On a hilltop of the Madonie Mountains lies the small medieval village of Castelbuono. The centerpiece of the town is its castle of the same name, which we visited with our group. Owned by the Ventimiglia family, construction began in 1316 and underwent several changes and additions over the years. Currently, the castle houses the Castelbuono Civic Museum and a chapel.
(For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view.)
Ceiling
The village is also known for its working donkeys, used to collect garbage and recycling since the medieval alleys are too narrow for cars. This donkey is 22 years old and has been working with its partner for 18 years.
At Piazza Margherita, the town square, we enjoyed a tasting of locally made panettone, the fruit cake (more like bread) that Italians enjoy at Christmas and other celebrations. Castelbuono panettone is special, because it is made with manna, a sweet sap that comes from nearby ash trees. Not a past fan of panettone, I was a quick convert, because it was right out of the oven and so fresh and moist.
After having time to explore the village on our own, we regrouped for lunch on the patio of Ristorante Nangalaruni, which specializes in dishes with various locally grown mushrooms. The food was fabulous, and the music quite entertaining, especially as performed by the owner’s grandson! He is getting an early start…
Centerpiece display of the mushrooms used in their cooking
Next up: SICILY & AMALFI COAST #6: THE AMAZING MOSAICS OF MONREALE CATHEDRAL
There is so much more to Sicily than the Mafia, but the first thing that comes to mind for many Americans when they think of Sicily is the Mafia. This is especially true for those who saw “The Godfather” movies. (I am probably one of the few in the 60’s and older age groups who have not seen any of them.)
Since the Mafia is such a big part of Sicily’s history and current reality, Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT) chose the Mafia for its “Controversial Topic” and had guest speakers share their stories and knowledge with us.
This is where it got very interesting. The first speaker, Gino, was very much against the Mafia, because his father, a tailor, was forced to make suits for Dr. Michele Navarra, the head of the Navarra crime family, in Corleone, Sicily. (If Gino’s father had refused, there would have been a BIG problem. When the Mafia says to do something, you do it.)
The second speaker, Angelo, was the son of Bernardo Provenzano, chief of the Sicilian Mafia clan, Corleonesi, who backed mob boss “Lucky” Luciano Leggio in the ambush and murder of Dr. Navarra. After a failed hit in 1963, Provenzano became a fugitive for 43 years before being captured in 2006. He died in prison 10 years later.
Meanwhile, Angelo became a tour guide, speaking about the Sicilian Mafia, much to the dismay of Mafia victims, such as Gino. Check out that link, because the article talks about Angelo being hired in 2015 by Overseas Adventure Travel to speak about the Mafia. And, by the way, members of the Costra Nostra (Italian for “Mafia”) don’t refer to themselves as “Mafia” because they are “offended” by that term. (I have so much I could say about that alone!)
So, we now have two men with us, Gino, who despises everything the Mafia represents, and Angelo, the son of a Mafia crime boss (who is not in the Mafia himself). They are are not only in the same building, but the same room, setting up audiovisual equipment to speak with us. They were together only briefly for the preparation, but they never looked at each other. You could cut the tension with a knife. Not wanting to be obvious (and not even knowing if I was permitted to do so), I shot this quick photo of the two, with our tour leader, Francesco, in the middle:
Angelo, Francesco, and Gino
After Angelo left the room, Gino began his talk. Corleone, as we learned, became the headquarters of Costra Nostra, because it was a strategic location for the grain trade and is located between two strategic cities.
Corleone wasn’t big enough for two crime families to coexist, so the families of Dr. Navarra and “Lucky” Luciano Liggio went to war. (At the same time, “Lucky” was also setting up a sister organization in New Orleans, U.S.A., which was more profitable.) If you were in Corleone at the time (or anywhere in Sicily when all hell broke loose), you either decided to leave Sicily or show allegiance to the Mafia. If you joined, you became a murderer.
In 1958, the war between the two crime families finally ended when Dr. Navarra was murdered and his family was no longer #1 in Sicily. The war had left 200 dead.
Fast-forward to the 1980’s, 475 Mafia members were arrested and put on trial, resulting in 338 convictions. The Maxi Trial, which took place in Palermo, lasted for six years and was considered the most significant trial ever against the Sicilian Mafia as well as the biggest trial in world history.
It wasn’t over. The Mafia retaliated two years later by murdering a Palermo judge and his son, as well as others in the coming years. It has gone on and on, and the devastation and crime inflicted on innocent people never stops. In 2007, it was estimated that the total income of illegal Mafia activity was approximately 44 BILLION euros.
