DAILY DOINGS - 22

"Patriuccia! Patri-uuuuuu-ccia! Sono io! " [It’s me!] sang a woman’s voice over the intercom earlier this evening. [ Sicilians are fond of the – uccio / a suffix as as term of affection. ] It was, of course, Lucia, who had arrived bearing yet another anguria and a squash. Squashes are symbols of good luck in Italy and I think the reason is that in days gone by, no part of the vegetable was wasted, so if you had grown a particularly large pumpkin, for instance, you were deemed lucky. It is no accident that Cinderella’s coach metamorphosed from a pumpkin. “You can either cook this or keep it for a while for good luck”, she informed me. Decisions, decisions!



Rosa had arrived giggling a couple of hours before that and when I asked her why, she told me that when her bus was on its way up the via Sacro Cuore, the driver, having spotted one of the 50% sconti [discount] notices in a shop window, brought the vehicle to a stop with a tremendous screech of brakes, ran into the shop, bought something , then ran out again and continued to transport his applauding public to their destination.

There are, indeed, many sales and, business being as bad here as elsewhere in the world, they were allowed to start a week early. I picked these beauties up last week for a total cost of 15€ :



Italians are, I read, booking more holidays abroad than they did last year and this is being taken by government as an upturn in the economic situation. I don’t think that business owners would agree.

Meanwhile, down at the market, the traders continue to try to persuade everybody to buy Italian. This I did last Thursday and here I am on Rosa’s balcony dressed in my market finery:



I also rummaged through the piles of remnants on the ground and found this – ideal for covering my pots of preserves.



These two traders were particularly keen to be photographed:



Lunch at Rosa's on Saturday consisted of: pasta with a special, sweet tomato sauce, merluzzo [cod] for the others and chicken for me, salad, potatoes and good bread. I took along the tray of ice creams. You can buy these in most of the pasticcerie and they are coated with a layer of icing so that they don't melt on the tray:





It's not easy making tomato sauce in the heat but Rosa and I managed to process another 10 kg of tomatoes yesterday:




As for the condominio, I’m not sure how much water we’ve got but we have light! After three months of pitch darkness in the lift, the ascensorista finally arrived to change a lamp! [I couldn't have reached it but I don't know why no one else did it.] “That was quite quick, then”, said a private student of mine in all seriousness. The water service is still “sospeso” as I write and the office is not answering its phone.

The pazienza of the Modicani is also being sorely tested by my favourite place, the Post Office, which has decided to close in the afternoons from this week until the end of July. We expect this to happen during August but no one was prepared for it in July!

I’ll close with the “ice cream of the week”. The Altro Posto has done it again!

BONNE BASTILLE A TOUS!

Bonne fête de la Bastille à la belle France.

I always enjoyed this day when I was teaching, as I would subject all my classes to the rousing 9-verse version of La Marseillaise that I have - sung fast, as it should be. I seem to remember subjecting James to it when he was here last year, too. [Ca t'a plu, n'est-ce pas, James?]

However, for you, mes chers lecteurs, here is the sexiest Frenchman of them all with one of my favourite songs. [Sigh!] How different my own life might have been if, as in Aznavour's line, I'd had the sense to leave an emotional situation sans faire de bruit - without making a fuss about it. [Sigh again!] But, like the man in the song, I didn't know how. À vous, Charles!

A SURPRISE FROM "LOST"

I am delighted to have recieved an award from the always interesting Lost in Sicilia. In order to confirm it, I have to write 10 honest things about myself. Hmmm - what can I tell you that I haven't revealed before?

1. Unlike Lost, I'm very much an indoor person. In fact, it would almost be true to say that I hate any activity that happens outside! The countryside bothers me - Ok, it's pretty to look at - but you get descended upon by all sorts of dive-bombing insects and after 5 minutes, I'm longing to be somewhere urban! I feel the same about gardens. They're fine to look at [from a nice spot in a conservatory, perhaps] but I don't want to sit in them, do the work or watch something take years to grow! The few plants I have on my balcony are garden enough for me.

