quantity of proteins they contain - a highly nutritional food, especially when consumed together with cereals (such as rice, pasta and bread), are very digestible and have no cholesterol. They also contain "isoflavones", substances which clean the organism, as well as iron, calcium and vitamin B.

This is Salvatore's long-lived lentils soup recipe :

(about 6 servings)

1 pound (450 g) Ustica lentils
1/2 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic
Minced parsley
4 tomatoes, blanched, peeled and seeded
Salt and pepper to taste

Put the lentils in a pot with enough water to cover them to a depth of 3-4 fingers, and simmer them covered over a low flame for about 2 hours; keep more hot water handy should the lentils absorb all the cooking water. When they're close to being done, add the remaining ingredients. Cook for another half hour and serve.

The "Real" Magna Graecia

There is a saying : if you want to see Greece-go to Sicily.

How true : The best preserved temples are in Sicily and not in Greece, hence if you will visit Greek temples in Greece after having visited the Sicilian ones, you will be truly disappointed.

Sicily was a highly regarded part of Magna Graecia, with the great Roman philosopher and orator, Cicero, describing Siracusa (Syracuse), as "the greatest and most beautiful city of Ancient Greece". In fact, by 300 BC, Siracusa was the most populous Greek city in the world and rivalled even Athens for political and military power, and at once stage defeating the mighty Athenian army in 413 BC during the Hellenic Peloponnesian Wars.

Agrigento and its Valle dei Templi (Valley of the Temples) features the largest collection of classical Greek ruins in the world. It is a must-see!

Dramatically perched along a long rocky scarp, among the extensive grounds are many well preserved temples, monuments and other buildings which create a truly surreal atmosphere. The temples are even more impressive at night when they are lit up by massive lights.

Other equally marvellous temples and amphiteathres are to be found in Segesta, (where each Summer, a series of classical Greek dramas are performed in Italian), Selinunte and Syracuse. But there are several, smaller-scale Greek ruins scattered everywhere all around the island, like in Akrai, Himera, Megara Hyblaea. By far the most breathtaking Greek Theatre of them all is located in the incredibly well preserved mediaeval city of Taormina, where you can enjoy sweeping views of the Mediterranean under the backdrop of the imposing volcano, Mount Etna.

The Villa of Monsters

Gnomes, dragons, jesters, musicians and symbols of a mysterious esoteric language are all part of what has been defined as "the most original villa in the world and famous throughout Europe".

Villa Palagonia's construction began in 1715, on behalf of Don Ferdinando Gravina and Crujllas, 5th Prince of Palagonia, Peer of the Realm, Knight of Toson d'Oro, a prestigious honour bestowed by the king of Spain. Sicilians never figured it out whether the prince was a bit nuts or simply possessed a very creative mind, but Villa Palagonia has a strong appeal for everyone.

The decorations atop the stables that surround the Villa are indeed the best part. Here you will notice that the statues seems to fall over one another as they prance around. Was this another weird decorative idea that went too far or was the Prince trying to tell us something? Some experts believe the surreal statues were commissioned to represent the lovers of the Prince's faithless wife...

Villa Palagonia is in Bagheria, a coastal town only a short drive from Palermo. Bagheria is not a particulary attractive town per se, but like a pearl in an oyster, the villa reveals itself...

In 1885 the villa was acquired by the Castronovo family, which thanks to its heirs, still today make it possible to visit one of the most extraordinary monuments of European baroque, created in the land of Sicily.

Open to the public every day from 9:00 to 13:00 and from 15:30 to 17:30 (from 1st November - 31st March)
from 9:00 to 13:00 and from 16:00 to 19:00(from 1st April - 31st October)

Piazza Garibaldi, 3 - 90011 Bagheria (PA) Tel.091/932088 - Fax 091/922118

www.villapalagonia.it

Strange case of the Sicilian pastry

By Mary Taylor Simeti for the Financial Times.com

In Sicily, there is no escaping history. Turn over a stone and you find a fragment of Byzantine pottery; ask a few questions about your favourite pastry and you are treated to a saga of monasteries and mayhem.

