alexander's blog

Evening hours on weekdays in Castellamare and Balestrate

Evenings in Balestrate and Castellamare are rarily a huge event or busy on weekdays. But I do enjoy the simplicity
and quality of that. Be it the good food we receive and the perfect wines that I have tasted- they always lead the way to a memorable evening with some people from here and around. The town square is ideal for it or hanging out on the terraces or in the bars with only 5 to 20 people around. Also -my hosts would never leave me alone at night if I do not insist on staying home and doing some work or just being there resting and reading a book. It is truly their way of explaining and sharing their culture.

Catellamare may seem- in comparison to Balestrate -a bit more fashionable but then again it lacks in having the beach on walking distance and on two sides of the town center- in east and west direction.
Balestrate on the other hand is a town that does have it's own beaches, with wonderful people who always care to share time with you. Balestrate does also have a small railway station to get to Alcamo, Trapani and to Palermo in the opposite direction. Castellamare does not have one in the city center. The Castellamare station for railway transportation is in the middle of nowhere 3 km away from the center. Balestrate and Castellamare both have a wonderful view on the harbour from a higher point of view. To be more precise: both are equally special in their own right. See for yourself. I stayed with:

www.casedelgolfo.it

perfect housing for a good price:

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Palermo botanic gardens - orto botanico

The gardens of Palermo are a delight in all aspects. The thing is that very few people actually USE them. That was the reason for us to explore them - especially the BOTANICAL GARDENS located close by the seaside area.

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When you are in the centre of Palermo simply turn towards the seaside and then walk along the coastline. Take a little break for a coffee or a sandwich from one of the streetvendours or in one of the restaurants in that area.This area is called Villa a Mare. You will reach Villa Giulia when you continue to walk eastwards. This section is a non payed area while the Orto Botanico charges 5 euros pp or 3 euros for teachers and groups.  It's worth it!

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Once you have reached the gardens there are numerous things that are mindblowing- yes!
The exhibition of insects is an experience in its own right and alone worth the entrance fee! I took photos of endless amounts of butterflies, scarabea, papillons, larvae etc etc etc.. adding a single euro coin to the picture for ''seize'' reference...The largest walking, flying and killing insects are a feast for the eye ( behind glass). See the pictures above and one below and you know what I am talking about.

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Then continue and the parc has different sections that are worth walking through and past. There is a pavillion for lecturing and a number of special exhibitions in several glasshouses. The 170 year old FICUS at the rear of the parc is a marvel. (photo above)

Palermo also has another delightful set of parcs on the Western side of town too; just follow via Roma all the way and you will- after passing the Massimo theatre and a few a markets, museums and the trendy shopping streets- bump into the English Gardens ( Giardino Inglese) and the Villa Trabia.

These parcs are two wonderful quiet places to go to as well. They are a perfect place to hang out and even lie in the grass or do sports and get a refreshing drink before taking a little nap. Many young kids are playing soccer or juggling and there are a few ''real'' athletes too. As a matter of fact I have even seen kids play cricket as many of them come from Bangladesh origanally. When streets are empty they would even use that free space to play cricket on.

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Balestrate fishing trip

Nino is a fisherman from Balestrate who is taking me on his early morning fishing trip.
Round the clock of 5 we depart from the Balestrate harbour to pick up his nets-just a few miles away in open sea.

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What is he getting this morning..? Among a dozen others :Calamari (Sepia), glowing in the dark with a greenish almost fluorescent light.
The trip starts in the complete obsurity of the night and will end a few hours later. By then we scanned 2000 meters of his nets and got around 15 kilograms of fish.

Every now and then a specific type of fish is given back to its habitat as Nino cannot use it for himself and Seagulls are eagerly awaiting this gift.

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And then wander off until we treat them again...and again...

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After a few hours we estimate his catchings.That is not a lot - he tells me- it depends on the weather.
He shows me several species that are interesting. For example this one who has a spine up his back that can only be moved by pressing another ''lever'' also on his spine. I have never seen anything like it!

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Finally after 3 hours on open sea we come back to the harbour where his friends are waiting to buy the fish and take them to their shops in Balestrate, Castellamare, Alcamo or somewhere else.

