photos of Ferragosto

From what I hear and messages I received from friends in Rome some people are leaving the Città for  the beginning of the Summer Holidays which in fact started as early as Monday 11 August and will continue until at least the 2 September for the very lucky and up to the 18 August for those not so fortunate in more ways than one. Italy has slipped back into a severe recession and the economy is not good, unemployment for young people (under 30) is hovering around 43% which is a disaster. This is due in large part to years of Right Wing Conservative Politics and negligence under Sylvio Berlusconi as Prime Minister.

As a tourist you are not likely to see anything and if you do not speak Italian you will not even be aware of the problems facing Italy.

Nonetheless now is time for the annual vacation and the 15 August which was instituted by the first Roman Emperor Octavian know as Augustus some 2000 years ago. When in the fourth century Christianity became an official religion in Rome the holiday meaning was gradually changed and became a major religious holiday dedicated to the Assumption into Heaven of the Blessed Virgin Mary,  nowadays it is the signal for summer vacation time.

Here are some favourite photos of Rome and Italy.

 The Church of St-Agnes in Agony on Piazza Navona, the church dates from the 8th century, the baroque facade from 1652 on the orders of Pope Innocent X of the Doria Pamphilij Family. 

 Our pool in our first home in Rome, Via Asmara 9. It was quite large, no we did not have to clean it.

The old garden area of the former estate on Via Asmara 9, never did discover who had built this garden but it was quite large and pleasant.

Another view of our pool on Via Asmara 9, never used it really.

 Our Reesie, he was a long hair Dachshund. Sitting quietly amongst the white roses in the garden

 The Oculus of the Pantheon in Rome, the opening is 27 feet in diameter or 8.2 meters

  Moon over Rome, if you look closely at the picture the middle dark part you can see the ruins of the Imperial Palaces on the Palatine Hill.

 Seen from the Market of Emperor Trajan a side view of the Italian Altar to the Nation also known as the Vittoriano on Piazza Venezia, the largest marble monument in the world. 

 The window of the French Ambassador's Office at the French Embassy in the Farnese Palace in Rome. The Coat of Arms above the window are those of the Farnese Pope Paul III.
Incidentally the first French Ambassador to rent out the palace as a residence was none other than the brother of Cardinal Richelieu who was Chief Minister of the King of France. Cardinal Alphonse Richelieu (yes it ran in the family) was the religiously inclined one compared to his politician brother.

Street parking in Rome with Olive trees

 Castle San Angelo originally built as the Mausoleum to Emperor Hadrian.

Carabinieri in gala uniform, they are the elite police corps in Italy 

 The famous fountain of the turtles near the old ghetto of Rome

Equestrian statue of Emperor Marcus Aurelius on the Campidoglio Piazza in front of the City Hall of Rome on the Capitoline Hill. The original statue is 1900 years old and is inside in the museum to the left of the photo.

A dog's life

Well for Nicky and Nora it's a tough life I am sure Nicky has plenty to complain about.
Here is his story:

Me and Nora at birth we are about one week old here in this photo.

Here I am in Canada of all places, I was born in Capena, Lazio just outside of la Città Aeterna, my parents where Italian-Hungarian and my dad a National Champion Show dog. So I thought my life would be spent in shows around Italy with lots of Paparazzi. One day out of the blue, when I was 6 weeks old, I was kidnapped and left my relatives and the farm. We, Nora and I, she is not my sister by the way. Her story is a little different, I knew her relatives but they are hunters, her mom was a Champion Wild Boar Hunting dog.

La famiglia mia a Capena 

Anyway I digress, so we arrived in Rome, did I tell you I cried and cried in the car all the way to Rome.  The one with the beard sat with me in the back and cuddled me, so I would not be so scared.  He understood my sensitive little puppy nature.
We had this rather nice place to live on Via Dei Villini, a large place with a very nice garden, the food was good and we had nothing to complain about. It was not the farm with all our families but hey we were getting lots of attention and cuddles and toys and blankets we would chew, we also chewed on furniture and concrete. We have good teeth.

