ALLA STAZIONE

Tu pur pensosa, Lidia, la tessera

al secco taglio dài de la guardia,

e al tempo incalzante i begli anni

dài, gl'istanti gioiti e i ricordi.

"You, Lydia, thoughtful too, give your ticket up for the dry clipping of the ticket collector, and give up your beautiful years, the moments you have enjoyed, to fleeting time."

- From Alla stazione in una mattina d'autunno by Giosuè Carducci, a poet who caused me much misery in my student days but whom I have come to appreciate.

Writing in the Guardian last week, Matthew Fort describes a wonderful meal he had in the restaurant in the converted old station of Ficuzza, in the Palermo area. Well, Ragusa Ibla is not to be outdone as it has its very own restaurant in its former station, too and that is where I went last night with Marco and family.

We had finally fixed a date for me to treat them all to pizza to celebrate [three months late] my year here. In Italy, as I've written before, you order a whole pizza each, not one to share between you. Last night I had an agrolce [pictured first] of rucola [rocket], bresaola [air-dried, salted beef], parmesan and orange. Below you can see what the others had. Very nice gin and tonics there, too!