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Monday, November 14, 2022

We took the 10:30 am train from Syracuse to Pozzallo in order to catch the ferry to Malta. The Syracuse train station has an odd feature. It has two sets of tracks and both are numbered one through three. One set of tracks goes East and the other West. In our experience that’s rather unusual – especially since we were going South! The ticket office told us our train would be on track one West. With five minutes to go before our departure the train on track one was still completely quiescent. There was some activity over on track three so we investigated. That was our train. It was no big deal.

The trip took just 65 minutes. We took another taxi for the 1.6 mile route to the ferry terminal. It would have been nice to have stretched our legs but our luggage is just too damn heavy to walk that far.

We waited about ten minutes for the gate to open and then started the embarkation process. The ship was a beauty. She was large, clean, elegant, and almost brand spanking new. It was the latest ship in the fleet according the signage. Since we were just about the first ones on board we had our pick of seats. We walked up to the bow where there were rows of leather reclining seats. The first row had tables in front of them; we took one of those. The ship had floor to ceiling windows as far as you could see which gave a magnificent view of the harbor and the voyage ahead. We bought some sandwiches at the snack bar and actually enjoyed the two hour wait until the ship departed.

When the ship started moving large flat screens starting play an animated movie called Ferdinand from 2017. When we got closer to Malta we could see the outline of the three islands. As we approached the harbor I snapped a bunch of pictures. It was a little hazy and the sun was almost directly in front of us so they didn’t come out as well as I would have liked. It’s an incredibly picturesque city. I’m sure there will be better opportunities.

The boat arrived on time. After an hour and forty-five minute sail we were docked. We tried to contact our hosts to let them know we were on time but our phones were not getting any service. We were connected to GO Mobile but couldn’t connect to anything. I restarted my phone but it didn’t help. There was a guy outside the terminal shunting passengers to gypsy cabs. He wanted €20.00 for the trip. That seemed high. I tried to bargain with him. His response, “You can take the bus”. I grabbed the next taxi that appeared and we were off. He charged us €15.00.

We had coordinated our time of arrival. Our host was supposed to be waiting for us at the apartment. When we got there we knocked on the doors and windows but no one answered. Finally, I walked down the street and got public WiFi at a nearby cafe. We connected. He was late because of traffic. About 20 minutes later someone arrived and let us in. I was pretty ticked off at the time but calmed down when I saw how nice the apartment was.

We settled in and went looking for some dinner. It was already dark and the city’s lights were on. It was gorgeous. We checked out a bunch of restaurants. Prices were much higher than in Sicily. We finally chose a place where they make their own sauces and pastas and allowed you to pick and choose which you wanted. Ironically we both choose different pastas that were “finished” for the day. Deborah got the carbonara and I got the bolognese. Both were very good. Sometime during dinner we were hit with the irony that we’d come to Malta but were still eating Italian. The foods here are a broad mix of Maltese, Arab, French, Spanish, and English. We’re going to have fun with this.

After dinner we strolled around the town to get our bearings, saw some interesting things, and then went grocery shopping. Prices in the store were also much higher than Sicily and might be considered a little pricey.

Our brains are a little confused. Several times during the evening we addressed people in Italian. Since we’re in a foreign country we feel like we shouldn’t be speaking English but the official languages here are Maltese and English – and we certainly don’t speak Maltese. It’s going to take a few days to get readjusted.

Tuesday, November 15, 2022

Our first challenge of the day was to make coffee. This apartment only has a French Press. We’ve never used one of the those. Fortunately, there are videos online showing the basics of how to use them. Our first attempt came out fine albeit a little strong.

I can’t delay this any longer. It’s important to get this out there. You’ve probably read or seen “The Maltese Falcon” by Dashiell Hammett. The basic plot of the story is absolutely true! In 1530 Emperor Charles V, King of Spain and ruler of Sicily granted The Order of Saint John of Jerusalem (one of the organizations that came out of the famed Knights Templar) the rights to Tripoli, Gozo, and Malta. In return an annual tribute of one falcon was to be paid. Researchers have found vague references in the archives in Malta that imply that a golden, jewel encrusted bird may have been produced for this purpose. No one knows for sure. In any event it’s a great story and lots of fun to think about.

This morning we went on the free walking tour. We didn’t actually cover a lot of ground but we did hear a lot of interesting stories. The history of Malta is long and varied and quite fascinating. The island sits in the middle of the Mediterranean and is strategically placed between North Africa, the Middle East, Italy, Greece, and Turkey. In 1799 Malta asked the British for help overthrowing the French and in 1800 became a voluntary part of the British Empire as a protectorate. Malta gained its independence from Britain in 1964. Today they drive on the left side of the road and use British style electrical outlets.

The capital is referred to simply as, “The City”, or Belt in Maltese. It is called Valletta. It didn’t exist until the Knights came to Malta in 1530. The capital at that time was in the town of Mdina. The Knights built the city from scratch in just a few short years. It was heavily fortified to help protect against an expected invasion by the Arabs.

After the tour we sought out some lunch. Our guide had recommended a particular street with a bunch of cafes. We found a sandwich shop with some unusual choices. We got a chicken and fig with brie and a roast beef with cheese. The meats were freshly roasted and the breads were baked that day. They were absolutely delicious.

Next we went to the Post Office. As is our custom every time we visit a new country we buy a stamp. It’s an inexpensive souvenir that’s easy to cart around. We’re going to have a heck of a display at some point. Then we visited the first church that the Knights built in 1566.

The church is called Our Lady of Victory Church in honor of the Knight’s victory over the Turks. It’s a small but beautifully decorated church with barrel vaulted ceilings covered in frescos. We were only permitted to see the church from the back. For €4.00 each we could have walked around the Nave, and toured the Sacristy, and Crypt.

On our way to the our next church, Saint John’s Co-Cathedral, we happened upon a cafe with some interesting looking pastries. We ordered a piece of flourless chocolate cake. The cake was rich and chocolatey. It came with some butter icing on the side that was just fantastic. We asked if we could buy some to take home but they said they don’t sell it.

Saint John’s Co-Cathedral is the largest and most elegant church in Valletta. It was built by the Knights to honor Saint John the Baptist, the saint their order is named for. It is referred to as the “Co-Cathedral” because it is not the Archbishop’s home. Entry cost €15.00 per person, which includes a detailed audio guide. Credit cards are accepted.

The outside of the church is fairly plain. It was designed to be so in order to project the vow of poverty that the Knights are required to take. The inside is opulent, massively gilded, and decorated in the high Baroque style. The church is divided into chapels sponsored by each of the six Langues – groups of powerful Knights from different lands.

The floor of the church is a series of polychrome marble slabs underneath which hundreds of Knights are buried. Grandmasters are interred in the chapels with the first six resting in the crypt below. There are lovely paintings in all of the chapels but the real gems are the white marble sculptures. They are exquisitely executed.

Off to the side in the back of the church is the Oratory. There is a large work hanging over the altar. It was painted by Caravaggio in 1608 entitled the The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist. Off in another nearby room is another Caravaggio entitled Saint Jerome Writing. This painting was was originally commissioned for a private house but was subsequently donated to the church. Like Caravaggio himself, it has a very interesting history.

The short version of the story: The painter known as Caravaggio was born in Milan under the name Michelangelo Merisi. The family moved to the town of Caravaggio when he was just a lad to escape the plague. He initially trained in Milan but was forced to flee to Rome after quarreling with and wounding a police officer. In Rome he gained notoriety as a painter and as a hot tempered man. After killing a man in a brawl he escaped a death sentence by fleeing to Naples. The Grand Master of Malta learned of his troubles and invited him to the island where Caravaggio was given commissions and eventually was inducted as a Knight. He was sent to prison for mortally wounding a powerful Knight in a dispute. Instead of standing trial he escaped to Sicily causing him to be stripped of his Knighthood. He worked in Sicily for a while and then went back to Naples. Eventually he ventured back to Rome in the hopes of obtaining a pardon. He died along the way and was buried in Porto Ercole. A recent autopsy suggests that he died of an infection from wounds obtained in scuffles complicated by lead poising, which was common at the time for artists who mixed their own paints.

