Sicily's Ancient Landscapes & Timeless Traditions Day 4

Day 4 - September 23, 2015 - Wednesday - Palermo; Optional Cefalù & Castelbuono Tour; La Rocca; Madonie Mountains

We joined our whole group of OATers for the optional day tour to Cefalù & Castelbuono on Sicily’s northern coast. It was unusual to have every one involved in an optional tour, but this is a very active and curious group and no one wants to miss a thing!

Our driver, Giovanni negotiated the narrow streets and rush hour traffic to get us out of the city. While we drove into the countryside, Maurizio continued our discussion from last night about the connections of the Mafia with the Allied liberation of Sicily in World War II.

The Mafia was very involved with the Allies, as they wanted to bring down Mussolini, the Fascist dictator, who was determined to take down the Mafia. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend."

Maurizio gave us an overview of the day. He also pointed out the small Aeolian Islands off the coast of Sicily in the Tyrrhenian Sea. The islands are named after the demigod of the winds, Aeolus. Maurizio traced the history of the islands to the Sicani people from 10,000 BCE.

In our travels in Sicily we have seen the flag of the autonomous region featuring a bright yellow and red diagonal background and the symbol of the island. Sicily's emblem is the winged head of Medusa with three legs, which is a sign of good fortune.

After an hour's drive we arrived in Castelbuono, a picturesque town in the Madonie Mountains. The temperature was 73 degrees and the humidity was 64%.

We began our discovery at the Bar San Paolo to use the restrooms and get a coffee or water. The village is very conscientious about recycling and the first person we met was Mario and his burro Valentina who were picking up plastic. Many people took turns having their photos taken with Valentina.

Following our guide, Maurizio, we hiked up the cobblestone streets to the Castelbuono fortress. Built in 1316 by the Ventimiglia Family, the castle had been added on to and renovated in the subsequent 700 years.

As the family died out, the castle fell into disrepair until 1920 when it was purchased by the village. Archaeological studies have been done over the years to learn more about the life and times of the medieval years of the people of the village.

The Ventimiglia Family had connections with the Crusades and was presented with a small portion of the relics of Saint Anne, the mother of the Virgin Mary. The relics were stolen from the castle but recovered.

A new chapel was built in 1683 to secure the relics and provide a beautiful shrine within the castle. There is also a museum of the antique vestments, altar utensils, and bibles.

Back on the medieval streets, we stopped at Fiasconaro, a shop where we tasted manna, a crystallized sap from a local tree called the Manna Ash. We also tasted very sweet bread called panettone, and a dulce (candy) made of pistachios, almonds, and sesame seeds in a caramel sauce called cubaita.

Maurizio gave us another hour to walk around the little village and an assignment to engage with the local people, asking questions, or making conversation. Then tomorrow on our bus ride, we have to report back on our success.

Right away, Vic found five elderly gentlemen and began to talk with his new best friends. The rest of the group visited the Vecchia Matrice church. We visited the crypt under the church to see the well-preserved frescos.

Our included lunch was in a tiny back alley at Nangalarruni. The anti pasta was a bread pie soufflé with tomato sauce, eggplant Parmesan, and local mushrooms with ricotta cheese and a spinach-like green. Our pasta was a light red sauce with vegetables over penne. Way too much to eat for our lunch, but again in Sicily, the main meal is at noon.

We left Castelbuono at 2:00 and drove to Cefalù, a beautiful beach community located between a natural bay on the Tyrrhenian Sea and the towering granite cliff called La Rocca.

We visited the “Sicilian Romanesque” Cefalù Cathedral built in 1131. A wedding was scheduled to begin at 4:00 so we were able to talk to the groom and see the guests arriving; they even invited us to the wedding! After our discussion last night we could not help but wonder if we were seeing some of “The Family”.

Maurizio treated us all to a healthy cup of gelato and then we walked down to the beach and the parking area where Giovanni was waiting for us with the bus.

It took about an hour to get back to Palermo and the hotel. Six of our friends were going to the opera so we needed to make haste and get them back in time.

Vic and I opted out of the opera, (sorry Marvin) but came back to the room and started sorting photos and writing the journal. Gennie was able to get a few pages written on the way home so that helped to make for an earlier evening.

Tomorrow is a travel day and our luggage has to be outside of our door at 7:30. Another good night’s sleep will be welcome.

Accommodations: Hotel Plaza Opera - - - Meal: B & L