SICILY - Part Four: PALERMO and TRAPANI

Thursday morning (October 12) Enrico led a group of us on a tour of Mercato Ballaro, the largest farmers market in Palermo.  It was hectic, loud and chaotic, but great fun.  The market sold not only produce, meats and fish, but spices, liquors, clothing, knick-knacks, games, jewelry, belts, umbrellas  and you-name-it.

A vendor and his produce stand.

I find the cherry tomatoes in Sicily to be the best in the world.  I eat them nearly every day, even at breakfast they are delicious with some ricotta cheese on toast.

Juicy, bright red tomatoes at the market.

Sun-dried tomatoes are tasty, too, though very salty. 

A colorful display of bell peppers.

I always enjoy seeing the fish vendors at the markets.  There were at least a dozen of them here at Mercato Ballaro.

Fresh jumbo squid, anyone?

We worked up an appetite at the market and were ready for our lunch at Le Delizie di Cagliastro, a family-owned restaurant, just blocks from our hotel.  We were served a three-course meal (which seems to be the standard for lunches and dinners in Sicily.)  The first course was vegetarian eggplant "meatballs" in a light tomato sauce.

Three of these eggplant balls is a generous serving.  They are very filling.

Our second course was the Sicilian specialty, pasta alla Norma, which we have been served before.  It is  made with tomatoes, sauteed aubergine (eggplant), grated ricotta salata cheese, and basil.

 

I don't mind eating pasta alla Norma every week.

There always seems to be room for dessert, in this case it is a cheese cake with sweet creamy ricotta.

The sweet ending to the meal.

After lunch we met our excellent local guide Laura Lanza for a tour of old Palermo.  We first visited the Royal Palace Palatine Chapel, which was built for King Roger II between 1130 and 1140.  It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Outside the Royal Palace Palatine Chapel.

The chapel was built by Muslim workmen.  The interior is decorated from floor to ceiling with beautiful mosaics.  It is incredible, every which way you look.

Gerry zooms in with his telephoto lens for this shot.

Of particular note is the ceiling constructed of pine wood with ornate eight-pointed stars.

The magnificent ceiling.

Next, Laura led us to the Cathedral, built in 1185.  It is built of a desert-colored stone with a simple exterior design.

The Cathedral.

The Baroque interior of the cathedral contains the sarcophagus of Roger II, the first king of Sicily, (d. 1197.)  It is made of porphyry, a precious stone similar to marble.  The term porphyry is from ancient Greece, and means "purple."  Purple was considered the color of royalty.

The sarcophagus of Roger II.

The masterpiece of the Cathedral is found in the Treasury.  It is the crown of Constance of Aragon (1179 - 1222.)  Constance was 29 years of age when she married King Frederick II, (1194 - 1250) who was age 14.  Her crown is bedecked with precious jewels and is a sight to behold.

The crown of Constance of Aragon.

We stepped into one final church, Santa Maria della Catena, a well-restored 15th Century church.  It too contained its share of fine mosaics.  Even the face is composed of tiny tiles.

Thousands of tiny tiles make up this gorgeous mosaic.

We ended our tour with Laura at Piazza Pretoria, dubbed the "Square of Shame" because of the abundance of flagrantly nude statues that comprise this 16th Century fountain.

The Square of Shame.

We were on our own for dinner Thursday evening.  Gerry and I went for an evening walk along one of the main thoroughfares.  We wanted to try arancini, (stuffed rice balls which are deep-fried)  a popular Greek street food.  We walked by KePalle, which was packed with the locals, so we decided to give it a try.

At KePalle Sicilian Fast Good

We ordered arancini alla Norma.  (Those of you who have been following along on this blog, know that alla Norma translates to eggplant, tomato, ricotta and basil.)  They were the size of giant oranges, and popping hot, fresh from the oven.

Arancini alla Norma.

Friday, (October 13) was one of my favorite days of the trip.  We visited the medieval hilltop town of Erice, in the Trapani province.  Erice is at 2,450 feet elevation.  It boasted a population of 12,000 people 300 years ago.  Today, only 230 live here year round.

We met our local guide, Elena, who led us on a tour of this ancient mountain-top town, reputedly established by Elymian refugees after the fall of Troy.

It was a steep and winding climb up to the top of Erice, with gorgeous views.

The view as we gain elevation toward Erice.

We saw the Chiesa Madre, built in the 14th Century.  The adjacent watch tower was built in 1290; it was later converted to a bell tower for the church.

The ancient stone watch tower / bell tower.

We enjoyed walking up and down the narrow cobblestone streets, which were lined with shops and cafes.  My mother is grateful she brought her walking stick today.

My full-blooded Italian mother is a real trooper!