In 1984, Saint Jerome Writing was cut out of its frame and stolen from Saint John’s Co-Cathedral. Attempts were made to sell it but to no avail; it was too famous for anyone to touch. Eventually, it was offered back to the Cathedral. During a long and complicated negotiation a sting operation found and recovered it. It was taken to Rome to be restored before being placed back on display in the same Cathedral. PBS did a very interesting episode of Secrets of the Dead in 2021 which featured this event. It’s worth watching.

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Friday, November 11, 2022

We decided to take a little trip to the town of Noto. It took about 35 minutes to get there on the train. The old town is renown for its Baroque architecture and its Baroque churches.

The train left us off in the new part of town. We had to walk uphill for almost a mile to get to the heart of the old town. When we got there the Noto Cathedral was right in front of us. It had a large, Baroque facade. It looked very imposing because it was perched high up on top of a steep three tier staircase. For €10.00 we could have climbed the bell tower and toured the sacristy but we decided to just wander around the church.

Most of the walls of the church were just plain white and most of the decorations were relatively modern. It wasn’t what we were expecting. The frescos above the main altar and in the dome above were likely early 20th Century Art Nouveau. The chapels displayed older paintings with more traditional marble altars. Perhaps the most impressive pieces were the stations of the cross. The paintings were certainly 20th Century but rendered in the Renaissance style.

The town is replete with Baroque era churches. In total we visited five. They all had Baroque facades but the interiors were fairly plain. We had been expecting High Baroque. Still, they were fun to see with many great pieces of art on display.

The town is definitely setup to cater to the tourist trade. We’d never heard of Noto until a few days before but it is obviously a popular destination. Besides many churches the main street has quite a few restaurants and shops. Groups of them are tied together by large Baroque edifices. In fact, the entire old town has a distinctly Baroque character.

We looked around at a number of restaurants for lunch but the prices were a bit outrageous. I guess tourists make easy targets. We decided to eat at a salumeria that made several types of fresh bread and specialized in making salads and sandwiches. We figured it would be a good choice because we noticed a bunch of locals eating there.

Deborah had a Caprese sandwich and I had a Bresaola (made like prosciutto but with beef instead of pork). The sandwiches were dressed with rocket, cheese, and good olive oil. For our bread we asked for ciabatta. It turned out to be a great choice.

After lunch we intended to tour one or two of the city’s palaces. They were owned by wealthy families (some still are) and are also Baroque era. They are said to contain great art, interesting furnishings, and be great examples of the period. The problem was that by 1:30 pm the entire town literally closed for siesta. It was like being on a deserted island. The palaces were scheduled to reopen at 3:00 pm but even touring one of them would have had us getting back to Syracuse around 9:30 pm because trains between Noto and Syracuse run rather infrequently.

Instead, we decided to get dessert at cafe. I got gelato (Nutella and Lemon) and Deborah got casata cake. The Nutella was ok but the Lemon was unbelievably good. The casata cake was mostly marzipan – just the way Deborah likes it. We both washed it all down with some espresso.

We caught the 2:50 pm train back to Syracuse, picked up some groceries, picked up some cookies at our favorite bakery, and headed home for the evening. It was a fun little outing.

Saturday, November 12, 2022

This morning we went to Basilica of Saint Lucia ‘al Sepolcro’. It’s the church that’s supposed to have a Caravaggio and the place where Santa Lucia was buried. When we got there we found two buildings. The main building, Chiesa di Santa Lucia Extra Moenia, was buzzing with activity. There was a large number of nuns along with a large number of people in wheelchairs. We inferred that there was going to be a service for the injured.

We walked around the permitter of the church and located the Caravaggio above the main altar. As promised it was The Burial of Saint Lucy from 1608. Most Caravaggios are rather dark but the ones painted near the end of his life, like this one, are particularly so. Given the poor lighting in the church it was almost impossible to see any detail at all. We were a little disappointed.

Outside, down a flight of stairs, we found a small octoginal sanctuary built above the crypts. Under the main altar was a magnificent sculpture depicting Santa Lucia. Her body was placed in this church at the time of her martyrdom on December 13, 304 AD. When the Normans conquered Syracuse in 1039 AD the body was brought to Constantinople as homage to Empress Theodora. The Venetians discovered it during the fourth crusade and brought it back to Venice where it rests today in the Sanctuary of Saint Lucy

It’s widely known that Saint Paul traveled far and wide preaching the gospels and encouraging people to convert to Christianity. There are conflicting stories about his time in Syracuse. It is generally agreed that he was shipwrecked here for three days on a voyage from Malta to Rome. Some people have said that he preached at the Quarries near the ancient Roman and Greek Temples, some say he preached at the catacombs, and some say he preached at what is now known as The Church of Saint Paul the Apostle. History seems to agree that he was a prisoner during this voyage and it is unlikely that he was allowed to roam the city and preach. In any event we decided to pay a visit to the church that bears his name.

The church is located right near the Temple of Apollo. It’s a very nice, intimate Baroque church from the 17th Century that replaced a much older church. It features a lovely wooden statue of the saint and a Caravaggio-esqe painting over the main altar. The tympanum has an inscription that translates as, “He stayed in Syracuse for three days”.

After our visit to the church we wandered through the old Jewish District while trying to find a place for lunch. Syracuse is said to be home to the first Jewish community in Sicily dating back at least as far as 200 BC. Given that the city was a Spanish territory in the late 15th Century all of the Jews were expelled in 1492. The synagog was subsequently converted into The Church of Saint John the Baptist. The only evidence that this was once a thriving Jewish community can be found in the basement level of Palazzo Bianca where excavations have found the remains of a mikvah (a Jewish ritual bath) from the 6th Century AD.

We finally got around to trying Panelle. It’s a typical Sicilian food that probably came from the time of the Arab occupation. It’s ground chick peas that have been breaded and fried. It’s normally served on a sandwich along with potato croquets (also breaded and fried). Talk about carb overload. This place served them by themselves in a paper cone. They were a little on the heavy side but very tasty. As an aside, in Naples foods served in a paper cone were called “cuoppo”. Here in Sicily they are called “coppo”. It took great effort but we were able to make the transition 😎. Oddly, according to Google Translate, neither is a valid word.

We spent the afternoon trying to find a place to stay when we visit Jerusalem. It was a little difficult. Most places are on the small side, tend to be fairly expensive, and if you want to be near the old city you’re probably going to have to settle for a multi-floor walk up. The most popular area seems to be the Nahlaot district but we decided on a larger, more reasonably priced place just to the west near the central station. We’re booked for two months. It’s getting real!

Sunday, November 13, 2022

We suddenly came to the horrible realization that today is not only our last full day in Syracuse it’s also our last full day in Italy. That’s really sad. We will have been here for over two and half months and during that time we will have visited 24 towns. It’s going to be hard to say goodbye. We love it here. Unfortunately, because of the Schengen regulations, we can only stay for a maximum of 90 days during any 180 day period so it’s time to get out. I have a feeling we’ll be back.

Today was basically a rest day. We’re both pretty tired. The next leg of our trip will be nine days in Malta. We’re rapidly checking off places from our bucket list. By the time we get back to the United States sometime around June, 2024 our list should have very few entries left.

We went out one last time for lunch and got pastries for tomorrow’s breakfast. There’s a large cafe in the Piazza Archimedes that we’ve passed many times. Usually places in large squares are more expensive but we checked the menu and it seemed pretty reasonable. We shared a pizza Margherita and a lasagna. The pizza was very good and the lasagna was one of the best we’ve had.