Via Dei Villini 26, Rome

Our new home in Rome, come in kids.

We were well looked after and our Vet understood dachshunds since he had 8 of them at his home.
Then one day, we are taken to the airport, I was very upset and made a point of letting everyone know, I barked as loud as I could, people were afraid but alas to no avail, we left our beloved Italy for Ottawa. It is not Rome I can tell you that much. I was only 2 years old when this happened but I still remember it. The new place in Ottawa was also nice and very green by a lovely canal, that does not matter much to me because I am not much of a walker unless it is a dog walk with lots of paparazzi and people giving me biscuit. Nora on the other hand loves it, so much to hunt she says and to sniff out. She goes for long walks along the Rideau Canal and comes back exhausted but happy. Oh well if she likes it who am I to comment.

Now my days are simple, I usually wake up around 06:30 in the morning, if there is sunlight well then maybe earlier.  I love sunlight, I give one sharp and loud bark to wake up the servants, they are very lazy and I often have to give one to two more loud barks to wake them up, Canadians are so lazy its terrible. You would never see that in Italy I assure you. So one of them will prepare my breakfast and Nora's breakfast too. She is very quiet in the morning so I do all the barking.

Sun is so nice in the morning after breakfast.

After our breakfast we go out for a short walk, just so I can see what is going on out there and what kind of weather we are having. The winters in Ottawa are terrible and I hate them, we have to put coats on and boots otherwise we freeze our paws. I have pleaded time and again to return to Italy for the Winter months, to no avail, they don't listen these people.

Then I come back in and will go and sit in the sunshine for a morning snooze, love the sunshine and could spend my whole day just lying there. We have many more walks in the day time and each time I make a point of having a little snooze.

Yes my days are quiet unless the cleaning lady comes in and I make a point of letting her know I am here and to leave me alone, not to make noise and not interfere with my routine but they do, it is so unfair.

Now I know that Nora has gone to the Vet lately for her annual physical and teeth cleaning.
I also went to the Vet and declared to be in perfect health. I am only 5 years old now. But now I hear that next week I am going back to the dentist for my teeth cleaning. What a strange idea they have here. Do I really have to go? No one asked me what I thought about it.
So you can imagine how stressful all this is going to be. Why do they always have to disturb my routine.

You can see and appreciate that I have a difficult life in exile here in Canada, thank God for the biscuits and the celery, carrots, the nice cheese and other goodies I get from time to time.

This is why Rome is a great Capital.

I blogged often on Rome and Italy because I had the very good fortune of living there for several years. You often think you know something only to discover that you missed a fact or you did not quite understand what you were looking at. Italy and Rome is a complex place, contrary to popular belief Rome is not just a unique one sided place, it is and has been for 2700+ years a very cosmopolitan Capital. Once the Capital of the World, everyone came to it and it shone back unto the world its influence. Though the Vatican is located within the City as a separate country and has undue influence in the affairs of Italy, Italians on the whole have their own views and at times fought against and died by the hundreds to liberate themselves from Papal Authority, think of Garibaldi.

The recently elected Mayor of Rome, Iganzio Marino has brought much desired changed to the City and new direction after a few years of a far-right rule at City Hall.

For Christmas this year, a novelty and a surprise in a gesture of public recognition for 3 gay youths who committed suicide because of bullying.
The rainbow lights are part of the Christmas lights in the Capital and run from 2 strategic points in the City, Piazza Venezia and Piazza del Popolo down Via del Corso. In antiquity this consular road was the Western thoroughfare to Rimini on the Adriatic, known then as Via Flaminia.

Today Via del Corso is a great shopping street lined with beautiful monuments like the Column to Marcus Aurelius, the Prime Minister's Office (Palazzo Chigi), the Palace of Prince Doria Pamphilij and many other sites. The lights cover about a 2 Km length quite the sight.

