Monday morning we took off on the road again toward the SW portion of Sicily, south of Palermo, and the towns of Corleone and Prizzi.  You may recognize these as the names so much a part of the “The Godfather” and “Prizzi’s Honor” movies.  This region of Sicily is quite rural and intensely farmed, but in a way, and with a look, that is dramatically different than what we are used to back home.  The land is both much steeper and rockier than what we would consider good farm land.  In a pinch it might pass as native pasture land.  Here, we saw the results of clearing the fields of cobbles and huge boulders into piles and long rows so that the land could be worked.  The steepness of the fields only allows them to be plowed in the downhill direction.  After which the tractor, with plow raised, travels back up hill in the unworked section to then start plowing a new portion.  The cost of diesel per acre plowed must be extremely high.  Gasoline for the car costs $8.85 a gallon!!!

We spent some time travelling dirt roads to get a closer look at the fields and some of the old abandoned farmhouses which dot the country side.  At lunch we ran into a young man who had been born in NYC but had moved back to Sicily almost 20 years ago.  He said that work in Sicily is hard to find and that one has to work long hours.  When we asked him about the amount of wildfires we had seen across the land he replied that many of the fires are intentionally set with the hope that the results will lead to work for the locals to repair the damage caused by them.   Kind of a weird catch 22 scenario.

.

We saw numerous small flocks of sheep being moved to new pastures by modern day shepherds.

.

.

Getting all of the cobbles and boulders out of the way is job one.

.

If you look close there is a tractor on the right side of the drainage and just above the center of the frame.

Apparently there was a significant amount of immigration out of Sicily and to the U.S.during the late 1800 and early 1900’s. These numerous abandoned farmhouses may date from that time.

The wide open spaces of central Sicily. This cliff outcrop ran across the country side for some distance.

More rock clearing evidence.

Thank God he was wearing undies!!!!! Tidey whities.

The mosaic pattern in the piazza in front of the church in Bisaquino.

More sweaters on the move.

Laura got me with the iPhone.

This past Saturday and Sunday we chose to just hang out in town and around the house.  The temps were in the upper 70’s and it was a bright sunshiny day. On Saturday mornings there is a large market on the edge of town which is just down the road from us.  After just one wrong turn we found it and though we really didn’t need anything we walked the length of stalls looking at what was being offered.  This was primarily a clothing market but did have a good “food section” which offers more action and photo opportunities as the local clientele decide what to do for dinner.  The unwritten food handling rules differed from what we observed in the markets in the lakes district around Como.  Here, people would most often choose their own produce and had no qualms about squeezing or looking over anything they might be considering.  This was in contrast to the hands off policy found to the north.

We went into town each day to stroll along the streets and get a daily dose of gelato.  On Saturday we solved our internet connectivity problem at the same time as we ate gelato.  We used the shop’s WiFi and sat at a table on the edge of the piazza.  Problem deliciously solved and at a better price point.  It was pizza for dinner at one of Jerry’s favorite spots in town and then back up to the house.   Sunday we did some shopping at the grocery store and I cooked dinner at home in the evening.  Ready for the road on Monday.

Let’s go shopping.

Pony tail bands

You can even get those hard to find items here!

One of the shop keepers.

Smoked fish.

Mounds of sun dried tomatoes and salted capers.

It took me a few seconds to figure out what this frugal shopper was doing to the tomatoes. Since they are sold by weight she was pulling of the little green stems before they were weighed!

Plums tossed into the paper cone that is the take away container.

If one egg plant is good…..

Then this is heaven.

Fresh shrimp to go.

Music in the main piazza steps.

Keeping up with old friends.

Old doors with rusted metal grills along the old fishing center on the water front.

.

The guys hangin’ in the piazza.

At one time this looks like it was a fine hotel in the center of town.

