Climbing La Rocca

The main event of the day for me, however, was to hike up La Rocca, the mountain directly behind the town of Cefalú. Our destination was the Tempio di Diana, a temple constructed during the 4th to 9th century BC and dedicated to the goddess Diana.

Looking up at what would be our first resting point
on our journey up to the Tempio di Diana.

As we climbed La Rocca, we looked back to catch a glimpse of the newer part of Cefalú. The older and more characteristic
section of the fishing village lies to the right of this view.

Still astounded by those surreal sea views, I pull
energy from the sun-warmed stones during the ascent to Diana’s “Tempio.”

Without a knife (blame airport security), I was unable to pluck and
peel one of these enticing Fichi d’India (figs of India) cactus fruits.
However, back down below after our trek to the top, I did imbibe in
a granita flavored with this delicacy.

We paid our small entrance fee which Giorgio had warned us about, griped about, and said it wasn’t worth paying — by the way, it was worth it! We shortly arrived at several stone structures which we assumed were the Tempio.

Wrong. These were Byzantine fortifications — still interesting, but not the temple we had climbed for. Upwards we continued, amazed at the proliferous Fichi d’India cactus sprouting in clumps all over the mountain. Incredible views of the sea kept halting our progress as we marveled at the glittering emerald and sapphire bay far below. Higher and higher we climbed, eventually arriving at more crumbled stony leftovers, including an old stone oven ready for anyone’s pizza. But this still was not the temple.

Whole wheat or white?

 

Tempio di Diana

Finally we came to a sign: “Tempio di Diana.” This was it! Not much is left but a megalithic structure with huge trapezoidal blocks and a portal dating from the 9th century B.C. But the ancient energy of the site still pervades the area, which we keenly felt as we reverently picked our way through the stones.

Little is known about the site. It occurred to us that visiting Diana’s temple this day was very appropriate, as it was the 10th anniversary of Lady Diana’s death.

Gino, looking at home among the stones. He
may be hiding one or two behind his back.

The Goddess, Diana, returns to her temple…oh! It’s ME!

We scampered around the rocky remains then made our way down to a trail that clung to the very edge of La Rocca, offering more astounding views of the sea.

The crenelated edge of the cobbled path keeps us from falling into the sea.

A bird’s-eye view of the Duomo nestled amongst the tangled streets of old Cefalú.

La Pergola and Other Delights

Back in the town and thirsty from our walk, we spied a little outdoor cafe called La Pergola. We thought this was a good sign, since our vine-covered patio at home is named “Il Pergolato.”

The pause that refreshes.

Gino had a frosty beer while I inhaled the best granita I’ve ever tasted — homemade arancia (orange) and absolutely divine! Granita is a semi-frozen Italian dessert, similar to shaved ice, but so much better, and more coarse than sorbet. On a hot day, you would want nothing else.

The list of granita choices at La Pergola was staggering. I ordered a second one, this time fichi d’india, especially appropriate, I thought, since these plants were all over La Rocca. The flavor was good, but the miniscule seeds of the fruit were annoying and I had to surreptitiously spit them out into a napkin.

We sipped and slurped and pondered about the church across the street which was posted with its identifying sign: “Chiesa di Maria SS della Catena, 1780.” We learned later it had been built on the town’s ancient walls.

 

We finished walking the streets, stopping to admire a ceramic shop with lovely pieces made by the shop owner. Noticing a prevalence of the color red in the local pottery, I asked the proprietor why. It is the color of Etna, as well as the color of a local saint. Of course.

A heavenly oxymoron: The Church of Purgatory? Also known as the
church of San Stefano, the latter name seems a bit more welcoming.

Posters depicting a large Madonna statue held high over the shoulders of a human procession hung in several shop windows. According to the dates, a local festa was taking place that very day. I asked a shopkeeper where the festa would be held, hoping maybe we could see this spectacle. Unfortunately, it was happening a few miles from Cefalú. Ah well.

As we started back towards the train, a colorful postcard stand outside a little shop diverted our attention. Entering the shop to make our purchase, the owner asked where we were from. After we all chatted a bit, he offered us each a little glass of Marsala. It was delicious! I regret not buying a bottle from him.

Finally, he gets to sit down…and what better place than a staircase
adorned with Majolica tiles? Gino, Mr. Ceramic Man, is pleased.

Then it was time to go back to the train and return to Palermo.

