Lunch and a back massage....

So many funny little things happen to us as we travel that is difficult to keep track of them.  One of the oddest occurred when we stopped for lunch at a small trattoria in Castiglione di Sicilia...we had eaten there four years ago with my sister Lori and her husband  Mike.  When we arrived, the Mama said she remembered us (you never know...), and Papa came out with menus and to take our orders.  We were the only people at Ristorante President that day...

we've got the place all to ourselves

so cute !

Papa decided to have a running commentary - in Italian, of course - the entire time we were eating.  That was ok, but as he was speaking, he kept touching my arm, then my back...before long, he was rubbing my shoulders..really  Papa ?  Where's mama ??  He told us he had a brother or son  or someone in New York City...

As the meal progressed, Joe and I got more and more uncomfortable....we asked for the check, and Papa came out of the kitchen with a tray of desserts...when he left for a minute, I stuffed them into my purse so that we could make our escape....he followed us to the door, and brought me a cream puff wrapped in a napkin "for the trip"... he was a very sweet old man, but a bit too "friendly" for my likes !!

I know what you're up to, Papa !!!

        If I'm going to be anyone's little cream puff, it will be my own George Clooneys....

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Just say cheese....

Salvatore is a local farmer, shepherd, and cheese maker.  Many days we see him drive his flock of one hundred sheep and goats up the mountain in the morning and back down in the afternoon.  He is in his mid 70's and is not able to walk that great distance, so he leads the herd by driving his Fiat Panda, directing his sheep dogs with toots of the horn.

Salvatore makes pecorino and ricotta cheese every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings.  He welcomes spectators, so our group of ten rallied as the roosters crowed, and coasted down the mountain to Salvatore's farm at 5am on Friday morning.  Well, actually nine of us went, Chuck will have to read this blog to see what he missed.  Salvatore had already milked the goats and heated the milk in preparation for making the pecorino.  He speaks little English, so he explained the process slowly in Italian while Chris and I did our best to interpret.

He scoops the cheese curds out of his big kettle with his hands and arms, and presses them into the forms on his draining table, adding peppercorns as he goes.  He carefully presses down on the fresh cheese to squeeze the liquid out.  After draining for a while, he skillfully flips the cheese in the forms.

Salvatore flips the wheel of pecorino so both sides are imprinted

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Once the two wheels of pecorino are finished, he prepares to make the ricotta.  One interesting aspect is that he whittles the bark of several fig branches to infuse the remaining milk with that particular aroma.  The big kettle is then swung back to the fire for the second cooking, hence the name ricotta, or cooked twice.  At exactly the right temperature, which he knows by years of experience, the ricotta forms at the top of the milk.
                                                                 

Whittling the fig branch to infuse flavor into the ricotta....

                                                                                

When it is the right consistency, he carefully ladles the ricotta, ladle by ladle, with the deft touch of an artist, into the small containers. 

                                                               

He scoops a little of the still warm ricotta into plastic bowls for each of us to taste with his wife's homemade bread.  Needless to say, it is amazing...

Seeing Salvatore's work ethic and commitment to the traditional ways is a powerful experience.  He doesn't consider himself an artisanal cheese maker, or an organic farmer.  He just does it the way he has done for fifty years, the way he learned. We bought half a wheel of pecorino and a basket of ricotta... for 13 euros.  As we were saying our goodbyes, Chris noticed the bright yellow flowers on the mimosa tree in the back.  Salvatore's wife quickly went to the tree and cut some branches for Chris, in honor of Festa della Donna, or Women's Day, which is March 8.  It was a lovely gesture, and continues to remind us how kind, caring, and loving the Sicilian people are.
                                                               

How sweet....

Traditional Festa della Donna mimosa flowers on our table...

Now when we say "Just Say Cheese", we'll have a new respect for a very old tradition....

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2,500 years if Sicilian History, in one day... part two

Still Wednesday the 17th, and we are on our way to see our second UNESCO World heritage site in one day.  We've left Agrigento and the 2,500 year-old Greek colony of Akragas at 11:30 am, and are heading for the 400 A.D. Villa Romana del Casale just outside of Piazza Armerina.  After a rather long, rainy, twisty drive through the Sicilian midlands, shouts of ho fame e ho sete (I'm hungry and thirsty) arose from la famiglia, so using advanced technology, Steve found us a place to eat.  We pulled into the parking lot of La Ruota (the Wheel) at around 2:30 pm.  It looked closed, but as we opened the bus doors, Mama poked her head out of the restaurant and said "aperta" (I'm open).  They quickly arranged a table for ten, and we had the most enjoyable, relaxing meal, setting the tone for visiting the Villa Romana site, which just happened to be next to the restaurant.