Palermo was so much fun let’s go back!!  Well, let’s just drive through it on our way further west to see more of Sicily.  The plan was to take the back roads on the way west and then return via the autostrade later in the day.  Getting through the craziness of Palermo was interesting for a short stretch.  The flow in the direction we were going was at a standstill for some reason that we never did figure out.  This caused the drivers behind us to drive in the left lanes, going head to head with oncoming traffic.  So the picture is, we are standing still next to the double parked cars.  Oncoming traffic is next to my left side as it passes their own line of double parked cars.  Then the folks behind me decide that since they want to turn left a bit up ahead, they can drive on the far side of the oncoming traffic and then make the turn.  No traffic lights, stop signs, or cops.  Yeah a few horns were honking and there were some hand gestures that had various meanings but amazingly no bent fenders.  We shook our head sat still and eventually got past the hiccup.

On to the “backroads”.  These are two lanes roads that meander up the hills in sharp switchbacks and go through the center of numerous small villages.  Because of the extremely narrow roads, and street parking which is common in most of the small towns, household trash has to be taken and deposited in dumpsters sporadically placed along the roadside.  We had this up at Lake Como and it is the system in Cefalu also.  It seems to work pretty well but is a surprise to see people stop, hop out of their car and deposit their trash bags and recycling.  We were shocked after leaving Palermo that the usual stand of 6 small dumpsters was quite often completely overwhelmed with bags of garbage lying in a heap.  It sometimes stretched beyond the dumpsters for 50 yards or more along the roadside.   This went on for mile after mile.  We were totally confused since we had been told by so many people how beautiful Sicily is and this just did not fit with what we had expected.  It struck us as similar to the images we see when some big city trash hauling union goes on strike and the trash piles up.

We did eventually get through this and I will say that as we proceeded west the country changed to vineyards, olive groves, and plowed fields awaiting planting.  Throw in a sprinkling of thousand foot high rock outcrops, old stone walls defining field outlines and ancient houses, and a much more picturesque landscape surrounded us.  We visited the monochromatic town of Erice and bought a few pieces of wonderful pottery before finally heading back to Cefalu for the evening.

The narrow and uniquely designed roads and pavement in Erice.

We are way up above the valleys through which we traveled. More switchbacks to drive.

The requisite town castle!

Everything in the town, with the exception of the bench slats, was made from the same very pale grey limestone. There was very little variation in color anywhere.

.

.

We did not buy this large vase but there are some items being shipped to Texas.

Wide loads go elsewhere.

There is that cute girl smiling at me again.

We decided to travel an hour to the west to the ‘big city’ of Palermo in order to purchase something that would allow us to get online.  The challenge is caused by a weak cell signal at the house which does not allow for downloading files in a timely manner.   Traffic in the central portion of Palermo is controlled chaos.  There are almost no traffic signals to stem the flow of cars into and out of intersections that sometimes have three or four streets entering.  On top of that we spent an hour in the Vodafone store front, aided by the nicest guy who had lived in New York for 14 years and spoke perfect English and could act as an intermediary for us.  The store attendant was extremely helpful and try as she would, the VF folks would not accept our credit or debit cards for some unexplained reason.  As Laura wrestled with the internet monster I sat for the most part in the car, double parked along with many others on a very busy main street and watched the everyday interactions in this stream of life.  The first two images capture the total difference with how the typical city in the States works.  It is interesting that the traffic makeup is different than it was in Milan.  In Milan the number of motorcycles and bicycles make up a large portion of the commuting.  In Palermo the auto is king by far.

After throwing in the towel with regard to the internet we did walk a bit through a part of the city before we headed to the town of Monreale about 5 miles away.  The main attraction here is the Santa Maria la Nuova cathedral and its interior which is adorned with what is regarded as the world’s best preserved mosaic art works.  The cathedral was built between 1174 and 1189.  We will be visiting this building again in a week or so when my niece arrives to stay with us.

Motorized wheelchair out in traffic and moving along.

Delivering the beef to a shop from a truck parked out in the street.