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Wednesday, November 9, 2022

We started the day with a tour of the Cathedral of Syracuse aka The Cathedral of the Nativity of Holy Mary aka The Duomo. The original building on this site was the Temple of Athena. It was built by the Greeks during the 5th Century BC. The Cathedral was build in the 7th Century AD. From the outside it’s easy to see that the present building was constructed using the same footprint and on the existing foundation. We paid €2.00 per person to enter. Credit cards are accepted.

As expected the church is adorned with art and fixtures that span many centuries. The building still utilizes the huge doric columns from the Temple of Athena for support along all the walls. The floors are Baroque style inlaid marble. The roof is Gothic style wooden trusses. The Baptismal Font is a reused Greek marble urn from the 3rd Century BC. There is one large, beautifully decorated side chapel with a major relic of Saint Lucy (Santa Lucia), Baroque frescos, and a marble slab carved with a famous rendering of The Last Supper from 1763.

In the back there is a small room dedicated to Saint Lucy, a martyr who was born in and died in Syracuse around 304 AD; she is the patron saint of Syracuse. On display you will see her shoes and her dress along with other items pertaining to her.

Next we headed over to the Southern most tip of the island to see Castello Maniace. It was constructed around 1232 by Emperor Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor. The castle bears the name of a Byzantine general who captured the city from the Arabs in 1038 and who build the first castle there. Entry cost €5.00 per person. Credit cards are accepted.

Our tour started with a walk through a small museum. There was an interesting panel explaining how hand grenades came into being after gunpowder was invented in the 16th Century. It said that the grenades looked like pomegranates and so they named for them for the fruit. In Italian the fruit are called, “granata”.

The castle, really more of a fort, retains a lot of its original Gothic character with intricate marble casing around the doors and windows and high ceilings with large arches. There’s not too much to see. We walked around the entire perimeter where we could see the remnants of gun emplacements. Of course, the castle is surrounded by water on three sides and so there is a fantastic view everywhere you look. Inside the great hall deep in the interior there is a huge open space. Today it is being used to display works of modern sculpture.

After seeing the castle we walked over to the West side of the island and had lunch at a seaside cafe. This inspired us to order seafood. I got zuppa di cozze (soup with mussels) and Deborah got couscous alla pescatora (couscous with fish). The portions were huge, the fish was fresh, the sea breeze was delightful, and we enjoyed it immensely. It’s worth mentioning that couscous is a very popular dish in these parts. No doubt it was brought over by the Arabs many years ago.

While walking back to the apartment we found that Chiesa di Santa Lucia alla Badia, a church that had always been closed, was open. We went inside. The church is fairly plain inside with just a couple of colorful frescos on the ceiling. Sometime in 1608 Caravaggio, on his way back from Malta to Rome, stopped in Syracuse. He was commissioned to paint something based on the life of Santa Lucia. It appears that the painting in question hung in this church for a short period of time. Today that painting is said to be on display at The Church of Santa Lucia al Sepolcro here in Syracuse. We intend to check it out on another day.

Caravaggio led an eventful life. His story is an interesting one. We’ll go into it some more after we visit another one of his works, which has a fascinating story of its own, in Malta.

Before going home we stopped in at a gelato place that our host recommended (we asked him to recommend a gelato place and a pastry place). The gelato was good but nothing special. We walked by the pastry shop he recommended. There was a small selection and nothing really appealed. Fortunately, we found another bakery that had some amazing looking cookies in the window. We bought some for dessert after dinner. Some were almond / marzipan and others were lemon. They tasted even better than they looked.

Thursday, November 19, 2022

We visited The Galleria Regionale di Palazzo Bellomo. It’s a museum housed in a genuine Medieval palace that specializes in Medieval art sourced from the area. Entry was €8.00 per person. Credit cards are normally accepted but since the machine was down I paid in cash.

The collection included a large number of Byzantine paintings and triptychs. Most were in surprisingly good condition. We suspected that most had been restored relatively recently. There was also a nice display of Majolica, marble sarcophagi with high relief carvings, architectural components, sculptures, and illuminated music and scriptures. The palace was the perfect setting for a collection of this type.

Afterwards we had lunch in a cafe consisting of pasta with sausage and chicken cutlets. For dessert Deborah got hot chocolate. You don’t think that seems like dessert? You’ve never had European hot chocolate. It’s more like a very dark chocolate pudding. It’s very rich and very filling.

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Monday, November 7, 2022

A taxi picked us up at 7:00 am and by 8:00 am we were on a bus going to Syracuse. Once again we crossed through the interior of the island. This time we did see something interesting: the top of Mount Etna was completely covered in snow. It was quite a sight.

A woman named Rita met us at our apartment. She spoke very little English and, of course, we speak very little Italian. Somehow everyone managed to get their information across. The first order of business was lunch. There’s a nice outdoor market a few blocks from our place where a number of restaurants can be found. We had sandwiches. Mine was prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, sun-dried tomatoes, and olives. Deborah’s was fresh tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and basil. Both came on giant loaves of very fresh bread. Yum!

Our apartment is located on a small island called Ortigia. It is the heart of ancient Syracuse. After eating we decided to walk the perimeter and see the sights. There is a scenic walkway along the waterfront. This part of town is obviously a haven for summer / weekend activities. We saw a number of people on the beaches and in the water. According to Rita, the water is still a nice 23°C (73°F). We may try that on another day.

Having gotten up early this morning we were pretty tired. Once we completed our tour we hit a grocery and spent the rest of the night in the apartment. We tried to book a free walking tour but it’s no longer peak season and they only have them on Mondays. We did learn one interesting thing on our walk: Archimedes, a Greek who lived 200 years BC, is the first person credited with coming up with a good approximation of the transcendental Pi – and he lived in Syracuse.

Tuesday, November 8, 2022

We got an early start because we had a big day planned. First we walked about 1.5 miles to the Archeological Park. It’s a very large complex on the other side of the new part of the city. There are two main attractions and a number of smaller ones. The big ones are the Roman Amphitheater from the 1st Century AD and the Greek Amphitheater from the 5th Century BC. Each one could seat over 2,000 people. In both cases the theater was plainly visible but not in usable condition nor were we permitted to walk through them.

A large part of the park was actually the ancient quarry that sourced much of the stone for the complex. There were several man-made caves that we walked through – one of which was a source of saltpeter.

We were really interested in seeing the last item on the agenda. It was the Tomb of Archimedes. We assumed that there would be a grand monument. We had to walk up and down several large hills to get there and when we arrived we saw a field of debris. It was all ruins. A sign said that this was a Roman-age tomb and that it had been erroneously associated with Archimedes. What a disappointment.

We decided to lunch at the park’s cafe. We both got a pizza-like thing that was filled with spinach and cheese. It was covered in oregano and some other spices and was surprisingly delicious. That prompted us to try their desserts. We got a piece of almond pie and some almond cookies. The pie wasn’t much but the cookies were absolutely amazing.

Next we walked another half mile to the Archeological Museum. For €18.00 a piece we had purchased a combination ticket that would allow us to see both the museum and the Archeological Park. Credit cards are accepted.

The museum is centered on findings in and near Syracuse for the most part. It starts off with some Neolithic displays and moves on to the Stone Age and then the Bronze Age. We learned that Sicily once had a vast array of animals including elephants and hippopotamuses. We really didn’t spent too much time in these rooms.

There was a lot of information and artifacts about the Greek civilizations. It was almost like being in Greece. There was pottery, statues, bronzes, and pieces from temples. Many of the artifacts came from burial sites. This was the heart of the museum. After that there was some token information about the Roman and Medieval civilizations.

The museum’s prize possession seems to be a white marble sarcophagus. It was created in Syracuse in the 4th Century AD. It is elaborately carved in high relief with scenes from the old and new testaments.

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Friday, November 4, 2022

Our day started with a trip to the Royal Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In 1072 the Normans built a castle on this site. Six years later Roger II, the same king who built Palermo’s Cathedral, added the Palatine Chapel. For centuries the palace was the seat of power and private residence to the rulers of Sicily. It’s actually the oldest royal residence in Europe. Since 1946 the palace has been the home of the Sicilian Regional Assembly. Entry costs €19.00 per person. Credit cards are accepted.

