CEFALU 25 to 28 May
Up early to catch the 6:30 ferry back to Milazzo, vitually half the price of the hydrofoil and much more pleasant on the open decks with excellent coffee at bargain basement prices. The light was superb, but unfortunately I had finished my last film on Vulcano or there would have been magnificent shots on leaving the harbour and castle of Lipari. I asked in the Siremar office in Milazzo about buses to Cefalu but found the only transport was by train, 'take the bus to an Octopus sign and buy tickets in the Tabacchi'.
Once in Cefalu we went looking for the Rough Guide recommended Locando Cangolisie - but stayed only one night as one had to traverse their living room and table to reach the small but adequate shower and toilet and the owners seemed unfriendly. The tourist office nearby gave recommendations for three hotel/pensionne and we choose La Giarra in the old city for 104,000 choosing it above the excellent Routard recommended Hotel Mediterano on the basis of location.
We strolled around the old city before going for a swim. After which I (the onlooker) and four young men (the target) were treated to a real performance by a young girl tourist getting dressed sitting on the sand and legs angled with care from the skimpiest of bikini bottoms for half an hour. Grooming her hair and tying it back, putting on platform shoes, carefully arranging her hat, before pulling her boob tube down over white knickers and feet, before caressing her breasts. Finally standing to wrap around the shortest of mini skirts, zipping it up the front - and departing.
The bar /gelateria outside the Locando was excellent for the high quality of its beer and campari in the evening and breakfasts of cornetto and coffee.
The clientele being a mixture of local old men and tourists. That evening we ate in the Pizzeria L'Antica Corta so popular there was a queue for tables outside and a courtyard within. Ham followed by Pasta con sarde (with fennel) though Joan has her eyes on spaghetti al limone for the next meal.
26 May Transferred to Hotel La Giarra in the heart of the old quarter and took the my rucksack for repair and re-stitching in a strap at a local shoe repair shop. He did it while I waited for just 2000 (60p).
In the afternoon we climbed up both levels in the cool to the castle giving a fine view though it was overcast with black clouds over the mountains. From the very top one could see the old and new towns. the sandy bays and the port in the opposite easterly direction.
Joan is doing well and her wrist is much improved. That evening we ate in the Portocoillo restaurant in the street next to the hotel under red awnings attracted by the fact that the vast majority of the diners were Italian. I chose an excellent starter of mixed smoked fish then Involtini de Spada (Swordfish), Joan chose seafood salad and tortellini with cream and ham we shared a bottle of Corvo 1999. The meal cost 87,000 and was far better than anything eaten in Taomina.
27 May
Overcast again so we visited the cathedral where we particularly impressed by the mosaic representation of Christ and the altar area with modern stained glass in an abstract style, which looked fine inside but outside they appeared almost opaque rather like fibre-glass. At first we had the church to ourselves until the first of many tour parties arrived, amazing how rapidly the atmosphere changed for the worse.
The next day we coincide with tour parties speaking Italian, French, German but few speaking English. We watched a wedding party arrive and enter via the front door, usual entrance was by a side door, and waited until they reappeared as a man and wife. The guests were mainly dressed quietly in black, grey or occasionally in light beige.
In the afternoon we walked east along the coast but found we could not get to the headland which features on the tourist map because the access is now restricted by owners of some very splendid holiday housing.
Found that Tagliatelli al limone was now crossed off the menu at L'Anitica Corte. So settled for Alici Marante starters and Pizza Marinade.
Sunday 28 May The streets were barricaded to control pedestrians whilst the town was converted into a cycle race track for groups of school children in different age brackets. At last the sun started to shine.
In the afternoon we took the only bus to Castel Buono at 12.45
only to find the castle, church and museums were all closed. We settled in a bar after the patron Mario had spotted us studying the advertised contents of the special Manetto cake of the region and invited to have a free generous portions to taste, served warm. It was made from the hard Manetto wheat flour, egg yolk and white separated, orange, lemon and honey. The outside is covered by a white cream like substance, which turned out to be the sweet manna obtained locally by bleeding ash trees (tapping as per rubber).