Either Cabela’s is going to open a new store or they are useful for keeping the pigeons away.

These beautiful statuary were on each of the four corners of the intersection.

As always another church to step into and admire.

.

This church was set in a large piazza in the city which gave it a bit of quiet in the hectic-ness that surrounded it.

The central nave was much less decorated.

The repeated domes on the side aisles let in some wonderful light.

These are made by Vespa! Maybe we could air condition them and import to Houston.

The following photos are of the cathedral in Monreale.

The mosaic artwork from the late 1100’s.

.

.

Confessionals along the side wall.

The interior courtyard of the cloister.

The end of the building is narrower than the butt end of a smart car! And keep in mind that the walls are probably 10 inches thick on each side.

After an overnight at the edge of Asissi, we travelled east into parts of Italy we have never seen: Le Marche, and Abruzzo. Our target this time was the town of Montedinove, where we hoped to see two apartments. The landscape along our drive was distinctively different from Tuscany. Heading west to east, it began with winding, and narrow valleys as we passed through the Appenine Mountains. We had an amusing stop in the town of Noccia, at the entrance to the “Parco Nazionali dei Monti Sibillini”. Popping in through the old town’s walls we were surprised by all the activity. Wandering further we began to see quirky storefronts decked elaborately with wild boar taxidermy, and all manner of other pig related stuff. The shops were bursting with smoked and processed pork products. We never did figure out exactly what the town was about, (and never encountered another non-Italian speaker), but our best guess was that this was the Italian answer to Estes Park, with pork shops substituted for the endless fudge shops of American tourist traps.

As we drove through the park and beyond, the valleys widened but were still very rolling with many steep hillsides. Most of the land was being actively cultivated, but unlike Tuscany, the slopes were not terraced. It was hard to imagine someone pulling a plow up and down these very steep slopes, but much of the area was obviously freshly plowed. It created an intriguing  landscape that was both beautiful and like nothing we have seen before, anywhere.

The drive on to Montedinove took us into a very remote part of Abruzzo. Why there were two vacation rentals in this tiny little hill town in the middle of nowhere is a mystery, but if we wanted a quiet town for a base, this would fit the bill. The village was immaculate and well maintained…we wondered if portions of it had been re-built at some time, because the building materials were more modern than what we typically encounter. This village is probably not the place for us, but we still loved the fun of finding it, and are always happy for a reason to take the road less traveled.

Espresso in hand and planning the day.

To the east through the Apennines.

All hogs and nothing else.

The inside of all these shops pretty much looked the same.

Cute huntnick!

Cute decorations

A pick up soccer match in the town piazza.

.

.

Trying to look at the countryside as I drove was tough to do.

Monte di Nove as a beautiful little town but just toooooo quiet.

.

Not on the menu.

OK. Get me out of the car and on to Sicily!!

This post should precede the “On to Sicily” entry.

Today is Monday, and we’ve just spent 3 ½ days meandering across Italy, on our way to the next part of our adventure: Sicily. We have yet to sort out our Internet connection here; that will require a trip into Palermo for some kind of Italian Hotspot, but before we forget too much of our drive, we thought we’d best blog in a Word document today, and post tomorrow, or whenever!

Last week, we made the decision to leave Argegno a couple of days early. The forecast was for rain through the weekend and we were both feeling eager to explore new territory. Rather than taking a straight shot to Sicily, we wanted to poke through Tuscany, Umbria, and also the eastern part of Italy along the Adriatic coastline. The purpose was see more of Italy, and to scout towns and apartments for our November-December weeks. The first leg of the trip zigged us west, through Genova and Pisa. We’d heard that Pisa was not that appealing, but somehow that leaning tower beckoned us…it may have been the first (or only) thing they taught in grade school about Italy and the intrigue stuck. OK, so now we know it’s true, Pisa kind of sucks, but the tower itself really is cool, actually very pretty. The place was teeming with tourist groups of every nationality, a great number of them busy posing for dorky pictures, arms up to the side, pretending to hold up the tower. We maintained our dignity, and did not do that.

