Zafferana Etnea: Slopes of Mount Etna

The last three nights of our stay in Sicily were spent at Monaci Delle Terre Nere.

Monaci delle Terre Nere
an agriturismo, hillside retreat
on the slopes of Mount Etna

Once a part of a noble’s family’s estate, Monaci provides views of Mount Etna and the Mediterranean Sea, along with 40 acres of farmland. These fields are the source of much of its kitchen’s delicious ingredients, including organic fruits and vegetables as well as its estate produced olive oil.

What began as a private residential project morphed into a small, unique, environmentally conscious boutique hotel. The owners, Guido Alessandro Coffa and Ada Calabrese, spent years restoring the place, creating a mix of modern interiors within a 18th-century landmark that is especially striking in the common areas where you can relax with a cocktail or a glass of wine.

The secluded property makes a great base from which to explore the up-and-coming Etna region. This is the same villa that Anthony Bourdain and his production crew used as home base for filming the fifth episode of the second season of Parts Unknown.

Gus and Joan were assigned Suite Amabile, located in the main building above the kitchen. The suite featured lava stone walls and a partial view of Mount Etna. A very small and almost nonfunctional bathroom was located up an unbanistered stairway while a Jacuzzi bathtub was oddly positioned in the living area of the suite.



Stairway to Amabile







Suite Amabile
bathroom, below left, and bathtub, below right
(photos courtesy of 1 Kind Design)





Arriving, checking-in, and after unpacking we had time to walk around and explore the villa's grounds. 

That evening we ate in Monaci's delightful and informal restaurant.  While the ambience was informal the food was anything but ... Gus and Joan had a spiny Mediterranean lobster (the species has no claws) for two. Our waiter brought the live lobster to our table and asked how we would like it prepared. We ordered grilled which was decadent but simple. Along with a contorno, wine, and dessert our dinner was delicious; the service was pleasant, no the service was beyond pleasant it was delightful.

The next day we were scheduled to tour Benanti Winery. Our appointment was in the early afternoon which left us with an open morning to enjoy a wonderful breakfast and a few hours by the pool.

Unfortunately, Joan was not feeling well and decided to take the afternoon off to recover.

The Benanti family villa is attached to  palmento (door on the right).
The palmento , although no longer used, was the traditional way of making
 wine in Sicily. First you crush the grapes with your feet; then the wine is carried
 down by gravity into the vats where it ferments. Palmentos fell out of use in the
 1990s, when EU regulations forbade their use for commercial wine (the fear was
 that their open-air construction made them prone to contamination).

The winery occupies a 17th century palazzo with spacious, ancient outbuildings, and large open sheds all with terracotta roof tiles.

Valentina Donvito, our hostess and guide.
A former Italian professional basketball player
 from 1995-2014 who, after finishing playing,
 became fascinated with wine and is now an
 apprentice at Benanti, learning the business.

Four or five acres of grape vines staked in rows in the black
 volcanic soil occupy the hill that slants upward behind the
 buildings in the direction of  Mount Etna.

Monte Serra Vineyard
These 120-year old vines on the Benanti estate on the southeast side of
 Etna grow Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Capuccio varietals included in
 Benanti Serra Della Contessa.



In order from left to right
Benanti “Pietramarina” Etna Bianco DOC 100% Carricante
Benanti Nerello Cappuccio 100% Nerello Cappuccio
Benanti Nerello Mascalese 100% Nerello Mascalese
Benanti Rovittello Classic blend of Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio
Benanti Serra Della Contessa Classic blend of Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Capuccio

 Below the Benanti 5+1

We tasted all six wines at various locations around the property. The tour was described as a "dynamic" tasting. Stopping at five different locations ― first the vineyard summit, next the palmento, then the grand dining room adorned with the family's art collection, next the oak barrel cellar room where red wines are aged, and finally the tasting room ― we tasted wine paired with food. The food consisted of bruschette, caponata, Nebrodi salumi, cheeses (such as fresh made ricotta), fresh fruits, green and black olives, fresh cherry tomatoes from Pachino, sun-dried tomatoes (pomodori secchi sfiziosi), and Sicilian breads.

