Dreams of Gold
Dear Trail Friends
We took a slow meandering walk across the island then across the bridge into Syracuse to the bus and train stations. We had hoped to make a day trip to Noto, a beautifully preserved baroque town and UNESCO world heritage site, much loved and studied by longtime parttime Orcas Islander (and Berkeley professor of architectural history) Stephen Tobriner. We were interested not only in the architecture but also in a small bakery there featured on a recent episode of Chef’s Table - we had promised our Orcas island friend Arthur Winer that if we could get there we would check out the canolli and other pastries and report back to him. Much as I loved the idea of that adventure, we found at the bus station that buses to Noto were much less frequent than the guidebook had suggested and we also realized that we were still tired enough from travel that we would enjoy a quiet day wandering the narrow winding streets of Ortigia much more than the more ambitious adventure. We also wanted to be at our hotel mid-afternoon to welcome my sister Judy and Chris’s son Peter when they arrived.
The walk home was especially magical with the almost full moon overhead and the narrow street with the old buildings and their balconies. Especially magical was walking with Peter who pointed out things like how electrical wiring is put into the stone (since these stone buildings were built long before electricity), the tubes made of clay and how they were fitted together, the changing materials of the road under our feet. Photo 3 shows our walk home- left to right, Peter, Judy, Toni, Chris.
After we came back to the hotel Ellen and I went up to the roof garden to see the view of water and old town roofs by moonlight.
Luckily I finally did fall asleep at 5:30am and woke at 10am, just in time to make it to the breakfast buffet that closes at 10:30. The dining room is on the 4th floor of our little hotel and has a panoramic view of both the coastline and water and the town and rooftops. (Photos tomorrow)
We are on the island of Ortigia (Siracusa’s old town) just over the bridge from the rest of Siracusa, which is on the southeast coast of Sicily. Photo 1 shows the island - the blue dot is where we are.
We took a slow meandering walk across the island then across the bridge into Syracuse to the bus and train stations. We had hoped to make a day trip to Noto, a beautifully preserved baroque town and UNESCO world heritage site, much loved and studied by longtime parttime Orcas Islander (and Berkeley professor of architectural history) Stephen Tobriner. We were interested not only in the architecture but also in a small bakery there featured on a recent episode of Chef’s Table - we had promised our Orcas island friend Arthur Winer that if we could get there we would check out the canolli and other pastries and report back to him. Much as I loved the idea of that adventure, we found at the bus station that buses to Noto were much less frequent than the guidebook had suggested and we also realized that we were still tired enough from travel that we would enjoy a quiet day wandering the narrow winding streets of Ortigia much more than the more ambitious adventure. We also wanted to be at our hotel mid-afternoon to welcome my sister Judy and Chris’s son Peter when they arrived.
We had a lovely light lunch - arugula, sweet little tomatoes, tuna fish and exceptionally good olive oil - at outdoor tables. It was sunny and probably in the mid-70s. I wore my sun hat and we didn’t need our jackets.
We returned to the same restaurant as last night for dinner, joined this time by Toni (our states side tour organizer), sister Judy, son Peter, and my friend and colleague from NYC Ellen. This time Ellen and I shared a first course of ravioli dish with shrimp and orange, and a second course of fried fish (a diverse mixture of fried seafoods very very lightly breaded and beautifully seasoned). When we arrived at 7:30 the restaurant was empty. By the time we left at 9:30 it was full. Sicilians prefer to eat at 9 or later. Photo 2 shows our table at the restaurant, left to right, Judy, Peter, Toni, Ellen, and the no longer empty tables around us.
The walk home was especially magical with the almost full moon overhead and the narrow street with the old buildings and their balconies. Especially magical was walking with Peter who pointed out things like how electrical wiring is put into the stone (since these stone buildings were built long before electricity), the tubes made of clay and how they were fitted together, the changing materials of the road under our feet. Photo 3 shows our walk home- left to right, Peter, Judy, Toni, Chris.
After we came back to the hotel Ellen and I went up to the roof garden to see the view of water and old town roofs by moonlight.
Tomorrow the formal tour will begin with short talks and a group dinner.
Ci vediamo in Sicilia. Buono notte e sogni d’oro (dreams of gold - the closest Italian equivalent to “sweet dreams”).
Your notes bring back lovely memories of that special part of the world and the delicious food that greets travelers and residents.
ReplyDeleteOh Ted it is so lovely to imagine you here with us. Be well.
DeleteBy the light of the moon this town with its old stone buildings is so welcoming even when dinner begins at 9!
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a child my mother used to sing “I see the moon the moon sees me the moon sees somebody I want to see” - and I remember it most from the years we lived apart - it came to represent for me closeness at a distance. Thank you for pouting to the moon and reminding me! Love to you.
DeleteThat was meant to say “pointing” not “pouting”!!
DeleteAt a restaurant in Venice the mixed fish appetizer was called Questo e Quello. I think it translates as This and That. I like the image of pouting to the moon.
ReplyDelete