Cantine Pellegrino , Marsala, Sicily

Pellegrino is the largest producer (out of 20)  of Marsala wines in Sicily. It's a family owned business located in Marsala (not related to the water people). They offer a unique tour and tasting and we took part.

 

Each year they produce cooking Marsala and dinking marsala. For those of you that don't know about Marsala, it is a fortified wine that ranges from dry to very sweet depending on fermentation and added brandy or sugar. Our German tour guide told us all about the process and let us taste three different kinds.  

As an added treat, they had a collection of hand carved and painted carts from the the 19th century.  They were used as a means of transporting goods and people in Sicily up until about the 1920's.  Owning a hand carved and ornately decorated cart became a status symbol and demonstrated the owner's wealth and success. Pellegrino's collection is one of the largest in Sicily.

The "carretti siciliani" or Sicilian carts are part of the island's folklore and history.  Every surface, including the wheels is highly decorated with elaborate carvings and paintings.  The scenes often depict moments from Sicilian history, epic stories, religious figures or chivalrous tales.  Even the underneath of the cart was carved and painted with designs of flowers, people and landscapes. 

Drinking Marsala in Marsala.

Marsala, Sicily

Marsala reminds us of Bonaire.  It has salt pans, windmills, great sunsets, kite surfers, and ocean views.  We feel right at home.
 

There are restaurants that are set up in the vineyards. Charcuterie boards and bruschette that are out of this world. They have a number of beach bars and restaurants that remind us of  "Snacks" only better.

The sunsets over the ocean are spectacular just like Bonaire, One photo was taken from our patio and the other from a beach bar where everyone gathers to see the sunsets. 

Marsala has a walking old town area with sidewalks and streets done in white marble.  It's very clean and not too crowded for this time of year.  It also has several churches just like every  other town, village and city in Italy.

Our rental has a view over the vineyards and to the sea. It's in a tiny village. The directions were  crazy to find it ( just like directions in Bonaire).

"When you are in Vicolo Diodoro Siculo take the second small road on the right, you will see a dead tree in front of you, take this one and go straight, even if it narrows a little, don't worry it is the right one."

The best part was sharing it with friends. This was our last stop with our companions.  We dropped them in the early morning darkness at a deserted bus stop near the airport. We waited 5 minutes in the car and a bus showed up.  They climbed aboard and were off to their next adventure.

Bufala Farm in Sicily

 

We watched a YouTube video about the Bufala farm in Sicily that created hand made cheese and other goodies at the agriturismo. We had no idea what to expect but we booked lunch at the farm.  Who knew there were water buffalos in Sicily?

Just in case you ever find yourself in Punto Vendita, here is the farm sign so you can call ahead for reservations. They don't speak English so be prepared to translate everything.

They make the most luscious cheeses, dried meats, pizza, vegetables and pasta. We actually ordered the antipasti plate for 4 people and there was so much food we couldn't finish it.  The waitress stopped us from ordering a main course because she knew the quantity of food we ordered.  We were a little miffed at first, but quickly realized we could have ordered half of the food and still not been able to finish it.

Burrata cheese (back), a huge braid of mozzarella (in front of the burrata), a bowl of fresh tomatoes, a salami, and focaccia made up the start of the lunch.  

In Italy you often order wine by telling them red or white. Then they bring you a pitcher of wine from a local producer.  There is no silly bottle to open, or studying the label or discussing the grapes, just good table wine that is always a pleasure to drink. They take the pretense out of wine and serve you a local delicacy that is always good.

This selfie has nothing to do with the Bufala Farm.  It is just a random photo by the sea in Sicily... and our shirt colors match.

Modica and Agrigento, Sicily

Every town and village in Sicily is built on hills and the buildings are placed on top of each of them. Stairs, stairs and more stairs are the way to get up and down the towns. The stairs are steep and uneven, the roads are narrow and everything is crowded together.  These are Modica and Agrigento (left and right). 

Modica is know for its chocolate. It is mainly made with cocoa and sugar mixed in a cold-working process.  It has no added fats. At the low processing temperatures sugar does not dissolve and all the beneficial properties of cocoa are kept in tact. Since Rick loves chocolate we had to taste chocolate at several stores and purchased as much chocolate as we could carry.

We booked a room at the Modica Palace and they gave us an upgrade to a suite.  Little did we know that they had themed rooms.  Ours was called "Pashia" and was like Arabian nights. It was complete with a waterpipe, fountains and middle eastern decor...over the top.

Half way up a narrow walking street and a super long stairway ( in Agrigento), we found a pizza restaurant that perched chairs and table on the stairs.  If you leaned to far back you would topple down the stairs.  The table and chairs learned down toward the stairs.  A precarious situation. I couldn't get everyone in the photo so you will see our friends and Rick's finger.  The pizza was great!

We climbed stairs in Agrigento and Modica. I somehow was able to do it...slowly and without having a heart attack. Here we are smiling because I actually made it to the top.

 

Mt. Etna

We woke up in Piedimonte Etneo, Sicily with the top of Mt. Etna covered in snow. This did not stop us in our quest to eat and drink wine on the mountain. These are the views of Mt. Etna from our apartment and a neighboring village.

 

Met up with some friends from Bonaire and we ate and drank our way through the vineyards of Mt. Etna, an up and coming wine region. It was cool and overcast but that did not stop our enthusiasm for finding the best wines. It finally warmed up and the sun came out.

The volcanic soil makes this wine region special due to the rich soil and the small vineyards that make up the DCOG which is the designation for Italy's elite wines.

The town we stayed in was old and small and easy to walk around but not much was happening. Our accommodations were a huge apartment with 4 bedrooms and decorated in old Italian decor complete with chandeliers and baroque decorations. This is us In Piedimonte looking down the street at the church.  Every village, town, city has a church or three.

Touring Lipari

 

Our hosts in Lipari were kind enough to show us their island.  They drove us all over in their 1980 Fiat which is a POS island car but it got us around.  This is a sunset picture from our apartment.  Every view point was beautiful.  I am going to share the pictures with you...no explanations needed.

Our apartment is the white building on the left in the first photo. The second photo is of our apartment patio and front.

Loved Lipari