Currently, the most influential Mafia is in the Calabria region, in the south of Italy’s mainland. These are some of their criminal activities: protection rackets (protection from theft by non-Mafia, protection from competition, protection of territories), vote buying, smuggling, contract bid rigging, loan sharking; and, of course, murder, when they see fit.
I have only scratched the surface of the Sicilian Mafia, but this gives you an idea. After listening to Gino, it was fascinating to hear Angelo’s story of what it was like to grow up with his father, the crime boss. Several of us doubted how he could have grown up with his father being a fugitive crime boss and not understood why they were in hiding, but he was a child at the time and now seemed sincere enough. Angelo also made it clear that he didn’t support or condone the Mafia in any way. Still, there was no tolerance for him by Gino, and that was palpable.
Coming up next: SICILY & AMALFI COAST #5: CHARMING CASTELBUONO
After another day of poking around Palermo on our own and getting adjusted to the seven-hour time difference, our tour with Overseas Adventure Travel began. We met our tour leader, Francesco, and the other fourteen members of our tour group, before setting out on a walking tour of the city. Although Francesco is a Palermo native and knows his city like the back of his hand, Italy requires separate tour leaders and tour guides, each being licensed in a separate classification. So, our tour guide met us at our hotel and led the group through the city, with Francesco bringing up the rear.
Palermo is the fifth-largest city in Italy, so our walking tour covered just some of the highlights—a few which I wrote about in my previous posts; so, I will skip those and show you what was new for us.
First, a little bit about Sicily and Palermo. This map highlights the itinerary of our tour in red:
(For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view.)
Sicily, located off the peninsula of mainland Italy, is an island of 4.7 million people in the Mediterranean Sea. First and foremost, although Sicilians are Italian and the island is part of Italy, the locals think of themselves as Sicilians first, and Italians second. They are very proud to be Sicilian and even have their own dialect, which they speak in addition to Italian.
Another thing Sicilians are clear about: They aren’t fond of northern Italians (and the feelings are mutual), which has its roots dating back to the 1860’s. Government power, including the police and army, shifted from southern Italy to the north, and economic wealth was (and still is) centered there as well. The south, including Sicily, is poor, which created a vacuum for the mafia to step in.
One of the reasons Sicily is poor is because Sicilian government is corrupt. Politicians get paid more in Sicily than anywhere else in Italy or the rest of Europe. Basically, they are ripping off the taxpayers, so the politicians and mafia (often the same) are the only Sicilians making out financially. If you get elected to parliament in Sicily, it’s like winning the lottery. You would serve a 2-year term but get paid for the rest of your life. The bottom line is the system doesn’t work for the benefit of the people, only for the politicians. One example of this is the money distributed to Italy and Sicily by the European Union. The politicians skim off the top before the rest trickles down in a way that benefits the common Sicilian.
The unemployment rate in Sicily is also steep—38% for the 18-35 age group. In contrast, it is only 2.9% in Switzerland. Overall, Italian unemployment is the highest in Sicily and the Calabria region, also located in the south.
It is most difficult to get a job in the private sector, because they will only hire experienced workers. New college graduates don’t have experience, but they don’t want to work outside of their field of study; so, they won’t work. Many go on earning additional advanced degrees and live with their parents.
Now, a bit about Palermo: Located in northwest Sicily, it was founded in 735 B.C., and the current population is around 626.000 with its metropolitan area totaling about 1.2 million. The city is Sicily’s economic and cultural capital, full of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
The city has quite a complicated history. Due to its strategic location in the Mediterranean, it was the victim of a succession of invaders: The Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Greeks, Romans, Normans, Swabians, and French all conquered Palermo at one time or another. Fast forward to World War II, the city was heavily bombed. Sheesh! The poor city couldn’t catch a break.
One of the things I enjoyed about Palermo was the way vehicle traffic was diverted away from the main streets of the old city center until late at night. Pedestrians could walk down the middle of the streets without the noise, pollution, and chaos of traffic. It didn’t stop the e-bikes and scooters from whizzing past, though, at times nearly colliding with pedestrians stopping to take a photograph or to talk with each other. I’m guessing that all of us in the group had a close call at one time or another!
Following our walking tour and free time in the afternoon, we regrouped for our “Controversial Topic,” one of OAT’s features on each tour. I’ll give you one guess as to what that topic would be… I’ll tell you all about it in my next post!
Meanwhile, here are some photos shot around Palermo:
Our group had a private visit at the wonderful Opera Dei Pupi, a family-run puppet theater that has been passed down through the generations:
Our private demonstration and Q&A session with the owner was hilarious!
