January 5, 2012
Well, Mount Etna–Pillar of Heaven, as the Greeks called her–is spewing her ash again as I write this. First blast of 2012. Clouds of smoke are visible all the way down here.
We toured around her just last week. Small puffs of smoke, like breaths on a cold day, blew from her crater into the gray-blue sky. She looked breathtakingly serene then, but there’s always more than meets the eye in Sicily.
Vulcan, god of fire, was tink-tinking away in her burning bowels.
How odd to live cheek-by-jowl with such a force of nature.
Stone homes–still inhabited–nestle against the black scabs of lava that are etched like witch’s fingers down her green shoulders. Some homes, like the one below, are just a distant memory.
 Lava fields outside Randazzo Randazzo, closest to the summit, is a dark town on the north slope built entirely of lava stone.
 Church of Santa Maria in Randazzo  Center of Randazzo In spite of the danger, Sicilians feel an intense affection for Etna, identifying deeply with her volatile nature.
The boys in Randazzo deck themselves out in black–to match their surroundings I presume–and behave just like Etna, puffing great rings of smoke into the sky.
 Scene in Randazzo Does your life lack excitement?
Here’s a house for you. It’s just under Etna, and for sale!
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Tips for tourists: Wine tours and trekking are favorite past-times around Etna. The north face of Etna is a gorgeous place to drive around–full of vineyards, baronial manors, and mountain panoramas, but when you get to down-at-the-heels Bronte (home of the famous pistachio nut), the roads become trashy–especially shocking to see in the presence of this great natural wonder.
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July 3, 2011
Summer is in full swing.
The wind blows up from the Sahara.
The sun burns; the Ionian cools.
We’re sitting at a kiosk at the “Aziz” beach, 2 kilometers east of Donnalucata in Southeast Sicily.
“Three hours on the beach, the best coffee money can buy, two fresh brioches, and a turquoise view of the Mediterranean that extends to Africa,” Kim says, “All for five euro.”
Happy Fourth! Are you on the beach?
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Directions: From Donnalucata, drive 2 kms east (following signs to Marina di Modica and Siracusa). When you see a (faded ) sign that says “Aziz” and “Pizzeria,” turn right and go all the way to the water, where you’ll see a white “kiosk.” Ask locals for help: everyone knows Aziz. Go early to get good parking: the bar opens at 9am and is peaceful until about 11:00.
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November 5, 2010
I savor the morning. A church blushes. A fountain plashes. A lonely piazza exhales the aroma of fresh-baked brioche.
Carmelo makes the world’s best coffee, a magic brew, strong enough—for 30 minutes at least—to make the world pink with possibility.
If you’re planning a trip to Southeast Sicily, why not start your day in Ragusa Ibla with Carmelo (at the Donnafugata Bar on Piazza Pola)?
What to do after the bar? See my suggestions for “A Golden Day in Ragusa Ibla” on Susan Van Allen’s site. She also shares some good tourist tips for Siracusa and Catania.
Happy touring! If you’ve been to these towns, please tell us what’s top on your list. Thanks for reading!
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Susan Van Allen is the author of the wonderful 100 Places in Italy Every Woman Should Go.
August 30, 2010
I have met the enemy, and he is the cannolo. Not just any old cannolo, but the heart-stopping, moan-inducing ones at Trattoria Al Molo in Donnalucata, on the southern shores of Sicily. I’d like to die eating one of their cannoli. Does this make sense?
What words can describe it? When you sink your teeth through the crispy-light crust, an orange-flower-infused ricotta comes bursting forth, perfuming your entire mouth. Your eyelids grow heavy and you sway like the sea. Even days later, I’m crazy mad with the memory.
This cannolo is slim and delicate, unlike the pipe-bomb cannoli you find in Brooklyn, or Palermo. And by the way, do you know how the cannolo got its name? The dough used to be molded around canna, cane (reeds) such as these.
Sicilian cannoli once protected against evil spirits and symbolized fertility. Now they have their own Facebook page. Hal Licino claims that Sicily’s best cannoli are found on the western end of the island, calling EuroBar in tiny Dattilo near Trapani the “Ultimate Altar of Cannolidom.” Hal, have you never been to Donnalucata?
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PS At Al Molo (an unchic place, 0932-937710) sample the razza alla stemperata (sweet and sour stingray). You know what to order for dessert.
 Chef at Al Molo Click to comment.
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May 25, 2010
Can you say that five times, fast?
Pronounced chic-ly, Scicli is not at all chic, though I suppose you could call it shabby chic. It’s got that vintage, distressed look—complete with a baroque voluptuousness, flakey paint, and mottled sandstone walls.
Go if you like out-of-the-way little gems.
It was a Moorish town a millennium ago, later a Norman one, and was rebuilt in the Baroque style after the 1693 quake. Then Time forgot little Scicli until it was declared a World Heritage Site in 2002. It is slowly waking up from a long torpid slumber.
It has its share of ogres, meant to keep foreigners and evil spirits at bay.
Hike up to the decaying Church of San Matteo if you dare. You’ll be amply rewarded with stunning views: a sapphire sea on your left and a town that looks like a stage set at your feet.
xxx
The best place in town for lunch is Pomodoro, owned by Enrico Gugliotto (pictured here) and his brother Giuseppe (in the kitchen). It’s about a five minute walk from the baroque heart of Scicli (Corso Garibaldi 46, closed Tuesday, 0932.931.444).
And check out the gorgeous Scicli cemetery if you’re into stone cherubs and angels. It’s just outside of town.
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Readers, can you help me? Will you consider voting for my Sicily photograph in the Islands poll? Here’s the link. The link will bring you to a photo I shot of a Sicilian woman in Capo Passero (in the extreme southeast corner of Sicily). You can vote by clicking on *My Favorite* underneath the photo. (I could win a photography course and you could win a camera!) GRAZIE MILLE! (To see thumbnails of all 22 photos in the competition, click this link.)
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