We drove on to Castellina in Chianti for the night, arriving after dark, and were fortunate to find a lovely hotel in the hill town’s old center, Palazzo xxxxxxx. Things were pretty quiet, but there was a lively restaurant on the piazza, and we had a really, really good meal with some really, really good Chianti. Both cuisine and wine appear to improve as one heads south in Italy!

On Friday, we drove on deeper into Tuscany to check out a few more apartments. The weather continued to be stubbornly rainy, often pouring, so this was not exactly a scenic situation, but we had a mission and persevered. Happily, as we pulled into Montepulciano the skies suddenly cleared, and we were treated to an hour or so of pleasant wandering. This town is quite promising as a future base, with a stunning setting, and a nice mix of shops and restaurants. We ate lunch in a small, family run restaurant, which happened to have an apartment upstairs. The owners were so nice, and by the end of the meal, Michael was almost ready to sign a lease and apply for a job in the kitchen, next to Mama. But we really want to see all our options so we made no commitments. Our next stop was a much smaller Tuscan hill town called Sarteano. This town was a bit further off the tourist track and was very beautiful and really seemed untouched by modern influence. There was a piazza with a couple of cafés and a few shops but overall it was very quiet. I’ll have to be feeling very brave about my Italian to give this place a go.

Italy is out there some where.

I really don’t need to identify this do I?

First person to think of this? Yeah right.

The covered passage way in Castellino in Chianti.

Rainy morning in Castellino

.

The well in Montepulciano

When we get done in southern Italy we are going to stay at the apartment with this view.

One can never have too much rosemary.

Three wheeling Italian style.

The archaic street of Sarteano.

Love the sign.

.

.

Needs painting again.

Nightfall in Assisi.

Sorry for the delay in getting new posts on the blog.  The challenges of establishing internet connectivity has been a bit difficult to say the least.

Off the ferry and onto the island of Sicily.  I had been told and had read of the horrors of driving through Messina once you arrived here.  Huh???  It was a piece of cake.  No crowds.  No traffic.  No problems.  We entered the autostrad which parallels the northern coast of Sicily and in just under 2 hours arrived in the small town of Cefalu.  This is to be our home for the next couple weeks thanks to the wonderful generosity of our friend Jerry in Houston.  Thanks!  The wonderful caretaker, Anna, introduced us to the house, the function of the shuttered windows and doors, and how to work the heaters.  Quick, empty the car and find a bottle of wine to open so we can watch the sunset over the Mediterranean from the patio in the front yard.

The large part of the adventure of this trip, since we are not “hoteling” it, is getting to know each new location or town.   Each one presents new challenges with how to get up to speed with the necessities of everyday life.  Where is the grocery store?  How do I get there?  Where do I park the car??  After the stint in the north on the shore of Lake Como the change to Cefalu has left a great part of ‘tourist Italy’ behind.  This is some of the experience we are looking for.  What is really like to live in Italy?  Each day presents a new hurdle and the enjoyment/frustration of trying to solve it.

Cefalu is divided into two distinctly different portions; the older historic town and the more modern part of town.  The overriding control on everyday life is the auto and what to do with it when you get into town.  You have to understand that this town was not built for automobile ownership.  The old part of town predates cars by 500 years at least.  Now that many people own cars there is little that was built to accommodate parking them.  As a result, the resident population and everybody who comes into town must park somewhere along the narrow streets.  First job upon entering town is finding a parking spot and then walking to where you want to go.

Here are some tastes of our resident town, the historic fortress just outside of town and a visit to a neighboring town of Castelbuono higher up in the beautiful scenic land further inland.

The night scene in the historic portion of Cefalu.

A nice quiet little piazza

This was happy hour munchies. We will be passing on dinner as a result.