The entire palace is in the Gothic style with high vaulted ceilings. The tour starts in the courtyard. From there you can see multiple floors supported by tall columns and characteristic arches. We climbed up one flight of stairs to get to the famed Palatine Chapel. It’s an intimate church contained within the palace. The entryway to the chapel is decorated with large divided frescos depicting secular and non-secular stories.

Entering the the chapel is a breathtaking experience. The interior is decorated in the Eastern Orthodox / Byzantine style and everything is trimmed in highly reflective genuine gold. The walls above the arches tell stories from the Old Testament. The exterior walls show stories from the New Testament. It was relatively easy to figure things out because most everything was labeled in Latin and/or Greek. We spent a lot of time figuring out the stories and identifying the saints. We both learned how to read some Greek when we were in Greece in 2018/19 but thankfully Deborah retained most of her knowledge.

After leaving the chapel we wended our way through the rest of the public rooms in the palace. The original stone walls were originally covered with frescos and paintings but now most were just plain stone. Fortunately, a few rooms were preserved with their original Byzantine decorations. Over the years subsequent owners have redecorated many of the rooms. Styles varied from Neoclassical, Eastern (Asian), and Rococo.

The tour concluded in the palace gardens. There was an array of plantings from all around the world. We would imagine that there would be some floral arrangements in season.

Next we headed to another UNESCO site: San Giovanni degli Eremiti. It was just a few blocks away. A church and a monastery existed there since at least the 6th Century AD. The site was razed by Saracens and may have been converted to a Mosque. In any event the building shows distinct Arab influences. When the Normans conquered the area King Roger II had the site restored and gave it to Benedictine Monks.

Today the church has lost all of its previous luster. The building consists of a vaulted entryway and a small church. We found small remnants of frescos on one wall. Outside there is a lovely cloister with a double colonnade made of marble with Corinthian capitals. On the other side of the cloister there was a small monastery. The two room building is now a museum containing a variety of nonsecular relics.

When we took the free tour on Tuesday our guide had recommended a place where she said we could get the best arancina in town. We went there for lunch today. Unlike most places our selections were cooked to order. They arrived hot and very crispy. The rice had been cooked with chicken stock and there was ample filling in the middle. These really were the best ones we’ve had.

Fortuitously our favorite granita place was next door. The clerk remembered us from our previous visits and made sure to recommend the large size. It was very amusing. We had intended to visit the Capuchin Catacombs after lunch but learned only then that they closed at 12:30 pm and didn’t reopen again until 3:00 pm. We didn’t want to kill that much time so we went back to the apartment for the day by way of the sweet shop at Chiesa di Santa Caterina d’Alessandria. We got some cookies and several cream filled pastries. Those nuns seem to have our number.

Saturday, November 5, 2022

Our destination was the Capuchin Catacombs. They are reputed to be different from other catacombs – even other Capuchin ones. There is a church associated with the complex called Santa Maria della Pace. It’s a lovely little church that has many original details from the early 1700s. The large altar is carved from a dark wood with spiral cut columns. There are many large funerary monuments carved from huge blocks of marble and the paintings all appear to be early Baroque.

On the other side of the catacombs there is a large cemetery with a large number of family plots, elaborate markers, and mausoleums. The cemetery is intimately associated with the catacombs. The catacombs/monastery sit in the middle. We paid €3.00 per person to enter. Cash only.

In 1597 the monks outgrew their cemetery. They decided to utilize the ancient caves under the church and excavated through a hole behind the main altar. They intended to move the bodies from the old cemetery to the new catacombs. Upon exhumation they noticed that many of their brethren had naturally mummified, were incredibly well preserved, and were completely identifiable. The Capuchins believed that this was an act of God and so they decided to display the bodies and propped them up in niches along the walls.

The catacombs were originally intended just for the monks as but word of their remarkable ability to preserve bodies spread more and more people wanted to be buried there. Often rich people requested to be displayed with particular clothes or to have their clothes periodically changed. As long as the families of the deceased continue to support the monks the dead were maintained in a prominent place. Once donations ceased they were often moved to boxes or shelves to make room for other rich patrons.

Entry to the catacombs is down just one flight of stairs. What you are faced with can easily be described as creepy. Pinned up in vertical niches along the walls are dead bodies fully dressed, often in fancy clothing. There are several long tunnels that go on and on. There’s a section for men, women, children, families, and monks. There’s also quite a few bodies lying flat in horizontal niches or in wooden boxes. Not all are perfectly preserved but in the vast majority it is possible to see features like hair, facial skin, eyelashes, and nails. It’s quite a sight. Photography is not permitted but I managed to capture a couple of shots when no one was around.

Afterwards, on our way back to the apartment to rest up before tonight’s concert we were on the lookout for an ATM. There are many in the old town area where the tourists tend to congregate but they have outrageous fees. My bank will refund any normal ATM fees but these banks were trying to charge some sort of conversion fee that amounted to about 15%. My bank won’t return fees that only an idiot would pay, AKA graft and corruption! Since ancient times catacombs were always located outside of the city and consequently we were now in the new part of town. We tried several ATMs that still wanted to charge about 5% but we held out until we finally found one that didn’t change anything at all – not even a typical ATM fee. Caveat emptor!

Several days ago we purchased tickets for a concert tonight. The concert was held at the Teatro Politeama Garibaldi. Like Teatro Massimo it was constructed shortly after the reunification of Italy. The building is in the Neo-classical style. There are large Pompeian style frescos around the proscenium and around the main dome. Above the proscenium is a colonnade that is flanked by Roman style statues. Sadly, the decorations have deteriorated and the inside of the dome is almost completely bare. The theater is in need of some serious restoration work.

The theater was originally called Teatro Municipal Politeama but when Garibaldi died in 1882 it was renamed in his honor. Since 2001 it has been the home of the Orchestra Sinfonica Siciliana, who were performing in tonight’s concert. It was an all Brahms affair. The program included the Double Concerto for Violin and Cello and the Second Symphony.

The Double Concerto was first. The soloists did a fairly good job but it was clear that their background was in chamber music and not as virtuoso soloists. The duo played an unaccompanied encore. It was the Passacaglia for Violin and Viola by Bach/Halvorsen.

The orchestra was clearly more familiar with the Symphony. They played with much more spirit and abandon. Kudos to the viola section and the principle french horn for holding up their end. There were some messy spots but most of that could be blamed on the inadequacy of the conductor.

All in all it was a fun evening of good music in a beautiful hall. We would definitely have preferred to see something in the Teatro Massimo but the theater was dark the entire time we were here.

Sunday, November 6, 2022

Today is our last full day in Palermo. During our stay we had considered traveling outside the city to see some other notable sights. We could have taken a tour to see Temple Segesta, an Ancient Greek Temple in excellent condition that has never been damaged by earthquakes. Those tours usually include Erice, a beautiful Medieval town, and the salt flats. These places are not accessible by public transportation. We could have gone hiking on Mount Pellegrino or gone to nearby Monreale to see the magnificent Medieval church there. Sadly, we just didn’t have the time and didn’t want to kill ourselves by overdoing. We’ll have some things to do the next time we’re in the area.

In the morning we went to the Archeological Museum but just before the museum is a lovely Baroque church. We’d visited before but as we approached we heard the sound of the organ. We sat in the pews for a few minutes and listened. We left just as the service was starting.

We’d seen some negative comments about the Archeological Museum here but we’d say they were completely unjustified. It is a little on the small side but it has some fantastic artifacts and some incredibly interesting information. The museum is almost entirely focused on ancient populations that were in Sicily including the Greeks, Carthaginians, Arabs, and Romans. To get the most out of the experience you have to read a lot but we didn’t mind. A great deal of the museum was dedicated to the Greek civilization and the temples from Selinunte, a city in the Southwest corner of the island. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the beautiful fountain in the entry way that is replete with a bunch of large turtles.