This project comes from the Mayor Ignazio Marino and Councillor Imma Battaglia who heads the LGBT group at City Hall. The idea is to send a message of acceptance following the outcry over the suicides of 3 gay Italian youths this year.

The Far-Right (Fascist) parties are of course against this display, they use to be part of the former coalition of Sylvio Berlusconi the now disgraced Senator.

 

Christmas calendar

Your Calendar for Christmas:

December 6, La festa di San Nicola, Patron saint of shepherds. (the original Santa Claus)

Not to be confused with our Fantastico Nicky of Capena 

Nicky profile in the morning

December 8, La festa dell'Immacolata (Feast of the Immaculate Conception) Rome, Piazza Spagna

On this day we would go to the Piazza Spagna where the famous Spanish Steps are located and the great column of the Immaculate Conception with its remodelled statue of Venus into a Virgin Mary with all the right curves. The Pope comes to the Piazza and will put a crown of flowers on the statue, the firemen are required since the statue is way up on a large column from a pagan temple.

 At the fountain of the boat in Piazza Spagna with the Column of the Immacolata behind me.

 Royal Spanish Embassy to the Holy See on Piazza Spagna with special banners for the Feast Day.

The Pope and his escort of honour.

December 13, La festa di Santa Lucia (Festival of Lights)

The story goes that She plucked out her eyes so that her intended could not see her beautiful eyes, she only wanted to be a Saint. 

December 24, La Vigilia di Natale, (Christmas Eve)

December 25, Natale (birth day of Jesus)

December 26 La festa di San Stefano (Boxing Day in Canada)

December 31 La festa di San Silvestro, la vigilia di Capodanno (New Year's Eve)

January 1, Il Capodanno (New Year's Day, the top of the year)

January 6, L'Epifania (epiphany the arrival of the 3 wise men) and the Befana, the old lady who gives gifts to children good or bad, though the bad ones get a lump of coal.  

La Befana, the old lady who brings gifts to children all the while looking for the infant Jesus. (Italian tradition)

Tu non vedrai nessuna cosa al mondo maggior di Roma!

Just a reminder that we are going in just 3 days to the greatest city in the world ROME!
As the title of my post indicates you will never see anything greater in the world.

Just last night I was looking at all our favourite restaurants, we wish to return too. We have now our tickets to the special exhibits we want to see and have made appointments to meet our friends for lunch or dinner.

Will last night was saying that he hoped Rome would be like he remembered it from two years ago. I told him not to worry Rome never changes it is eternal in its beauty.

I am posting this Hymn to Rome by Puccini, sung here by Beniamino Gigli, it says it all. Pictured is the Vittoriano or the Altar to the Italian Nation on Piazza Venezia. A little fact about this monument built in 1890, prior to its construction stood the hill on which was the ARX or Citadel of Rome with the sacred Geese. It was bulldozed to put this monument in its place, behind it is the Roman Forum. During our trip I will be updating regularly how things are going with pictures and description.
An excerpt from the Hymn; The rising sun on the chariot of the god Apollo streams across the sky. You will never see a greater city in the world as Rome.

Easy Traditional Summer Italian Dessert

It seems that Italian restaurant in Canada know of only 3 desserts, Gelato usually too sweet and not home made, Tiramisu again factory made and taste like cardboard and Canolli usually made by some food company and not fresh.

However in Italy desserts like any dish are often very regional and follow tradition which does not cross the Atlantic easily nor would you find it in another region of Italy. By mid to end July peaches start appearing on the markets in many varieties. They are usually grown in areas just a few kilometers outside the city and so they are left on the trees by the farmers until they are ripe and ready for the picking and trucked in to the local markets early in the morning each day around 04:30 am.

Italians do not usually have a sweet dessert after a meal, but at this time of the year you will find a home made dessert that is very traditional, very old fashioned and very easy to make. You only need two ingredients and it takes about 5 minutes to put together.

