More Island Exploring - Castelbuono, Pollina and Palermo!

Part II of Island Exploring

Castlebuono

The exploring continued as Marie, Lani and I made our way to Castelbuono, a beautiful little mountain town about 20 minutes from Cefalù.  Castelbuono is famous for its 14th century castle which the town was built around.  The Ventimiglia family founded the city which began to grow in the 17th century.  It was pretty wonderful driving up to this quaint town and seeing the huge mountains behind it - it made Marie and I feel at home.

The Castle from the road below.

Beautiful tiled church.

While walking past a great little shop that was sharing samples of their pannetone and pistacio butter (yum!) a man noticed our accents and started chatting with us.  Turns out he lives in Miami for most of the year and spends a few months of his summer in Palermo and Castlebuono.  We asked him what we needed to see while we were there and he said "Come on, I'll show you." Again, another example of how warm and friendly people are and how a chance meeting can shape not only your day, but sometimes your life as well.

Fiasconaro - delicious breads and sweets!

So began the Tour de Emanuele of Castlebuono...

The Castle, which is now a beautifully restored museum featuring various art exhibits and views of the surrounding hills.

View from the Castle.

Incredible courtyard.  I wanted to take a nap here.

What a view!.

We asked where we should have lunch and after thinking about it for quite some time, he decided on a little restaurant we were passing by.  I haven't had a meal like this since Tuscany.  One of those places where there are no menus - you just tell the waiter if you have any food allergies and the endless food begins to appear...

First, (thanks Marie for taking food notes) antipasti for about an hour: egg soufflé with caramelized onions, shaved zucchini with fresh creamed ricotta, pork carpaccio, sweet tomato "salsa", eggplant caponata, veal tartar and the best fresh bread to "fare la scarpetta", which is what they call soaking up the sauce and remains on your plate with the bread!

Then an amazing zucchini lasagna with pork belly type bacon on top, a fresh pasta in a pesto and pistachio sauce with ricotta shredded on top!  At that point we were so full "sono piena" that we refused the secondi which would have been a fish course but after seeing the table next to us getting their dolce we could not resist.  A smashed layered cannoli.  WOW.  We couldn’t stop saying meraviglioso, fantastico, que buona!

Egg soufflé with caramelized onions, shaved zucchini with fresh creamed ricotta. 

Sweet tomato "salsa"

Eggplant caponata

Zucchini lasagna with pork belly 

Fresh pasta in a pesto and pistachio sauce with ricotta shredded on top 

Smashed connoli

Our handsome tour guide, Emanuele.

Of course, stopped for a cafe after and they made us try their cannoli and cream puffs.

While walking around we learned much more about our gracious tour guide.  Emanuele is an artist - a sculptor, musician and cultural promoter of his beloved Sicily.  Definitely take a look at his site if you're interested: Emanuele Viscuoso, www.viscuso.com.  His home in Castlebuono is in a portion of what used to be a huge palace owned by his family.  His remaining wing is all kept in the original design from when his grandparents lived there.  He invited us for a tour of his museum-like house and we happily accepted! 

I loved seeing this old copy of Dante here.  So Italian!

Pollina

We were sad to say goodbye to our host, but before sending us off he suggested we visit the nearby mountaintop town of Pollina.  This is one of those sweet little mountain towns I imagine when I think of Italy.  There were absolutely no tourists, only 360 degree views of both the Sicilian hills and of the Tyrrhenian Sea.  It was really hazy that day but in the distance you could see La Rocca in Cefalu.  What an incredible spot!

Pollina (not my picture, found on Google)

View of the amphitheater and mountains from Pollina.

Pollina - looking over the sea!

View of the sea from Pollina.

This is actually a view from La Rocca in Cefalu of Pollina in the distance.

Palermo

The last stop on this tour of Sicily was Palermo.  As Lani would be flying out the next day we stayed at a hotel in the heart of the city and enjoyed an incredible view of this ancient city's rooftops.  I had read that Palermo is a chaotic, loud and crazy city but I'm pretty sure everyone in Palermo was at the beach when we arrived as the city felt nearly empty!  I felt pretty unprepared to explore a city so rich in history and culture and hadn't done as much research as I usually would have.  It's Baroque/Norman/Arab architecture make you feel like you're in another country.  We stopped by some of the major sites on our tourist maps, but our favorite spots were from our rooftop and the incredible dinner spot we were referred to, the Antica Focacceria San Francesco.  Well worth the long wait (even in an empty city) at 10 p.m.

Palermo

Palermo

 Giardino Garibaldi with some of the most incredible banyan trees I've ever seen.

Hotel rooftop at sunset.

Marie, Lani and I in Palermo.

Antica Focacceria San Francesco

As always in Sicily, the nights are late and the mornings come too quickly.  Marie had to rush back to Italian class in Cefalù the next morning. Lani and I enjoyed a nice "goodbye" breakfast on the rooftop recapping the laughs of our trip and the lessons we both want to take away. Almost every day of Lani's visit we would laugh about how 15 years ago back at CU Boulder, we never would have pictured ourselves here in Sicily together. Life is such a wonderful journey and the people you meet along the way shape that journey if you let them.