palermo, mondello to milazzo

Stayed at Mondello beach for two days. Somewhat recovered from Naples. Caught bus back to Palermo and train from Palermo to Millazzo.

Yesterday I had a pleasant train trip along the coast of Sicily. Aqua blue ocean and farms and little villages between the railway and the sea. Olive trees, citrus, vines and farmers putting in their spring crops. They’ve got things growing right up to the water’s edge almost, sometimes with a hedge but little else protection from the ocean. Why is the ocean so flat? In Palermo I came across two produce markets, which are really interesting to look at. I like looking at the fisherman’s displays of assorted fish. And the fruit and vegetable stalls. Artichokes and long long things they call zucchinis but don’t look like what we call zucchinis. The garlic looks different and so fresh. The grizzly old farmers and fishermen in their element as it has been for eons.

This is the Italy I came to see.

Where I am now, Milazzo, is a town of reasonable size but is really a fishing village. There are old boats painted orange and blue and old men fiddling with their nets on the water’s edge. Cedric comes to mind really strongly here. I think he would love this place and may have been here. I suspect he has been here because the bread is different to Rome or Naples. It looks like they use Fermex bread improver, making a softer more even textured, soft crusted bread that is a bit like buttercup wonder bread in disguise. It’s not as nice as the crusty flavoursome bread of Rome and Naples with the big irregular holes. Sorry Cedric. I’d like to know how to make that Roman bread.

Today I took the ferry tour of the Aeolian islands. The ferry stopped on Volcano, that’s the name of the island and what it is. It’s a funny little tourist village with a pool of hot mud smelling like rotten egg gas that people were wallowing in. A lot of the buildings seem half built or a bit shabby, like they don’t want to put too much effort in in case the volcano erupts again. It’s still steaming and spluttering.

We stopped on another island, oops I forgot its name, where they left us for a few hours. I went up to the castle and sat in an ancient cemetery looking at the curious lizards they call Gekos but look like green skinks, that play in and out of the stone crypts.

There’s something about the landscape of a volcano that’s desolate and brooding. It’s a moody landscape just waiting to erupt and express its passion. I can see in the rock formations where the molten rock met the sea and imagine what it is like at that moment. It’s a powerful place.

And the ancient cemetery speaks to me of lives long ago, like our lives; living similar dramas out over and over. We all end up in the same place. Makes me feel small, insignificant and a little bit freer.

I edited out all the emotional stuff from this post. Its just too personal for the world to see. Just know stuff is happening inside and out.

I had a really nice dinner at the hotel that I should have stayed at. The woman there is gorgeous and friendly whereas the woman here is not. Friendly makes such a difference.

Interesting facts about Sicily:


the bread is different as mentioned before

solar panels face to the south

you flush toilets with your feet- theres a foot pedal

the ocean is an amazing aqua blue colour

there's eucalypts and bottle brushes

it's nice here