The dessert is a favourite of older men, many will tell you of seeing their grandfather or father taking a peach the yellow flesh variety, cut it up put it in a large wine glass and pour white wine over it all. Voilà!

On any given day grandfather or grandmother or an uncle will tell the child, Scendi a prendere le pesche, go get some peaches at the market. The word peach in Italian is pronounced Pes Ke.

The peaches have to be of the gialle variety. The vendor will ask Di che tipo? What type you want.  The answer is Da vino (for wine) so it will be the gialle, yellow or gaillone, big yellow. Take the time to smell the fruit from where the stem was, very important, the fragrance runs from peach blossom to magnolia, the texture from melon to mango to apricot and the fruit has to be soft if you are going to eat them today.

It is a beautiful, simple and elegant dessert, a cold glass of simple table white wine with fresh cut peaches drown in the liquid. Now that is a true Italian dessert.

Peaches red with yellow flesh

Peaches Snuff box variety from the eastern slope of Mount Etna, Sicily

Peaches varieties in the local markets in Rome

Alberto Testa

Today in Rome Maestro Alberto Testa is being honoured on his 90th Birthday. The Tribute is being organized by the Accademia Nazionale di Danza a Roma. This will be an all day event to celebrate the life of this great artist who has done so much for dance in Italy. We met him through our friend S.A. while we lived in Rome and spent our Easters with him and friends. He is a delightful person.

I had dinner with him in Rome last March at one of our favourite restaurant I Limoncini on Via del Giuba. He is known amongst many things as the choreographer of the classic movie The Leopard (Il Gattopardo, 1963) with Burt Lancaster and Claudia Cardinale. The movie was an adaptation of the novel of Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa. He had some funny stories about the making of the movie and about the main actors.

Before we left Rome in 2011 we went up by train to Spoleto to meet him and to attend a tribute to his career and work, it was a wonderful day.  

Our best wishes to Il Professore, Bravo!!!




http://ilteatrodellamemoria.wordpress.com/2013/01/17/tribute-to-alberto-testa-at-the-accademia-nazionale-di-danza-in-rome/

Francis Poulenc and Christmas

Francis Poulenc (1899-1963) is one of my favourite composer of the XXth century. I find that his music has a certain signature, meaning that when you hear it you know it is Poulenc. His opera Le dialogue des Carmélites is also amongst my favourites. In the Christmas Motet, Poulenc gives us music that leads to quiet reflection on the meaning of Christmas, it is not about shopping or other commercial aspects or even about people or that false family sentimental approach or focusing about the children or what ever other modern meaning we like to invent for this holiday. It is about leading the individual to listen to the words as they are sung in Latin and reflect on their meaning and that of the events inspired by Faith at this time of the year.

Rome under snow with the top of the dome of the Church of Santa Maria di Loretto (1507)
by the Forum of Trajan.

Here is the Hodie Christus Natus Est. The voices of the Choir are very clear and love the pronunciation, I am also happy that I have some knowledge or understanding of Latin. Sung this way it adds mystery and dignity to the text.

Big snow flakes falling and our neighbour walking his pug. The Canal is frozen now and I saw someone walking on the ice yesterday.

Here is the Videntes Stellam also from the Poulenc Christmas Motet.



The voices are beautiful.

Il Caffè Italiano = aesthetics in Italy

Not available at Starbuck's, thank God for small mercies. How I miss my Caffè Italiano, elegant and simple, note there is no styrofoam cup.

For many people, poor souls, coffee is simply a beverage that one drinks out of a styrofoam cup. To anyone who appreciates coffee all’Italiana however, a good caffé is so much more. Now, without going Aristotelian on anyone, one of its main aspects is aesthetic… yes, as in visual. Coffee can’t just taste good, it needs to look good too… this is Italy after all.

E allora? Order it al vetro, in glass. Your excuse is that it cools more quickly than in the traditional ceramic cup, a desirable trait when it’s hot out. But you aren’t fooling anyone … the real reason is aesthetic, it just looks better.

