So back to my flash of brilliance for my birthday surprise. A couple of weeks prior to our trip, I did a little Internet searching an discovered culinary holidays in Italy. After conferring with mi familia, we decided on an cooking class excursion to Taormina...about an hours drive away. Everyone was in on the plan except for him. I finally revealed my surprise to my husband who was happy to learn what we were doing. We met the chef promptly at 9 am at the arches to the coastal city. After brief introductions, we headed to the local fishery and market. Chef Massimo spent a good hour discussing the art of picking fresh produce and fish. He purchased all the goods and for the next 4 hours we became his sous chefs.
We headed back to the restaurant and our private cooking class commenced. He was charming and relaxed, but he was a good teacher. We made fresh pasta to start, olive cappanade, blood orange salad, stuffed anchovies, fresh calamari, sea bass, eel filets...six courses in total.
We learned techniques, we laughed and we squirmed at the thought of some of the fish prep....but all in all it was a fantastic experience. As good as we were as students, we were much better eaters. To the victors goes the spoils. To end our day in Taormina, we toured the streets and went to the Theater of the Greek to look at the vistas of the beautiful waters surrounding Sicily.
We decided to branch out a little, but this was going to require a sense of adventure and a train ticket. We were dropped off at the train station at 7am for our three hour ride to Palermo. Once there, we jumped on the city tour bus (the best way to see the most in the shortest amount of time). We zipped to the top of Palermo to the church in Monreal. Stunning views from the highest points of this beautiful city.
What struck me most were the tiny streets lined with people and produce and all things traditional. A step back in time. We decided to grab lunch from a bakery and sit outside to enjoy the day.
After going back into the city we rode the bus from site to site. Mr. Goodin listened to the history lesson and I took pictures from the bus. So much to see, so little time. We capped off the afternoon with a traditional Aperol spritzer (an orange liqueur with prosecco and soda water). We chatted it up with a couple from Yorkshire who were there on holiday. She was just happy to learn the bar sold wine from a tap. Welcome to Italy. Palermo was a lovely place and a nice getaway for anyone visiting Sicily. Needed more time, but had a train to catch.
Day 4: Eat and Love in Aci Trezza
Time to stay local and see the sights in our host town. There are some interesting rules of the road here in this little town outside of Catania. First come first served. Driving is not for the faint of heart...if you get there first, nose in...you win. Pedestrians have the right of way even if a car is buzzing down the road....they will stop on a dime so the key is to stay alert. However, this particular morning, we took a lovely stroll along the boardwalk with the destination of Aci Castello "the castle" in mind. A round way trip of four miles with much to see. Men with time on there hands gather for a morning chat, fishing boats that look abandoned and unique structures coming from the water (aptly named the Cylcops).
The clouds which started out coolly warmed quickly as we walked. It was a beautiful day in Aci Trezza. A quick stop for gelato and café....life is good.
It set the tone for the day in which we simply relaxed in preparation for the birthday celebration. Later that evening, we left for a local seafood dinner. Food from the ocean straight to our plate. It could not have been fresher or more delicious. Mr. Goodin was promised seafood and this little town delivered. The culminating treat was a stop into a local bakery for birthday cake and a cannoli (because I wasn't leaving without having one). We picked up a pistachio cream cake....drop mic....done. Sugar coma.
Day 5: Eat in Catania
So it was our last day in Sicily, what better to do than go into the markets of down Catania. Not sure how to describe the utterly organized chaos other than it was organized chaos. Vendors barking, hawking their goods. Fish, fruit, produce, meat, cheese, nuts....you name it. I will have one of everything please. I convinced the family that we should buy local and make dinner....I had spied some mussels that needed to come home with me. I bought scallions that were triple the size of anything I had ever seen along with a loaf of fresh bread.
After a long walk though the muck of the market, we were headed back to the car when we all saw it.....grilled artichokes being steamed on the roadside. The smell, the smoke...yes, we needed those too. After much debate about the cost, we ended up paying $5 for 7 grilled artichokes. We couldn't drive fast enough home to eat them for lunch. Ah yes, the lemons for my mussels...I would get those from the tree of the upstairs neighbor. I think it was at this point I said to Mr, Goodin, "I will miss you. Take care of the cats." I was kidding of course. Not kidding. I loved it here.
Day 6: Eat, Pray and Love in Rome
In order for us to be sure to catch our flight the following day, we got a head start by flying from Catania to Rome. That gave us about 7 hours of touring time. Again, with the aid of the city tour bus we did pretty well. We managed to make it to the Coliseum, the Circus Maximus, the Pantheon, Plaza Navronna, and the Trevi Fountain. Yes, coins were tossed (that was for the love part).
The drizzly, cold rain kept making an appearance. We dodged into a café for respite at one point. We ordered our one and only pizza. However, the most impactful part of our day was making the decision to get to St. Peter's Basilica before it closed. We knew that if we could hop the Metro we might just make it there with minutes to spare. It is the Lenten season after all....how best to celebrate. We jumped off the Metro and walked as fast as we could. Vatican City was dark and nearly empty but the church was still open. He had never been and just to see his reaction was well worth the journey. We stopped, took a collective deep breath and realized where we were. It was all very moving. Then the sounds of the church rang, it was time to leave. We spent a total of 15 minutes in the church. Time well spent.
Day 7: Love - Home
There is no place like it. This was a memorable trip for sure. It was my third time to Italy and each time I feel a connection to my ancestral roots. Sicily was special as there was a mix of old world and new world...but old world ways were prevalent in all our interactions. There is a spark of sassy in most that you meet, but it's sassy in a charming way. I look forward to my return, sooner rather than later....Ciao! For now.
STOP! for a complete look at our trip (all 294 photos)....grab a gelato and just click on the Shutterfly link below! I hope you enjoy the virtual journey through Italy. Ciao!
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