BOUNTY FROM ETNA

What a lovely surprise today when a friend brought me these fruits from the Etna area, where she had been over the weekend.

I knew that the small Etna apples are special, as there is something in the soil that makes them very sweet, and the clementines are delightful too. But the chestnuts - ah, the chestnuts, for therein lies a tale:

My friend told me that on the eastern slope of Mount Etna, a very special chestnut tree can be found. It is called the Castagno dei Cento Cavalli  - "The Hundred Horse Chestnut Tree" and it derives its name from the legend that a certain queen, travelling with her ladies and one hundred knights, took shelter from a storm under the tree's ample branches. (Oh, dear - I hope it wasn't a thunderstorm!) The tree must have provided excellent camouflage, for it is said that the storm lasted all night and the queen was able to lie with several of her lovers among the knights. Who was this queen? For a long time it was thought that she was Giovanna I of Anjou, Queen of Naples, but history proved a bad sport and revealed that she had never visited Sicily. Never mind, then - perhaps it was another queen conveniently named Giovanna, Giovanna of Aragon, also Queen of Naples. But others say it was Isabella of England, third wife of King of Sicily and Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II. Well, it was a medieval queen, anyhow.

Apart from (possibly) sheltering amorous queens, the tree, first documented in the 16th century, is the oldest in Europe. It has multiple trunks, which is perhaps why there is some dispute over its age, but it seems it is at least 2,500 years old. Both its circumference and height are 22 metres and its crown spreads for over 100 metres, making it also the largest chestnut tree in the world.

The tree is protected as an Italian Heritage Green Site and is in the Etna Regional Park, parts of which, along with Mount Etna itself, enjoy various levels of protection as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

The tree is, of necessity, surrounded by a fence which you cannot go beyond, but my friend assures me the chestnuts come from nearby and have a very distinctive taste.

Late note: Tonight I learned that the Castagno dei Cento Cavalli has won Italy's "Tree of the Year" competition and will be representing Italy in the European competition in February. Well deserved.

SEASONAL SIGNS

I love to see mounds of chestnuts on sale and to catch the aroma of their roasting as I walk home on autumn evenings in Sicily.  Broccoli, too, is abundant and the purple kind, especially, adds to the rich tapestry of colours here as you pass greengrocers' shops or fruitsellers' lorries.

The fruitseller who calls me bambina has returned from his extended summer break and who am I to argue when he tells me that his wares are in regalo ["a gift"] today at only €10.00 per crate?  As usual, after asking the nearest passer-by to watch his lorry for a few minutes, he carries the crate home for me.

Domenico Modugno - Ciao, Ciao, Bambina

TWO OF LIFE'S SMALL PLEASURES

It's the citrus fruit season in Sicily and I never tire of marvelling at the freshness of the fruit available or at being able to buy it with the leaves still attached:



Last night, as Simi and I were coming home from our walk, Orazio the hairdresser called me and gave me a bag of chestnuts that he had picked. It was such a kind gesture and it really cheered me up on a cold, November evening.

AUTUMN ABUNDANCE

This morning I espied these lovely black grapes on sale for 3 euros a crate

and this mound of chestnuts:



This evening, as I strolled back from work, more chestnuts had been brought in and were being roasted:

The young man's assistant pops them in a paper bag, sprinkles over a couple of pinches of seasalt and , when you get home, to quote that old chestnut [sorry] none of them is a hard nut to crack!