While the normal caffé al vetro is your aesthetic standard, occasionally you might want to mess with perfection and spruce it up a notch. In this case, ask for un caffé al vetro schiumato... literally, ''foamed''. Here your barista will serve it with a spoonful of foamed milk deposited on top.

You drink it as is, don't stir it together! Of course you can ask for un caffé con panna (with whipped cream) it will keep you smiling for the whole day.

Ferr'Agosto!!! 15 Agosto

The Roman emperor Augustus so enjoyed late summer that he claimed as his own the month we now call by his name.  He ordered month-long festivities, called feriae augustus, which included games, races, and rituals to honor the goddess Diana, who was worshiped as queen of the fields as well as of heaven and earth. Augustus was equally enamored with the beguiling island of Capri, which he appropriated from the municipality of Naples in exchange for the nearby island of Ischia.

With the rise of Christianity and the suppression of pagan feasts, August 15 became a religious holiday commemorating the assumption or lifting into heaven of Mary, the mother of Jesus.  Over the centuries various communities developed special ways of honoring the Madonna.  In the Sardinian town of Sassari men carrying elaborately decorated wood columns dance through the streets.  Messina’s townspeople construct La Vara, a fantastic sixty-foot-high pyramid from which stars, clouds and figures of saints dangle. At one time young boys dressed as angels and apostles were hoisted into the air by rings attached to La Vara. As part of the ceremonies a young girl representing the Virgin Mary freed a prisoner. 

According to a Neapolitan legend, local fishermen once pulled a portrait of the Madonna from the sea, and their king ordered a church built around it at the beach.  On August 15, which became known as the Festa della Nzegna, everyone was tossed into the water. The night before the faithful ate only watermelon but feasted on sumptuous desserts the next day.

In the late  Renaissance, Rome’s governors flooded the splendid Piazza Navona for festivities that included fake fish splashing in the water and young boys diving for coins. As darkness fell, candles and torches glistened, and Romans enjoyed lavish dinners called sabatine (little Saturday feasts). Today many will have a Pranzo de Ferr'Agosto as we did in Pesaro on the Adriatic every year. 

Times have changed. Now a national holiday, Ferragosto marks the height of the Italian vacation season. In cities and towns many businesses, banks, restaurants and shops close; residents shut up their apartments and flock to the beaches. Seaside villages often end the day’s festivities with spectacular displays of  fireworks (fuochi d’artificio). 

This little clip of the famous Italian movie Pranzo di Ferr'Agosto by Gianni di Gregorio illustrates well what it is like in Italy on that day, a lunch with friends and relatives. I found it delightful because it mirrored our lives. Though we preferred to spend our vacation by the seaside.

But amid all the gaiety some Italians suffer a sad fate. Because of their jobs or finances, they  must remain in the deserted cities. And so the phrase “ferragosta in citta” has come to mean a bleak, unhappy situation.

May you have a wonderful Ferr'Agosto! Auguri a tutti!

Omaggio alla Repubblica Italiana

On this 2 June 2012 National Day of Italy, we celebrate the 151th Anniversary of the Unity of Italy.
This selection is from the re-opening ceremonies of the San Carlo Opera House in Naples in 2009. The President of the Italian Republic Giorgio Napolitano is present in the Royal Box. San Carlo is one of the great opera houses of the world and we visited it before and after the renovation, the work done did justice to this wonderful building in the centre of Naples. First built by King Charles VII of the Kingdom of Naples and the Two Sicily in 1737, it is one of the oldest opera houses of the world, seating 3300 persons. The orchestra of the Opera House plays the Italian National Anthem, under the baton of Maestro Riccardo Muti.
Fratelli d'Italia composed by Goffredo Mameli in 1847, aged 20. Mameli died defending Rome from the Pope and the French Army two years later in 1849.

Buona Feste a tutti, Auguri!  Viva l'Italia!

