23-26 November 2022
For Emily Colegrove, who all along the way has helped us think about how to describe things clearly.
We had a few more days to spend in Sicily and Domenico recommended that we check out Castelbuono. Domenico’s mom told us to go to the pastry shop there, especially for panettone. Both were great suggestions. We decided to stay for two days. The drive from Palermo is spectacular with views of the Tyrrhenian Sea when you are not driving through galleries (tunnels) that cut through the hills that descend to the water. You see islands in the distance too—Lipari and Vulcano.
Castelbuono is a comune of Palermo. The population is small at 8,800. The town is perched on a steep hill with a castle, of course, at the top. The streets are set up on a rough grid laid over the hillside. This makes walking in the rain on the medieval stone pavement a chore for us anziani. The Ventimilgia family from Palermo began building the castle in 1316. The name of the town comes from the castle’s original name: Castello del buon aere (Castle of good air).
As in most small Italian towns, businesses in Castelbuono close from about noon until three or four. This includes both offices and shops. The towns seem to be abandoned because everyone is secluded at home eating a substantial lunch and taking a nap. (Domenico often suggested naps in Palermo, but the concept was too foreign for us.) Around four pm people reemerge and the streets are lively until seven or later.
Mealtimes also require us to adjust our mental clocks. Restaurants open for lunch about one pm and get really busy at one thirty. For dinner, restaurants open anywhere from seven to eight pm. Italians don’t show up until at least eight, and often nine. Small children are common in restaurants at these late hours, and we keep wondering how they manage school the next day.
We are glad we can speak Italian when we are south of Rome because we need it more often than in the north. Of course, Italians instantly identify us as foreigners—Bonnie is too tall and pale to be Italian, and Robert wears baggy pants and too many bright colors and print shirts to be Italian. Nevertheless, Sicilians are ready to chat at the slightest sign of interest from us. They don’t hesitate to carry on the conversation, despite our grammatical mistakes and odd pronunciation. It’s really fun.
The younger folks in Castlebuono are friendly and will engage in conversation immediately once they find out we are from California. The older folks will stare (bright blue down jacket, African fabric hat, etc.), but readily reply when we greet them with a Buon giorno or Buona sera.
One such conversation happened at a restaurant when Robert was talking to the owner/chef:
- Dove sei? (Where are you from?)
- San Francisco
- Ho uno cugino in California. Ha una restorante. (I have a cousin in California. He has a restaurant.)
- Dove’? (Where?)
- Non lo ricordo. Ma lo penso un po. (I don’t remember. But I will think about it for a little while.)
He returns with his phone in hand and shows Robert the screen.
The restaurant is in San Mateo! Robert’s home town. Small world indeed.
Hard Rock Music Anyone?
We are always surprised that in most restaurants, no matter how quaint, historic, and charming, the music is usually classic American rock. The alternative is well-known pop songs covered by European singers. We feel sorry for the young soprano who had to cover for Adele. Not a chance she could measure up.
Lodging
A seven- to twelve-minute walk from our apartment down to the town center, depending on how wet and slick the pavement is!
Strolling Castelbuono
Fiasconaro
Richard—This is for you.
Fiasconaro is one heck of a pastry operation in Castelbuono. The shop is worthy of the best you might see in Rome, Milan, Torino, or Paris. Yet, it is headquartered in this small out-of-the-way town. Robert asked how many they employ here—300. They specialize in panettone. They also distribute their products worldwide. The qcode below will let you know where.
Chiesa di Maria S.S. Assunta-Matrice Vecchia
Beautiful church with a fresco-filled crypt. The old guy there engaged Bonnie in conversation while Robert went down into the crypt. He asked Bonnie about her background, where she had worked, shared his opinions on the state of the world, and upon Robert’s return told Robert that she was tired because he was making her walk too much! Bonnie had not told him that. A very perceptive fellow.
Museo Civico Castelbuono
Worth a visit.
Gangi
We took a drive from Castelbuono to a town farther back in the mountains called Gangi. When we arrived, we had lunch at a very small local place and then took a short walk on a few of the lower roads. Did not venture all the way to the top because it looked too daunting. And the castle was closed anyway.
Domenico had said that Gangi might be worth a visit. And so said the lady who ran a wine store on the ground floor below our apartment. She had never gone, however, even though it is only an hour away, she did not want to experience all the switchbacks in the road. The drive through the regional park was spectacular—rolling landscape and mountains. The mountains here are the last gasp of the Appenine mountain chain that runs down the length of Italy. The windy road through the mountains was in perfect condition. It appears that cork oaks are native here. We saw their lower trunks stripped for the cork. We even saw a fox on our way back. Just as we saw in Alaska, the fox was not afraid of us. Just stood there and stared back.
Castelbuono – I Cibi e le Bibete