I had thought to write a straightforward description of the ravazzata, a pastry specific to the town of Alcamo where my husband grew up. I wanted to praise the discreet charm of these round, patty-shaped pastries, the measured sweetness of the ricotta filling within an unassuming exterior of golden crust. They are as distant from the rich and gaudy confectionery of Palermo - the cannoli and the cassatas studded with candied fruit - as the convent churches of Alcamo, hiding exquisite stuccos by Giacomo Serpotta behind simple stone exteriors, differ from the glittering, colourful mosaics of the Arab-Norman churches in Sicily's capital.

The consensus of opinion in Alcamo is that the best ravazzate are found at Cafè Napoleon, a bar and pastry shop on the Corso Stretto, the leg of the main street that narrows as it passes through the medieval part of town. But that is as far as I could get: no one could tell me if the ravazzata had been conceived in the kitchen of a commercial pasticceria or, whether like so many Sicilian pastries, it was the invention of some ingenious nun. Nor could anyone explain to me the etymology of its name.

A Sicilian pastry without a history - impossible! I turned for answers to a local historian, an ardent student of Sicily's gastronomy. "The ravazzate of Alcamo? Why, they began in 1887," I was told. I was bowled over by such unexpected precision, rare in a field where most of the artefacts have been either eaten or composted.

It appears that 1887 was the year in which a certain Signor Albanese returned from exile in South America (whether this exile was imposed by the judiciary or by the local mafia is not entirely clear to me) and opened a bar called Cafè do Brazil on the main street of Alcamo. He hired as his pastry chef Giuseppe Dattolo, who had been working as a doorkeeper for the Benedictine convent of San Martino in Erice, a medieval town perched high on a mountain some 30 miles west of Alcamo, still famous today for its pastry-making tradition. Dattolo and his wife had run errands for the nuns and had helped them in the kitchen, where they made pastries to sell in order to support themselves (religious orders in Italy had their properties confiscated after the Unification of Italy in the 1860s, and the monasteries were in a bad way). But Dattolo had been diagnosed with weak lungs and was advised to leave the cold, damp heights of Erice.

There is no way of knowing whether Dattolo continued to make the ravazzate for the Cafè do Brazil in the exact same fashion that the nuns of San Martino made them or whether he perfected them. Certainly they had evolved: the name ravazzata, the historian told me, comes from a word meaning leftovers - in Palermo, in fact, it is the name of a savoury street food made from stale bread - and indicates that they were originally fashioned from the scrapings and leavings of other pastry-making, a common trick in frugal nunneries. In any case, they were excellent, and the café prospered and became Alcamo's leading pastry shop, so much so that at the end of the great war a certain Signor Rubino decided to open a rival shop on the Corso. With promises of higher pay, he lured Dattolo from the Cafè do Brazil, which went into a decline and eventually folded. Albanese, upset by this turn of events, took revenge by chopping down Rubino's vineyards, a fairly common form of vengeance in these parts. Albanese went to jail.

It was Rubino's turn to prosper. His establishment changed hands and names through the decades, and although most middle-aged Alcamesi still tend to call it Sanacore, in the 1980s the current proprietor renamed it Cafè Napoleon. The excellence of the wares has not changed, however, and it is even today the best place to try a ravazzata, especially in the morning when they are still warm from the oven.


Mary Taylor Simeti is the author of several books on Sicily including 'Pomp and Sustenance: Twenty-five Centuries of Sicilian Food'

The Mountain of Sweet Toothed Albanians

30 August 1488 is a little known date commemorating a little known event that would culminate in the creation and perfection of what would become the most popular single requested item on the dessert menu in Italian restaurants in North America and elsewhere.

It was on this day that a group of Albanian refugees fleeing from the Turks were given the permission to build a village high in the stunning yet harsh mountains of central Sicily. The Albanians were probably the only migrants arriving in numbers that weren't intent on conquering Sicily. Instead they created the Piana degli Albanesi (or Plane of the Albanians), which has survived for over five hundred years as a predominantly Greek/Albanian enclave in Sicily. Their traditions remain the same, their language little changed from the Greek Albanian dialect (Arbëreschë) initially imported with the first settlers, their religion still Orthodox and their look is still distinctively Balkan. All in all, it is a curiosity that remains today...