2. Leading on from that, when I moved here, I found the change from big city to small city almost as difficult as the change of country, although I was where I wanted to be.

3. I always put makeup and perfume on first thing. I thought everybody did until I had a contretemps with a friend about perfume. The only day since I was 14 when I didn't do this was the day my mother died.

4. I'm 59 years old going on 16!

5. Having been a teacher all my life, I have come to the sad conclusion that schools are bad for your education.

6. I'm a night person. My Dad [whose bodyclock was similar] used to say that I had "owl's blood". I just concentrate better after midnight and long ago learned that I might as well leave most tasks until after that hour. Otherwise I just find reasons to procratinate.Besides, all sorts of horrible things happen in the morning [the kind of morning that begins at around 8 am]: bills arrive and expect to be paid, cheerful "morning" people go around being cheerful and making plenty of noise about it and layers of dust look worse in morning sunlight.

7. When I was a little girl I smashed a flowerpot over my best friend's head. She always used to break my toys and I got sick of it!

8. As the song goes, "I fall in love too terribly hard for love to ever last."

9. My Dad was my hero and Italy is the love of my life.

10. I'd rather spend time with my dog, Simi , than anyone else in the world.


[That's 11 things!]

Now I have to recommend some brilliant blogs to follow - that's not hard at all!
Lost in Sicilia - the adventures of an American mum in Sicily.
Phidelm - a new friend in France; witty and wise.
Alex the blogging cat - pop over and learn to speak "Alexian"!
Nick's Bytes [Alex's "hooman bean"] - often makes you think and nearly always cheers you up.
Fighting Monsters - sometimes funny, sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes political, always interesting; the obsevations of a British social worker.
On my way 2 work and other stuff [Lucia] - entertaining tales from a Sicilian in Canada.
Rochambeau - just beautiful.
Amiga da Moda - for stunning fashion pictures.
Winchester Whisperer - charming anecdotes and delightful observations on life.
Rubber Slippers in Italy - superb food blog.

Chet Baker - I Fall in Love too Easily

SABATO MUSICALE

Here's a golden oldie if ever there was one:

Petula Clark - Ciao, Ciao [Downtown], 1965

MOUNTAINGIRL'S PHOTO CHALLENGE - FENCE

It's Friday and time for my friend mountaingirl's Photo Challenge. This week's theme is "fence".

This is the Altro Posto's fence, alongside which I have sat many times, sipping a drink or enjoying lunch in the sun:

As I've mentioned before, I live in a narrow but busy street in which there are no parking spaces for those wishing to use the nearby post office. This "fence" was put up to stop drivers making the street even more difficult to access by parking right up against the wall here. So what do they do? Park right next to the barrier, of course!

Finally, here is part of what was my garden fence in the UK. Nothing in Britain causes more problems between neighbours than a fence! People argue about where the boundary is, whose responsibility it is to put up and maintain a fence on it and what type of fence they should have. Then, when it's up, there are numerous disputes about whose job it is to replace it if it falls down, who is going to pay for any repairs and even about the smell if one neighbour decides to paint their side!

By the way, piglet Claude Cochon came with me to Sicily and now lives happily on the balcony.

TICKET TO RIDE

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I saw Marcello this morning. Very early, I had stopped off at the Edicolè bar for a coffee on my way to meet Rosa at the market and there was Marcello, buying a paper. For newer readers, Marcello is a friend who insists on speaking in an English that consists of lines from Beatles songs!

