December 11, 2012
This story takes place in Licodia Eubea, a foggy place high on a hill in Southeast Sicily, one of those time-frozen towns with a generous rhythm of life.
A big white van was inching its way through the slick streets when a man in a navy coppola flagged it down.
Out popped the driver. He tossed open the back doors to reveal a whole supermarket inside: oodles of noodles and bread and cookies and chips and cheese and sausage.
The man in the coppola fingered some brown eggs to make sure they were good and fresh, then fished a few euro from a pocket.
“Excuse me, signore. That’s a lot of eggs. What’ll you do with them all, if I may ask?”
(You can be a nosy snoop in Sicily.)
“My wife sent me out to get them. She likes to make cakes.”
Then the man was off, shuffling carefully over wet cobbles, holding the fragile treasures like his life depended on it.
I wondered: Will the eggs make it safely? Will he get a peck on the cheek for running the errand? What kind of cake will she concoct? Orange? Lemon-thyme? Walnut? Ricotta cream?
Such are the daily dramas of life in small-town Sicily.
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Sleepy Licodia Eubea comes alive during the September grape festival!!!
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Jann, this post is simply delightful. I love it! Not only are the photos wonderful, the story that goes with them serves to capture our attention and try to come up with answers to your questions. I can easily picture this gentleman gently carrying his eggs back home. And I can just as easily picture his wife making a cake! 🙂
Ciao Bella! Thank you for your comment & hope you have a great Christmas. xxxxxx
Of course I recognized the Beatles’ quote, Janina cara. I was just pulling your legg.
I am the Walrus.
🙂 I think you love pulling leggs!
Yes, it did look like a Van Gogh painting. His strokes were intensified by his desire to capture the essence of the moment, as do your photos. Always warm and fun to visit your hometown.
I love these stories Jann. Thank you. So much more important and uplifting than what passes for news sometimes. I would have been asking the same thing Jann. That the signore took his task so seriously speaks volumes…..
Thank YOU Janine xxxxxxxxx
Was he “sitting on a cornflake, waiting for the van to come”? (also from “I Am The Walrus”)
🙂 How cute, Sam! Yes, perhaps he was sitting on a cornflake…
The Egg Man Cometh: Wonderful how you have captured the essence of the little known sequel to O’Neill’s famous play, The Ice Man Cometh.
On a personal note, my husband has taken to buying a flat of eggs, like the one in your photo, because they’re cheaper. The only catch is that they’re peewee eggs, so I have to use twice as many in my baking. This could well cause more of a situation of him being hen-pecked rather than cheek-pecked!
Ciao louciao! You give me too much literary credit, carissima. The Beatles were more my inspiration…Peewee eggs?????? You must have cute little chickens up there in the Great Northeast. Love the hen-pecked/cheek-pecked!!! 🙂
Great little story, and the photos look like a van Gogh painting.
Well, it’s Photoshop’s version of Van Gogh. Not quite the same thing, unfortunately!!!!
Ahhh, the simple things in life.
For example, smooth brown eggs, cakes, a kiss on the cheek.
I send you a kiss this very moment, Jann. Xx
And I send you a cake, Kim. xxxxxx
I love the everyday stuff in the small villages in Italy
Yes, the sweetness of village life in Italy…
I agree Jan! Looks like a photoshop job! lol But love the stories always!
Yes, I got a little carried away with Photoshop 🙂
What fun! I can almost taste the cake that man’s wife will prepare for her family. I like his little blue cap, too — very chic!
Yes, he is a chic fellow…
I think Jann was fooling around with Photoshop —- the man has a mottled look also, kind of a watercolor effect. Actually makes e a little queasy!!! (Il volto del’uomo sembra un po’ chiazzata come le uove!!!
Ha ha, sorry to make you queasy, Jan! Yes, like scrambled eggs, exactly!
Coo-coo-ca-choo! Too cute. Great photos – great story.
Thanks Rosann–come stai???
I’m curious as to what breed of chickens laid those eggs? It looks on the pictures like they have a “mottled” look to them?
🙂 A special weird Sicilian variety!