Just found a little time to post a blog about the trip. We arrived in Rome in a heatwave! The airport terminals had no A/C and it was HOT! The luggage of these people was not on the plane, there were loaded on another flight to Rome arriving at 10:30. Luckily there did arrive on the next flight and they joined us in terminal 1 for the flight to Catania, which was delayed.
However, we did make it to Catania in good time and met our bus and driver, Giuseppe. We arrived at our magnificent hotel, Sant’Alphio in the late afternoon.
Everyone settled in and we had dinner. Sleep!
The next day was a full day. To the bus by 8, first stop Catania to walk around the fish market, consume some fresh oysters, and visit the Duomo.
At 10:30 we left for an agrotourism outside of Siracusa called, Casa Damme.
The owner, Camillo, gave us a tour of the farmhouse where the laborers slept which is now a museum of farm equipment. Then to the garden area which has some interesting trees, like the loquat tree, called nespolo in Italian.
And an olive tree that had a fig tree growing out of its center.
Lunch was great! Lots of antipasti, followed by a lasagna with cream of pistachio (no tomato sauce)
Followed by sausage with an orange glaze. I thought that the sausage was a little dry.
Dessert was homemade cannoli with sheep’s milk ricotta, which is used in Sicily instead of cow’s milk. Big difference besides the fact the filling is not overly sweet.
The real dessert was waiting for us in Noto at Cafe Sicilia noted for its gelato (nominated BEST IN ITALY)
I had a coppia grande with ricotta mint, ciocolato fundente, chocolate with candied fruit and granita di limone. I made a big mistake as I was leaving, ordered an espresso, delicious but it kept me on spin all night.
DAY 2 coming up!