Me: Ciao, Marcello.
Marcello: Baby, it’s you! You know you look so good! Haha!
Me: Grazie. Ma come stai e Silvia [Marcello’s wife] come sta?
Marcello: I’m feeling blue. She’s got a ticket to ride, haha!
[By now we are seated, having another coffee each.]
Marcello [offering the sugar bowl which also contains sachets of honey]: Do you want a taste of honey? Haha! Ask me why.
Me: No, thanks. I was going to. Why? Where’s she going?
Marcello: Picture yourself in a boat on a river with tangerine trees and marmalade skies, haha!
Me: Well, if she’s going to a lovely place like that, I might join her. Where is it?
Marcello: It’s not too far back on the highway, haha! But you can’t do that!
Me [I am hopeless at this game but here I managed]: Tell me why.
Marcello: Try to see it my way….I’ve got every reason on earth to be mad cos I just lost the only girl I ever had. Haha!
Me [managing another one]: If there’s anything I can do…
Marcello: What do I do when my love is away?
Me [getting good at this!]: I’m sure that while she’s away she’ll write home every day…
Marcello: Me, I’m just a lucky kind, haha!
[At this stage I decide all this sob story is nonsence, the “hahas” being a bit of a giveaway, so I change the subject]:
Me [proud of myself!]: It’s 9 o’clock. Here comes the sun.
Marcello: Don’t let the heat overcome you, haha! You know my temperature’s risin’.
Me [now amazed at myself]: There’s a place where I can go.
Marcello: I’d like to be under the sea in an octopus’s garden in the shade, haha!
Me [suddenly seeing Silvia as she enters the bar]: Silvia!
Silvia: Ciao, Pat. Come stai?
Me to Marcello [my best one!]: I saw her standing there!
[Silvia assures me she is not going anywhere.]
Marcello: She’s a woman who loves her man. [Winking at me]: Might win an Oscar, you never can tell.

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QUIZ: SICILIAN PROVERBS - 2

You all seemed to like last week's proverbs quiz so here we go again:

Match the Sicilian proverbs 1 - 6 with their meanings a - f: [Where there is a very similar proverb in English, I have used this as the translation.]

1. Contra furtuna nun vali sapìri

2. Nun mèttiri lu carru davanti li voi.

3. L'amuri è come lu citrolu, 'ncumincia duci e finisci amaru.

4. Donna, focu e mari fannu l'omu piriculari.

5. La podagra è mali di li ricchi.

6. Frati, ciumi e parrini su' tri mali vicini.


a. Love is like the cucumber, it starts off sweet and ends up bitter.

b. Gout is a rich man's illness.

c. Knowledge is no protection against the caprices of fortune.

d. Don't put the cart before the horse.

e. Monks, rivers and priests are three bad neighbours.

f. Women, fire and the sea expose men to danger.

Highlight below for answers:
1c, 2d, 3a, 4f, 5b, 6e.

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ICE CREAM OF THE WEEK

There's been some tough competition but the best ice cream of the past 7 days was this pistacchio and melon one at Donnafugata on Saturday.

HERBED RISOTTO "CAKE"

I keep saying it: there is really no "secret" to making a good risotto. You just need to make sure that you have the right kind of rice and a wide, non-stick pan. You may need a little "pazienza", it is true, and don't be afraid to use your own judgement as to how much stock or water you need to add and when; the person who has written the recipe is not in your kitchen, so they cannot know how fast your hob is or see the rate of absorption, can they? My advice would be to start with half the quantity of liquid given, and when the rice has absorbed that much, add the rest a little at a time. Keep stirring!

OK, here's a risotto "cake" which you can serve hot or cold:

2 tablesp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 pint vegetable stock
12 oz arborio rice
4 oz grated caciocavallo cheese
grated rind of 1 lemon plus lemon slices to garnish
about 2 handfuls chopped, fresh herbs [I used sage, basil, chives, rosemary, thyme and parsley]
a teasp dried oregano
seasalt and freshly ground black pepper

In a wide, non-stick pan, cook the onion in the olive oil until softened [not browned]. Add the rice and half the liquid. Cook, stirring, until this liquid is absorbed. Then add the rest little by little, stirring constantly, until it is all absorbed. [On my hob this takes under 10 minutes.] Take the pan off the heat and stir in the cheese, lemon rind and herbs. Season well. Lightly oil an 8" ceramic baking dish and spoon the rice mixture into it.