At the last moment we realised the church was open so a quick guided visit to see the fully painted murals in the crypt before rushing to the castello for the briefest of looks but sufficient to tempt us to return and stay there the following day - above all encouraged by the friendliness of the locals. We returned to Cefalu after perhaps only three hours by the 16:15 bus,
That evening we had the best meal so far, Joan with her favorite Moules and a tasty soup. I had Rustico a Sicilian vegetable starter then we both followed with Pepite with a shrimp/ artichoke sauce, the for main course I had Involtini again rolls of cooked ham and stuffing, Joan had fresh Calmare and shrimps. The restaurant menu gave a choice of three each for the Antipasta, Primo and Secondo courses, was unusually written only in Italian, which was echoed by exchanges with the clientele. Only one German couple and us braved the language challenge. The quality throughout was superb as was the white Colombard 1999 and all for 66,000. I did not even record the name of the restaurant, Trattoria, Pizzeria, Bar and Spaghetti are the only probably misleading clues.
CASTEL BUONO 29 May only
Up early to catch the 7:50 bus which we shared with several groups of children who were going there to school. Put our large rucksack
in left luggage at the station. Checked in at the Ariston in the triangular piazza, the only hotel in town cheapest so far at 50.000. Old style room without on suite but clean enough with a balcony overlooking the street giving a view of the mountains.
Later that day we walked up to the private castle which had three high quality apartments at 800,000 a week, according to a very friendly informally dressed German who found the owner very attentive to his guests and that the rooms were booked through Agri Turismo or as we discovered later by phone in a number given in the tourist pamphlet for this Ville Levante.
We spent the day seeing the sights, the castello 1300 with its magnificent church founded in 1600 by the Ventimiglia family. It was owned cooperatively by the town who bought from the owner in 1920 and has been extensively restored.
In a separate part of town the church mausoleum and convent with large walled grounds is also being restored with Palermo money. The town is well supplied with excellent restaurants and given a quality hotel could well take off as a tourist destination in the mountains.
We went back to the church and crypt then to one of the museums (originally the old prison cells), the ground floor held priestly clothing and church valuables whereas upstairs displayed local art some donated by the town doctor who also founded La Robinia Gallery in Palermo.
The afternoon we spent visiting the private castle, my directions as usual were astray, there was a more direct route by the main road from the other side of town, but the aimless country walks were excellent, particularly given the huge variety of butterflies of all colours and sizes.
Everyone was helpful and friendly. One of the keepers of the castle, from whom we learned a great deal in a mixture of Italian and French. The guide from yesterdays visit to the crypt greeted us enthusiastically in the Exp Bar of course, as did the friendly German we met earlier at the private castle.
The advised restaurant was Cycas but unfortunately that was closed on Mondays, so we ate at the Nangalamuni just over from the bar where the anti pasta was excellent choosing from three different dishes one being hot vegetarian with mushrooms and with chilli, the other wild boar sausage and the third of ricotta cheese. The next two courses were served on the same plate, first a porchini (mushroom) risotto, then a home made paste with tomato. All finished off with a mixed salad and different cheeses. Not bad for 23,000 each plus wine for 16,000.
Up early to catch the 6:30 ferry back to Milazzo, vitually half the price of the hydrofoil and much more pleasant on the open decks with excellent coffee at bargain basement prices. The light was superb, but unfortunately I had finished my last film on Vulcano or there would have been magnificent shots on leaving the harbour and castle of Lipari. I asked in the Siremar office in Milazzo about buses to Cefalu but found the only transport was by train, 'take the bus to an Octopus sign and buy tickets in the Tabacchi'.
Once in Cefalu we went looking for the Rough Guide recommended Locando Cangolisie - but stayed only one night as one had to traverse their living room and table to reach the small but adequate shower and toilet and the owners seemed unfriendly. The tourist office nearby gave recommendations for three hotel/pensionne and we choose La Giarra in the old city for 104,000 choosing it above the excellent Routard recommended Hotel Mediterano on the basis of location.
We strolled around the old city before going for a swim. After which I (the onlooker) and four young men (the target) were treated to a real performance by a young girl tourist getting dressed sitting on the sand and legs angled with care from the skimpiest of bikini bottoms for half an hour. Grooming her hair and tying it back, putting on platform shoes, carefully arranging her hat, before pulling her boob tube down over white knickers and feet, before caressing her breasts. Finally standing to wrap around the shortest of mini skirts, zipping it up the front - and departing.
The bar /gelateria outside the Locando was excellent for the high quality of its beer and campari in the evening and breakfasts of cornetto and coffee.
The clientele being a mixture of local old men and tourists. That evening we ate in the Pizzeria L'Antica Corta so popular there was a queue for tables outside and a courtyard within. Ham followed by Pasta con sarde (with fennel) though Joan has her eyes on spaghetti al limone for the next meal.