For lunch we tried some genuine Sicilian pizza. I don’t care for the stuff we get in the States because the crust is just too thick and dense. Here the crust is more like risen bread. It makes all the difference. It was really good.

Considering it was our last day we made one last trip to the nuns for pastries. We found a couple of new things to try. We may have gone a bit overboard but nothing we’ve had there has ever disappointed.

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Wednesday, November 2, 2022

Our apartment has one of those old fashioned coffee makers. They are called Moka Pots. We’d never used one before. I watched a quick video on how to use them and we were off to the races. The result was two cups of very strong coffee. We were surprised that there were no grounds in our cup because there is no filter. The only tricky part was trying to get the burner to the right temperature.

We went for a guided tour of Teatro Massimo, which loosely translated means the biggest theater. This is Palermo’s opera house. King Vittorio Emanuele I ordered it built shortly after the reunification on Italy. Not everyone was happy with the building because construction required several churches and a monastery to be destroyed but the King wanted it to be in a location that would symbolically join the old town and the new town – echoing the reunification of the country. Legend says that the Mother Superior of the monastery still haunts the building and causes people to trip on the stairs.

The opera house is the largest in Italy and the third largest in Europe. It is also the location where the ending of Godfather III takes place. Michael Corleone and his family attend the opera and are seated in the Royal Box. Our tour included the box and the sitting room just outside the box. Spoiler alert: the front stairs to the building are where Michael’s daughter is shot and killed.

The theater has standard seating at the orchestra level. At all other levels the seating is in large boxes. The seating areas are trimmed in gold and have Murano glass lighting. At the top of the ceiling is a dome consisting of 12 frescoed panels that can be moved / opened to allow air to circulate. The building’s interior is opulently decorated in marble and dark wood paneling.

While we were there the orchestra was rehearsing for a performance of Mozart’s Requiem. We couldn’t help but sing along. We would have loved to attend a performance but there was absolutely nothing on the schedule until the day after we leave.

Our next destination was a church back near the Pretorian Fountain: Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio. We’ve tried to see it several times before but in spite of the schedule posted on its door it was always closed. Along the way we stopped for looks at Chiesa della Madonna della Mazza, and Chiesa di Santa Ninfa dei Crociferi. You have to take your opportunities as they come because these non-touristy churches are not always open. When we finally got to Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio it was closed. According to the sign on its door it should have been open until 6:00 pm.

Chiesa di Santa Caterina d’Alessandria was in the same square. We’d been there before but just to get marzipan and cannoli. We decided to take a tour. You can visit the church for free but if you want to tour the monastery and climb to the roof (our tour guide from the previous day said it was the best view in the city) you have to buy a ticket. The cost was €10.00 per person. Credit cards are accepted.

The church is rather large and decorated in the High Baroque Style. It was so over the top that it might be considered gaudy. Every square inch was covered in inlaid marble, frescos, or high relief marble sculptures. The altars contained religious themed paintings, too. We walked around the entire church and then sat in the pews for a while trying to take it all in.

Next we climbed up to the roof top. About midway we had an opportunity to walk the balcony that extends high up along the church’s walls. We could see down into the church and had a great view of the ceilings. Near the back of the church the space opened up to several rooms including a small chapel.

From the roof we could easily see the ocean and the mountains in the distance. On the other side we could see the entire cityscape. It included many churches, the square below, and the best view of the Pretorian Fountain. For good measure we took a bunch of selfies.

The last bit was the monastery. I’m not sure why it was called a monastery because only nuns lived there. The building is enormous. Upstairs we saw the nun’s cells. They were rather Spartan but all had beautiful Majorca tiled floors. Further along we entered a large room at the front of the church. It was actually behind the main altar. It was beautifully decorated and had a huge carpet. There was also a set of choir stalls. The church could be seen through a large iron grating. No doubt the choir could be heard from back here as well.

Downstairs there were more function rooms including the refractory. The Abbess’ office was a large space with beautiful furnishings and lovely paintings. We didn’t expect it to be so fancy. Finally the tour ended near the Dolceria (the nuns’ bakery). We decided to get some things to take home. We ordered a cream filled pastry, some small cookies, and a piece of casata cake. The clerk packed the first two items but handed us the casata cake on a plate. Instead of making a fuss we went over to the cloister and ate it there. It had cannoli filling in the middle, was covered in marzipan, and then covered again in thick white sugar icing. It was darn good.

Now it was time to go back to Chiesa del Gesù, another High Baroque style church. It too was a little overwhelming except that it had more frescos and color which helped tone down the experience a little. We were permitted to walk the middle aisle and see the front altars. If we wished to walk the side aisles, see the crypt, or tour the sacristy we would have to pay €5.00 per person. We might come back and do the tour another time.

Finally it was time for lunch. We’d purposely planned this itinerary because it left us close to the Ballaro Market. We choose a place that had a buffet type menu. I got a large grilled squid stuffed with breadcrumbs and a side of cauliflower. Deborah got skewers with grilled swordfish and onions and a side of mushrooms. Surprisingly the food was ice cold and it wasn’t very tasty. It was our first disappointing meal since we’d hit Italy.

After a trip to the supermarket we headed home. We shared the pastry from the nuns for dessert after dinner. It was that big. It turned out to be a choux pastry filled with cannoli cream. It was delicious. We also sampled the cookies. They were like soft biscuits covered in sugar glaze. They had a very distinctive taste that we have yet to identify. They will be the perfect companion for our morning coffee. Those nuns really know their stuff.

Thursday, November 3, 2022

We started the day off by touring the Cattedrale di Palermo. It’s a huge complex that takes up an entire city block. Constructed in 1185 by the Norman King William II it is dedicated to the assumption of the Virgin Mary. Although the church has been continuously expanded and modified over the centuries it still retains much of its Medieval Gothic character.

You can enter the main part of the church for free. If you want to see the bishops rooms, tour the archbishop’s palace, visit the Diocesan museum, climb to the roof top, bow at the royal tombs, gasp at the apse, get down and dirty with the crypt, marvel at the treasury, or descend to the underground rooms there are additional charges. We paid €15.00 per person to see everything. Credit cards are accepted.

Our path through this labyrinth of sights was pre-prescribed. First we climbed a steep set is circular stairs to get to the roof. There’s a lovely view of the city from up there and you can get up close and personal with the Gothic towers. We walked a narrow path from the narthex to the transept, around the main altar and went back down the way we came.

The stairs left us off at the royal tombs. There were four large sarcophagi and two in-wall burials. All were from the 11th and 12th Centuries and all were Normans. One of the burials was Frederick II. There was an amusing story of his life including how he was excommunicated on three separate occasions.

Next was the underground. It was a small cave near the royal tombs described as the crypt of the beneficiaries. There was a hole in the back where a pile of human bones could be seen behind a plexiglass window.

Up next was the church itself. Although built on a grand scale the church was purposely decorated in a very simply style. King William II thought that the outside should be very elaborate, interesting enough for people to want to enter, but the inside should be plain so as not to distract from piety. The church follows a traditional Latin Cross design with a nave and two side aisles. Along the interior of the dividing columns there are statues of saints. Along the sides there are chapels. The only real embellishment was two colorful frescos over the main altar. Much of the front of the church is undergoing restoration so we were unable to see the chapels behind the main altar.

Now it was time to see the treasury. We had to exit the church and re-enter by another door beyond the main altar. It was a typical treasury with a huge number of monstrances, reliquaries, ministerial robes, and jewelry from high church officials.

Eventually we came to a round room with a high Gothic vault. In a large floor to ceiling recess was a 1/10th scale model of the structure that was once there. Called the Tribune of the Cathedral it was a semicircular structure made of marble that had dozens of cutouts containing statues of saints. The full size version must have been an incredible sight. The sign said only that it had been destroyed. No further information was given.