If at this stage you are thinking, "Hmmm... that looks like a nice risotto as it is", well, what are you waiting for? Go ahead and serve it now! If you want to continue with the "cake", cover the dish with foil and cook in the oven at 180 C for 30 mins. Then remove the foil and give it another 10 mins. If you like, garnish with lemon slices and basil. The "cake" should cut into fairly firm slices to serve.

A VISIT TO DONNAFUGATA - 2

To my delight, there were three traditional carretti siciliani on display at Donnafugata and I was able to photograph these to my heart's content. The following paragraph about Sicilian carts is from a previous post of mine, so regular readers may like to skip it:

The Ancient Greeks brought the concept of a cart shaped in this way to the island but the painting of the vehicles did not begin until the second half of the nineteenth century, the purpose being to protect the wood from the sun and rain. The tradition continued into the early twentieth century and the painting became more and more ornate so that even when the carts were used by farm labourers, they showed off the wealth of the landowner. Scenes from folklore and legend were most often depicted and the red and yellow colours of Palermo's flag were frequently used. Sadly, nowadays the carts are found only in museums and, sadder still, the last traditional cart painter in Sicily may very soon be forced to give up his work. The various parts of the carts are now collectors' pieces, especially the plaque underneath the cart bearing the painter's name.

This is my first attempt at a slideshow!

A VISIT TO DONNAFUGATA

The last time I visited Donnafugata the Castle was being restored and the grounds were also a mess so I was very happy to spend some time there today with Rosa and her husband.

I should explain that this is not the Donnafugata made famous by the film Il Gattopardo - that is in the Province of Agrigento. "Our" Donnafugata is here in the Province of Ragusa.

Disappointingly, perhaps, the Castle's name does not mean "The woman who fled" but is the result of a linguistic corruption: the 10th - 11th century Arabs, finding a fresh water fountain on the site, first built there and named it "Ayn As Jafat" ["Fountain of health"] and this became "Ronnafuata" in dialect and later "Donnafugata." However, there are romantics who still insist that Queen Blanche of Navarre ran away from a loveless marriage and was later imprisoned there, so you may believe whichever version you prefer.

The Castle that we see today is largely due to the work and imagination of the 19th century politician, Barone Corrado Arezzo de Spuches [1824-95] and, with its mixture of architectural and landscaping styles, is a fine example of that era's eclecticism. I think Corrado must have been rather a jolly baron!

Visitors are understandably not allowed to take photographs inside the Castle but you can see some images of the rooms here while this model gives an idea of the overall structure:



Now I'll let you enjoy some of the exterior views and some shots of the grounds [and us!]




The leaves from the fig tree above were used as postcards in the Baron's time!


Above: views of the "French garden". The scent of rosemary here is sublime.

Above: terrace views. I think Rosa should have appeared in yesterday's "finery" post, don't you? The picture immediately above was taken from the terrace.

Above: Rosa and hubby on the steps.

Immediately above: a "coffee house" in the grounds for the Baron's guests.
Below: grotto and behind it a small "temple" in the grounds.

Below: side and rear views of the Castle.

I hope you have enjoyed this first visit to Donnafugata. There will be more photos later today or tomorrow.

SABATO MUSICALE

Food fun from two of the greatest:

Sophia Loren and Peter Sellers - Bangers and Mash

And I've unashamedly stolen this one from my friend M, who was among my first commenters on this blog and who still encourages me. Do pay her a visit. This is so cute I just have to post it!

Andrea Bocelli e Elmo - Time to Say Goodnight



Happy Independence Day from Simi and me to M and all our American readers!

MOUNTAINGIRL'S PHOTO CHALLENGE - FINERY

It's Friday already and that means it's time for my friend mountaingirl's Photo Challenge. This week's theme is "finery".

Finery to me means your best clothes and here's my paternal grandmother in hers:

Well, they may not have been her best to tell the truth, for right up to and including most of the 1950s, no woman would go out without donning a hat. The fur around her neck is something that, I am glad to say, a woman could not get away with wearing today - not in the UK, at any rate, and probably not of that type anywhere. Those dead things were worn as collars through the 50s too and I remember being scared half to death by them as a child.