During my free time, I stumbled upon a street lined with shop after shop of seamstresses sewing table cloths and other items made from bolts of colorful fabrics– many with a lemon motif, which is a symbol of Sicily. There are lemon trees everywhere on this island!
Next up: SICILY & THE AMALFI COAST #4: THE SAVAGE SICILIAN MAFIA
We had another day to explore Palermo on our own, so Bruce and I set out to walk the streets of the city. Our first stop was to visit the Church of Santa Maria dell’ Ammiraglio (also called Martorana), known for its Byzantine mosaics that date back to the 1140’s. The craftsmanship of these mosaics, many in gold, was stunning, as were the floor and wall tile designs.
(For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view.)
Looking up at the ceiling
Ceiling mosaic
This mosaic was difficult to photograph, due to the dark lighting and roped-off location. The detail in this mosaic was amazing!
This was a wall design all done in various types of stone.
Very close to the church was Piazza Vigliena, also known as “Quattro Canti” (Four Corners). The most beautiful architecture I had ever seen on four corners of an intersection, it was obvious others agreed; it was packed with tourists when we visited the following day with our tour group. This day was relatively quiet, at least at the time of our visit.
Commissioned by the Senate of Palermo and designed by Giulio Lasso, the four corners were built between 1608 and 1620. By 1663, the buildings were complete with sculptures and decorations.
The fountain of each corner represents a different season. Pictured below is the north-west corner, representing the Seraldcadio/Capo district and the summer season. The sculptures are of Philip II, king of Spain, and patron Saint Santa Ninfa.
This north-east corner represents Autumn, and the sculptures depict King Philip III and patron Saint Oliva de Palermo.
Continuing our walk along Via Vittorio Emanuele, one of the main streets of historic Palermo, we arrived at Palermo Cathedral, just one-third of a mile away. Construction of this Roman Catholic church began in 1185, but it wasn’t completed until the 18th century, after several additions and renovations. As a result, the complex has many architectural styles and a long, detailed history!
Back of the cathedral
Old Palermo was easy to see on foot, so we enjoyed wandering the streets, taking in the sights and sounds of the sidewalk cafes and shops, stopping for delicious gelato along the way.
It was wonderful to be back in Italy! This was my sixth time in the country and my fourth with Bruce. After visiting Calabria with friends, we returned to Italy on our first OAT tour to Tuscany and Umbria, with a pre-extension to Parma and Bologna. Last year, we traveled with OAT to the Dolomites in northern Italy, following a pre-extension to Switzerland. Now, we were beginning our journey through Sicily, eager to see what adventures awaited us.
Coming up next: SICILY & THE AMALFI COAST #3: PALERMO ON TOUR
As usual, we chose to arrive early to allow ourselves to adjust to the time change. Although we knew the tour would include a visit to Capo Market, Bruce and I decided to go on our own after settling into our hotel room upon arrival.
We love visiting markets; it’s one of our favorite things to do when we travel. Markets always present wonderful photo opportunities, they’re a great place to grab some fresh and tasty food, and it’s fun to watch the locals doing transactions with the vendors. Never a dull moment.
Although I had Euros left over from our previous trip, we took advantage of having access to the ATM along the way and picked up some more Euros. Before we leave the country, I always look up my bank’s website to see if it has a partner bank in the country I’m visiting. It does have a partner in Italy, so using their ATM saved us some money on fees.
Since we were going to walk to the ATM, followed by the market, and possibly some other stops on the way back to the hotel, Google Maps came in handy. I was thankful to have an Airalo e-SIMM for my phone, so I could switch it on when I was away from the hotel’s WIFI, and use the step-by-step route instructions for our walk.
Now, for a shameless promo: If you decide to try Airalo, you will receive $3 off and I will receive $3 off my next order if you use my referral code: ELAINE7474. I spent $66 to get 20 GB of data, and it’s good for one year. Since purchasing it last July, I have used it in Peru, England, Ireland, Sicily, and Turkiye. It was well worth the $66 just for using Google Maps for walking routes! Besides, you can set it up at home before you leave town, so you won’t have the same hassles some of our Turkiye group members had when they purchased an E-SIMM at the airport in Istanbul. They paid A LOT more, it didn’t work, and it was a nightmare for them—long story.
Airalo switched on, and more Euros tucked away, we continued to the market. Capo Street Market (Mercato del Capo), has been in existence for many years and was historically famous for its meat trade. Currently, fresh fish, produce, Sicilian products, and tourist souvenirs are sold at the market. We enjoyed scoping out the various street food options we looked forward to tasting while traveling throughout Sicily!
(For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view.)