The lyrics of the Anthem in English translation.

Italian brothers,
Italy has arisen,
With Scipio's helmet
binding her head.
Where is Victory?
Let her bow down,
For God has made her
The slave of Rome.
Let us gather in legions,
Ready to die!
Italy has called!

We for centuries
Have been downtrodden and derided,
Because we are not a people,
Because we are divided.
Let one flag, one hope
Bring us together;
The hour has struck
For us to join forces.
Let us gather in legions,
Ready to die!
Italy has called!

Let us unite and love one another;
For union and love
Reveal to peoples
The way of the Lord
Let us swear to free
Our native soil;
If we are united under God,
Who can conquer us?
Let us gather in legions,
Ready to die!
Italy has called!

From the Alps to Sicily,
Everywhere it is Legnano;
Every man has the heart
and hand of Ferruccio.
The children of Italy
Are all called Balilla;
Every trumpet blast
Sounds the (Sicilian) Vespers.
Let us gather in legions,
Ready to die!
Italy has called!

Mercenary swords
Are feeble reeds,
And the Austrian eagle
Has lost his plumes.
This eagle that drunk the blood
of Italy and Poland,
togheter with the Cossack,
But this has burned his gut.
Let us gather in legions,
Ready to die!
Italy has called!

Omaggio alla Città Eterna

What is the fatal charm of Italy? What do we find there that cannot be found anywhere else?
I believe it is a certain permission to be human, which other places, other countries, lost long ago. E.J.

150, Festa della Repubblica Italiana (1861-2011) Festa degli Italiani

June 2 marks the birth in 1946 of the modern Italian Republic in this year of the 150th Anniversary of the creation of one united country, Italy. The President of the Republic, Giorgio Napolitano went first to the Vittoriano, the great white marble monument on Piazza Venezia this morning to lay a wreath on the tomb of the unknown soldier in front of the statue of the Goddess Roma. Then he was driven in his elegant and beautiful convertible official car a 1961 Lancia Flaminia 3035 around the Roman Forum and returned via the Circus Maximus and the Porta di Capena to the avenue which leads to the great Arch of Constantine below the Palatine Hill, considered in Antiquity the official entrance to Rome. This is were Marcus Tullius Cicero entered Rome when he returned from exile shortly before the assassination of Julius Caesar. The Presidential car like all things designed in Italy is a mixture of elegance, style, sportiness and relaxed comfort and beauty. You admire the car for its colour a medium level blue, it's a convertible and can seat 4 persons in the back and 2 in the front. It is not like a lot of other State cars anonymous and bulky, it is also not bullet proof or bomb proof. Usually the President on the right of the car and his wife or in this case the Minister of Defence on the left, on the jump seat the Chief of the Defence Staff and Head of the Carabinieri. On the front seat the driver wearing white cotton gloves and next to him the Head of the Personal bodyguard of the President, in his grand Gala Uniform.

                               Lancia Flaminia 1957-1970

There he received the salute of the Italian Armed Forces as leaders of the world gathered on the official dais on Via Dei Fori Imperiali. I learned today that the blue colour is the official colour of Italy, I always wondered why, it turns out it is the colour of the Royal Family of Italy, the House of Savoy. Italy despite being a Republic since 1946 has kept the colour blue as the National colour.

All European countries sent either their Head of State or Head of Government to the ceremonies today. Many other countries sent delegations.
Beautiful sunny day today 20 C. The parade down Via dei Fori Imperiali is largely an historical pageant this year of the Armed Forces of Italy for the last 150 years, in keeping with the events being celebrated. Very well done and high in colour. Every Army, Air Force, Navy and Police regiment is represented. Also delegations of the historical 3 capitals of Italy, Torino, Firenze, Roma. NATO sent a delegation, many countries also sent military detachments. The Italian Navy has a horse regiment, probably the only one in the world to have such a thing and the Army has a railroad regiment.