Then we descended down into the crypt. A number of high church officials from the Medieval period were buried there in repurposed Roman era sarcophagi with “modern” lids. A series of ascending steps led to a vaulted room with very high ceilings. There on display were artifacts from Queen Constanza of Aragon. In the central case was her coronation crown. Made in 1220-1222 it was studded with gold and colored precious stones. There were also fragments of the silk dress she wore.

Our last stop in this building was the apse – the part of the church that’s behind the main altar. There were quite a few items on display that could not normally be seen including an illuminated book of Gregorian Chant, giant mosaic candlesticks, and bands of colorful marble.

We walked across the street to another building to start the next part of our adventure. We began with the Museum. This collection started with a large number of Byzantine style paintings and triptychs and a few reliquaries. Then there was a display of inlaid marble and statues from previous versions of the church. The next galleries were full of early Renaissance style paintings.

Up another set of stairs we came into the bishop’s and archbishop’s rooms. The apartments were decorated in a style befitting a king with elaborate frescos, huge paintings, gilded furniture and the like. It reminded us of visiting the Vatican.

After 3.5 hours of touring the wonders of the Cathedral it was time for lunch. We walked to a restaurant near the Teatro Massimo that we’d spied before and sat down to a meal of lasagna and veal cutlets. Veal has been incredibly inexpensive in Sicily – even cheaper than most pasta dishes. It was all quite delicious.

Our new plan was to walk through some of the “new” city and then down to the seaport area. Along the way we found Teatro Garibaldi. It’s home to the Sicilian Orchestra. We bought tickets to a Saturday night concert. We tried to walk along the waterfront but the best we could do was a road that paralleled it. We did find an old, ruined castle. Originally built in the 9th Century Castello Amare was the home of kings until 18th Century. There’s little to see there now.

We’d been thinking of taking a tour to see some of the sights outside of the city and decided to walk over towards the Norman Palace. Tour organizers are always hanging out there trying to entice tourists. When we arrived no one was there to talk with us. Plan B was to walk through the Porta Nuova and get some granitas. The first one tasted so good that we got a second one. I told the clerk that when we show up tomorrow she should remind me to order the large instead of the small.

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Monday, October 31, 2022

We scheduled a limo for 9:00 am. He showed up around 9:20 am. That was late even for Italy. We had discussed calling an UBER but he came before we could pull the trigger. Fortunately, we made it over to the bus station in plenty of time. Surprisingly, the bus arrived early and departed on time.

We could have taken the train. We would have traveled North up the coast to Messina and then West along the coast to Palermo. There would have been lovely scenery the entire way. Unfortunately, the trip by train would have taken 3.5 hours and the bus, which crossed through the middle of the island, only took 2.5 hours. As expected, there wasn’t much to see in the interior of the island.

We had originally planned to stay in Palermo for 3-4 weeks. That would have completely exhausted our allotment of Schengen time. Somewhere along the way we decided to add a stop in Malta, which also counts as Schengen time, and since everyone recommended we pay a visit to Syracuse as well we decided to redistribute our remaining time. Now it will be a week in Palermo, a week in Syracuse, and nine days in Malta. A week is a good amount of time. It’s long enough to really get to know a city and long enough to give us a break from constant traveling. We learned last time that constantly moving from city to city without a decent break in between causes a lot of stress and really wears us out quickly. We’re determined not to make that mistake again.

We arrived in town around 12:45 pm. Our host said that it would be too early to check in but if we wanted we could drop off our bags and come back later. By the time we arrived at the apartment the cleaning people had left and we were able to check in right away.

Once settled in we decided to get some lunch and get acquainted with our new home town. Our host had recommended a place to get arancini. The restaurant had the usual array of flavors and also a number of unique ones as well. We both got Halloween inspired ones: one was pumpkin with sausage and mushroom, the other was pumpkin and cheese. They were very good. Next door was a place that had gelato and artisanal cannoli. We got a cannoli filled with classic ricotta on one side and hazelnut cream on the other. I preferred the classic and Deborah the hazelnut. Win, win! Just for fun we also tried one of their cassata cakes. By the end of the meal we were very full.

The rest of the afternoon we walked around town, peering into shops, and just getting to know the area. We picked up some groceries before heading back to the apartment. Palermo is a much bigger city than Catania. We have a lot on our plate for this week.

Tuesday, November 1, 2022

We scheduled a free walking tour for 10:00 am. In spite of the name it’s still customary to give the guide a tip. Since I only had a €50.00 bill we decided to go out and get coffee beforehand so I could get change. We met our tour group at the Church of St. Ignatius at Olivella at 9:50 am, checked in, and were told that the tour would start at 10:10 am. We took the opportunity to check out the church. It’s a very pretty Romanesque style church in the early Baroque style. Unlike the churches we had seen in Catania this one had not been destroyed and rebuilt. It was quite ornate. While we were there the organist was practicing with several members of the choir. We longed to join in.

Our guide was a young woman from a village near Palermo. Her English was very good. We followed her around the old part of the city for two hours. We’d already found most of the places she showed us but we enjoyed the added history, the backstories, and the insights that she added. As usual, we will go back to all of these places (and more) and see them in detail.

We learned a few interesting things. The first is that arancina were invented during the 200 year period when the Arabs ruled Palermo. The Arabs needed a quick and easy handheld food to take with them when working outside the city. Also, the food is properly pronounced arancina – not arancini. The ones in Palermo are round like arancia (oranges) and thus are called arancina. The people in Catania wanted to take credit for inventing them. They made their’s in the shape of a pyramid (actually the shape of the volcano Etna) and called them arancini. For what we know the name arancini seems to be more prevalent.

Another interesting fact was that the old town of Palermo was divided into four sections based on the intersection of the two main roads. Different ethnic groups lived in each section. To this day the sections still retain some of their traditional character.

After the tour we went in search of a place to eat lunch. In general food seems to be more expensive here than in Catania but we managed to find a small, mom and pop restaurant with incredible prices and very good food. I ordered the calamari but it was “finished” (they ran out). Instead I ordered spaghetti with clams (€6.00) and Deborah ordered spaghetti Bolognese (€4.50). Deborah even ate most of the peas! We’ll definitely be going back there again.

For dessert we went over to Chiesa di Santa Caterina d’Alessandria. The story goes that the nuns of the Admiralty were famous for their marzipan that they shaped and dyed to resemble a variety of fruits. That tradition continues to this day. We entered the back entrance to the church and ascended a flight of stairs to the cloister. There we stood on line to get into the dolceria or sweet shop. There was a vast array of pastries, cookies, and marzipan. We got a cannoli and two pieces of marzipan. We sat on a bench in the cloister and ate the cannoli. It was one of the best we’ve ever had. The marzipan is for tonight’s dessert.

Next to the church is a convent and in front of the convent is a giant marble fountain imported from Florence in the late 16th Century replete with 48 nude statues. It is called the Praetorian Fountain but the locals often referred to it as the Fountain of Shame. Why? One story says that it’s because the nun’s windows overlooked the nude male figures. Another says it’s because it represented the corruption of the municipality.

On the other side of the church was another, much older church that dated from the Norman period. The Church of Saint Cataldo dates from the 12th Century and, although it appears to have once been a Mosque, it was purposely built in the Moorish style and was never a Mosque. We paid €2.00 per person (cash only) to enter. It was a very small church made of large blocks of stone. The ceiling featured three small vaults held up by large pillars with Corinthian capitals. None of the surfaces were decorated. The stone floor had an intricate geometric mosaic design. It was small and simple and had an intimate feeling to it.

Next we tried to visit a church from the tour: Chiesa del Gesù. It’s a magnificent 17th Century Baroque church. When we got there it was closed. Many establishments closed early today as it was the celebration of All Saints Day in Italy.

We wandered through the nearby outdoor market. There were vendors selling clothes, cheese, meats, fish, candies, nuts, and plenty of restaurants serving fresh food. We plan to have lunch there on another day.