During our visit, it started to rain hard, leaving us looking like drowned rats by the time we returned to our hotel. Thankfully (gratefully!), that was the last of any significant rain during the entire tour. Although it rained a couple of other times, it never impacted us; we were either indoors or on a bus. We were fortunate to have beautiful weather!
Next up:SICILY & THE AMALFI COAST #2: POKING AROUND PALERMO
For our last day in Italy, we made our way from the Alps to the Venetian countryside, stopping at an apple orchard in Valsugana. We learned from the owner about apple cultivation and the production of apple juice, cider, and vinegar. Cherries were being grown there as well and we were fortunate to arrive just in time to taste them at their best!
(For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view.)
Lunch followed; a variety of home-cooked dishes that included apples as an ingredient, of course!
Our journey continued to Villa Condulmer where we stayed our final night. Built in the 17th century as a monastery, it later became a private residence that changed owners several times. Famous composer, Guiseppe Verdi, was friends with the one of the owners and stayed there for a few months in the 1800’s. In 1959, the villa was transformed into a hotel and features the piano that Verdi played during his stay.
The villa was gorgeous! We enjoyed meandering through the lobby, bar, and sitting rooms as well as the lush grounds in both the front and back. It was a perfect place to relax and enjoy the last day in one of our favorite countries!
In the evening, following a champagne reception for our group, we enjoyed our last dinner together and bid farewell to our fellow travelers and Maria, our tour leader.
As was our previous three tours with Overseas Adventure Travels, we enjoyed it very much and highly recommend their small group tours. If you do check out the site and contact OAT, please let them know Elaine Krugman referred you and give them my customer number: 3018126. If you book a trip with them, not only will you receive $100 off because you were referred by me, but I will, too!
Thanks for joining me on this journey! I hope you will return to see Peru!
As we departed Tirano, I took one last look at the red Bernina Express train with gratitude. Yesterday had been an epic day in the Swiss Alps!
Now we were headed to Lake Iseo for new adventures. Along the way, we enjoyed beautiful views of Val Camonica and stopped in the little northern Italian town of Edolo.
(For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view.)
It had rained so much in Edolo that the water was flowing at a much higher level and volume than normal.
Our next stop was in the Franciacorta wine region where wonderful sparkling wine is produced using the traditional method. We toured the Bersi Serlini winery, and then sampled several of their sparkling wines followed by a delicious lunch.
The final destination for the day was Hotel Araba Fenice, on Lake Iseo. Check out that link and you will see an aerial shot of the hotel’s location on their Trip Advisor page. What a gorgeous spot! The hotel does a great job taking advantage of the scenery with large lake-view windows and an infinity-edge pool. Although we had warm weather to enjoy the pool, the water temperature was 60 degrees, and the lake was even colder. Brrr!
Lake Iseo, in the Lombardy region, is surrounded by medieval villages, and Bruce and I looked forward to exploring the town of Iseo the following day. Until then, we enjoyed a walk around the shore near our hotel with Maria, taking in the views at one of Pilzone’s tiny beaches.
Dinner that night was in the hotel’s restaurant overlooking the lake. Not only was the view gorgeous, but the cuisine was fabulous, too!
Coming up next (after a break): SWITZERLAND & NORTHERN ITALY #15: MAGICAL MONTE ISOLA AND INTRIGUING ISEO
For the six people on the main tour who were not on the pre-extension, this was an opportunity to spend a day in Switzerland. I’m sure I could speak for the other nine of us that we were excited to see the Swiss Alps again!
This day was what Bruce and I had looked forward to the most: Riding the Bernina Express. It is one of the few rail journeys designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Not only is it the world’s highest Alpine crossing (reaching an altitude of 7,400 feet), but also the steepest, with gradients up to 7%.
The journey took us over bridges and viaducts (including a full 360 loop over one of them), through tunnels, past glaciers and alpine meadows, and through tiny villages and vineyards. I did not take this ride sitting down or with the window closed! Fortunately, I was sitting across the aisle from another photographer in our group, so we shared windows on both sides of the train, jumping back and forth when we saw something worth shooting—which was often!
Our local guide, Roberto, was awesome! He rides the train six days per week as a guide, so he knew exactly when our cameras needed be ready for a spectacular scene. At times, it was a blink-and-you-miss it photo op, so he gave us a countdown, so we could capture the best shots.
