RIDING AROUND

We are packing and trying to get little things taken care of before we take off in about a week. The weather has been cool and partly cloudy so no real temptation to spend a lot of time out of doors. One important thing we have to do is to put the lemon skins into alcohol to rest for a month before we make limoncello (the drink) so that we will have sufficient supplies for ourselves and our guests. I am just not sure about making it in the states as it is important to use untainted lemon skins for color and flavor. The same is true about using American lemon skins for the famous lemon cream pasta, although we do take the chance at Jo’s. We’ll also make a cinnamon liquor called ‘cannellino’ (from the Italian word ‘cannella’, cinnamon) at the same time.
Yesterday we went off to Palermo to pick up some prints we had left at Angelo’s store to have framed. The trip was lovely, for the acetesole flowers were out in the artichoke (‘carduni’) fields, the olive trees were almost all trimmed with the branches on the ground ready for fragrant fires. We got to check on the progress of our favorite building site, a long building being built around 2 small colourful rooms in the middle of a field in an agricultural area between Menfi and Sciacca. As you can see, the crane is bringing a tool cart up onto the roof in one of the pictures!
But it was raining in Palermo, and the horrendous traffic there made it all the more awful. We did a little walking around and seeing the sights before we went back to the frame shop. The fake blue and green palm trees on the main business streets were MOST ugly especially next to real palms and baroque churches like San Domenico in the picture. The fountain and statues they call Piazza Pretoria but that locals know as Piazza Vergogna (‘piazza of shame’ because of all the naked statues) is finally almost done with its major reconstruction. It is also just around the corner from Angelo’s shop, as is La Matoranna, the Norman church and convent known for its marzipan candy. In fact, In Sicily marzipan is either known as ‘pasta reale’ or ‘frutta di matoranna’ for the nuns who made it famous.
We especially wanted to talk to Angelo to invite him and his current heart throb to join us for Carnavale when we get back. We did get to meet her and have lunch at a wonderful bistro with them. Her name is Cincia (like Cynthia) and she is very sweet. Angelo has just turned 30 but is still the irrepressible kid we met so long ago in the bus to our hotel in Istanbul. His friendship has always been a delight-you never know what will happen with him next.
In fact, this morning I was surprised to see Angelo and his brother drive up in front of our house here in Sciacca. He had left his cell phone in our car and did not have any of our phone numbers anywhere except in his cell, so he had to drive all the way here to pick it up! While he was here, he looked at the Barchetta to make Steve an offer to buy it. Steve had thought of getting rid of it and was talking about getting a more economical car with less power but that we could take for rides around the countryside even with the top up. The paint job is being slowly chipped away with the sea air and the sun. Angelo has always liked this car, and so wanted to see it again. Who knows? We may be talking about a new deal in vehicles in the next little while!
Limoncello (the canary) seemed to miss us a lot for he spent a good part of the evening when we got back flying about and following us around when we let him out the cage. This morning he sat on the bell over the computer, next to my parent’s pictures, keeping an eye on Steve so he would not get away from him again.