CHOCOLATE TOWN

Over the past few days, Modica has once again come into its own as the chocolate capital of Sicily with its ChocoModica festival. It's not as big or as international as the Eurochocolate or Chocobarocco festivals used to be, is well organised nonetheless and actually, I found it calmer and more enjoyable. Mind you, I left at 7:00 pm and, as the last shuttle bus to Modica Bassa is scheduled for 1:00  am., I imagine things are livening up down there about now!

There were several exhibitions about chocolate-making and its history to attend, and no end of chocolate objects to gaze at or purchase:

You could decorate your tree with chocolate objects. "What balls!" says the label and yes, the expression does have the same naughty meaning in Italian!

Or maybe you fancy a chocolate silhouette or cameo?

Take your pick from these ideas for presents:

I thought this was cute

but my favourites were the chocolate caffettiere:

There was also chocolate-flavoured pasta. [I've tried this and found it good:  the chocolate taste is not overwhelming.]

I just had to have orange and chilli-pepper chocolate ice cream! Well, wouldn't you?

And finally, nothing to do with chocolate, but I like these Xmas angels that have popped up all over Modica. I could do with an angel right now.

A pleasant festival for everybody.  Well done, Modica!

SABATO MUSICALE

In a homage to Modica's lovely Casa delle Farfalle [Butterfly House] my choice today is this anti-war song, written and performed by the great Roberto Vecchioni :

Roberto Vecchioni - La Casa delle Farfalle



"At the end of every night
of every war in every time
there is a house of butterflies in the midst of the wind."

A VERY SPECIAL HOUSE

"The butterfly counts not months but moments, and has time enough."

- Rabindranath Tagore

As an added attraction during Chocobarocco, the Comune of Modica set up a very special "house" in the atrium of the town hall - the casa delle farfalle or "butterfly house", which has actually been open for a month and closes tomorrow.  It has been a huge success.

Around 300 butterflies fly freely in an environment especially created for them and biologists are on hand to care for them. Visitors are greeted by calming music and the sound of running water as the beautiful, ephemeral creatures fly all around them, alighting on a lapel, shoulder or head as they please.

Congratulations to Modica on creating this magical oasis in the city centre and for giving so much pleasure to residents and visitors alike.

Look on the right!

I couldn't decide whether I liked the blue, green or the last pure yellow butterfly best.  How about you?

The experience reminded me of some lines written by Colette about her mother, Sido:

"Son grand mot: 'Regarde!' signifiait: 'Regarde la chenille velue, pareille à un petit ours doré!  Regarde la première pousse du haricot, le cotylédon qui lève sur sa tête un petit chapeau de terre sèche..... Regarde, vite, le bouton de l'iris noir est en train de s'épanouir! Si tu ne te dépêches pas, il ira plus vite que toi!"

"Her great word was 'Look!' meaning: 'Look at the hairy caterpillar - it's like a little golden bear!  Look at the first shoots of the bean, the seed leaf popping up with a little hat of dry earth on its head......  Quick - look! The bud of the black iris is opening.  If you don't hurry it will go faster than you!' "

A TOUR OF CHOCOBAROCCO

This evening I am going to take you on a tour of the 2011 Modica Chocobarocco Festival, which began on Friday and finishes today.

But first here is an image of another journey, that of chocolate to Modica in the sixteenth century.  The tradition of chocolate making arrived here with the Spaniards and they, of course, had learned their techniques in Mexico.  The Aztec method of chocolate making, which uses no dairy products, is still observed in Modica.

Are you ready?  Hold on to your hat!

As you board the little train, you will see an advert for the English International School  and I unashamedly give the school a plug here.

As you tour the exhibits, you will see chocolate worked into all sorts of shapes and forms:

Fancy a new caffetiera?

The chocolate computer mice proved more popular with children than the skeletons!

Want to update your winter wardrobe?  How about a chocolate shoe?

Or maybe a rose for your love?

Modican chocolate experts were joined by colleagues from other towns with a chocolate making tradition, such as Perugia:

Anna from Modica shows us a white chocolate creation:

Antique implements for working chocolate were on display:

Moulds like these are still in use.

One of the festival's main attractions has been this water-powered clock, inspired by the clock on Modica's Norman castle and made by local craftsman Enzo Terranova. The clock, made of iron and steel,  is 1.5 metres high and 600 litres of water, in a container below it, power it by means of a hidden electric motor, which takes the water up.

There was chocolate-inspired art to enjoy:

This map is made of foil chocolate containers.

And there were chocolate pizze of all flavours:

I took home a slab of the chilli pepper chocolate above.  My, it packs a punch on a cold, rainy evening!

This article is cross-posted at the blog of the English International School, Modica.