Curt and Lynn in Benanti's wine tasting room

Lynn singing "'O sole mio"
on the steps of the winery's palmento.

Gus and Curt after an afternoon of wine tasting.



Our group with the owner of the vineyard, Giuseppe Benanti.
Giuseppe, a stylish and handsome man, with a neatly trimmed
 grey beard. A beard which Gus admired.

Before we left Benanti we purchased a case of 2004 Serra Della Contessa (93 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate; anticipated maturity: 2009-2016) and arranged for it to be shipped back to the Bay Area. A bit extravagant but Gus and Curt considered it a good, if not great, value.

Our afternoon at Benanti was "Che figata!"

Returning to Monaci we rejoined Joan and had another very nice dinner at the villa's restaurant. The next day we had plans to attend a cooking lesson with Eleonora Consoli in her La Cucina del Sole. Unfortunately, Eleonora had taken ill and had been hospitalized consequently the lesson was cancelled.

In place of the cooking lesson we instead visited Taormina, Sicily’s most popular chic resort town. Dating from the 4th century BC, Taormina is perched dramatically high on a rocky promontory overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. It’s a charming medieval town with typical cobblestoned streets leading into spacious squares. And while it is unashamedly touristy and has a main street lined with high-end designer shops, the town remains an achingly beautiful spot with gorgeous medieval churches, and a stunning Greco-Roman theater.

As we approached Taormina, we were treated to unexpected sweeping views of the Mediterranean Sea. The rugged hillside surrounding and protecting Taormina gave us a feeling that we were entering a separate Sicily.

Isola Bella
Picturesque island , covered with lush vegetation, which is just a
 few hundred feet from the beach. A thin strip of sand connects it
 to the mainland making it accessible by foot; however the path
 naturally emerges and disappears at the whim of the currents and
 tides .

After driving around the perimeter of the old town we descended by way of Via Pirandello to the beach at Mazzaró. We parked in one of two public parking lots in the area and took the Taormina - Mazzaró cable car back up to Taormina. The cable car dropped us off right outside the city walls of Taormina.

Curt and Lynn

Gus and Joan

  

A Soldier Puppet of Charlemagne

The Sicilian soldier puppets are called Paladins and they are dressed in historically accurate armor. Some are Christians and some, in turbans, are Moors. In "an opera of the puppets", apart from the soldiers, there is Charlemagne and his queen, ordinary citizens and troupes of horses. A dragon may also appear from time to time. The Paladins have loud sword fights and the puppeteers are very skilled, as their fights involve rapid and complex movements and sometimes feature large numbers of puppets on stage at the same time. 

Enjoying the atmosphere and pulse of this enchanting town we wandered up and down the narrow pedestrian streets and alleys with no destination in mind. After an hour or so of exploring we stopped for lunch at Trattoria La Botte. La Botte was a bit more expensive than it should be, but the setting was terrific— under a natural sun terrace of plants on a quiet, breezy little piazza off Taormina's beaten passeggiata path. Along with several forgettable dishes we did share a pizza from the restaurant's wood burning oven that was quite good.

Joan, Gus, Lynn, and Curt

After lunch Gus just had to have what some have claimed to be the best granita in the world from Bam Bar.

We strolled around for the next hour or so shopping, people watching, enjoying a gelato or two, and simply admiring the ambiance of this old-world resort town.

Back at the villa we collected a recommendation and reservation for dinner at

Borghetto S. Caterina Pizzeria (15 minute drive from Monaci). L'antipasto of arancinetti very good, good but not great pizza with fresh ingredients, and cold Italian beers. Service was pleasant yet slow. We passed on dessert and headed back for the night as morning was to come all too soon.



Returning to Monaci marked the beginning of the end to our Sicilian adventure. We were to leave tomorrow morning on flights to either Marseille (Gus and Joan) or Venice (Curt and Lynn). The trip has been a Dichotomy of Beauty and Wonder ...

Adesso capisco!