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Now I am sure now that the fish I have been eating the last two weeks is of good quality!
A funny thing that happens is when a Calamari comes out of the water it sneazes several times- like we do when we come out of the water. For the fish in this case it means also it's end in the free waters.
I buy two pieces of Calamari from Nino to go with my pasta tonight which I will prepare in style.

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Erice

What kind of a definition of the old town of Erice I could give in a few words is the following:

Marvellous, unique, intimate, refined..exquisite.

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This is not overdoing it:
Erice on top the mountain range above the seas around Trapani is a pearl in time and place well preserved and well displayed in all its brightness.

Driving and walking all the way up to the castello and walking up the cobble stone pavements in narrow streets
sometimes in nebulous clouds in this time of the year feels like being part of a medieval story.

Everything in Erice is so well preserved - and I do mean not ''restaurated'' to keep its traditional outlook and patine.

The churches and the bell tower give a true insight in life in previous ages and the way the city functioned as a post high in the sky - almost spiritually linked to the skies and overlooking the massive Mediterranean below with islands off the coast close by.

Here one could feel save from possible harm and possible attacks from foreign powers.
Also at the same time it shows how trade could develop as the harbour below is uniquely located and is - still today- famous for its central position in the Mediterranean.

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Erice has many tourist shops that provide local products. The must-see place is the Pasticceria Grammatico Maria on the Via Emanuele. Run and provided by the Sisters of Mercy of the town, these almost jewellery - like delicacies are an absolute highlight of a visit to the town.

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It is also a romantic place and the castle is every now and then used for marriages. With a vista of 360 degrees it is - for me a stunning experience in which past and present merge into one.

Erice today hosts a scientific society concerned with all sorts of wordily or global issues as sustainability and alike.
I may hope it will preserve its unique function and beauty it has today.

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contact:

www.casedelgolfo.it

Terme Gorga : Hot spring in Alcamo

Not far from where I live in Balestrate a wonderful hot spring bath facility can be found.

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For 7 euros each we dived in the water coming from a nearby spring of close to 50 degrees in temperature.
 

The owner also rents out several rooms for 60 euros a night for a double bed which includes the use of all the facilities.
No stress...yes!

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There is also a small restaurant and almost forgot to tell you that massages and mud treatments are also part of the options.A delight on a cloudy or cold day.

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For more info contact:

www.casedelgolfo.it

Palermo Easter procession in the early evening

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From afar the first glimpse of the procession passing by with the famous ''gates to Palermo'' in the back this all seems
a bit overdone in daytime. It is only round 5 in the afternoon and people are already queing and blocking the road.

In the many churches in the centre of Palermo people gather to be together in prayer
occasionally seeing the priests in private conversation along the alleys of the
various and well ornamented smaller and larger ''houses of god'' that Palermo
is rich in.

Baroque, Rococo, - most of them are Catholic and there is a single protestant one.
Well that is what my friend and ''guide of the narrow streets of Palermo'' has to tell me.

He is proud to show the ''ugly'' parts of the city, where the poor and misfortuned ones
survive. He used to study around here and therefore knows a few faces we pass by while roaming around.
I have lost sense of direction as his meandering style takes us to at least 6 or 7 note worthy churches and a few memorable sites like fountains and statues.

But in this rapid pass I am missing out all the details of the artwork of the many places we seem to pass by in pits stops. This is not my speed or gearbox that I would choose if I had the options. As you can see; I do not have an option if I want to catch up with my fellow friends.

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Windows and ceilings of this church that I simply will have to look up later on location and name-is of a completely different quality then others. All of them are splendid in their own right.
When we pass over the more filthy- yes you can see that about the streets of Palermo- they don't mind me saying-     We meet up with the procession going crowds again- this time in narrow market streets.

But first we eat:

La caponata di melanzane ( vegetarian dish of eggplant and olives among other veggies. )

this is really wonderfully tasteful- as most stews can be in the meditteranian tradition-

and secondly

Pane con la milza - Bread and - yes- spleen meat of a cow...see photo below- has an ''acquired taste''.

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 Children - elderly - teenagers - all come together to stand and watch..

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This scene is probably the essence of the atmosphere
Life simply goes on when the barer of the cross, the body of Chist and finally The Madonna pass by.

