Nancy and Peter in Sicily

Nancy Bellantoni & Peter Galipault

late may update

Full micro-mini-blue moon on the rise

Home sweet home

Back at the Beach House in the Sky after our sojourn abroad, we settled into our usual routines. Getting our hair done, grocery shopping, doing the laundry and Italian lessons with our teacher, Marco. Suddenly it was time for our second friend visit!

The new mural in Pozzallo, painted by Guido van Helten. It celebrates the town's history and it's role as a gateway for Mediterranean hospitality via the sea.

Road trip to the north coast

We left home Monday, May 18 to meet Karen in Palermo. She was at the end of a 12-day bus tour of Italy and Sicily that started in Rome and ended in the capital of Sicily. We stayed for a couple of nights at the same hotel, the Grand Hotel Wagner, very luxurious accommodations in the Politeama district.

You might think this island is small, but it took 3.5 hours to drive from Pozzallo. It was mostly divided highway, made a little stressful by the many lane closures along the way.

Alita, our concierge, recommended a great restaurant near the port of Palermo for dinner, Molo Sant'Erasmo - Trattoria sul Mare. Right on the water. Though we had to take a close-your-eyes taxi ride to get there, the wonderful seafood feast was worth it.

From 430 BC to 1172 AD in a single day

The next day we visited two incredible sites, Segesta and Monreale.

The majestic doric temple at Segesta is from the 4th century BC and only about an hour's drive from Palermo. Pretty easy too. There were a lot more people here this time than when we here in 2012 (duh) including a lot of tour buses. But it didn't seem too crowded around the temple itself.

Apparently the temple was never finished, and it remains a mystery why. Historians believe the construction was abandoned around 409 BC when the city was attacked by the Carthaginians who were trying to expand their control over the Greek-allied territories on Sicily.

After Segesta we went to Monreale to see the famous 12th century Norman cathedral there. This was NOT such an easy drive. Narrow winding mountain roads that were barely wide enough for two cars to pass. Except for one area in a little hillside town just before Monreale; where a bus and semi had trouble trying to figure out how to squeek by each other (inches to spare!).

This Cathedral is one of the world's greatest surviving examples of Norman architecture, a symbol of political rivalry, religious devotion, and the blending of diverse cultures. It was founded in 1172 by King William II, the Norman ruler of Sicily. William built the cathedral to compete directly with the Archbishop of Palermo who was constructing the massive Palermo Cathedral. It is globally renowned for its stunning, luminous interior covered in over 6,500 square meters of gold Byzantine mosaics.

According to local legend, William fell asleep under a carob tree exhausted from hunting. The Virgin Mary appeared to him in a dream, revealing a hidden treasure buried beneath the tree roots and commanded him to build a church in her honor.

Getting back to Palermo was supposed to be easy

It was not. In addition to narrow roads, these streets wound their way through a very busy, bustling metropolis full of ultra aggressive drivers and motorcyclists. Yikes! Not an experience that I'm eager to repeat. We all needed a stiff drink after that.

Alita recommended another great restaurant for dinner that we could walk to right around the corner from the hotel (no terrifying cab ride required), Rimessa Dragotta. A tiny little bistro with excellent food. We couldn't believe that whole place only employed three people; the waiter and two people in the kitchen. Amazing food and service!

The next morning Karen had arranged to be picked up at 3:00 in the morning to make her flight to Rome and then back to Boston.

We slept in later than that and stopped at San Stefano di Camastra on the way home

San Stefano di Camastra is known for its ceramics and rightly so, they have been making ceramics here since the 17th century. We visited on our first trip to Sicily back in the 20th century. We bought a large bowl and a larger platter, both with a traditional rabbit motif. We somehow managed to carry them all the way back to Boston without breaking or chipping them. We gave them to our friends Nicola and Carl before moving to Sicily, figuring that we would be able to replace them here.

No such luck, not yet anyway. But we did we pick up some of these stylish modern bowls and plates.

Back at the beach

The lidos on the beach are continuing to grow and expand. We spent the weekend visiting and trying out the food and drinks in an attempt to discover our favorite. As of now, Calé is clearly winning the day for food, ambiance, price and friendly staff (we love Giudi!).

It’s like summer every day here. People on the beach, in their chaise lounges, under the parasols, in the water (the water is delightfully warm, yes we went in), on their stand-up paddle boards and inflatable canoes. Temperatures are averaging mid 80's every day with a sweet breeze keeping us cool.

Calé beach lido: Sun, sea, and relaxation

Oh, have we mentioned the food?

The guys in the ape trucks are selling melons of many colors and sizes. Cherries, apricots, beans and peas, and of course, strawberries, tomatoes, lettuce, herbs and eggplants. Also, the cucuzza squash (affectionately known as cucuzza longa, zucca longa, or gagootz) which is about 3 feet long and has delectable leaves. We are looking forward to making the traditional soup, pasta cu i tenerumi.

Be still my farmers market heart!