...And thankfully so, because not only is Piana Degli Albanesi one of the most picturesque and beautifully authentic villages in Sicily but is the home of the best Cannoli in all of Sicily. Those of you familiar with Italian desserts (which probably includes most of you) will know that the Cannoli is the King of them all.

The Cannoli (Cannolo for singular) originated in Palermo in the time when the Arabs controlled Sicily. Delicious Italy.com states that the Greeks left their grand temples and amphitheatres, the Normans left their red hair gene (ever wondered why there are so many Sicilian red heads?), but the Arabs left a great big sweet tooth.

When the Albanians arrived and set up shop in the Piana Degli Albanesi they must have taken one look at the Cannoli and said, "We can do better". And did they ever. Where a regular Cannolo is the size of two fingers, the version found (still today) ONLY in the Piana Degli Albanesi is the size of two fists containing a local version of sweetened Ricotta made to a secret recipe, known only to a few families.

Ask any Palermitan, or any Sicilian, for the best Connoli and the answer will be to head for the hills, about 60 minutes from Palermo, to the Piana Degli Albanesi.

Remember this when you next order Connoli for dessert.

Scenic drives: A salty journey

In proximity to Trapani, the saltpans are located a few kilometres to the south of the town and form part of the Riserva Naturale delle Saline, where panels of mirror-like water, held by thin strips of earth, synchronise to form an irregular and multicoloured scene.

At Paceco/Nubia the picturesque Museo del Sale can be found inside an old windmill overlooking the lagoon, (via delle Saline Tel. 0923/867442) detailing the history of the salt extracting industry. Although the importance of this local industry has waned since the 19th century, windmills are still used to supply the energy required to pump seawater from one basin to another.

Drive across the romantic "Strada del Sale" - Salt Way Road, that include a complex of brackish wetlands (Stagnone di Marsala), saltpans (Saline di Trapani) and islets (Isole dello Stagnone di Marsala) along the west coast of Sicily, south of the town of Trapani. Enjoy this scenic drive along citrus scented trails, swaying vines, and glistening salt pans.

This is a tricky road though and if you miss the right turn you might find yourself stuck into awful concrete towns and smoky industrial areas so you better bring a map or guide with you.

The Stagnone di Marsala is one of the last remaining lagoons in Sicily. It measures 10 km (north-south) by 3 km. It has an average depth of 1 m (maximum is only 2.5 m). where you will admire the contrasting bright white saltpans against the blue waters where pink flamingos, storks and grey herons bath among.

Part of the Stagnone Islands is Motya, (Mozia in Italian) an archaeological park occupies an entire island, where the 8th-century BC Phoenician and later, Carthaginian, city thrived. Dionysus I of Syracuse destroyed Motya in 398 BC, leaving ruins of intricate fortifications, docks, homes decorated with mosaic flooring, and other structures. The extensive archaeological collections of the Museo Whitaker - Open 9am–3pm (until 7pm Jun–Oct) - are displayed as Whitaker intended – the highlight is the outstanding Greek marble statue of a youth in a diaphanous pleated tunic (c.440 BC).

You can reach Motya with a short boat ride across the lagoon (10 minutes)

Our favourite drive :

Approx 29 km excursion between Trapani and Marsala along the SP 21: allow a whole day to include a visit to the Island of Mozia.

From Trapani, follow the coast road (SP 21) to Marsala which provides a succession of fine views over the saltpans of Trapani and those at Stagnone. The first stop is Nubia.
Nubia – The headquarters of the Worldwide Fund for Nature (138 Via Garibaldi) manages the Riserva Naturale Salma di Trapani e Paceco, a saltwater nature reserve habitat where 170 species of bird – resident and migratory – have been recorded. Indeed, it is not unusual to see migrating flamingos, storks, cranes and herons.