The Madonna and the coffin of Jesus Christ are carried by at least 15 men- I completely forgot to count them.

A brass band plays a march and all stop every now and then - lets say each 25 meters.
It is a tyring and everlasting repetition it seems.
It is played out in all the streets of Italy and here it is surely a spectacle.

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As market vendours and clients continue their daily
give and take exchanges - butcher men keep on working as if nothing special at all just passed by their
stands and vitrines.

The body of Christ and the Lamb offering is in that respect ''part of everyday life'' and is indeletably linked
with all and everything- still today.

Am I missing something?

Our friend Daniele speeds up again as we try to
by pass all the crowds and get via a shortcut to the head of the procession in one of the mainstreets
a few hundred metres away from us.

Once again the open air dustbin atmosphere of the streets of Palermo is present as never before.
But I am getting all in the right place right time in the end by passing these gutters...to be honest I love it!

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Finally..I meet the man ...and his followers...

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Now the daylight grows dim around us- it is the blue hour in the early evening.
This is a truly busy streets normally at this time and lines of hundreds of meters are backing up the carriers, extras, traffic control, maitres de ceremony..pedestrians and spectators of the procession.

One thing that I do not do is making an estimation of how long and how many people
this all is in its entirity..
one simple forgets and merges into the scene..that's it..

I loose my friends in the crowds..

I am at my best here..this is what I came for.

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The guys carrying and the way they carry and protect their ''queen'' is my favorite image of the day. It shows it all.

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Random Palermo centre by day

On the highway coming from the area of Trapani- we pass the exact location where the asssination of the famous judge Falcone took place- a giant bomb attached underneath the concrete of an elevated part of the highway lifted the entire highway and blew it to pieces and killed (one of) the main opponents of the assemblee of organised crime in Sicily instantly...but...that is close to 20 years ago.

Giovanni Falcone (May 18, 1939, Palermo– May 23, 1992) was an Italian magistrate who specialised in prosecuting the Sicilian Cosa nostra. He was killed by the Mafia, together with his wife and three of his bodyguards, by a 350 kg dynamite explosion placed beneath the motorway from Palermo Airport to Palermo near the town of Capaci.


The church and square where people came together after the incident started a sort of 'revolution'' in the heads of the Sicilians. The desire of all residents to be free of the opression of the maffia has since then made Sicily a better place. This is what Sicilians will tell you when you ask them about the maffia of today and the power it still has.

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Palermo is a busy place- filled with traffic all around- when you drive a car be aware that the rule is: NO RULES.
Getting to a parking lot is also something else then you'd expect. Regular parking lots do not exist as such. Every now and then a guy on the street will tell you where you might find a little spot and then ask you a Euro for it in saying that he will ''look after the car''.

Markets in the open air in the labyrinth of alleys are a great thing to visit as all fruits, fish, toys, wines, etcetera etcetera are in colorful display around you. Try out a zibibio ( strong liquore) in one of the wineries in the narrow streets and ask the owner for his specialty.

My friend Daniele who is guiding us a bit also shows us a few locations where street art can be found.th
He is proud of this area and for its intensity. I like to experience the contrast between the different sites and sides of the city of Palermo which is a home to close to a milliion people today.

Try and see also the Parco Garibaldi or the Guardini Garibaldi- for its intimate nature and giant trees in its middle, that seem to have been taken out of a Jurassic Parc film setti

We also pass by the place of shames - as one could loosely translate it to in English.

In previous decades mothers would pass by this wonderful square which is in front of the mayor's house and cover their eyes while their children would be able to see

all protagonists of this place statues' in  (white marble) full nudity. For me it is an extraordinary location- and not at all obscene.

It is simply lacking the fountain that used to be in service before.

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Palermo in the daytime around Easter

Entering Palermo already dips you into its true character. It is a place full of history. Also a city that is struggling with today's traffic solutions 24 hours a day or at least on rush hours on the main arteries direction in and out of the centre.
Palermo also boasts of having the second largest operahouse in Italy..with seating tickets starting lushly at a few hundred  Euros.