We stopped in the pasticceria, Maria Grammatico, which is famous world-wide for its almond cookies.  The almond cookie recipe dates back to World War Two, when the nuns of Erice sold almond-based cookies in an effort to make a modest living.  The shop gave us free samples of their delicious cookies when we entered. 

A showcase of almond cookies at Maria Grammatico.

We made it to the highest point of Erice, where we were treated to a panoramic view.

Our threesome at the top of Erice.

Although my mother is from northern Italy (the Tuscany region) she has talked about visiting Sicily for years.

And now, she is finally here!

Castello di Veneer, is a Norman castle built in the 12th or 13th Century over the Temple of Venus, a site of worship for ancient Elymians.

The striking castle ruins.

I kept taking pictures because the views were so beautiful.

Another view.

Trapani, is the village near the sea.

It was difficult to leave Erice, but lunch awaited below at Salt Works Trattoria in Trapani, less than an hour away.  This restaurant, and adjacent museum are located near the salt marshes in an old salt harvesting warehouse with a windmill.

Salt Works trattoria and museum.

We ate a simple, but delicious meal seasoned with the famous Trapani sea salt.  We were served platters of bruschetta, marinated green olives with slivers of celery and carrots, juicy sliced tomatoes with olive oil and oregano, couscous, baskets of bread and local white wine.

The platter of sliced tomatoes was my favorite. 

After we had our fill of the salty food, we switched to something sweet, baked pastries stuffed with a sweet ricotta cheese.

Pastries for dessert.

We toured the interesting museum.  Trapani is a patchwork of shallow lagoons, and salt has been harvested here for thousands of years. 

Mountains of salt. 

We arrived back at the hotel in the early evening and had some free time which I spent getting caught up on my journal.  If I don't write every day or two, I get confused and the days start to blur together.  We walked to dinner at a local pizzeria, Pelle D'Oca, where they served us a variety of wood-fired pizzas one after another until we yelled, "Stop!"


Saturday, (October 14) we did not have a group activity until the evening's talk.  Enrico gave us numerous suggestions on how to spend the day.  There is plenty to see and do in and around Palermo.  One could visit the Palazzo Mirto, the Palazzo Branciforte, the Contemporary Art Museum, the Museum of Archology, or enjoy the shops along Via Liberta.  The splendid Teatro Massimo came highly recommended.

However, the three of us decided to escape the city of Palermo for the day and visit Cefalu, a lovely coastal town 40 miles east of Palermo, along the Tyrrhenian Sea.  We walked a half-mile to the train station in Palermo, caught the 9:55 a.m. train, and arrived in charming Cefalu less than an hour later.

Mass was taking place when we arrived at the Cefalu Cathedral, so we were unable to get pictures of the noteworthy mosaics in the presbytery and over the altar.  This cathedral is another UNESCO World Heritage site.

Inside the Cathedral, Cefalu.

So we stepped outside and sat at a cafe in the square where we ordered cappuccino and waited for the mass to end.

A decorative "Cefalu" cappuccino.

An hour later, mass was still not over.  We gave up, and weren't too disappointed, knowing we would be visiting Monreale Cathedral the next day.

We walked to the edge of town, near the rocky cliffs.

A beautiful view of the Tyrrhenian Sea.

We're happy to be here in Cefalu!

Cefalu sits below the massive hill of La Rocca.  Its sandy beaches are alluring, especially on a day like today, ideal for sun bathing.

Sun bathers and a few swimmers.

Too bad I didn't pack my bathing suit.

We walked up and down the narrow streets of Cefalu, and stepped into several of the shops.  There were plenty of unique stores with beautiful handmade ceramics for sale.  We stepped into several of the little shops.  But my favorite picture window was not to be found in a shop, 

...but in this stone archway.

Maybe we'll come back and rent a beach house here some day.

Several dwellings within minutes of the sandy beach.

We took the 3:00 pm return train to Palermo.  Our dinner Saturday evening at Al Covo de' Beati Paoli, was another delicious meal worthy of photographs.  The restaurant "Al Covo" was elegant, though it also seemed like we were dining in an ancient stone wine cellar.

Enjoying a glass of white wine while we await our first course.

Our first course was a plate of thinly sliced smoked salmon, tuna and trout, with watercress and a light orange vinaigrette.

This tastes as good as it looks. 

Did I mention we eat eggplant in one form or another nearly every day?  I'm not complaining, mind you.  Our second course of eggplant caponata was my favorite of the trip.  It was sauteed with some olives and bits of celery to add crunch.

Eggplant caponata. 

Gerry and I scored when we were served our third course.  They brought two platters of steamed mussels for our table of five.  Gerry and I were the only shell fish eaters, so we each had our own platter.

