Pasquetta, A Time for Friends

Pasquetta, or little Easter, is celebrated in Sicily on the Monday after Easter. While it is not a religious holiday, it is indeed an important holiday, when everyone who can heads into the country or to the shore for a picnic. A big picnic. Fran and I had attended Pasquetta with Cousin Angelo and family in Pietraperzia, as well as with Fabrizzio and his family in the country outside of Sciacca. Today, I would share Pasquetta with Petra, Lute, and Klaus from Germany, and we would go to Fabio's new restaurant in Tre Fontana.

But first, we stopped at a view spot that Fran and I often walked to. She would get there, and take out her camera, and take pictures and pictures and pictures. Always of the same view. She loved it there. We stopped for a short time to remember her, and to look out over the sea, and to shed a few tears together.

It was a wonderful clear day, and looking to the east one could see Sciacca, and to the west, we looked out beyond Menfi to Selinunte and Tre Fontana.

On our way to Tre Fontana, we stopped at Cava de Cusa, where the stone for the great temples of Selinunte had been cut, and where the stonecutters put down their tools and walked away, instead of having to face the invading Carthaginians in 300 BC. It was wonderful, and until a tour bus arrived, it was peaceful.

Then we drove to Tre Fontana, a beach resort, where our friend Fabio had opened a restaurant, and had promised a wonderful meal. His restaurant is on the water, and is right on the main piazza of town. Downstairs, there is a gelateria and bar, and with five people working behind the bar, there was still a line of people waiting for coffee and ice cream. We went upstairs to the terrace dining area, and were treated to a wonderful view of the beach, and the ancient signal tower a few meters away. If the first three rules of running a successful restaurant are location, location, location, Fabio has it made. But the food is also important.

First they brought us a pre appetizer of olives, peanuts, and crackers, with an aperitif. That was followed by the antipasti. All of the antipasti were fish, except for the mixed fried platter, which included ceci flower panelli, deep fried olives, fried mozzarella, and French fries.

Then came the risotti. I had risotto with Gorgonzola, and my friends had a shrimp risotto. Then there were the calamari stuffed ravioli. This was followed by platters of grilled sea food. Huge calamari, octopus, two large fish, swordfish filets, and more large shrimp than you could shake a net at. Oh my. And I had some fried calamari as well. We were so happy when they took the platters away and brought some lemon granita for desert.

But wait, it was not desert. First, we had to deal with a fresh platter of grilled lamb. A mixed salad of course helped, as did the always full bottle of wine. Then we finally had a fruit cocktail of fresh fruit, and an almond cream desert that was to die for. We finally stuggled out of our seats and went to the bar, where we got a coffee to try to keep us awake for the ride home.

If I thought I had eaten well for Easter, I now realized that I was simply in training for Pasquetta. Oh my. Home and in bed and asleep again before ten o'clock. Today, I will diet.