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Churches..too many and all too beautiful. I willl need to go back and visit the famous Duomo in Monreal as it was closed in he late afternoon and early evening. I did get a glimpse of the terrace which has a panoramic view over Palermo. Monreal is probably one of the treasures of Palermo that has a very different style - a style of its own...and...a real parking lot for 1 Euro! More about Monreal later on in the week.

But once in the centre of Palermo historical locations - some of them linked to recent events in relation to political highlights - of which some assassinations on judges by maffiosi are essential parts in getting the right picture on the cities' story, should be studied by the spectator in order to understand their actual dimensions.

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cantine rallo - tasting perfect sicilian wines (in the morning!)

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Cantine Rallo

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White wines
I had the pleasure starting this feast with the Carta d 'Oro from 2009. Carta d'Oro goes well with anything in my humble opinion. Delicate soft and very accessible for that reason.Then a few sips of the Muller Thurgau from 2009 which is  quite mild and goes well with seafood, first courses and crustaceans among others.The Grillo then - the third in line after taking a loaf of bread in between- has a wonderful sweet aftertast and is a well balanced and round wine. Would be great with fish and light cheese.

Then last but not least the Gruali from 2007.This is a heavy one! Sharp in taste and smell. Has a bit of a haze in it and tickles the mouth. Has been kept in accacia barrels for 4 months and can be kept to approximately 5 years. The area where the vines that are used to make Gruali are in between 150 to 350 meters in altitude above sealevel.These vines are in between 25 and 30 years of age. The production of this wine has started in 1998. Wow!

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We then decide to do the tour around the buidings of Cantine Rallo. Stretching my legs and lips for a bit
I am getting all the right answers to all ( stupid) questions one could come up with. This house is truly for those who love wine and the production of it.

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The 'plant' has quite a capacity and in total a 150 hectares are part of the entire estate on different locations and altitudes in Sicily - most of them close to Alcamo and some nearby- for example the ones that produce the Aqua Madre- a salty wine for its soils are at or close to the sea.

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Tasting 4 of the reds and finally the Aqua Madre- a desert wine-
First the Frappato a light almost rose like red with a special smell of its own. Still strong and will stay for a while.
Excellent with meat, cheeses and fish. Then secondly the Syrah- in general one that I like drinking- this one by Rallo is 7 to 10 years old. I am tasting the 2008 one and is steel fermented. Elegant and round, it is tickling my nose a bit!
Has a strong cherrie and blackberries scent.

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Then it is time for the Alao - or translated- the Lullaby red of Rallo from 2006.
With its 14 % alchohol not a light one- but with character and for that reason also - as I bring forward- ''A wine to tell one another (travel) stories by. This wine absolutely meets with the promise and its name.It deserves a special place in the homes and hearts of those who value wine. Excellent!

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Then its time for a more ''Sherry -like'' kind of wine- the Soleras Riserva.
Not my cup of tea. I mean I personaly would not buy it - but this is a special one. And with only 5000 bottles per year a true gift to those who do like this kind of wine. It goes at 15 euros for a 50 cc bottle- not bad!

Finally..yes the Aqua Madre.It comes in a special package with the nearby salina (saltfield) salt at the bottom of the transparant packaging- ideal with fruit cake, salad and even superb with almond pastries and honey biscuits - as I am told. The flavour is of a sapid nature with an excellent acidity.

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The right moment for toasting now - I cannot say that ANY of these wines have NOT surprised me.

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From left to right:(1) Irene Greco- export manager for Rallo and the utmost eloquent and proud ''tourguide'' for us humble people-(2 )former wines by Rallo which have a Segesta label from the Greec temple and city which is not far from Alcamo (3) a TABLE in style with all the wines on it at the start of our excursion (4) The Aqua Madre amidst of the old Segesta bottles and labels (5) The salt field not far from the estate.

contact:

www.cantinerallo.net

www.casedelgolfo.it

Segesta : "Greec" temple and theatre on Sicily

Not far from the Balestrate area lies an ancient site with a massive temple and a fine theatre up on a hill which in centuries of different rulers had different churches and even a mosque in its middle.This is a wonderful trip to do in early spring when first of all it is not too crowded by people visiting, but most of all because of the wonderful views over the colourful meddows around you.

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The Italian Dutch and Russian maffia taking control of the area...