Sicily abounds with color, spirit, and cultural pride. On previous visits to Italy, we hadn’t considered visiting Sicily because its image was “too dirty, too crime-infested, too Mafia-controlled.”  But over the last two weeks, Sicily has impressed us with its beauty, vigor and renaissance.

Spring Color in Sicily

Wildflowers abound among the ruins of Greek temples from 420 BC (and before). Who knew that Sicily held the largest two Greek cities outside of Athens during the heyday of the Greek empire?

These temples have been lovingly preserved. Our favorite was Segesta, because it seemed to be in the middle of nowhere. This temple was unfinished – no one knows why.

Other temples in Agrigento and Syracusa also were delightful. Tourists from all over Europe are rediscovering their majestic beauty.

The flowers continued to bloom around the island, broadcasting red, gold, and purple hues.

Treasures Emerge from the Mud

Our visit to Villa Romana del Casale (in the interior of the island) presented a tapestry of Roman mosaics from 300 AD. Apparently, this 37,000 square foot palace was built by a Roman who created his fortune importing wild animals from Africa and Asia. The palace was covered by mud from a landslide in around 1300 and was only discovered in the 1930s. Luckily for us, this was past the period of looting, and archeologists have been working ever since to preserve and protect the mosaic masterpieces. Just as Sicily is emerging from a cloud of past troubles, these mosaics have risen from the mud to show exquisite craftsmanship and quality. The bikini girls, who are depicted as athletes playing volleyball and other sports, are a crowd favorite.

As are the animals who grace the entrance area.

The Grand Hall of the Great Hunt showcases a 200-foot long hunting scene with hundreds of animals. Quite the spectacle!

Street Food Pride

In Palermo, we took a Street Food Tour and enjoyed sampling many local delicacies – including the sfincione – fluffy pizza sold on carts and grilled before serving.

We learned that the delicious canolo should be filled with fresh ricotta cheese and chocolate chips immediately before eating. Otherwise the shell gets soggy.

This Palermo cart vendor cooked “pani ca’ meusa” — boiled spleen, lung and other organ meat served on a roll.

This specialty used to be eaten by the poorest people who could only afford the “leftovers” from the local butcher; now, it’s highlighted on global TV food shows. It tastes much better than it sounds!

Sicilian Pride

Salvo, our handsome tour guide, expressed his Sicilian pride in these tasty treats. He said he used to be embarrassed by his old-fashioned name—Salvatore, the name of his Grandfather– but now he embraces it. After working in mainland Italy for years, he’s returned to Sicily, his birth place, to celebrate its culture and zest for life. He is one of many young people who are returning to their communities and bringing youthful vigor. He is now an expert at preparing a traditional hors d’oeuvre platter with sundried tomatoes, olives, cheese, sardines, and crusty bread. This was accompanied by fortified Marsala wine.

Vineyards Thrive in the Lava

Mt. Etna, the highest active volcano in Europe spews lava down the sides of the mountain. Its most recent eruptions occurred in the spring of 2017 and its last major eruption in the 2008/2009 winter. The silver lining is that the lava creates fertile ground for delicious wine varietals. The area around the crater is dotted with charming wineries and gourmet food meccas, and we learned that “eno-tourism” has grown steadily over the last three years.

At the lovely Planeta winery, our hostess explained how many of her friends have returned to Sicily after living abroad because they missed the good weather, good food, family ties, and overall quality of life. They learned skills in Milan, Geneva, and London (among other cities) and are applying their knowledge to emerging Sicilian businesses.

The winery tasting room was in a building from the 1600s.

This old “chute” used to carry grapes. Upstairs, they would stomp the grapes by foot and the juice would be transported to the downstairs cellar.

We toasted our lovely journey with a glass of Planeta Etna Bianco.

Inside the Volcano

Mt. Etna did not disappoint. We drove halfway up the mountain and hiked around the craters created in 2001 and 2002.

It was a bit chilly, and we were glad that we had our “puffer” jackets. Some adventure tourists were even skiing down sides of the volcano.

Luckily the clouds drifted in and out over the mountains, so we could see the volcano peak when it “peeked” out from behind the clouds.

On clear days, you can see Mt. Etna from everywhere. It said “farewell” to us when we departed from the Catania airport near Palermo.

Sicily’s Love for Tradition

Although some things are changing, some things stay constant. At the Taverna Azzurra in Palermo, this photo from 1950s graces the wall.

On a weekday in May, the same owners were still serving drinks to locals and tourists alike.

In Noto, the locals hold a traditional flower contest where petals cover the streets. This year’s theme was “Americans in Sicily”. This beautiful display included references to Superman, Batman, and Joe DiMaggio.

The cars are timeless. We especially liked the Fiats.

This patisserie along a small road in a rural village has been in operation since 1880. We loved the tasty (and inexpensive) pastries and coffee.

Aperol Spritz

In the last two weeks, there have been articles in the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the SF Chronicle discussing the merits of the Aperol Spritz – the popular orange cocktail made with Aperol and Prosecco. Aperol liqueur has been available in Italy since 1919 and was acquired by Campari in the 1980s. The Aperol Spritz is now popular all over Europe and the US. However, not all connoisseurs approve. The writer for the NY Times wrote that an Aperol Spritz “drinks like a Capri Sun after soccer practice on a hot day. Not in a good way.” We thought this comment was pretty snarky, so we decided we had to try the cocktail and make our own opinion. Sitting in an outdoor café overlooking the water in Taormina, we found the Aperol Spritz to be delightful and refreshing. (No snarkiness from us!)

So, arrivederci Sicily!  We’ve enjoyed our two-week stay. We lift our glass, be it Aperol Spritz or Etna Vino Bianco, and say “Saluti” to all.