“For over twenty-five centuries we’ve been bearing the weight of superb and heterogeneous civilizations, all from outside, none made by ourselves, none that we could call our own. This violence of landscape, this cruelty of climate, this continual tension in everything, and even these monuments of the past, magnificent yet incomprehensible because not built by us and yet standing round us like lovely mute ghosts; all those rulers who landed by main force from every direction who were at once obeyed, soon detested, and always misunderstood, their only expressions works of art we couldn't understand and taxes which we understood only too well and which they spent elsewhere: all these things have formed our character, which is thus conditioned by events outside our control as well as by a terrifying insularity of mind.”       

Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, The Leopard  

Val di Noto: Wander, Wonder, and Relax

Donnafugata Golf Resort & Spa located in the heart of Val di Noto was our base from which to wander, to wonder, and to relax for the next 3 days. The order of our activities was to be determined.

More than a resort, it looks rather like a small Mediterranean village with tile roofs, low houses painted in yellow or orange, and little gardens  of lavender, rosemary and Mediterranean flowers.

... and then a spectacular carob tree.

Carob Tree

Everything was immersed in total silence.

Our walk to breakfast

We enjoyed a lavish breakfast buffet each morning on a beautiful terrace to the resort's restaurant Il Fico d'India.

Infinity swimming pool.
Spa to the left  and the golf course behind.

Dinner at the Club House 19th Hole

For our primo we had a wonderful dish of pasta Orecchiette with Pistachio Pesto (Americanized recipe).

The entrance of the Spa is surrounded by a small wood of super-green bamboo trees.

Joan

6:30 - Luxury Aromatherapy Massage

"Apart from relieving stress and muscles

 tension, improving sleep and eliminating liquids,

this massage offers a feeling of well-being, for a

 complete regeneration."

 

Gus

6:00 - Man Experience - Facial Cleansing

"Accurate and deep facial cleansing periodically

recommended for male skin. It purifies the skin

preparing it for subsequent specific treatments."

 

7:00 - Super - Man Massage

"A total body deep massage, performed with

soft manipulations to stretch the contracted

muscles, with warm oils, giving a pleasant sense

of relaxation and reinvigoration throughout the

 body."

This is earthquake country, and one earthquake in particular shaped it, when a huge tremor in 1693 flattened more than 100 towns. Undaunted, the local aristocracy rebuilt them in the style of the time, an elaborate confection of carved stonework known as Noto baroque – an extraordinary feat of reconstruction that included building 600 churches and countless palaces and other structures, all within the space of 50 years.

Among the towns destroyed in the earthquake were the towns of Modica and Ragusa. Both towns were rebuilt in the then-current Baroque style, with local interpretations that became known as Sicilian Baroque. Along with six others (Caltagirone, Militello Val di Catania, Catania, Noto, Palazzolo Acreide, and Scicli) Modica and Ragusa were named a UNESCO World Heritage Site as the "culmination and final flowering of Baroque art in Europe." 

 

While Gus and Joan decided to take another "day off" and just hang by the pool and read Curt and Lynn were off to Modica. A town famous for its chocolate and Baroque architecture. Modica is divided into two parts, “higher” Modica and “lower” Modica, which are connected by numerous flights of steps (Gus and Joan's absence somewhat respectful to Joan's upcoming hip replacement surgery in just over one month) and boasts fine late-Baroque architecture.

 

Chocolate, invented by the Aztecs, was brought to Europe from Oaxaca – which was under Spain, just like Sicily at the time. Antica Dolceria Bonajuto started making chocolate in 1880, and has followed the same method ever since: cocoa seeds are ground, without eliminating any of the fatty “butter”; slowly heated; mixed with sugar; ingredients such as vanilla or cinnamon are added; finally kneaded & beaten.

Curt in line to buy chocolate bars at
Antica Dolceria Bonajuto

Two days later we all headed off to Ragusa. We parked in "Upper" Ragusa and without any destinations or sites in mind wandered the neighborhoods.

 

 

Inspector Salvo Montalbano  is a fictional character created by Italian writer Andrea Camilleri in a series of novels and short stories. The series is shot almost entirely in Ragusa and surrounding towns.
 

The view from the upper town over Ragusa Ibla on its own separate hilltop.



