Agrigento

 

 

Agrigento from the Valli d'Templi

Just a one hour bus trip from the marina in Licata, Agrigento is the regional capital and the jumping off point to tour the Valli di Templi, Sicily’s best preserved Greco-Roman site. We stayed in a great little place called B&B Rabate, which is just outside the old hilltop town and has a fine view over the valley and a beautiful old church just opposite. Francesca the proprietor clearly loves her town and Sicily, and is very helpful with ideas for things to see, places to go and great restaurants to visit. She speaks only a little English, but our Italian is improving and we find the Sicilian people so expressive that it’s usually easy to pick up what they mean. Comfortable bed, good shower, everything very clean, nice breakfast – a fine place to stay if you’re in this part of the world!

Francesca and two of her children

 

On our first morning it was pouring with rain, so the visit to the temples would have to be postponed – but only for an hour or so, as it turned out. The rain stopped, the sun came out and the light was gloriously clear. Francesca dropped us off at the start of the walk and we were treated to the sight of the beautiful golden sandstone structures glowing in the sunlight, washed clean by the rain. The temple complex dates from the fifth to the fourth century BC, from the Greek city Akragas which was described in ancient texts as “the most beautiful city mortals had ever built” and also as “exceedingly opulent”.  The remains of seven temples and various other buildings sit along a ridge in the middle of the Akragas Valley, which is filled with olive and almond trees, with the Temple of Concord the best preserved. A museum holds the archaeological finds from this extensive site, including a giant male figure which formed a supporting pillar for the Temple of Zeus. A brother to this figure lies on his back at the temple itself, looking like an eternal sunbather.

 

 Ancient olive tree and the Temple di Concordia

 

The old town was a great place for shopping and exploring, with the tiny steep back alleys, interesting shops and surprising architectural treasures we’ve come to expect in this part of the world. The big difference seems to be that the old places are seldom pulled down to make way for the new. New interiors are created within 15^th century walls, or added on right next door while the old stuff slowly crumbles away in scenic fashion. Highly visible are certain big developments that are sitting where they clearly shouldn’t be, because “someone knew someone who paid someone”.

Back alley, Agrigento 

  

 
The Street of Street Art (that's what they call it)
 

Via Atenea

 

 

 Via Atenea

 

Teatro Pirandello (Agrigento's Nobel Laureate of about 1934 or so)

We had several excellent meals, notably at “Opera”

The view from the window is out over the Valley d'Templi

 

 

and a great restaurant called Osteria ExPanificio. 

facebook.com/OsteriaExPanificio/timeline


For Christine’s benefit, this is what we had:-

Pappardelle with a rich and chunky wild boar and Porcini sauce.  A tiny touch of cream added.  It was strong and superb.

Ravioli stuffed with goat’s cheese and walnuts.  Melt-in-your-mouth pasta (not “al-dente” thank goodness!) with a creamy filling and crushed walnuts, plus crushed walnuts in the sauce.

Potatoes, cut into cubes and roasted in the oven with EVOO and Rosemary.  Simple Sicilian potatoes with flavour.  Excellent.

Panna Cotta with a reduction of raspberries.  Probably the best Panna Cotta the Admiral has had.

2 x aqua, one still, one with gas

660cl Moretti

½ litre of the house Nero D’avola.  Not at all bad for a house wine.

1 coffee  €42 all up.

We took the local bus out to Port Empedocle, home of the dramatist Pirandello and also Andrea Cammilleri, author of the Montalbano novels. We established that he is alive and well, residing in Rome, that another Montalbano book (about number 18) is about to come out in English and that a statue of the famous Sicilian detective is about to be re-erected in Via Roma, the main street when new paving is completed.

Art Nouveau Customs House in Porto Empedocle

 

The "Wedding Cake" church in Porto Empedocle

 

Virginia d'Alessandro in her ceramic studio "Ceramicando" on Via Atenea.  We called a halt to the buying spree at 5 pieces.

 

Marina di Cala del Sole, Licata

Marina di Cala del Sole

One of the famous sunsets, after which the Marina is named

 

We are comfortably settled in our winter haven here in the southern Sicilian town of Licata, and so far all is going well. The marina provides excellent all-round shelter and the dock staff are helpful and vigilant – they were very much in evidence last week when the wind blew up, checking docklines and making sure boats were safe. The office staff are great, the bathrooms are clean and functional and – joy of joys! - there is a self-service laundry with industrial standard washers and dryers! (Who ever imagined that that would be cause for celebration?)  We have a real international community of cruisers here once again – fellow Aussies and New Zealanders, Brits, French, Brazilians, Germans, Dutch, Indonesian, Swedish, Finns and Norwegians, plus the locals of course. The Sunday barbecue seems to be a universal cruising tradition, and Licata has its own version accompanied by games (boules and the Finnish bowling game, Molkky) on our specially constructed courts.

Laundry!

 

The marina adjoins the town and is a popular spot for families and couples to make their evening passagiata. Everything is close by, including an excellent supermarket. Licata town itself is a bit run down, but many of its baroque buildings have been attractively renovated and there are some fascinating hidden gems – grotesques and carved balconies, tiny cavern-like shops, memorials like the statue and home of the physicist Filippo Re Capriata. It is an everyday working town rather than a tourist town, with village-style remnants like the old carpenter's workshop, unsigned and down a back alley - everyone just knows that's where Giovanni's place is. Ambitious plans are in place for the marina complex, so let's hope it doesn't change all that.

Grotesques on the façade of the bank

And it’s Sicily so the food, even in the most ordinary places, is sensational. Besides fantastic pizzas, our local pizza joint serves Peroni on tap and about five metres counter space of fresh salads, vegetable dishes, pasta, breads, fruit and desserts. At the other end of the scale is La Madia, Licata’s Michelin star restaurant which is supposed to be one of the best in Italy (to be sampled later, perhaps, on a special occasion!)

Deli counter in an ordinary supermarket (Antonio is Terry's best friend in Sicily!)

We did go with friends Louise and Gary from Takamoana to an exceptional little restaurant called L’Oste E il Sacrestano where Chiara and Chef Peppe delighted in explaining each dish of the delicious six plate tasting menu. The restaurant specialises in showcasing the fresh foods of the region, particularly its fish, vegetables and olive oil. Every single bite was a sensation, from the lovely peppery oil to the cherry tomatoes cooked in vinegar and sugar, to the rich creamy potatoes, the smoky marinated octopus, the fresh home made pasta, the fresh tuna, the sea bass which was absolutely perfect … Peppe finished by preparing dessert at the table – a delicate concoction of coffee, artisan ice-cream, chocolate and marscapone mmm! The dishes were an ideal size, so each could be appreciated and you left feeling satisfied rather than stuffed. Our hosts were so friendly and knowledgeable – what a great showcase for Sicilian food and hospitality!

Peppe prepares dessert

So far I have seen every character from The Godfather, including several scary incarnations of Luca Brasi and some well-dressed elderly gentlemen who seem to command a lot of respect. Famiglia is certainly the core of life here, including those who have passed on. Every day is busy at the very prominent hillside cemetery, but All Saints Day saw virtually the whole town turn out, with vast bouquets of chrysanthemums, to commune with the dead at the family vault.



View from the Castle over the cemetery and marina

                                      
The weather is beautiful, the food is sensational, the company is good, the boat is safe. Next week we will do a bit of travelling around the local area. There are good vineyards in the hills, and much to see in Ragusa and Agrigento. Not to be missed, of course, is Montalbano’s villa – I hope it will stay warm enough to do the morning swim!

Cruising crew celebrate Hallowe'en  (the local kids have learnt that boats are a good bet for Trick or treat!)