Where the wild oregano grows...

For the second time signore and I drove from one side of Sicily to the other, this time from the west coast to the east, with a quick visit to the south coast along the way.  Our destination was a farm on the slopes of Mount Etna.  We are staying with Carmelo and his American wife, Debbie.  Carmelo grew up here, and as he is now into his eighth decade, he knows the area very well.  Carmelo and Debbie welcomed us so warmly - gifts of cannoli and a bottle of their homemade, organic vino rosso, and a bottle of their olive oil. We've discovered along the way that this hospitality and warm friendship is a Sicilian trait.  From our small, comfortable guesthouse the view in one direction is to the vineyard responsible for their exceptionally good red wine Tra Amici, another to their olive grove and fruit trees and another to the crater of Mount Etna.  All around the garden beautiful oregano grows happily in the rich soils.  Just pick a handful and throw it in a pan with Carmelo's olive oil, chopped red, red Sicilian tomatoes and a few slivers of spicy, traditional homemade Sicilian sausage....that's breakfast!

Last week signore and I had in two weeks visited two active volcanoes.  Week three in Italy and we've now visited three!  Mount Etna towers above the surrounding coast and countryside.  Carmelo and Debbie told us how far up we could drive and see the recent lava flows, they also gave us useful tips for the best provincial roads to take for spectacular views, and which villages to visit.  We enjoyed listening to their Etna stories, descriptions of Etna eruptions and other bizarre volcanic activity.  Just a few months ago, Etna spewed up a grey column which drifted right over Carmelo and Debbie's home and the surrounding villages and rained black volcanic dust and rocks.  Carmelo said in his lifetime he'd not remembered such a deposit from Etna.  They showed us photos of their clean up to remove the thick layer from their terrace, roof, steps, driveway, gutters.  As we walk around the garden there's a pleasing crunch, crunch, crunch of the small volcanic rocks underfoot. All the black ash and stones were barrowed and deposited on their vineyard.  Apparently it's rich in minerals and trace elements - Carmelo's 2013 vintage might be his best ever!

On Sunday we visited the farmers market in nearby medieval village of Randazzo, and also decided to investigate that very Sicilian tradition, the two hour Sunday lunch followed by afternoon rest in the heat of the day. 

We visited Taormina and, even lovelier Castelmola, the little town at the very top of the mountain that looks over Taormina.  On local advice we drove right into Taormina and found it to be nowhere near as hair-raising as some of the roads we've experienced in other parts of Italy. On a congested, narrow, three way corner in Taormina, as we attempted to turn left along with several other vehicles wanting to turn in other directions, just as it was looking like everything was coming to a noisy standstill of horns and waving arms, an elegant Polizia Municipale officer took two steps from the nearby café onto the cobbled street and with a few sweeping hand signals sorted out the cars and sent us all in one direction!  I'm sure as I looked in the rear vision he had already stepped back into the café.

We actually found driving in Taormina easier than joining the rivers of tourists that seemed to fill each narrow street - it was Taormina Film Festival time.  Russel Crowe was there, Meg Ryan and Amy Adams were there, Jeremy Irons, even Prince Albert of Monaco was there (sadly though James Gandolfini wasn't).  In fact the media reported that Teatro Antico hosted the largest crowd in recent memory on the opening night of the Festival. Yes, we'd arrived in Taormina on day two of the Festival, and whilst Taormina was lovely, I'm afraid we did what we've done before when places are either too crowded or too hot.....we went to the beach!  To nearby Isola Bella and the beautiful Bay of Mazzaro.

Heading along the autostrada towards Catania, our first
view of Mount Etna and the long narrow ash cloud that
she was blowing that day.

As we drive up Mount Etna, this is lava flow from 2002 eruption
that destroyed the ski resort of Rifugio Sapienza.  Apparently
during a recent eruption 12 new summit craters opened up.

All over the mountain can be been old rivers of lava.

It's rocky and solid and very difficult to walk on.

I read that Sicilian writer and poet Leonardo Sciascia called Etna
"a hugh house cat that snores quietly and occasionally wakes up"!
I like this analogy, it fits nicely with Italy's love of cats especially
the 'gatti liberi' - the 'free cats' that live outdoors in streets,
parks, in historic buildings and monuments.  They might be strays
but they're protected by law!

And walls and building in the villages around Etna are constructed
of......black volcanic rock of course.

Sunday morning farmers market, Randazzo - on the north of Etna.

The spring water from these Etna village 'wells' is so clear, and
cool and fresh.  In this hot summer weather we stop
 at many to fill up our water bottles.

This is the restaurant Carmelo recommended for Sunday lunch -
in an old wine pressing mill, it serves typical Sicilian food,
organically grown around Etna and the nearby Nebrodi
mountains.  It's called Quota Mille - that's 1,000m up Mount Etna.

And this is just the entrée!  Sixteen samples of typical Sicilian starters,
followed by meat, vegetables and divine semifreddo alle mandorla.
All accompanied by Quota Mille's vintage wine.....So that's why
Sicilians have a nap after Sunday lunch! 
On this particular Sunday we did too!

Quota Mille was packed with well-dressed Sicilian families enjoying
a very long Sunday lunch.

Taormina

Sicilian east coast from on high.

Taormina (hi Enzo :))

Driving through Taormina.

Café San Giorgio, Castelmola

Above Taormina is Castelmola - this is one of the terraces of
Cafe San Giorgio.

Pretty Sicilian balcony

Castelmola's piazza San Antonio.

Isola Bella

Bay of Mazzaro - beautiful beach

Beautiful afternoon

Sarah, you probably should attend!

Maybe one of these would have made it easier to get around Taormina!

Taormina, and above it on the top of the hill is Castelmola.

Bay of Mazarro, Taormina Mare.

Moon rise over Mount Etna and our last night in Sicily.
Sicily, after even just a short time you're very hard to leave,
we're going to miss you very much!