Ragusa Ibla



Upper Ragusa with Lower Ragusa (Ragusa Ibla) in the background

Gus, Joan, Curt, and Lynn in Upper Ragusa

 

Yet another day in Val di Noto we headed off to Syracuse or Siracusa.



Our wonderful guide,  Eva Greco
A personable, well-informed Siracusana who is
remarkably passionate about her hometown.

We began our tour with the island of Ortigia, Siracusa’s nucleus for thousands of years. We found parking in an area where parking spaces were scarce if not impossible to find and capture. Parked, we headed off on foot ...



Ruins of the Doric Temple of Apollo
dating from the 6th century B.C.

Much of the island’s charm lies in wandering down narrow medieval lanes, past romantically-crumbling – or lovingly-restored – Baroque palaces and churches.


Narrow medieval lane

Ortigia is a very charming city. Its principal buildings, and many others, have been carefully maintained or restored and the fact that it is essentially a pedestrian city gives it a special character that it shares with places like Venice. We serendipitously chose to visit today, 2nd June, which is Republic Day in Italy. There were crowds but it was not crowed.

 

We soon found ourselves in Piazzo Duomo, a refined elegant semi-elliptic square surrounded by the most elaborate buildings on the island – the Cathedral of Syracuse (Cathedral of Santa Maria delle Colonne), Palazzo Senatorio, now housing city hall, Palazzo Beneventano del Bosco, Palazzo Arcivescovile, and the Chiesa di Santa Lucia alla Badia. The buildings and the flagstones of the piazza are all made from a pale local stone that gives the overall picture a pleasing uniformity. A few citrus trees poke their tips over the wall of a high garden overlooking the piazza.





The Piazzo Duomo
from left to right Palazzo Senatorio, the
 Cathedral of Syracuse,, Palazzo Arcivescovile,
and the Chiesa di Santa Lucia alla Badia

 

The cathedral stands on the site of the 5^th century BC Temple of Athena. It is unknown when The Temple of Athena became a Christian church but the earliest known date is 640 AD. Around this time, the Bishop of Syracuse moved the Duomo of Syracuse to the site of the temple. The structure was destroyed by an earthquake in 1543. Later, its Norman façade was replaced with a Baroque façade designed by Andrea Palma in the 18^th century.

Although not conspicuous, in the above photo, the "double cross" on the top of the cathedral was particularly interesting to Joan. After asking Eva - "What is the significance of a cross with two cross-bars to Christians? Does it carry different symbolism than a normal cross?" Rather than answering the questions, Eva stated that Joan had "occhio lungo" or a "long eye"; Joan had a discerning eye and saw or noticed things that many people miss or fail to see.

 

Column adorning the gate of the Cathedral.

 

The nave of the Cathedral of Syracuse.  
The pillars were created by opening the walls
 of the internal cella of the Temple of Athena.

 

Simple yet beautiful wooden ceiling above the nave
 of the Cathedral.

Chapel of St. Lucy
 St Lucy (Santa Lucia) is the patron Saint of Syracuse,
 where she was born and martyred in 310 AD.
Hear Mario Lanza sing "Santa Lucia"

Palace Benventano del Bosco



Caffè la Piazza

Palazzo Arcivescovile
Lemon trees poking above the wall. Behind
the wall is a splendid terrace and hanging garden.



Chiesa di Santa Lucia alla Badia
 containing a large Burial of St. Lucy by Caravaggio.
The façade of the church is crossed by a wide balcony from
 which the cloistered nuns could observe the ceremonies in
 the in the piazza.

No photos were allowed inside the church.
 

Along the way from the Piazzo to the west coastline of the island Gus asked Eva about the Sicilian economy and employment opportunities. Eva, without hesitating , said that "the economy is very difficult but getting better, however, job opportunities continue to be scarce, especially for our 'twenty-somethings' who are living with their parents and are delaying getting married and starting families." It is estimated that for every 100 working Sicilians, there are 28 people seeking a job and another 22 willing to work but not actively searching, the highest level among all 28 European Union countries; unemployment for those under 30 (33% of Sicily's population) is even higher. See Svimez Report 2015  for more detailed comments on the economy of Southern Italy (Abruzzo, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Molise, Puglia, Sardinia and Sicily). On a brighter note, tourists, particularly foreigners, continue to play a pivotal part in Sicily's economy and Eva is busier this year than she can remember.