By the time we returned, it was late afternoon. Being Sunday, things were fairly quiet, an ideal time to simply meander. As evening fell, we kept watch for an enticing-looking place to eat and eventually stumbled upon Piazza Bellini tucked behind the Fontana Pretoria.

Several tables were arranged outside, creating a large, open-air restaurant filled with noisy diners. We secured a table and congratulated ourselves on this great find. Soon our table was filled with Antipasti Bellini, raviolis stuffed with pumpkin in shrimp sauce, grilled vegies, Fettucini Bellini, and scallopini Marsala, an honorable dinner for Apollo and Diana.

September 3 – Palermo

Gino woke to find me hanging out the window, cackling to myself as I peered through the video camera, capturing the street below. The chaotic traffic swirling below our window three stories down provided the morning’s entertainment. What an comedic opera!

Soon Giorgio arrived with breakfast provisions, and we gathered in the dining room to meet newcomers, a couple from Holland (Leif and Natasha) and a young woman from Los Angeles (Elizabeth), while we ate. After sharing stories and pastries, Gino and I took off to explore Palermo in earnest.

One of the two sphinxes standing guard at the entrance to the Orto Botanico di
Palermo (the Botanical Garden). Because of its beauty and rich variety of rare
plant species contained in its 250 acres, this botanical garden is considered one
of the most important in Europe. Designed in 1789, the entrance facade faces
“Via Abramo Lincoln” — yes, named after Abraham Lincoln!

Palermo (sometimes referred to as the Rome of Sicily) is truly ancient. Founded in the 8th century by the Phoenicians, its first name was Panormos, meaning “all harbor.” A succession of conquerors through the centuries resulted in an eclectic mixture of cultural influences, including Arab, Greek, Norman, and Spanish. Palermo’s diverse architectural styles reflect this city’s patchwork past and we were ready to see them all.

“Psssst! Can you reach the doorbell for me, Buddy? I’ve been waiting
years to get back in!” During our morning wanderings, Gino meets up
with yet another of his tin buddies. Somehow, they keep finding him.

Our first destination was the nearby church, San Giovanni Degli Eremiti (St. John of the Hermits), built in 1132 for Roger II. Within the enclosure of the church grounds also lie the ruins of a monastery built in 581 for Pope Gregory the Great. The readily distinguishable and identifying feature of this entire sacred space are five ochre Arabic-influenced domes leftover from an earlier mosque.

I was eager to see the grounds which, I had read, also featured a “delightful garden of citrus trees, pomegranite, roses and jasmine.” The 2007 edition of Frommer’s described it as “one of the most idyllic spots in Palermo.” I couldn’t wait! What a lush and tranquil santuary in the midst of Palermo’s craziness this must be. Giorgio, after hearing of our intentions, advised us there was no longer much to see and it was not worth our time, but despite his warning, we headed there anyway. How could the guidebooks be wrong? Not clearly marked, the entrance was somewhat elusive, but we finally found it.

Unfortunately, Giorgio was right. Most of the enclosure was under reconstruction, both the gardens and structures. As we tried not to look too disappointed, a kindly gentleman led us to a cramped second-floor lookout for a very limited view of the once-lovely gardens, now merely scraggly leftovers amidst what felt and looked like an abandoned construction site.

The Cattedrale (Cathedral) – an imposing structure in the heart of Palermo. The 1000-year old cathedral, built by the Normans over an older Byzantine church and later modified into a Mosque by the Arabic Saracens, offers architectural examples from each of these cultures.

 

 

 

Inside the Cattedrale, time-stained statuary depicts religious stories and themes.

A surreptitious view into a lush courtyard. An art
and ceramics store occupy the ground floor.

A weather-worn, but still beautiful fountain graces
the courtyard, offering cool drinks to passersby.

Hoping for better luck, we moved on to our next site: Palazzo dei Normanni. This time the entrance was clearly indicated: a sign posted the opening days and hours. Despite the sign, however, we were crestfallen to learn that the palace would be closed all day. A guard standing nearby responded to the tourists’ confusion by simply smiling and shrugging apologetically. “Yes,” he confirmed, it would be closed all day, but no, he did not know why. “This is Sicily!” he laughed. OK, on to the next.

We crossed through a beautiful park: Villa Bonnano (which is not a villa but a garden). Crossing streets to reach it was an experience in itself, but having mastered the technique of navigating the treacherous traffic, we set foot unscathed onto this tranquil oasis in the middle of the city. One section of the park harbored the stony remains of three ancient Roman houses, including a huge round bathing tub and an intricate mosaic floor, Vesuvius style.