SUMMER TIDES - 7

Another week brings another tragedy, this time involving a migrant boat off Al Khums [Homs], about 100 miles east of Tripoli. The Libyan Navy managed to save 22 people who were clinging to the remains of the wreckage but it is estimated that 100 are missing. So far 20 bodies have been recovered.

The boat, which was, as usual, inadequate, was carrying around 155 passengers and was heading for Italy. It is not yet known what caused it to capsize but it is thought that the passengers might have suddenly all moved to one side or that the condition of the boat led to the tragedy. Survivors say it was very old.

Over 800 African migrants arrived in Italy on Tuesday alone and of these 192, including three pregnant women, were rescued by the Italian Navy north of Libya. A petrol tanker sailing under a Bahamas flag saved 114 Somali migrants and Mare Nostrum operatives saved a further 404, including a pregnant woman and four newborn babies.  All have been taken to Puglia.

Today 95 male migrants, including 40 minors, have been saved south of Lampedusa in another Mare Nostrum operation. These migrants have been taken to Palermo and will be transferred to other centres in Italy after 48 hours [the time needed for initial identification and assessment, including medical checks].

Also today Ragusa police have arrested three men on suspicion of aiding illegal immigration - that is, of being people traffickers.

But let us end on a heartwarming note with a tale that renews one's faith in Italy: a few days ago a young woman named Naima, who had arrived in Italy on a migrant boat with her parents and husband in September 2013, went into labour at the Cara di Mineo Centre for Asylum Seekers [Catania]. She was first taken to hospital in Caltagirone, where doctors discovered that the baby was suffering from a rare and serious intestinal malformation. Naima would need surgery and time was of the essence. She was immediately transferred by helicopter to the Policlinico di Palermo and there an interdisciplinary team were able to save the baby, who is now well and basking in their attention and affection. The lead surgeon says the baby boy will not need to be in hospital for long. Naima and her husband want to stay in Italy and are waiting for documents that will allow them to do so. Meanwhile, welcome to the world, little one and well done, Caltagirone and Palermo!

SAGRA DEL FICO D'INDIA, MILITELLO

The good folk of Militello in Val di Catania sure know how to have a  festa and today my naval officer student Cristiano and I headed there for the Sagra del Fico d'India e della Mostarda or Prickly Pear and Mostarda Festival. 

There were stalls as far as the eye could see, selling everything from clothing to ceramics to honey but the star attractions were the parade of traditional Sicilian carts and the band of the Bersaglieri, the crack troops of the Italian Army who run everywhere.  Obviously, I could not photograph the latter but I can tell you they were a wonderful sight in their traditional black, plumed hats and, of all the bands on show, received the loudest and longest round of applause from the crowd.

All restaurants in Militello being solidly booked for lunch, we headed to Caltagirone and spent a pleasant few hours there, too.  Near the famous ceramic steps, in the Church of San Giuseppe, there is a display of crib figurines from all over the world and this year, a group of volunteers has created a nocturnal crib scene with a model train running on the "bridge" which surrounds it.  The train symbolises a messenger spreading the good news of Christ's coming around the world.  All donations from visitors go to a fund for the vaccination of Tanzanian children against malaria.

And I almost forgot: at Militello there were prickly pears on sale everywhere, from €3.50 - €6.00 per crate, depending on the size of the fruit:

A TRIP TO CALTAGIRONE

It occurred to me the other day that it is many years since I have visited the "ceramics town" of Caltagirone. It is about an hour and a half's drive from here in the Catania direction but not easy to get to by public transport. I mentioned it to Rosa, who immediately exclaimed, "But my husband will take you anywhere you want to go on a Sunday!" Thus it was arranged. [I paid him, of course, as he usually does casual work on Sundays. He said he much preferred the idea of an outing!]

So this morning the three of us set off in jovial mood, with the car stereo playing cheerful Greek music. It crossed my mind that here I was, a Welshwoman in Sicily, in a car with two Albanians with whom I speak Italian, listening to Greek lyrics. That, to me, is what Europe is all about - or should be.

How, you may ask, did Caltagirone become the ceramics capital of this side of Sicily? It seems that there was already a ceramics industry there at the time of the Arabic invasion and the Arabs taught the local craftsmen techniques such as glazing. The town's name derives from Arabic and means "Castle / Fortress of Vases / Genies".

Arriving at our destination at around 9.15 am., we hurried towards Caltagirone's main attraction, La Scala, a monumental stairway built in 1608. In 1954 local artists decorated the 142 steps with ceramic patterns which were used as far back as the tenth century. This stairway is illuminated for 25th July, the day of the town's patron saint, San Giacomo. On either side of the stairway you can see craftsmen at work in their shops, as you can all over Caltagirone. Here are Rosa and Fulvio [both have Italianised their first names] on the stairway:

And Rosa and me:

A detail from the steps:
There are ceramics everywhere in Caltagirone:


Many of the craftspeople make cribs and the figurines for these. I have always loved the way that, in Sicily, the onlookers at the Nativity are portrayed as ordinary, local people of a century or so ago. This must make it easier for children to identify with the story and also enable people to feel closer to their religion. There is a presepe [crib] museum in Caltagirone and here is a crib from one of the shops we visited:


I would have liked to have purchased the central figurine in this shop window but I couldn't afford it, nor would I have room for it. Fortunately for me, the shop was closed!

The same goes for these owls in their little dwellings. [Owls are a symbol of good luck in Italy.]


Here is a detail of the Cathedral façade

and the bell tower:

The municipal park has this lovely gazebo. In 1693 much of Caltagirone was destroyed by the famous earthquake and the town's reconstruction left many irregular corners. However, that is not the reason why this first picture is slightly wonky; I was taking it using one hand whilst holding on to Rosa for dear life with the other, as if I absentmindedly step back to focus a photo I still fall over! [I don't know how to "unwonkify" it.]



The park is really very pleasant with some attractive vistas:



And my purchases? Well, I like lemon squeezers

and I have long coveted one of these. [What is it for?]

For stacking your plastic beakers when you entertain your hordes of friends and relatives!


Here are the links to some shops we visited as you can view their wares on their sites better than in any photographs I could take:

Vincenzo Velardita
Ceramiche Conarce s.r.l.
Brillantino

I liked Caltagirone very much on my first trip there and I like it even more now.