I don't have to muscle my dining companions for these mussels.

Our fourth course was pasta with tiny pieces of swordfish and a light pesto sauce.

Pasta, Sicilian style.

Our grand finale was vanilla ice cream with a decadent chocolate sauce. 

Dessert arrives.

Sunday, (October 15) was our final day on our Treasures of Sicily tour.  This final day we were overwhelmed with treasures!

In the morning we met our excellent guide Laura Lanza, who led us on a 'Baroque Walk' through central Palermo.  We first visited the Oratorio di Santa Cita.  (Oratories were places where people gathered for private worship.  They were displays of personal status and wealth.

A genius in stucco, master sculptor Giacomo Serpotta (1656-1732) filled the walls of this Oratory  with cherubs, cupids, angels, saints, and soldiers made of stucco.  Serpotta elevated Sicilian plaster-work from a craft to an art.  He lived his entire life in Palermo where he more than perfected his art.  Serpotta (in my opinion) is as talented as Michelangelo, but Serpotta does not get the attention and respect he deserves.  Visit Oratorio di Santa Cita and you will understand.

My photo does not do this masterpiece justice.

Laura explained the poignant statues of two young soldier boys.  The victor holds his hand upon his  helmet, as he gazes toward the defeated young boy, who can't return his gaze.

The victorious young lad

His opponent looks forlorn.

I am grateful for Laura. I would not understand, nor appreciate this Baroque architecture and the work of Giacomo Serpotta if I visited this Oratorio on my own.

Next, we walked to another wonderful oratorio, the Rosario di San Domenico.  Here we find beautiful statues of the Virtues, along with dozens of capering cherubs.  Again, this is the work of Giacomo Serpotta.

The Virtue Patientia (which I sometimes lack.)

I could have spent hours here, admiring Serpotta's creations.

A singing Cherub.

The altarpiece contains the precious artwork, "Madonna of the Rosary with Saints" (1627) by Anton Van Dyck, considered one of the finest paintings in all of Italy.

"Madonna of the Rosary"

We finished our morning tour with a visit to the Museo of Archeology, where we viewed the fresco, "The triumph of death", created in 1446, in reference to the plague.

The Triumph of Death

Another highlight of the museum is the oil painting by Antonello da Messina, (1430 - 1479), titled "Virgin Annuciate." Antonello is credited with introducing oil painting into Italy.

Virgin Annunciate

We need a break from the Treasures, which we get when we board our coach and head  toward Monreale, a hill town 8 miles from Palermo, for our final lunch in Sicily at "La Botte" (the Barrel.)  The restaurant, with magnificent views of the valley below, has won numerous awards.

We arrive at La Botte

Gerry and I were seated at a romantic table for two.  Chef Maurizio Cascino prepared a gourmet meal.  First we were served eggplant tapanade with pan-fried caciocavallo cheese.

Delicious, with an awesome presentation.

Monreale is known for its sausage.  I am not big on sausage, but I'm glad to have tried it.

Monreale sausage with salad

Vanilla ice cream with a chocolate glaze.

It was a special touch that Chef Maurizio Cascino came out from the kitchen and introduced himself to us after lunch.

With Chef Maurizio

My mother exits La Botte

Our group of 32 posed near LA Botte after lunch for a group photo.

Our group got along very well.  Not one jerk in the bunch.

 Very soon after lunch we are in Monreale.  The Duomo di Monreale, a cathedral built between 1170 and 1189 is a UNESCO World Heritage site.  The interior contains 68,000 square feet of moasics. Each cube is gold-leafed and will never fade.  Its Christ Pantocrator, considered one of the most magnificent mosaics in the world, is made with 2,200 kg of pure gold.  The spread of the hands of Christ are 43 feet.  The distance from the top of Christ's head to the bottom of his beard is 11 feet.

Christ Pantocrator, in the Duomo di Monreale.

Taken with Gerry's telephoto.

Yet another shot of the walls.

The exterior of this building is also impressive.

A close-up of the outer walls of the duomo.

We lingered in Monreale and had some time to visit the shops and take some photos.

The view from Monreale toward Palermo. 

Our farewell dinner was at 8:00 p.m. in the restaurant of our hotel.  It was fine, but nothing spectacular, especially compared to our other gourmet meals.  However, it was a treat to have a farewell champagne toast after dinner, along with a slice of cassata.  Cassata siciliana is a traditional round sponge cake moistened with fruit juices or liqueur and layered with ricotta cheese and candied fruit.

Cassata is served.

Knowing we needed to board the shuttle to the airport  at 4:30 a.m, we did not linger and mingle much after dessert was served.

I am glad we visited Sicily this October.  It was a memorable trip, one I will always cherish.