It was now late in the day, a rainy one at that, so we had this amazing site totally to ourselves.  Villa Romana del Casale was built in the 4th century A.D., as the centerpiece of a large Roman agricultural estate and hunting lodge.  It was used for this and other purposes until the 12th century, when a landslide covered it.  It was re-discovered in the 20th century, when it was un-earthed and studied during several decades.  It contains the largest and most complex collection of Roman mosaics in the world.  The floors of the villa are completely done in tiny mosaic tiles, and are stunning in any era. 

Some of the floors are pictorial, some are geometric.  All are amazing...

Female athletes depicted...

Amazing artistic expression...

huge rooms.... all with mosiac floors

Chariot races... with odd animals pulling the chariots!

beautiful geometric patterns...

All of the original roof structure and most of the walls of the Villa are long gone, but some of the walls remain and show portions of original frescoes....

Our visit to Villa Romana finished up just before they closed the site at 5 pm.  What an amazing day it had been, to brave the elements and miles to see these two incredible UNESCO World Heritage sites.  There are only six in Sicily, and in two days we had seen three of them (Mt. Etna is the third). 

We set off for Catania Airport to return the 9-passenger bus and retrieve a proper car for Steve and Arianna, then return to The Lemon Tree for a well-deserved and delicious dinner for ten...

The road goes on forever, and the adventures never end....

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a Sicilian haircut...

Two years ago, Diego from the Lemon Tree introduced Joe to Mario - the best barber in Taormina.  Since he was looking a bit ragged around the edges, Joe decided it was time to pay a visit for his Sicilian haircut.

An appointment was made for 6pm, and Mario asked what Joe wanted...I piped up and said "George Clooney"...

a blur of activity before the cut

Mario started with a razor cut, brushing Joe off every few minutes and talking all the time...he lived in Australia for several years so his English is excellent.  As so often happens, he knows a waiter from one of our favorite restaurants in New York City...they grew up together !

the master at work

After about 45 minutes, it was time for the Sicilian shampoo...

Another 15 minutes of "touch up"...

so...an hour after we arrived, I got my "George Clooney"...lookin' good !!

And, in yet another coincidence, Mario lives on Contrada Mastrissa, the same road as The Lemon Tree.  So, as the haircut ended and farewells were said, Mario said that since we are "neighbors",
to please call him for anything we might need during our visit.  Another member of "la famiglia".

The adventures continue....

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2,500 years of Sicilian History, in one day.... part one

On Wednesday the 18th, the ten of us awoke at the B&B in Agrigento with great anticipation, and a little concern.  Anticipation because we would tour both the Greek temples in Agrigento and the Roman mosaics at Villa Romana del Casale in Piazza Armerina.  And concern, because it was raining.  After a wonderful breakfast and warm goodbyes to Francesco, we set off for the temples with all the rain gear we had.

When we arrived at the site, we were greeted be a soaking wet but beautiful dog which we promptly named Sandy.  Sandy walked with us the whole way, sort of guiding us, through the park.  Sandy never asked for anything, but did get rewarded with a treat or two.  At one point, Sandy jumped up on a wall to pose....

The temples are the most visible remains of the Greek colony of Akragas, which flourished here in the 5th century B.C.  Estimates indicate that upwards of half a million people lived here... an advanced city of western civilization... 2,500 years ago.  Although there are several temples here, the two most complete are Juno and Concordia.  This is the Temple of Juno....

The largest temple is Concordia.  Here it is....

We explored the old walls of the city....

And look at this naturally occurring lichen, isn't it the perfect color for the exterior of an Italian villa... ?

 We concluded our visit to the temples of the ancient Greek colony in Agrigento, Sandy escorting us all the way.  We bid farewell to Sandy, piled into our vehicles, and headed sixty miles east and 900 years into the future, to 400 A.D. and the Roman era Villa Romana del Casale in Piazza Armerina, to see the amazing mosaic tile floors.  The adventure continues....