We have never seen this tree before and have no idea what species it is. Sure has pretty flowers though. Also comes in white and yellow.

Fresh fish available on the street corner. Now that is handy!

The late afternoon and early evening relaxation in town.

Apparently my youngest daughter, Alessandra Grace, has been here before me.

Views of the Mediterranean from atop the fortress rock.

.

Goats instead of lawn mowers.

Looking down onto town from the fortress.

Has his scarf and hat. So fashionable.

Wash day in old town.

Is it just me or is the pink watch band too much??

The Cefalu cathedral interior.

The side altar.

Bartering for eggplant at the street market.

Markets are very popular businesses.

.

Different town. Same afternoon scene.

We found some extremely old olive groves on the drive back to the house.

.

Some of the geology scenery just south of our town.

You can see the walls and the fortress on the right side and Cefalu down below to the left.

This is the second installment in the series.  There are so many subjects as you wander through the cities or sit at a cafe with a glass of wine.  Many of the owners will stop and try to get there dogs to sit better or to “pose” as they give commands to their pet.  The variation among all of the dogs, their faces, and attitudes will make this a long, ongoing project.

These guys are also in the first installment. On one of our return visits to Como we came across them sitting outside a store waiting for their master to return. Any pooch, or pooches, this well behaved deserve a second time.

Am I looking depressed?

I am only half listening which is why only one ear is up.

Spuds lives!! In Torino.

I am begining to see a pattern here.

That is MISTER dog to you! Now get it right!

This killer followed the one above down the street by about 15 seconds. I just laughed when I saw her coming.

Sorry. Late. Can’t stop.

.

What? I AM posing.

There is always a show off!

Dang it! Anybody seen my other leg??

Such a poser.

Forget the guy behind me. Take my picture instead.

Maybe some day the rest of my face will grow.

The long and short of it.

Oh please. Do we have to do the dang “little purse on my collar” thing again? I really don’t think it’s cute. At all!

Howdy Tex! I didn’t know they made kerchiefs that small.

Taking the dog out for a carry. It is like a walk, but their feet stay so much cleaner.

Basically thinking, “I am going to pee where I damn well please.” He did. Right on the base of a column.

When you are this cute they wouldn’t dare put a leash on you.

Thanks for looking and enjoying all of my friends. Woof!

We got up early on Monday since we had to drive Nash and Andy into the train station in Milan and were not certain of the morning traffic going in.   We got there easily an hour ahead of their departure time so it was a stress free start to the day.  After hugs and well wishes we took a bit of time in Milan to visit a large triumphal arch which we had seen while driving in and out of the city  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porta_Sempione  We walked along some wide streets and took a few photos before eventually heading back to the north and Lake Como.  It was well into the afternoon by the time we got home and decided to stay in, cook dinner, and just chill for the rest of the day.

Tuesday.  Back at it and traveling before our time at the lake runs out.  The Lenno morning market was in full swing by the time we arrived at 9 and had our coffee and brioche at our favorite little spot.  We needed to buy a few things.  Especially after I boiled the coffee pot dry, then picked it up with a hot pad that melted and stuck to the pot.  Nice move!  The markets are fantastic places to observe and listen to the locals going about their day to day life.  There were lots of photo subjects all around as I wandered.

Once our chores were completed we decided to head back north along the shoreline and then to the west into a high valley to the upper end of Lake Lugano just a few miles west of Lake Como.  The drive into the mountains felt like a national park road back home.  It was typical twisting and narrow through the woods with lots of scenery and a few picturesque, small waterfalls.  The towns were not very charming but as you can see the one local church we did find open in Carlazzo, which you drove through in less than 5 minutes, was quite oppulent.

Laura has been working hard planning the trip between here and Sicily. The weather is sounding rainy at the lake for the next couple days so we are probably going to hit the road in the morning and start the journey.  There are a few accomodations we want to look at to see if they are possible places for us to spend some time after we leave southern Italy.

The Sempione Arch.

