CHIGNON AND PIZZA

I'm a bit sad at the moment, but I cheer up when Margherita fixes me a summer chignon:

Seeing friends is always good, especially with a backdrop of Modica by night:

And this original way of serving pre-pizza chips, a spiced pork pizza and gel all'anguria with a foam all helped no end!

TOURISM - IN A WORD

Modica, Santa Maria di Betlem

I've often said that a lot of the problems Modica has with promoting tourism could be overcome if the tourist board and council would realise the importance of one word - aperto [open]. Nothing is more frustrating to a tourist who only has a day to spend in a certain location than to arrive at the most interesting or beautiful building in the place only to see a notice saying, "Chiuso - torni domani" ["Closed - come back tomorrow"].

To be fair, it doesn't only happen in Modica, in Sicily or even in the South but I do have to say that every time I have passed Modica's Church of Santa Maria di Betlem in recent years - this is the church with the famous crib featuring Sicilian characters - I have noticed that it has been closed and felt sorry for any hapless tourists visiting the city that day.

Now, though, an agreement has been signed between officials of the churches of Santa Maria, San Giorgio and San Pietro, a consortium of tourist companies and the cooperative Progresso Ibleo, which will be charged with the security of the churches during opening hours. Under the agreement, the churches will remain open all day during the tourist season.

Far be it from me to be cynical but I do hope that those concerned realise that the tourist season includes August and that "all day", to folk not from these parts, encompasses the hours between 1 and 5pm!

You may be interested in this 2010 article of mine for Italy Magazine, "The Bells of Santa Maria".

A SICILIAN WEDDING

Duomo di San Giorgio, Modica

There is no lovelier church in Modica than San Giorgio and here it is decked out for my young friend Giulia's wedding:

And she's here!  I'm not normally one for weddings but I've known Giulia since she was eight years old and found myself crying as she walked up the aisle with her proud dad:

An hour and a half later, the happy couple are wed:

Now, ladies, I'm sure you want to see the back detail of that beautiful dress:

And here's the other important dress of the day!  You wouldn't normally wear black to a wedding in Britain but here full evening regalia is called for:

I acquire myself an escort::

You may be interested to know that here, the bride and groom do not travel ahead of their guests to the reception and greet them there.  It is the other way round:  the newlyweds go off to have more photos taken, often at a location some distance away, while the guests sort of amble along to the reception location and wait there. [Some even go home in between!] Thus, although in this case the church ceremony had begun at 5.30 pm., the  celebration meal began at 10 pm.  As you can imagine, when the sposi do arrive, it is to much applause and cheering.

I wasn't fast enough to get shots of all the antipasti, which were served buffet-style, but here are some of them:

Of course, there were arancini:

Guests were asked in advance whether they would prefer the fish or the meat menu.  I don't eat fish but will show you both options in the following photographs:

Delizie del Mediterraneo - Mediterranean medley

Piatto di salumi

Risotto all'astice - lobster risotto

Risotto ai funghi - mushroom risotto

Trofie lido mare - trofie pasta with seafood

Trofie alla verdura - trofie pasta with vegetables

The ricciola [greater amberjack] fish is expertly cut.

Ricciola al profumo di finocchietto - greater amberjack flavoured with fennel

Filetto di manzo - fillet steak

Sorbetto al limone

Time for the wedding cake, Sicilian style:

Finally, there were bomboniere [wedding favours] for all the guests. The pretty little package contains white sugared almonds:

Grazie per l'invito, Giulia e Simone.  I'm sure you will all join me in wishing Giulia and Simone a long and happy life together. Cincin!

GYRATING SAN GIORGIO

Before we leave the topic of San Giorgio for another year, I thought you would like to see this clip of him being taken on his "turni" in, out of and around his church. [This is not a clip from this year.] His youthful carriers were, indeed, exhausted by the end of 30 turni and I think there are many worse things they could have been doing on a Sunday night, so I do admire them.

I must say the final fireworks in his honour were magnificent and Simi and I saw them on TV and heard them in reality. Not to be outdone, she shook her toys and adopted her "That'll learn 'em" pose [her English vocabulary is suffering a bit since she has learnt so much Italian!] She wants me to assure you that dogs join in all the festa fun!





