Tennis, Houses, Paternò & Morricone

Elena came up to greet us, after being in Dusseldorf for three days. We got her caught up on what we're doing and what needs to be done over the next few days, then she grabbed more Christmas things from the attic and went back to her apartment to decorate.

I cleaned the lower bathroom, always a chore, and got out for a walk to take another look at houses. I will do my homework before we return the next time, although Rosalba's place is making the most sense.

This house is on the road behind Bistrot, which I discovered overlooks the belvedere 

The grotto is setting up for tomorrow, Feast of the Immaculate Conception 

Poinsettias everywhere right now

Even the vehicle colors are Christmasing

Usually there are cylinders of gas on 

display upon the steps, and a man and this woman take breaks and smoke there. 

I'm always a little afraid to walk by when that's happening 

A pic of my entrance onto v.V. Emmanuele to hold me over until my return

You can buy produce after getting gas here

Cyclamen are a popular Christmas plant 

Gathering at the main piazza. I love the street lamps.

House for sale behind Elena's, 

on via Castriota 

For sale on via Inessa

We had a light lunch on our own, then Joe went to play tennis with Vincenzo. 

I got in one more walk at dusk, just to drink in my little town these last days we're here.

A man after my own heart

Teensies of houses! But what a drain pipe!

Belvedere at dusk

Paternò in background; we'll be there tonight

More gardens

Looking toward Adrano

In any US city, this might be stolen

Christmas on Baroque windows

Street lights aglow

What make is this?

Via Vittorio Emanuele, walking home

Farmland on the edge of town

Tonight, off to Paternò, to the agriturismo, where we'll listen to live music. Tonight's theme is the music of Ennio Morricone, an Italian composer whose music starred in films such as Cinema Paradiso and The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly, to name but a few.

These concerts at the agriturismo are followed by a big dinner, buffet style, featuring local greens and vegetables for the antipasti, a pasta dish, soup, local fruit, and dessert, with caffè and amaro afterward, if so desired.

Agriturismo music venue

Excellent trio included an incredibly talented violinist 

A roaring fire warmed the room

The dinner was in the palmento, a building used in the ancient method of wine production

In Sicily, the palmento is an ancient winemaking room located next to the vineyards. This traditional structure of the Etna territory was built in lava stone and was used until the mid-twentieth century. The harvested grapes were put in the palmento and, through a multi-level system built according to the morphology of the soil, were pressed with the feet (pista), filling the barrels located underneath with must. The origin of this term is wrapped in mystery, but it may refer to the fact that the tub where the grapes were crushed is elevated from the floor (parmentu). The wine must would flow through a system of channels made in stone (cannedda) towards the fermentation vats (ricivitùri) and then to the aging tanks, which were located in a room beneath called “ispensa”, a cellar containing 100-200 hl chestnut wood barrels.

It was a day filled with lots of short busy moments strung together, and to bed at nearly 1:00 am, so today's blog is the Cliff's Notes of all blogs!