Category Archives: Sicily

Cefalu, in the rain and after

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We arrived in Cefalu in a rainstorm. Parking is not available in the historic center for non-residents, so we had to park at the train station (EU7 per day) and walk (10 minutes) to our rented apartment through the delightfully pedestrian historic area, the attractive stone paving slippery under the soles of my shoes worn smooth from so much walking.

There are many good reasons to visit Cefalu, a promontory on the north coast of Sicily, and our one stop on this coast as we made our way around the island. Primary among these is the astonishing rock, about nine hundred feet high, that dominates the town. (The picture below is taken from the visitsicily website, as I was unable to take a photo myself because of the rain.)

Skyline of Cefalù, touristic village in northern Sicily

And then, of course, there are the beaches, beautiful even in the rain and just after.

Even in waterfront areas where there are rocks instead of beaches, the town is impressive.

In addition, the historic district is charming; somehow there are outdoor cafes even on the narrow streets.

It might well have a nightlife, too, though not in the pouring rain. In the rain’s aftermath, however, the cafes of the piazza in front of the Duomo were open for business.

And it is of the Duomo itself that I wish to speak, seen here fronting the piazza. The cathedral was built beginning in 1131 by Roger the Norman, who was then king of Sicily. Yes, there was a Norman (as in, from Normandy) Kingdom in Sicily from the end of the eleventh and throughout much of the twelfth century. And, once the previous rulers of more than two centuries, Muslim Moors or Arabs, were defeated, they were allowed to continue living in Sicily in peace. There followed a period of what UNESCO describes as “the fruitful coexistence of people of different origins and religions (Muslim, Byzantine, Latin, Jewish, Lombard and French),” which blossomed into a unique architectural style exemplified by the cathedral in Cefalu, along with the cathedral in Monreale and several structures in Palermo. These structures, collectively, have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site, and are described by UNESCO as follows: “The innovative re-elaboration of architectural forms, structures, and materials and their artistic, decorative, and iconographic treatments – most conspicuously the rich and extensive tesserae mosaics, pavements in opus sectile, marquetry, sculptural elements, paintings, and fittings – celebrate the fruitful coexistence of people of different origins.”

Outside, the cathedral is built mostly in the Romanesque style. A closer examination of a column that appears damaged revealed a rather imaginative capital.

Inside, it’s quite magnificent.

Its most wonderful feature is the mosaics that decorate the apse. Two euros turn on the lights for a brief period, so that the tourist (me) can hope to take a few photos. A small price for a moment of glittering gold and glory.

 

 

Wine Relais Feudi del Pisciotto Niscemi, Sicily

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Knowing that Sicily produces some excellent and unique wines, we booked a night at the Wine Relais Feudi del Pisciotto Niscemi to break up the trip from Siracusa to Agrigento. We were hoping for a visit to a local winery, and this stay completely exceeded our expectations.

The original feudo (Italian for ‘estate’) was built in 1700 and produced fine Sicilian wines for centuries, using the traditional methods of wine production that were used since Roman times.

Here we see the room where the grapes were loaded from wagons (outside, on both sides) into large stone rectangular areas. In these stone “boxes,” the grapes were pressed by foot, and the juice ran off through channels into vats waiting in the room below, where it was made into wine. Today, glass openings in the floor provide a view into the lower level.

The winery, its estate villa, and the outbuildings fell into neglect and disrepair in the first part of the twentieth century (perhaps during one of the world wars), and the old vines died off. But the ruined estate was purchased about ten years ago or so and is in the process of being artfully restored. The vineyards have been largely replanted, and, with the old winery still on display, they are now making wines using the most modern techniques.

The location is stunning.

    

The grounds of the winery are spare, appropriate to the region, and beautiful.

  

And they have added a beautiful pool!

   

Finally, I have to mention that the dining room is as elegant as the dinner was delicious. And the breakfast buffet was the best we had in Sicily.

  

Restaurant Cola Pasta, Ortigia

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Dan was pretty effective at shepherding me away from the computer to go to dinner tonight. “Where are we going?” I asked as we walked along our street. I use the term “street” loosely here; it is the element of the circulation network that passes along the front of where we are staying, but our neighbor “across the street” is the sea, and the whole thing is barely wide enough for a couple of pedestrians to pass each other next to the tables that the restaurants put outside.

“I don’t know,” he admitted, “but I do know where we are not going.”