And that neatly brings me to photo number 2. When I was a little girl, wearing your finery meant accessorising with a bonnet:

Finally, no apology for posting this photo again, as Simi demanded to be seen in her finery too!

AND THE WATER SAGA CONTINUES....

It just had to happen in the July heat, didn't it? Yesterday afternoon the condominio's water supply ran out yet again, and when I phoned our water lorry driver [a gruff but kindly man] he said that the earliest time he could deliver would be this morning, provided I [or someone else in the apartment block] had already phoned the water office to order the refill. I had made the call about three weeks ago and had been told that the service was sospeso; this often happens either because the comune hasn't got enough money to pay the drivers or because there is a water shortage, so I prepared myself to shell out another 35 € for a private delivery. [Last time some of my fellow-tenants did contribute but I don't always see them to ask and I hate doing so, anyway.]

Not being an early morning person, I was somewhat grumpy when my doorbell rang at 07.30 but better early then never! I hastily dressed and Simi and I went down to sign the delivery note. "Non ho la bolletta!" ["I haven't got the note!] cried the driver [I think he gets into trouble if he delivers without it] and I again assured him that the call had been made. "I'll bring it later" he said finally. I thanked him effusively for the delivery - he always melts when I do this - and came back upstairs to do all the morning tasks that require water [and that's most of them - have you ever thought about this? I could now tell you exactly how much water each of these uses!]

Later in the morning I was sitting here chatting to Antonio the poet when all of a sudden there was a tremendous commotion in the street - cars beeping [and they don't go in for short beeps in Italy], people shouting and the usual gathering of onlookers adding to the noise with their questions and comments. Of course, we all went out on our balconies to watch the dramatics and Simi decided to join in with a few barks. This is a side street but a busy one because it contains the post office, there are no parking spaces for the poor folk who have to wait for hours in there and tempers get frayed at the best of times. And there, directly below us, in the middle of the street, was the enormous water lorry, but with no sign of the driver, and six or seven cars trying to get past it. As there was nothing Antonio or I could do, we dutifully threw up our hands, said, "Pazienza" and continued eating the Welsh cakes I'd made.

About 20 minutes later, as I reached the square on my way to the shops, the first person I bumped into was the water lorry driver, carrying a whole load of bollette to be signed. "The office hadn't done them so I wrote them out myself", he explained and asked me if I'd sign ours right there, which I did. I couldn't help smiling as I thought of the brouhaha awaiting him up the road but decided it was best not to mention it. "Today's the last day of the service", he informed me: "It's sospeso again from tomorrow."

Local colour aside, our water situation here is very serious indeed and according to this article some parts of Modica are going to have water for only 5 - 6 hours a day during the summer or even on alternate days! There are leaks in the overworked conduit, three of the comune's official plumbers have been transferred to other departments and people wanting to move house or open new businesses cannot do so because their premises are not yet connected to the water supply. Add to all this the extra demand on the system that summer brings and you don't need to be a water engineer to see that we are up the [dry] creek without a paddle. Other comuni in Sicily are likely to be even worse off this summer.

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QUIZ - SICILIAN PROVERBS

We haven't had a quiz for a while, so here we go. I can't find a free interactive quiz maker that will let me do a matching quiz, so we'll do it in the old-fashioned way:

Match the Sicilian proverbs 1 - 6 with their meanings a - f. [Where there is a very similar English proverb, I have used that as the translation.]

1. A paisi unni chi vai, comu vidi fari fai.

2. Batti lu ferru mentri è càudu.

3. Cani chi dormi, nun lu scuitari.

4. Amuri nun senti cunsigghi.

5. Fimmina e ventu, cància ogni mumentu.

6. Accatta di quattru e vinni d'ottu.

a. Women and the wind change every moment.

b. Buy for four [euros] and sell for eight.

c. When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

d. Strike while the iron is hot.

e. Love doesn't listen to reason.

f. Let sleeping dogs lie.

Highlight below for answers:
1c, 2d, 3f, 4e, 5a, 6b.