Nancy and Peter in Sicily

Nancy Bellantoni & Peter Galipault

Mid-march update

pre-dawn from the beach cottage in the sky

Dramatic sunset view over Pozzallo from the beach cottage in the sky

we Head for the hills

The first full weekend in March we went to Palazzolo Acreide. It was our second visit this year to this beautiful and charismatic hilltop town. It is up in the Hyblean Mountains and has been inhabited since the 11th century BC, an important communication station linking the big city/port of Syracuse with the rest of southern Sicily. We stayed two nights in a lovely B&B very close to Piazza San Sebastiano. We got in just before 6pm on Friday and our host, Paolo, was very accommodating. He helped us get the car parked close by and showed us the ropes. It was a chilly up there at an elevation of 2,200 feet.

Cows along a country road

Entertain and be entertained by the locals

First stop was J Live, a little place on the piazza that we called the pirate bar. The guys looked a little sketchy, pirate-y. You know the sort. Kind of like bikers, all beards and leather. Nancy got a local wine and I was looking in the coolers to see what was on offer for beer. One of the scruffy guys came over offering advice on the selections, opening the coolers and pulling out every bottle. All in Italian, though maybe it was Sicilian. Not sure but with the barkeep refereeing, we finally settled on a Messina. It was a funny, sort of touching and kind moment with lots of laughter.

Dinner reservations were made at Andrea Sapori Montani, a Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant that serves local sourced, traditional cuisine. The dinner was amazing of course and our server was super. She and Nancy became fast friends over the course of the meal, bonding over love of yoga and Nancy's search for an Italian teacher. They exchanged contact info. She was going to call her brother who runs a small hotel near where we live in Pozzallo. Because maybe he knows someone who teaches Italian. Meanwhile her daughter, who is nine, was pitching in, serving the customers and being very serious. Acting like she owns the place and works there. Charming!

The next day we went to the Museo Archeologico Gabriele Judica, one block over from the piazza. They had an excellent collection of earthenware from the 6th century BC. There were bits of weaponry, tools and coins. Some of it from Roman times. All of it came from the nearby site, just outside of town, known as Area Archeologica Akrai.

Some interesting vases from the collection at the Museo Archeologico Gabriele Judica in Palazzolo Acreide

Pantalica: nature trails and an ancient necropolis

With our friends Charlotte and Kevin coming in a few weeks, we were thinking of things to do while they're here. So we went to check out the ancient ruins in the canyons of the Riserva Pantalica to see if that would fit the bill. It's a UNESCO World Heritage site; a large area where two rivers meet and in the limestone cliffs bordering them there are many caves from neolithic times.

We were a little frazzled after our drive to the east entrance of the park. (Because apparently you can't trust Google Maps to direct you down roads that are safe to navigate, i.e.; paved and wide enough for two cars to pass in opposite directions.) After waiting for the sheep and motorcycle gang to pass, we eventually arrived and hiked a trail that once was a railroad that ran between Syracuse and Vizzini. It was a beautiful day. Just warm enough that you didn't need a jacket. The trail was wide and smooth with a steady incline over the 5 kilometers into the canyons with an occasional long and dark tunnel. Once, we literally couldn’t see a thing. The app on our phones did little to illuminate the passage, but we came out the other side without tripping over anything and completely unscathed. And the orange trees were abundant, as far as the eye could see.

Afterwards we went to get a snack and drinks at Sapuritú, on the corner of the piazza. We had been dreaming of their charcuterie plate that we had in May. While hanging out and eating, we met Mallie, an American expat from the Seattle area and her husband Mirko, who is from Palazzolo. We became fast friends instantly. Mallie got Mirko to call his brother who runs a famous trattoria nearby to see if he could get us in there for dinner. Unfortunately, Trattoria Del Gallo is so famous that even he couldn't get a reservation on a Saturday night. Mallie's son showed up after his haircut. He's 16 and has just moved to Sicily to live with his mom full time. He's going to school in Palazzolo, plays basketball and now is on a school field trip to Spain.

Charcuterie at Sapuritú and other views of Palazzolo Acreide

Charcuterie at Sapuritú and other views of Palazzolo Acreide.

Area Archeologica Akrai

Amphitheater and other views of the archeological park at Akrai

International Women’s Day

On our way back to Pozzallo we decided to go to Marina di Ragusa and have a meal at our favorite restaurant there, Fresco é Bottega. It was midafternoon on a beautiful warm Sunday. We knew we were in trouble before we even got to the small parking area. We drove a few blocks away and found a somewhat sketchy spot and walked down to the marina. The hostess at asked if we had a reservation and of course, we didn't.

But happily, there are other restaurants in the marina and we ended up at Mercato del Porto. The staff there were very friendly and the food was divine. While we were there a group of about 18 women came in, the leader with an impressive crown of mimosa blossoms in her blond tresses. Turns out they were all expats living on boats and were there to celebrate International Women's Day.

OH, DID WE MENTION THE FOOD?
I'M PRETTY SURE WE DID BUT...

You would be forgiven if you're thinking that all we do is go out to eat. But the truth is we eat at home a lot too. Breakfast is usually yoghurt and granola with an orange and strawberries bought from the farmers who sell fruit and vegies out of their trucks. Lunch is either a salad or a homemade panino.

Sometimes we cook pasta or pan fry some pork chop. With lots of fresh vegetables, who can resist? Dinner last night was roasted chicken breast with rice and spinach from a street guy.