SICILY

On the plane from Rome to Palermo I came across this warning as I was skimming through the Lonely Planet guide: "Do not drive in Palermo if you can avoid it". And they weren’t referring to the mafia.

I shuddered. What to do? Our smart little VW Golf was waiting for us at Palermo airport and I had volunteered to be driver. My mother and I had only just survived the past few days driving through the crazy streets of Naples and Rome with my father in the driver’s seat. I read on. "The city has a massive problem with gridlock, which makes getting from one side to the other virtually an all day affair. Also, Palmeritans seem to have little respect for the rules of the road though if you have dealt with Rome or Naples in your own car, Palermo will present no difficulties". I had never driven in Italy so this was pretty scary stuff.

We decided to catch the bus into town and to settle into our hotel overnight before picking the car up next day. The old part of Palermo is easy to get around by foot so as soon as we’d dumped our bags, we set off. It was a warm autumnal Saturday afternoon and wedding processions greeted us at almost every turn. In Piazza Bellini a large crowd had gathered outside 'La Martorana', Palermo’s famous medieval church. Sleek black limos had blocked the passage to the piazza. Children in frills and flounces were running about and there was much chatter. One young boy was dressed in an all-white19th century outfit with up-turned collar and pantaloons. He was accompanied by his mother, who wore an elaborate shawl over her head and shoulders and was carrying a baby dressed in formal white clothes. and his father who was dressed in black and pushing a stroller.

I did a double-take – had they just stepped out of Visconti’s 'Il Gattopardo'? Sicilians are renowned for their sense of pomp and pageantry, something we were lucky to see played out before us in front of the baroque façade of this unique church.

Close to 'La Martorana' is the arresting San Cataldo with its three red domes, a fantastic reminder of 12th century Arabic-Norman architecture. We’d been told that the nearby Ballaro markets were much better than the more famous (yet run-down) Vucciria markets so we headed in that direction. Along the way we came across the Chiesa del Gesu, the façade of which was in fact used as one of the sets in 'Il Gattopardo'. The interior of this church is encrusted with angels and decorative motifs by Giacomo Serpotta and is an outstanding example of Sicilian baroque, demonstrating their love of ornamentation. Talk about over the top.

Getting lost in the winding narrow streets and lanes of central Palermo is part of the city’s charm and we eventually stumbled across the bustling market. You can spend hours here looking at the sun-drenched fruits and vegetables, checking out the fresh seafood and tasting olives, anchovies and fresh cheeses but we had little time and needed to find somewhere to dine before returning our hotel.

A foodie friend had recommended 'Piccolo Napoli' down near the Borgo market (there are almost as many markets as churches in Palermo!). We hailed a taxi and ten minutes later found ourselves inside a typical trattoria, clean, bright, unpretentious and humming. A generous table of 'antipasti' greeted us as we walked in. Our waiter suggested three typical Sicilian dishes – 'panelle' (fried chick pea fritters), 'pasta alla Margarita' (with anchovies, sultanas, pine nuts and dried tomato sauce) and 'la spada al forno' (roasted swordish). For dessert a freshly peeled prickly fig and a slice of the famous Sicilian (though curiously rather tasteless) 'cassata'.

We planned to hit the road early next morning. Fortunately it was a Sunday morning, the streets were quiet and the car-hire office was open. I was still feeling uncertain about driving and the young man behind the desk did nothing to alleviate my anxiety. He pointed at the car, reeled off a few rapid instructions about gears and closing the side mirrors when parked then left us to it.

We set off gingerly for Monreale, got lost on the freeways out of town but eventually found our way to this hill town 8K’s south-west of Palermo. Monreale Cathedral is not to be missed. Filled with stupendous 12th and 13th century gold mosaics which occupy the nave, aisles, choir and transepts, it is one of Europe's top attractions. We sat in the church for an hour or so just taking it in. The carved columns in the Norman cloisters are also well worth seeing.

 

My confidence in driving was boosted by this successful foray and we decided to proceed with our original idea of driving around the island. Our plan was to head to Cefalu and follow the coast around as far as Syracuse then to head inland to visit Anna Tasca Lanza's cookery school at Regaleali then south to Menfi to visit the Ravida Olive Oil estate.

By mid afternoon we had reached the medieval seaside town of Cefalu which is dominated by a 12th century Norman Cathedral. This is quite a touristy town especially on a Sunday but it’s fun to wander the unspoilt narrow streets. We drove onto Milazzo, gateway to the Aeolian islands, arriving in time for for a late dinner at Ristorante al Pescatore not far from our digs at Hotel Garibaldi (via Garibaldi, 160). The seafood risotto and grilled seafood were very good as was the small recently refurbished hotel.

Next morning we were up early to take a ferry over to Vulcano (workshop of the god of fire and war, according to the Greek myth), not the most pleasant of experiences. The air-con had broken down, it was hot and steamy and many passengers were seasick. The island itself was a disappointment too (you need to take proper walking gear to climb the volcano), and perhaps we should have stayed on the ferry and disembarked at Lipari. However, in typical Italian fashion, there were no signs to tell us which island we had arrived at and we only realised after returning to Milazzo that the fare had included Lipari.

Once we’d manoeuvred the car out of the car park near the dock (very tricky!),we drove on through Messina to the famous and very touristy hill town of Taormina. It’s impossible to park in the centre and also very difficult to find accommodation so make sure you book well ahead. We drove right to the very top on, a venture not for the faint-hearted, and managed to find a park. A band, dressed in black and gold uniforms, was playing outside the church (for a funeral, as it turned out) and we felt once again as if we’d stepped into another century.

We were running out of time to get to our cooking class and drove onwards to Syracuse (where we stayed overnight on the island of Ortygia), then inland via the melancholic baroque town of Noto, Ragusa (the setting for the famous 'Montalbano' TV series) and Piazza Armerina (famous for its ancient Roman mosaics) to the Regaleali estate near Vallelunga in the heart of the island. If you want to learn about Sicilian food, this is the place to come. Anna Tasca Lanza has been running weekly classes during autumn and spring from her magnificent family estate for 15 years. Many of the recipes have been handed down over the centuries and have been closely guarded. A tour of the vineyard and winery and tastings of Regaleali wines is included. Copies of her books "The Heart of Sicily" and "The Flavors of Sicily" can also be purchased and make marvellous gifts – and memories.

After staying overnight at the estate, we headed south through rolling hills to Agrigento, stopping off to walk through the Valley of Temples, a destination not to be missed. Then it was back along the coast past Porto Empedocle and Sciacca to Menfi to visit the Ravida family at their charming 18th century frescoed villa. Natalia Ravida and her mother run cooking classes from their marble fitted kitchen during the summer months using local seasonal produce generously drizzled with flavoursome Ravida extra virgin olive oil.

Sadly, we had to be back in Palermo next day to catch the plane to Rome. As I drove back along the eucalyptus-lined freeway I recalled my original panic and smiled. I could drive like the best (and worst) of them now – and had even learnt to call their bluff, an important trick when touring around this fascinating island.

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