 

Fonte Arethusa
Studded with puffy-headed, willowy Egyptian papyrus.



Legend has it that Arethusa, originally an Arcadian nymph, fled underwater to Siracusa in an attempt to rid herself of the persistent amorous advances of the river God Alpheios. The Goddess Artemis transformed her into the fresh water spring that we can see in the photo above. All was in vain, however, as Alpheios located his prey and mixed his own waters with hers. Legend also has it that the spring is directly connected under the sea to the river at the sanctuary of Olympia. 

Leaving Ortigia we followed our guide, Eva on her Vespa, across Ponte Umbertino and through the sprawl of a modern city to the Neapolis Archaeological Park and the ancient Greek Theater. 

Oh, what a setting.
 Greek Theater on Temenite Hill
Can you see the Mediterranean Sea in the middle left
 of the photo? The curtain rises as the sun sets and a
 magical performance begins.
 

Like all Greek Theaters, this theater is built into a hillside. This was a necessity because the Greeks needed a hillside setting to support the theater seating. It wasn't until the Romans later began building with arches and concrete that a freestanding theater, like the Coliseum was possible. The semi-circle shape was used to aid with acoustics. Constructed in 474 BC and expanded in the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC. Its size was very impressive despite the fact that much of the stone was removed to build the walls around Ortigia between 1520-1531. The tradition of performing ancient Greek plays was revived in Syracuse in 1914.  Plays first performed here over 2,500 years ago are now performed at sunset, in Italian (with translations by famous writers such as Salvatore Quasimodo), without sound systems because of the quality of the theatre's acoustics. Each theater season begins in May and ends in July, attracting thousands of spectators from all over the world.

 

Scenography from Aeschylus’ The Suppliants
the first play performed of the 2015 season.

Ancient building nearby and northeast of the theater.

 

La Grotta del Ninfeo

 

The rectangular holes in the rock are niches where paintings
 and votive tablets honoring Syracusan heroes were displayed.

 Latomia del Paradiso (Paradise Quarry)
The deep limestone quarry to the east of the theater is a
 peaceful and green spot, filled with oleander, and bay
 trees, citrus trees, and olive trees.

Latomia del Paradiso is Syracuse's largest and most famous quarry. Following the Athenian expedition to Sicily the quarry (along with several other quarries in and around Syracuse) became the place where the 7,000 defeated Athenian soldiers were jailed. Cold in winter and hot in summer, being imprisoned in the quarries was tantamount to a death sentence; the prisoners were left to die of hunger and exhaustion, with no possibility of escape.

Ear of Dionysius
 A grotto carved into the rock wall of Latomia del Paradiso.
 Named by the painter Caravaggio because of is shape like
 an elfin ear and the amazing acoustics, which supposedly
 allowed Dionysius to eavesdrop on prisoners housed in the
 quarry.





We took our lunch at Ristorante Red Moon. The restaurant was filled with locals enjoying pasta and seafood at reasonable prices. It is quite casual and unsophisticated, but the seafood was fresh and it was a great value. On the downside ...

• the day was hot and the tent (the dining area is actually in a tent) was full to capacity and the space was not adequately ventilated; in spite of several fans we suffered the heat,
• busy, loud, and chaotic with lots of families and several large groups,
• the service was unapologetically slow and a bit "strange",
• the kitchen was not serving pasta with sea urchins (Spaghetti ai ricci di mare) by late April the "urchin season" is over, and
• the dishes that we did order (pasta with squid ink, fritto misto, braised octopus, all washed down with many cold beers) although fresh, were simply okay!
  

Red Moon turned out to be a favorably reviewed (Fodor's, Lonely Planet, eGullet, and TripAdvisor) restaurant which failed to deliver.

We wandered, we wondered, and we have relaxed. Tomorrow we head to the northeast of the island and will stay in a boutique country hotel set amidst a Sicilian Estate in the foothills of Mount Etna.