We wandered around for a bit and then decided to head out to one of the city’s gates (Porta Nuova) and check out their open air market. We were really interested in getting some bread. There was no market. They probably closed early today, as well. Instead we stopped at a nearby shop that the tour guide recommended to sit and refresh ourselves with a granita. All the granitas we’ve ever had were like Icees. You could eat them with a spoon or a straw. These were much firmer and required a spoon. They came in all sorts of interesting flavors. The clerk let us taste a few. Deborah went with the prickly pear and I went with the lemon. They were bursting with fresh fruit flavor.

Finally it was time to go home. Along our travels we tried to enter a number of churches. Quite a few of them were charging substantial sums for entry. We were really surprised by this. We have a number of churches on our must see list. Perhaps we’ll circle back to some of the other ones if we have time.

We ate the marzipan after dinner. It was nothing special.

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Thursday, October 27, 2022

We spent the morning in the apartment. Deborah made chicken cutlets for lunch and then we went out. Our first stop was La Rinascente. It’s a high end department store that we first encountered in Rome a few years ago. It was the only place we knew where we could get Clinique products in the area.

Next we walked over to an office supply store. We needed to print some tickets for portions of our upcoming trips.

Friday, October 28, 2022

This morning we headed over to Palazzo Biscari. We’d tried to go when Lauren was in town but it was closed for renovations. We arrived around 10:30 am. They told us that we could explore the palace by ourselves but if we wanted to we could come back at 11:30 am for a guided tour in English. We killed the hour in a cafe drinking coffee and returned in time for the guided tour. Entry to the palace is €6.00, €10.00 for the guided tour. Credit cards are accepted.

The palace was built on top of the city’s 6th Century AD walls shortly after the earthquake of 1693. At that time the palace abutted the shoreline. Over the centuries the Princes of Biscari acquired a huge collection of ancient artifacts and art. The collection was on display in the palace until 1924 when it was donated to the city of Catania. Today, it can be seen in Castello Ursino.

The tour starts in an entryway where wooden panels on the walls show the territories that were controlled by the family. The next room has a large number of ancestral portraits. The guide told a funny story about one couple. The wife found out about her husband’s mistress. She had the mistress buried alive. As a consequence her husband decided never to speak to her again. Forevermore they communicated only by written word.

The next room was a grand ballroom. Unlike other parts of the house that were in obvious need of maintenance, the ballroom was in magnificent shape. There was bold and colorful frescos along the walls and ceilings. High above were Mirano glass chandeliers and along the dome was a balcony designed to accommodate musicians. The guide said that the room is often used for celebrations, weddings and special occasions.

The next rooms were a sitting room, a bedroom, a dining room and a bath. These rooms were surprisingly small but fitted with exquisite inlaid wooded paneling. Outside we could see the edge of a roof garden. We were only able to visit half of the palace because the family still lives in the other half.

After the tour we had lunch on our minds. We tried to visit a restaurant that was recommended on a tourist website but it didn’t open for another hour and a half. We opted instead for another restaurant that was around the corner, located in the middle of the artists’ district. I was interested in trying a local dish called Pasta alla Norma.

Pasta alla Norma, a dish that originated in Catania, is made with penne or rigatoni, tomato, fried eggplant, salted ricotta and basil. There are several stories about its origin but the one I liked best involves Bellini. It is said that he was very fond on this dish and ate it frequently when he was composing his opera Norma. The dish was named in his honor. I enjoyed it very much. Deborah had breaded chicken cutlets that had been grilled. It was an unusual treatment but it, too, was very good. The waiters constantly circulated with plates of freshly made cannoli and casata cakes. They looked really good but we just didn’t have any more room.

Back in the apartment we booked our accommodations for Malta and drank most of Lauren’s limoncello. We’re now completely booked with travel and accommodations until the end of November.

Saturday, October, 29, 2022

Today’s agenda was to see the churches on Via Crociferi. It’s a rather short street near our apartment that is famous for having six 18th Century churches on it. The first church we came to was closed. It seemed odd. This street is well known for its churches and places of worship are normally open on Saturday. In any event we passed it by and continued down the street.

Next was Chiesa di San Giuliano. (This one was open one of the first days we were in town but we found that a wedding was taking place so we couldn’t visit it then. I took a couple of pictures from the entry area and we left.) Today it was open but surprisingly we were charged to enter. This is a rarity for Catholic Churches. It sometimes happens that there is a treasury or a crypt that they will charge to see but never the church itself – unless that church is now really a museum. In any event we paid the €4.00 per person (cash only) and went inside.

We found a medium sized Romanesque style church. It was not Baroque as we expected. We were given a small pamphlet describing the church but it was little more than a map telling us where the chapels were. It didn’t describe the artwork at all. We also visited the sacristy where there were tributes to Saint Rita and Saint Benedict. Finally we climbed the stairs. We had hoped to be able to walk the balcony that went around the top of the church but it was closed to visitors. Further up we came to the roof. From there we had a panoramic view of most of the city. The Duomo and the neighboring abbey were in full view and sported the sea as a backdrop.

We continued down the street and found several more churches, monasteries and abbeys. All of them were closed. At the end of the block we came to a lovely stone gate. The accompanying sign said that this was the entrance to Villa Cerami, an 18th Century palace that had hosted the royal family during their visits to Catania. It fell into neglect and was purchased in 1957 by the city. It has been restored and is now part of the University of Catania.

On our way to the grocery store to restock our supply of cookies we ran into the Crypt of Saint Euplio. The crypt was part of a 3rd Century Roman church that was destroyed during WWII bombings. One of the original walls was still standing and there was a staircase from which you could still enter the crypt. Several very bored guides were standing around trying to entice people into a guided tour. We politely declined.

Deborah decided to take a quick look at one of the outdoor markets. She was hoping to find some new clothes. While there we noticed Basilica dell’Annunziata e Convento del Carmine, a large church that we’d never seen open before. It was built on the site of an ancient acropolis. We couldn’t resist looking around.

Leaving the church we headed back towards the main shopping district on Via Etna. We were looking for Giardino Bellini (Bellini’s Garden). It’s the oldest of the city’s four large public parks. The property once belonged to Prince Ignazio Paterno Castello – a prominent member of the family that still owns Palazzo Biscari. The city purchased the property in 1854 and named it after its favorite son. It’s a large, tiered park in the Neo-classical style with manicured gardens and, on the top level, a place to hold public concerts. Fittingly, there is a statue of Bellini in the center.

At last we decided to head to Gelateria Peligrino for lunch and dessert. When we finally arrived we found a sign saying that it was closed for vacation and wouldn’t be open again until November 6. We’ll be gone by then. Damn! Our second choice was Cafe del Duomo; we’ve eaten there many times before.

Sunday, October 30, 2022

Our last full day in Catania. We started the day by going to the Duomo. We were hoping to catch a mass in which the organ was playing. When we got there a mass was in progress but the organ bay was empty. We didn’t stick around for long.

Since it was Sunday we thought we might have a better chance of seeing some of the churches on Via Crociferi. All but the one we’d already seen were closed. We were very disappointed.

We zigged and zagged down a few streets we hadn’t been on before and saw an interesting looking church up on a hill. We went to investigate. It was Sant’Agata Al Carcere or the Prison of Saint Agatha. This was the place where the saint was imprisoned after having her breasts mutilated and where Saint Peter came and healed her. It’s a pretty little church. On one wall there is an impression of the saint’s feet. To the side is a small crypt. We found a small altar and a few nice statues there.

After leaving the church more zigzagging took us right by the crypt of Saint Euplio again. This time we decided to take a look. There is a small courtyard where the church used to stand. On the far wall, where the main altar would have been, was a display of the 12 apostles carved in marble from the 1880s. We paid €3.00 a piece to have a guided tour. Cash only.

A group of about 15 descended the stairs into the crypt. A woman described what we saw in Italian and a couple of young men standing near us translated. It seems that the saint was buried there but his body was stolen by the Romans. It was later recovered and now rests in Avalino. There wasn’t much to see. One could imagine where the altar was but the rest was just a rough hewn cave.

