“Sicilian” Means More Than Mafia...

WInding up the trip.  Toes are hurting.  No shoes feel comfortable.  Hard to drag oneself out of bed at 6:30 a.m. to go AGAIN! And we’d been to Sicily once already.  So why put ourselves through this once more??!!  So, trying to liven up our visit, we forked over the bucks (or should I say “euros”) for a private car and guide for the day. And to answer your last question first, “No, we saw no vestiges of the Godfather or the Mafia here.  But we were assured they still exist and the police look away.”

First on the agenda was Catania, with its outdoor market.  Absolutely marvelous! Maybe the day wouldn’t be such a drag.  All the fish, all the cheeses, all the meat, all the vegetables were from Sicily.  We saw specimens of fish that were ancient and even close up looked like they were wearing tinfoil, not scales. We also saw octopuses, shrimp, sardines, every kind of imaginable fish -- some we would never have imagined, if we had tried!  And, at the meat counters, we saw tiny little lambs, skinned and ready for lamb chops, rabbits skinned, chicken feet, chicken legs, whole chickens, ducks, and on and on.  We saw cow’s intestines, cow’s tongues, cow’s tails just hanging there, flies buzzing around. 

 And we saw vegetables. Heaps of vegetables and fruits everywhere!  One of the vendors, who seemed to find us amusing, gave us a bite of prickly pear (lots of seeds, but I guess Sicilians don’t even care!).  We passed by stands with long long zucchinis, snails, eggplants, skinny little asparagus bundles, and even Sicilian “fast food”, which means the meats had already been prepared, even rolled up and ready for the skillet.  Our guide told us that the signs that said “2.5 euros per pound” in the morning would be reduced to 25 cents (or some such equivalent) at noon, when  most of the customers had bought and wandered away.  

Nearby were old men who meet daily under the ancient arches to play cards and gamble.  It is like going to the club, only open air!

After leaving the market, we were in the town square, which is always denoted in Italian towns by the location of the Duomo.  It was near noon and a service was in session, so we started walking down the promenade toward the second largest square where the local college was located.  Which meant that there were lots of outdoor cafes, teen clothing stores and people strolling back and forth -- few cars allowed.  I told our guide about the Sicilian contingent in St. Louis and the”hill” there, where we could get cannoli.  So we plopped down at one of those outdoor cafes and had a cannoli and “Coca Light”.  And he had an expresso and stuffed croissant.  I must admit St. Louis’s cannoli are really good.  But nothing beats a huge cannoli while sitting at a cafe in Sicily on a warmish Wednesday morning!

Next we strolled into the church of St Agatha next to the cafe.  Smaller than the Duomo, but much more charming.  It had been a convent, but now was an active church, with all the gorgeous gilt, carvings, painted ceilings, and stained glass you expect in an Italian church.  Who was St. Agatha, we asked.  Apparently, she was tortured by having her boobs lopped off.  So now she is the patron saint of Catania.  And, at the little cafe we visited, they have a pastry that is round with red icing -- in commemoration of those lopped off boobs!

Next up the Duomo. Not nearly as impressive, although it was bigger.  And by now the crowds were starting to press in.  So we left ... and decided to drive into the hills to an Italian winery for lunch.  The winery, a long way from Catania, overlooked Mt. Aetna and the owners swear it makes their wines extraordinary.  So, for lunch, sitting with a view of the mountains and the sky, we tried their wines along with a light lunch of olives, sun dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts in olive oil, and eggplant in olive oil.  Of course, we had the prescribed bread.  But we also had a variety of cheeses and sausage to go along with the wine.  All home made!! The name of the winery?? GAMBINO. No, it is not that family, they protested.  But the wine was excellent and they told us where their U.S. distributor was located.  So, with luck, we can get enough to do a reprise of the light lunch in St. Louis. I must admit that, after 5 tastings of different wines, my toes were not nearly as painful as earlier!!

Then it was back to the ship for a quick nap.  Memories of that winery, the fish market, the little cafe will stay with us for a long time.  The luxury of the Italian way of life is something for Americans to reflect on and adopt!!