Interesting note is the seating plan on the Dais, sitting on the left of the President is the president of the Parliament and on the far right two seats down is the Prime Minister Berlusconi, he seemed to have been pushed to the side. Last year he was sitting immediately to the left of the President. President Karzai of Afghanistan was seated between the President of Kosovo and Joe Biden the USA Vice-President who did not appear to have much to say to Karzai. Though he talked up the President of Kosovo who was wearing a classic Chanel outfit.

The parade concluded with all the horse regiments coming down the avenue and the two pass by of the Italian Air Force over Rome and our house since we live in the centre. You can hear them coming for at least 10 seconds before they actually appear in the sky. This evening the President of the Republic is hosting a grand State Dinner at his residence at the Quirinale Palace.

Noto, City of the Hermit Saint Corrado, Sicilia

Lovely Noto just a few minutes away from Siracusa, a new town really, reborn after the terrible earthquake on the evening of 11 January 1693 as Mount Etna was erupting devastating all of South East Sicily and destroying numerous towns and villages. Ancient Noto lays in ruin to this day, abandoned some 10 Km away from the new city. No one wanted to live there after the destruction and death of so many people.

                         The cathedral of Noto rebuilt in 2007.

Noto today is a city built a new with baroque churches and palaces, well laid out. It can be visited in a few hours, museums and churches are open in the morning, usually from 8:30 to 12:30 and then close for lunch time.

If you start at the Porta Real and go down the main avenue you will see all the important buildings including the newly re-built cathedral (2007). The original cathedral’s dome collapsed in 1995 after one of the columns supporting it gave way suddenly, the church was severely damaged, it was however rebuilt identical to the original. The drum of the dome has a new fresco showing the nearly naked apostles dancing around with the Mary Magdalene and they point to the Holy Ghost hovering above them, symbol of Pentecost. This representation of the apostles is somewhat startling, they are usually shown as old and serious, dressed as Roman Senators. Here it is the opposite, they could pass for devotees of Dionysius.

Noto also has several other beautiful palaces like the one of Prince Nicolace di Villadorata, one of the first palace to be built in new Noto around 1698. On the street it has these figures supporting balconies, ferocious lions, galloping horses, round face putis, bearded men, etc.

The inside gives you a glimpse of what life was like in the age of Princes.

Noto also has several good restaurants and one good gelateria Costanzo Dolceria behind the Ducezio Palace in the centre of town. There is a funny fresco in this Dolceria, Costanzo who is now dead, stands behind Christ at the last supper and Christ is having a nice glass of red wine while giving the thumbs up, the wine of Salvation or in Vino Veritas. Some might think this sacrilegious but in Sicily it is not, the meaning here is more on the joyful aspects of Faith and Salvation, Sicilians like in the celebration of Easter and of their Patron Saints love to sing and dance and be joyful for the triumph of Good over Evil. Sicily is a place of agriculture and of wine making, the soil is very rich and fertile, people work the earth and produce some of the best fruits, vegetables and wines in all of Italy, not to mention some excellent cheeses. So these activities influences the way they see the world or their world.

                         God the father blessing all from Heaven

You can get easily to Noto by train from Siracusa, a regional train comes by every 2 hours. Though be warned that the Noto Station is closed like most small train stations and no services are provided, you can only board or leave the train. An automatic voice announcement warns you of the imminent arrival of the train. If you do not have a return ticket you can purchase one at a Travel Agency on the main street in Noto.

We were going to skip the visit in Noto but now we are glad we went, it is only a few minutes away from Siracusa and it is so lovely. 

Well our trip to Sicily is coming to an end, tomorrow we go to Catania about 45 minutes driving time from Siracusa, where we will take the ferry to Naples and then on to home in Rome to our puppies Nicky and Nora. We really miss them and the babysitter says that Nicky has behaved himself this time. Some of the cases of wine have also arrived in Rome. This trip was a good deal in terms of gathering excellent Sicilian wines.