We continued to zig and zag around town purposely going on streets we hadn’t seen before. After about two miles of this we headed over to the supermarket to get some prepared foods for dinner. Nothing really appealed to us so we decided to have lunch at the Cafe del Duomo and get something there for dinner late. Along the way we found an appealing restaurant and had lunch there although we still stopped at Cafe del Duomo so as to have something for dinner.

Click here to see the full post on the web with pictures.

Monday, October 24, 2022

In the morning we went out grocery shopping. We decide to give a new supermarket a try. It’s just down the block from the Lidl we often use. They had some nice prepared foods and some interesting cookies. We took home lasagna ragu for lunch. It was very good. The rest of the day we bing watched the Big Bang Theory on Netflix.

Tuesday, October 25, 2022

In the morning we went to the outdoor market. For lunch Deborah made tortellini with pesto sauce. In the afternoon we went to a new gelato place near the Bellini Theater. This one was recommended by one of the tour guides from our trip to Mount Etna. The gelato was good – but not as good as the stuff from the place that Lauren found.

Wednesday, October 26, 2022

Taormina is a town located about an hour north of Catania situated on top of a large hill. We could have taken the train but that would have left us at the base of the hill and would have required us to get a shuttle bus to get up the hill. Instead we took the bus which left us off right near the middle of town. At the base of the hill, and right along the ocean, is the town of Giardini Naxos. The town has typical beach rentals all along the main road. To the north there are several coves with lovely beaches. There is even a small island called Isola Bella (Beautiful Island) than you can walk to during low tide.

From the bus station we walked uphill to get to the good stuff. The town was originally settled by the Greeks in the 8th Century BC. Sometime in the 3rd -2nd Century BC they built a large amphitheater, which the Romans rebuilt sometime in the 2nd Century AD. The current theater is mainly of Roman construction but still retains its Greek design. It has been partially restored and is still used for concerts.

After the fall of the Roman Empire Taormina remained under Byzantine rule until the 10th Century when it was finally conquered by Muslims from North Africa. As with much of the area it was later under Norman, Spanish and French rule. The town retains much of its Medieval character. There are gates at each end of the main avenue and the remains of city walls can still be seen. Many of the shops and restaurants on the main street also date from this period. Even higher up the hill there is a monastery and a castle. The castle was originally from the Greek period but has been modified many times over the years. It is not open to the public.

At first we visited the theater. Entry cost €10.00 per person. Credit cards are accepted. The theater was built on the edge of a hill. The countryside and the ocean can be seen through the arches on the sides of the stage area. It’s a magnificent site.

Atop the last set of seating there are panoramic views of the entire area. Inside the main entryway they had some Greek tablets on display along with a history of the theater.

After seeing the theater we walked back to the main commercial district and went in search of lunch. We found a lovely little cafe and ordered Fettuccine Bolognese and a dish particular to Taormina consisting of pasta, sun dried tomatoes, anchovies, and toasted breadcrumbs. The portions were huge and the food was delicious.

Next we walked up and down the main street. The place is a Mecca for shoppers with high end stores, hand made leather, restaurants, and cafes. Surprisingly, prices were fairly reasonable. We ducked into several churches (including the Parrocchia San Nicolo di Bari or simply The Duomo), every leather store, quite a few jewelry stores, and quite a few shops selling speciality foods. We walked away with some marzipan cookies that we took home to eat after dinner.

Click here to see the full post on the web with pictures.

Friday, October 21, 2022

What you probably already know is that parts of the trilogy of Godfather movies was filmed in Sicily. What you may not know is that none of them were filmed in Corleone. There seem to be several competing reasons why: one is that the Mafia wanted to extort money for the filming rights, another is the remote location, and another is that the town no longer resembled a typical Sicilian village from the early 1900s. In any event most of the Italian scenes were filmed in the Northeast region of Sicily, in and around the towns of Savoca and Forza d’Agrò. We booked a tour to see these sights. Lauren was particularly interested in taking this tour. Ironically, she’d only seen a short part of the first Godfather film – only up to the point where the horse’s head winds up in Woltz’ bed.

We were picked up in front of our apartment, drove North on the coastal road, and up a narrow, hilly, switchbacked way to the top of a mountain. It took us about an hour to reach the town of Savoca. There really isn’t much of anything there. Most of the residents have moved away to larger cities. The town seems to survive simply to service tourists wanting to see where The Godfather films were made.

Our guide dropped us off in front of a small cafe. It was immediately familiar. It was the place where Michael and his bodyguards initially met Signor Vitelli and described the girl that Michael had seen on the road. We took bunches of pictures and then sat down at one of the tables and had coffee while we waited for another carload of tourists to join our group. We had a lot of fun with it.

Soon the main tour guide arrived with another bunch of people. They too sat and had coffee. He was one of those people who always had a story. We liked him right away. He had a deep knowledge of The Godfather movies and shared some of his insights. It was clear that he was a movie buff because he liked to refer to other movies that had used similar plot devices.

Outside, high on a hilltop, there was a church on an outcropping. When the group had finished their coffee we walked up to that church. Along the way the guide asked us all sorts of trivia questions about the movies to test our knowledge. As a group, we did fairly well. Along the way to the church we found the ruin of a synagogue. In 1492, when Spain expelled its Jewish population, this part of Italy was under Spanish control. The building had been abandoned at that time.

When we finally got to the church we realized that it was the place that Michael and Apollonia had gotten married. The guide pointed out that we never see the inside of the church. The interior of the church had been too hard to light properly for filming. He said there was only one scene in the entire trilogy that was actually filmed inside a church. I knew the answer. It was the scene where Connie’s child was baptized. Our guide said that the baby used for the scene was actually Sophia Coppola, the director’s daughter. In fact, she was the only person to appear in all three movies.

Next we drove some more narrow, winding roads to the town of Forza d’Agrò. There we saw where several more scenes had been filmed. The Cattedrale di S. Maria Annunziata e Assunta was the backdrop for a wedding scene and the arch in front of it (Arco Durazzesco) was where the puppet show took place. It is also used in the third move.

A second church, Cattedrale di S. Maria Annunziata e Assunta, was used for the scenes involving young Vito Andolini, aka Vito Corleone – especially the one where he rides off after hiding in the donkey’s basket. Nearby is the house that Michael shows to Kay as the place where his father grew up.

After seeing the sights our guide steered us to a small cafe where we had freshly made arancini and cannoli. While we ate we continued discussing The Godfather saga and movie trivia in general. We had a great time.

Back in the car we talked freely with our now familiar driver. A favorite topic was foods and restaurants. She recommended a Gelateria near The Bellini Theater and graciously offered to drop us off at our favorite restaurant were we got dinner and gelato. Our favorite waitress wasn’t there so our medium gelatos really were medium sized. Back in the apartment we stayed up late and the three of us watched Godfather I.

Saturday, October 22, 2022

Today was Lauren’s last day so we did whatever she wanted – and what she wanted was to go to the open air market. We strolled around all of the fish mongers and bought some swordfish, Parmesan cheese for her to take back home, fruits and vegetables, bread, cookies, and the like.

Later we went to the outdoor flea market. It goes on for block after block. There is a food section but it is mostly goods. We were looking for things that Lauren could bring back as gifts from her trip. The market caters mostly to locals so there aren’t a lot of touristy things but we managed to find exactly what we were looking for. As usual we wound up at our favorite restaurant for lunch and gelato.

In the evening we watched Godfather II.

Sunday, October 23, 2022

Lauren’s taxi came at 4:40 am. We took her downstairs, said goodbye, and went back to sleep. It had been a hectic week and we were planning on taking it easy today.

Lauren texted us when she got to Rome (shockingly there was no WiFi at Catania Airport). Her flight back to the States left an hour late. It’s going to be a VERY long day for her.

We spent the rest of the day resting, doing laundry, and catching up on personal items.