Cinema Paradiso and more

We shot our bleary selves out of bed and were on the road to the Arab side of the island by 8:00. I’m not sure what I packed.

Driving along for about an hour, we met with Vincenzo and Mariella’s friends at a service stop. We had breakfast and organized ourselves, and a couple of hours later, we were lost. I told Vincenzo that I’m very happy this also happens to Sicilians.

No matter. We cut through some of the most beautiful pastoral scenery imaginable. This side of the island is truly lovely; the photos from the car window don’t do it justice.

Solar field 

Donkey

Village

Dog sentry

Vincenzo at the wheel

Groves of red wildflowers 

Random ruins in the middle of nowhere 

A truck stop flea market

Just another gorgeous hillside

We pulled into a small town and bombarded a little panineria with our lunch orders. Soon, we saw Nello from the group, waving us toward a street corner. 

We are in Palazzo Adriano, and a guide is waiting to show us around. This is the town where the award-winning film, Cinema Paradiso, was made. It reminds me a lot of my family’s town of Ripabottoni.

Cannoli stop

Underpass of Marias, Greek and Albanian

Alfredo’s house (from the movie)

Fountain in the piazza

Castello Federiciano Sec XIII

Cute dog

Castello Federiciano Sec XIII-courtyard 

We moved from the film sites to view some of the local traditions and handicrafts. One step into the cultural center (a size of several office cubicles), and I felt I basically opened my grandma’s linen cabinet. It once housed hundreds of items like these.

And, because no Italian town visit goes without a church, we stopped into the oldest one. The crude exterior belies the insides.

Giuseppe & Giuseppe

Our crazy group

And, an Orthodox Church—many from this area still speak Greek. The Mass is spoken only in Greek here. The guide was mildly impressed how much I knew about the service, and how to make the Orthodox sign of the cross (without touching the left side of your body). Thanks, St. George GOC!

Laurel leaves strewn for week of Orthodox Easter 

These stone interiors are cold

I knew St. George would be in here somewhere 

Next, a drive through more beautiful countryside to see L’Eremo (the hermit cave and grotto) di Santa Rosalia.

Of noble birth, Rosalia’s father was Duke Sinabaldi, a vassal of Norman kings; her mother, Mary Viscardi, also a noble related to the Norman royal family. Because of Rosalia’s extraordinary beauty, she was chosen as maid of honor to Queen Margaret of the famous Norman Palace in Palermo.

The Cave is where Santa Rosalia lived before moving to Monte Pellegrino in Palermo, reputedly to hide out to escape being married off to King Rugero, and to dedicate her life to God. A vision she had confirmed her choice. The surrounding caves still house bones of some of the hermits who lived in them.

The entrance to the cave—a crevice in the rock, really; you must get on all fours to enter the Alice In Wonderland opening—leads you toward two rooms, and at the back is a constantly lit shrine with a marble statue of the saint. It’s not for the claustrophobic.

Throughout the Black Death (Circa 1624), there were so many lives lost. A poor man, who couldn’t bear the loss of his young wife, was set to throw himself off Monte Pellegrino. Rosalia appeared to him in a vision, dissuaded him, took him to her cave, the church, and through the valley, to the city to inform Cardinal Doria of the bones that were set in the rock, because they were hers. Her father had been searching for Rosalia’s remains. They were carried in a procession on foot, to Palermo. When the procession finished, the plague vanished, and this was Rosalia’s miracle for sainthood.

The views didn’t suck

Entrance to the grotto 

Think thin

Marble statue of Rosalia

The hike both to and from the grotto was Walden-esque.

The old man walk

We tried, after that, to go to the Teatro di Andromeda, but upon arrival, they told us we had needed to call in advance to reserve. Italians rarely take no for an answer, but try as many convincing group members did, it was to no avail. I suggested someone call now and book us, but we couldn’t get through. So we looked at some cows and Filippo, the cardiologist, picked some healing herbs.

Extraordinary views

Cows

So, on to the B&B. It’s beautiful! 

Principe d’Aragona BnB

Controlled agriculture (restorative) burn

Great Re-use idea for broken planter

Two couples discovered they had to share a bathroom. There caused a Sicilian kerfuffle. After that scene, Mariella appeared very tired. “It’s two nights,” she said, wearily. 

We’re staying at a place down the road, so we’re just at their BnB for dinner. But one of the couples wanted a room at our place. Mariella and Vincenzo gave theirs up at the pretty BnB, and came with us. Our place ended up being nice enough, but nothing like theirs.

B&B Baglio di Melograno

For dinner, we had five courses of appetizers, a cheese course, two pasta courses, a mixed grill of meat (veal, sausage, pork), and a fruit plate for dessert.

We rolled our stuffed bodies to the Clio and headed to our much-awaited pillows to call it a night.