Blognote: I have been unwell for the past few days - nothing to worry about - and know I have been a poor blog visitor. I am hoping to put that right tonight and tomorrow. Please bear with me!

DOPPIA FESTA!

Down to Modica Bassa this evening for the last part of our famous Eurochocolate festival: this celebrates pure, Modican chocolate and now attracts visitors from all over the world. I'm sure that some of my readers would think they were in heaven, as there is just stall after stall selling chocolate or chocolate products!

I must say that this event shows that the Sicilians can get themselves organised when they want to: there were shuttle buses from this district and from nearby towns and a ticket kiosk had been set up right by the stop. [There can be few visitors to Sicily or even Italy in general who have not tried to catch a bus somewhere, then discovered that the tickets have to be purchased at a location many metres away, and by the time you get one, you have , of course, missed your bus!]

The atmosphere was very jovial and it was nice to see the Corso pedestrianised [I think it should be all the time]. But I couldn't find any "chocolate statues" as I did last year, to photograph: maybe I would have had I been able to get down there earlier in the week.

However, I did find a display of sflilato - delicate, Sicilian drawn-thread embroidery- which I love and have mentioned before. I was allowed to take these photographs.

I found food items I hadn't seen before, too, in the form of these delicate "spreads " [one gel-like, one cream-like in texture] that can be used with cheese, meat and even ice cream. I was given a chart showing just which cheeses, etc., each one could be used with, so I am going to enjoy myself experimenting with them!

Things were only really getting going as I left at 7.30pm, so the Modicani will be enjoying themselves late into the night.

And today our San Giorgio has had his official outing, having been carried around the streets since 5 pm. [The second picture is of firecrackers being let off in his honour at that hour.] I felt very emotional to learn, on TV just now, that earlier his procession had stopped at the house of that most beloved of Modican citizens, Nino Baglieri. I think that shows a fine sense of propriety: the saint does homage to one of his most devoted followers. There was no sadness here, just the saint's carriers applauding and shouting "Nino" , and Nino's family seeming so happy to see them all. What a fine way to celebrate a life and a saint.

SAN GIORGIO DI MODICA

On a day when patriotism, or the lack of it, has been much discussed in the UK, I have had an interesting talk with students about whether they would wish to travel. Most would, of course, but the thought of a gap year or of spending months rather than weeks away from home horrifies my Sicilian charges: that would be far too long a separation from family and, in particular, from mamma's cooking! The idea of living abroad permanently would never occur to them and I was touched when they said that, whilst they acknowledge that Italy has many problems, they feel it is up to their generation to stay and try to change it.

San Giorgio is, of course, the patron saint of Modica and Ragusa Ibla as well as of England. His cult was probably introduced in the west by returning Crusaders and was brought to Sicily by the Normans. The saint is supposed to have appeared as a vision on horseback to encourage the inhabitants of several coastal cities which had endured raids by eastern armies and this, as well as his legendary heroic deeds, explains his popularity in Sicily.

His statue "lives" in the Duomo named for him and he is depicted in medieval armour, carrying a short sword or spatulidda in dialect, a name by which he is affectionately known. On Sunday the statue gets a day out, as it is borne around the town, but for tonight we have to content ourselves with the sound of firecrackers [which I can hear as I write] in his honour. I do like a good, Sicilian noise to celebrate a saint's day!

SAN GIORGIO

The patron saint of Modica is the very same St George as England's and today his statue is taken from his magnificent Cathedral and paraded around the town [although not twirled around, as in the Scicli Easter festa!] The day is not a full holiday, as shops and businesses are open, but schools are off and, as Wednesday is a national holiday [Liberation Day] many of them have allowed a ponte [bridge] between the two holidays and so the children and teachers have tomorrow off as well.

San Giorgio is also the patron saint of nearby Ragusa Ibla and of Genova and Ferrara. He can be asked to intercede in cases of plague, skin disease and venereal disease and he is the protector of halbadiers, arms makers, horses, horsemen, soldiers, scouts, lepers and, last but not least, husbands!