These colored elastic bands are found on lady’s bicycles to keep their hems from getting caught in the spokes.  Funny that I have never seen them in Houston!?

Commuter bicycle with trolley car backdrop.

Parking Milan style. Perpendiclar to the curb. In the crosswalk. On the sidewalk. Not a problem!

Tuesday morning.  On to the market in Lenno and then the mountains.

Market mums.

Cyclamen blooms.

Pick a color any color.

Cheese rounds that smell so good.

A little shoreline scenery on the edge of the market in Lenno.

“I want 20 slices of that one!”  Or both??

The nectarines were going fast. It is interesting how the fruit and vegetable stands work. The proprietor stands in the back until you decide what you want to buy. You then tell them and they get a bag, walk around in front, bag up your order, then weigh it and total the amount. Even if what you wanted was right in front of you. You DO NOT touch anything until you have bought it. There is no squeezin’ the Charmin over here.

I loved watching these two ladies. They talked and talked and talked. All the time they held each other’s hand.

The taxi van pulled up and the driver hurried around to the door and put down this little step stool so the older folks could have any easier time entering.

The church in Carlazzo.

.

Amazing scenery into the valley that holds Lake Lugano.

I wished I had some serious hiking boots and some clothing that could have gotten dirty. The steep and narrow little valley with this stream would have been nice to explore a bit more.

Sunday started as a day of rest for all of us.  We actually did not get out of the apartment until after 10:00 in the morning.  We caught the ferry in the town just to the north of us.  They have better brioche up there so we did indeed have a good reason to alter the starting location for the day.  There also was a small market in the town piazza and along the lake front that allowed a bit of people watching and photo ops before we had to catch the boat.

Andrea has always been an avid gardner in Houston and our visits to each other’s houses there often times start with “garden tours”.  So what better way to spend the day than touring a REAL garden?  Just on the southern end of the town of Varenna is the Villa Monastero and the wonderful lake shore garden which Laura and I had checked out a week or so earlier.  (See the “Across the Lake to Varenna” post).

Any full fledged Italian garden tour must commence with lunch and wine so we did the dirty deed of three pizzas and an entire bottle plus of wine so that we were in the proper state of touring before reaching the flowers.  It worked perfectly.  Both Andy and Nash were thoroughly impressed by the beauty and serenity of the place.  We strolled along the narrow walks and Nash never quit finding things to photograph.  I truly believe he has succumbed to the Italian bug.  The day lasted a bit longer than we had envisioned since we were referencing the ferry schedule which lapsed on the 30th of September and the boat we thought we were going to take back across the lake ran an hour later.  Damn!  We have to sit, have a beer, and kill time.  Nothing like a bit of good luck to make a perfect day even better.

Got to try the goat cheese.

And of course a loaf of raisin bread must come along.

Fresh salami? Heck yeah!!

I love the little sales ladies at the market. They could sell me anything.

His buddy had the fishing rods. He got to haul the oars and the anchor.

All Bakers on board.

Would you buy a shirt from this guy?  Or anything for that matter?

Kind of a funky color….. but still pretty cool looking. Has the “vintage thing” going pretty well.

Lunch destination. We actually sat on the piazza side through the door in the background.

Yes, lunch is starting out very well.

I have decided that the t-shirt logo is an eye test chart. As long as I can read all the letters I can have another glass!!

Maybe wearing the shoes like mom said would have been a good idea.

Back street beauty.

Why do I think they are trying to figure out how to do this back home?

.

How you decorate your Villa. Never enough gold.

Not sure what the hole is for?

.

Sit down. Tilt your head. Shoulders back. Look at the camera. Ah! The tables are turned!!

Yeah it is a pretty nice place to kill an afternoon.

.

.

A terra cotta pot full of dandelions would look good in this setting!

Back street beauty #2.

A very nice old Fiat.

Arrivederci Varrena!

Last port of call.

“I am tired too but what a great day!”