“Well, that’s a start. There are only about a thousand restaurants in Ortigia. Where are we not going?”

“Here,” he said.

The young man at the front of the seaside tourist restaurant smiled broadly at us. “Buon sera! Menu?”

“No,” we assured him. “Grazie.”

“That’s one down,” I said. “Nine hundred ninety-eight to go.”

“Well, I don’t know all of the places where we’re not going. If I did, then I’d know where we are going.”

That made sense. “Okay, we’re not going to the tourist places like that one.”

“Right. And we’re not going to any more pizza places.”

I remembered yesterday’s pizza. The cheese. My stomach protested even at the memory. “No more pizza.”

“And no fancy expensive restaurants. I’ll know where we’re going when I see it.”

We turned into a side street, on our way to see a shop Dan wanted to go back to. We were about to turn again, but there was an attractive-looking little piazza just ahead, so we decided to check it out. There, we were greeted by a friendly woman. “Would you like some pasta?” she said. “Normally, we use these tables in the piazza, but it was too windy.” She gestured at the dozen or so tables, with their folded umbrellas, in the darkened piazza. “So tonight, for the first time, we have just set up two tables inside the restaurant.”

It looked inviting enough. She showed us a menu, which featured, unsurprisingly, fresh pasta of various kinds. She explained that we could pick a pasta (each of which had a price) and a sauce (priced separately) and create our own dish. Some of the sauces were traditional (such as Bolognese); others looked modern and creative (wild fennel with anchovies, swordfish with lemon peel). It all looked delicious, and reasonably priced. It was close to 8 p.m., early by Sicilian standards. The restaurant–all two tables of it–was still empty. We promised to come back.

And we were as good as our word. Yes, there were other tempting restaurants along the way, but we were, as Dan said, “trothed.” At least, one bottle of Nero d’Avolo later, I think that’s what he said.

We did return.

And we had our choice of (all two) tables inside.

This was definitely an informal restaurant. No tablecloths here. Paper plates. But.

Pasta and sauces that were out of this world good. A huge salad that couldn’t be fresher, with greens and tomatoes, olives, feta cheese, and cucumbers (um, “cetrioli”). And a staff that couldn’t be more friendly. Even the cook came out to say hello, and the others insisted it was his first time ever. They all spoke English (unusual, in our experience, so far in Sicily). They graciously posed for this picture.

(That’s Dan, in the dark, in the foreground, so you know where our table was!)

The restaurant was only big enough for the two tables. The other was occupied by a friendly young couple from Germany and the Netherlands. The kitchen was about the same size as the restaurant.

Was everything delicious? You bet!

Would we go back here again, if we were staying? Without a doubt!

Did I mention that the inexpensive bottle of Nero d’Avola was good, and the panna cotta for dessert even better? Well, I have now.

ColaPasta
Via San Martino, 2
Ortigio, Siracusa

Thank you for a perfect dinner our last evening in Ortigia!

 

Ortigia, Siricusa

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When I was researching this trip to Sicily, I knew I wanted to go to Syracuse. Of course, Syracuse was the home of Archimedes, one of the world’s more preeminent ancient scientists. Even more so, though, is that the city, which is some 2,700 years old, was a force to be reckoned with in the Mediterranean for centuries. Originally a Greek colony, it was allied with the Peloponnesian powers of Sparta and Corinth. By the fifth century B.C., it rivaled (and some say surpassed) Athens in importance. Even in Roman times it was preeminent, and famous for its beauty. Briefly, it even became capital of the Roman Empire.

Ortigia, the island-peninsula on the eastern side of the modern city of Siricusa is the site of ancient Syracuse, and so of course that’s where we stayed. We have a great room overlooking the city’s harbor and bay, on this street:

Here are some sights in this charming ancient city. First, the Piazza Duomo. This half-moon-shaped piazza is paved with beautiful tiles of what might be marble, and ringed with magnificent buildings, including the exquisite Duomo.

Here are some details from the Duomo’s facade.

Running from this piazza to Via Roma, a lively pedestrian shopping street, is the pleasant Piazza Minerva.

There’s also a lively plaza surrounding the stunning Fontana di Diana.

But Ortigia isn’t all piazzas–and neither would we want it to be. It’s full of interesting narrow streets, too, some of them commercial and others of no particular significance except for their charm.

We loved the rhythm of the balconies.

And we enjoyed occasionally finding something completely unexpected, such as this art exhibit inside a former church.