From Nubia, return to the main road and continue towards the Stagnone Lagoon, where the most spectacular saltpans are located. A sign indicates the way to the Ettore e Infersa saltworks.

There are many embarcaderos (small boat) to Mozia departing from different location along the Lagoon. After a visit to the island of Mozia you can get back to the coastal road that weaves its way to Marsala along a very pleasant route, which can be breathtakingly spectacular at sunset.

Sicily among top 10 scrummy retreats

From the Guardian, another pressie highlights Sicily as a must-go destination.

Kevin Gould traveled from Sweden to France and the southern coast of Sicily, to discover a lovely home set in a olive farm : Azienda Fattoria Mose.

Everything you eat here tastes of the sun, and comes from the immediate vicinity - including the Agnellos' glorious bright, peppery olive oil (as sold at Fortnum and Mason, no less). Three nights from £466pp (sharing) including return flights from Gatwick and car hire. Sunvil Italy (020-8568 4499, sunvil.co.uk).

Read the full article

Not the ordinary bread

The small town of Salemi (photogallery) enjoys a lovely position surrounded by the vineyards that are so typical a feature of the Trapani region. The older parts of Salemi bear the indelible imprint of Arab influences, its narrow cobbled streets wind their way to the top of the hill crowned with the ubiquitous Sicilian Castle.

But what makes this little town special is its bread.

Some years ago "bread" was the most important element in the eating habits of people from all walks of life: princes, children and common people. In fact for a long time it was considered a sacred element. There are many important religious and folkloristic feast in which bread plays a very important role, the one of St Biagio has to be mentioned.

According to the Christian religion. St Biagio is a protector of the throat. His celebration is characterised by two typical shapes of bread: "li cuddureddi"

Originally this feast was a propitiatory rite later adapted to the catholic faith.

Bread also plays a significant part in the celebrations of St. Josephs day (19 March), when special large votive loaves are baked in the shape of angels, garlands, flowers, animals and work-tools so as to represent every aspect of daily life.

This is an event that cannot be missed!

On March 19th the streets of Salemi are decorated with "altars" made of wood and covered with coloured fabrics, lights, laurel and myrtle, oranges, lemons and breads in the shape of angels, Virgins, Jesus, St Joseph, flowers and every other possible decorative shape: You won't believe you very eyes!

The tradition dictates that those "devotees" who organize a votive altar must also gather a banquet (La cena) consisting of 101 recipes based on cereals, vegetables, fruits, fish and cakes.

After setting a long banquet table and blessing the breads, the food is first offered to the children (representing the holy family) and then all the visitors.

Siciliamo visits the Cous Cous Fest

The "10th International Festival of Mediterranean Culture, Food and Wine", otherwise known as the Cous Cous Fest of San Vito, (photogallery) is a gastronomic exhibition (usually held mid to late September) that attracts the attention of the Mediterranean and International gastronomic community to the idyllic seaside Sicilian Village of San Vito Lo Capo. San Vito Lo Capo is located on the North West of the Island midway between Palermo and Trapani. Chefs from the Mediterranean basin, Africa and Brazil compete for the prize of the best preparation and presentation of the traditional dish of Cous Cous, as well as for newer, more modern versions of this dish. Traditional Sicilian couscous with fish soup and chunks of swordfish is a must!

The festival celebrates 3000 years of Cous Cous, with a lively mix of world music, Mediterranean colours and, of course, food and wine tasting.

This year Siciliamo eagerly attended the Cous Cous Fest is San Vito in order to participate in the many interesting gastronomic workshops and seminars fronted by some of the best cous cous chefs in the world as well as those from the Sicilian school of cous cous, showing what Sicilian cuisine is all about...

While San Vito's history as the centre of Sicilian cous cous was enough reason in itself to attend the festival, white sand beaches and clear blue water such as this also helps a little! And don't forget, San Vito is part of the Province of Trapani, otherwise known as the "Bread Basket" of Italy and contains some of the best produce and the cutest agriturismi farm stays you will find.

The following video features my mum making the Moroccan version of lamb couscous with the traditional tajine pot. Enjoy!