Cefalu, Sicilia

Stazione Centrale, Palermo

 Ciao amici miei!

I am still having a good time in Sicily but, there has been a long spell of bad weather including cold, rains, high winds and even an earthquake!  So, this has put a damper on my farm work.  I have spent a fair amount of time listening to music while labeling jars of lemon jelly and peach jam. 

Here are some tasks I have helped with during my farming experience:
pruning citrus trees
pruning other small trees
throwing old grape plants into a large pile
burning up this pile & other brush piles
weeding around tiny asparagus plants
twining some ivy up some poles
hauling away loads of old stuff...
and a whole lot of jar labeling
it has been really easy & chill!

There are a few other dudes that work on the farm, 2 Giuseppes & a Jachino.  Apparenly these names plus Salvatore & Antonino are the most common names in Sicily.  I haven't yet had any mafia related experiences, these seem to be few & far between these days. The farm I stay at is near Corleone, inspiration of the Godfather movies. 

I've learned to play a fun Sicilian card game & am reading Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami, it is good!  Other than that...  niente di speciale!

Please send good wishes to my mom who is having a knee surgery today.  I hope all goes well, Mom!!!!  I am thinking of you!

Enjoy the photos of Cefalu, a charming town on the north coast. It is where the excellent movie, Cinema Paradiso is set. :)

xoxo

view from my hotel room

quaint, small streets leading down to the sea

pretty laundry

having some fancy verdure grigliate & typical fried chick pea flour thing.  radicchio, in italy, is typically grilled or sauteed so it is less bitter.  yum!

some eggplant puree with  hazelnut "flan"

ah!  ths thing is amazing, the gelato brioche!!!  typical in Sicily, it is literally an ice cream sandwich.  A sweet, brioche roll filled with gelato!  what an indulgence. 

particularly cute vespa

the cathedral of Cefalu

with some German cyclists resting their pale legs ouside.  German tourists are the most prevalent in Sicilia this time of year.  It's too hot for them during the summer.

mosaics in the cathedral

strangely interesting stained glass (?)

giant, cloth easter egg

 a friend I was traveling with & I received a heart shaped pizza, tres delish!

lots of goats in sicily!  frequently in the countryside you will hear the charming sound of the bells goats or cows wear around their necks.

pretty view of the rooftops of medeival Cefalu taken from Parco della Rocca, up the hill.

there is an ancient castle here built to protect the coast & town, here are the old walls.