26 May Transferred to Hotel La Giarra in the heart of the old quarter and took the my rucksack for repair and re-stitching in a strap at a local shoe repair shop. He did it while I waited for just 2000 (60p).
In the afternoon we climbed up both levels in the cool to the castle giving a fine view though it was overcast with black clouds over the mountains. From the very top one could see the old and new towns. the sandy bays and the port in the opposite easterly direction.
Joan is doing well and her wrist is much improved. That evening we ate in the Portocoillo restaurant in the street next to the hotel under red awnings attracted by the fact that the vast majority of the diners were Italian. I chose an excellent starter of mixed smoked fish then Involtini de Spada (Swordfish), Joan chose seafood salad and tortellini with cream and ham we shared a bottle of Corvo 1999. The meal cost 87,000 and was far better than anything eaten in Taomina.
27 May
 |
| CEFALU IN THE RAIN |
The next day we coincide with tour parties speaking Italian, French, German but few speaking English. We watched a wedding party arrive and enter via the front door, usual entrance was by a side door, and waited until they reappeared as a man and wife. The guests were mainly dressed quietly in black, grey or occasionally in light beige.
In the afternoon we walked east along the coast but found we could not get to the headland which features on the tourist map because the access is now restricted by owners of some very splendid holiday housing.
Found that Tagliatelli al limone was now crossed off the menu at L'Anitica Corte. So settled for Alici Marante starters and Pizza Marinade.
Sunday 28 May The streets were barricaded to control pedestrians whilst the town was converted into a cycle race track for groups of school children in different age brackets. At last the sun started to shine.
In the afternoon we took the only bus to Castel Buono at 12.45
only to find the castle, church and museums were all closed. We settled in a bar after the patron Mario had spotted us studying the advertised contents of the special Manetto cake of the region and invited to have a free generous portions to taste, served warm. It was made from the hard Manetto wheat flour, egg yolk and white separated, orange, lemon and honey. The outside is covered by a white cream like substance, which turned out to be the sweet manna obtained locally by bleeding ash trees (tapping as per rubber).
At the last moment we realised the church was open so a quick guided visit to see the fully painted murals in the crypt before rushing to the castello for the briefest of looks but sufficient to tempt us to return and stay there the following day - above all encouraged by the friendliness of the locals. We returned to Cefalu after perhaps only three hours by the 16:15 bus,
That evening we had the best meal so far, Joan with her favorite Moules and a tasty soup. I had Rustico a Sicilian vegetable starter then we both followed with Pepite with a shrimp/ artichoke sauce, the for main course I had Involtini again rolls of cooked ham and stuffing, Joan had fresh Calmare and shrimps. The restaurant menu gave a choice of three each for the Antipasta, Primo and Secondo courses, was unusually written only in Italian, which was echoed by exchanges with the clientele. Only one German couple and us braved the language challenge. The quality throughout was superb as was the white Colombard 1999 and all for 66,000. I did not even record the name of the restaurant, Trattoria, Pizzeria, Bar and Spaghetti are the only probably misleading clues.
CASTEL BUONO 29 May only
Up early to catch the 7:50 bus which we shared with several groups of children who were going there to school. Put our large rucksack
in left luggage at the station. Checked in at the Ariston in the triangular piazza, the only hotel in town cheapest so far at 50.000. Old style room without on suite but clean enough with a balcony overlooking the street giving a view of the mountains.
Later that day we walked up to the private castle which had three high quality apartments at 800,000 a week, according to a very friendly informally dressed German who found the owner very attentive to his guests and that the rooms were booked through Agri Turismo or as we discovered later by phone in a number given in the tourist pamphlet for this Ville Levante.
 |
| VIEW OF TOWN FROM CASTLE |
We went back to the church and crypt then to one of the museums (originally the old prison cells), the ground floor held priestly clothing and church valuables whereas upstairs displayed local art some donated by the town doctor who also founded La Robinia Gallery in Palermo.
The afternoon we spent visiting the private castle, my directions as usual were astray, there was a more direct route by the main road from the other side of town, but the aimless country walks were excellent, particularly given the huge variety of butterflies of all colours and sizes.
The advised restaurant was Cycas but unfortunately that was closed on Mondays, so we ate at the Nangalamuni just over from the bar where the anti pasta was excellent choosing from three different dishes one being hot vegetarian with mushrooms and with chilli, the other wild boar sausage and the third of ricotta cheese. The next two courses were served on the same plate, first a porchini (mushroom) risotto, then a home made paste with tomato. All finished off with a mixed salad and different cheeses. Not bad for 23,000 each plus wine for 16,000.
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