Remember what I said in one of my Swiss blogs about trains being on time? Well, $#@* happens and it did happen on our journey. At one point in the 30-mile ride, we came to a complete stop and didn’t move. We waited, and waited, and waited… Roberto finally went in search of the conductor to ask what happened. The news wasn’t good. The driver of a huge crane truck didn’t lower the crane enough to go under the railway’s electrical lines, so he got in a tangle with those lines and the lines won. They came down and lost power, and a crossing arm was destroyed. It was a mess. Kudos to the efficient Swiss, though. They immediately called for a bus to pick us up and take us to the next station where the lines had power. To compensate for the inconvenience, we were upgraded to first class. I didn’t notice much difference except the restroom was quite large and nice!
If that’s the worst that would happen throughout our three-week trip (and it was), it was all good!
What was fabulous was our luck with the weather! Normally, there is no snow in mid-June, but it rained for two months straight, late into the season. Lucky for us, it stopped just in time. Come along on our journey and see for yourself!
(For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view.)
The view of our train from our hotel room in Tirano. We were so excited to wake up to a beautiful day!This was just the beginning of many beautiful scenes to come on our 30-mile Bernina Express Journey.Our group, waiting for Bernina Express train, #2.
Upon arrival at the Diavolezza station, we took a cable car up to an elevation of 10,000 feet.The ride was spectacular! This was shot out the cable car window.
Seen while disembarking the cable car. Love it!
The view from the cable car ride back down. Dark clouds rolled in, so we were grateful to have enjoyed the beautiful weather while it lasted!
Maria shared a local spiced eggnog with us to celebrate during our journey back to Tirano.
The track made a 360 spiral!
Next up: SWITZERLAND & NORTHERN ITALY #14: EDOLO AND LAKE ISEO
When I heard we would be visiting a goat farm for our “Day in the Life” excursion (an Overseas Adventure Travel feature on every tour), I immediately thought of my friend, Laura. Years ago, when she visited me and Bruce (and after we all had one too many glasses of wine), a funny conversation we were having about goats led to Laura exclaiming, “Bring in the goats!” I don’t remember what the story was or how the topic of goats came up, but “Bring in the goats!” has been a joke between us ever since. Whenever Bruce and I see goats, one (or both) of us quote Laura, have a giggle, and immediately think of her. So, Laura, this post is dedicated to you!
The farm we visited was in the Valtellina Valley, in the Alpine region of Italy near the Swiss border. Known for its agriculture and cheese-making, we participated in both activities after first meeting the goats.
First, a little background: The hillsides and hamlets of this region used to be home to the rich; however, when people started moving into the cities, the small hamlets became depopulated and abandoned. To encourage people to return and build the population back up, abandoned homes were offered by the government for 1 Euro, but with strings attached. The new owners were required to commit to renovating and living in these homes. That worked well during COVID, when people started working remotely, fleeing the cities, and repopulating the region. More and more people are continuing to return to farming and living in more remote places such as the Valtellina Valley again.
We visited Fattoria al Dos in Castello dell’ Acqua and were hosted by Gabriele, his son, Michele, and Gabriele’s dad. Their farm had been passed down by Gabriele’s great grandfather through the generations, and Gabriele now does most of the work while his father handles the tourism end of the business, such as hosting groups like ours.
Their goats were a friendly bunch! They immediately came over to meet us, and they loved being scratched on the head! If we stopped giving them attention, they just stood there and stared at us, waiting for more. It was quite evident that once we were on the scene, they didn’t care about eating the hay that was piled up for them.
After learning about their goats and the milking process, the scene that unfolded brought out an instinctive, “Bring in the goats!” from both of us. While we watched, the goats were brought out of the barn and herded by their dog, Simba, to an area where they could feast on fresh grass.
Simba, keeping an eye out on the goats.
We also helped plant potatoes and learned how to make goat cheese. Their 60 goats yield about 30-40,000 liters of milk a year that is worked into cheese. One hundred liters of milk yields about 17-33 pounds of cheese, just to give you an idea of their production, which they sell locally.
It was interesting tasting the different cheeses they make, from young to aged. We were then served a traditional farm lunch of risotto. For dessert, we enjoyed the cheese we each had made, accompanied by homemade fruit jam or honey.
Our time at the farm was so enjoyable, and it was fun learning about the life of the three generations working the farm. Gabriele and his wife are hoping that Michele will carry on the tradition!
Looking down the hill from their farm, the view was of this little village cemetery.
Following our return to Tirano, Bruce rested while I wandered through the town doing photography, one of my favorite travel activities. I most enjoy exploring quaint, character-filled places that inspire my curiosity, encourage me to peek and poke around corners, get lost, and totally immerse myself in the moment. Tirano was one of those places.
Entering the historic quarter,,,
Our evening concluded with these wood-fired pizzas that cost only $13– for both! The one on the left is a traditional “pizza quattro stagioni” (four seasons), which explains why the ingredients were kept separate! Bruce and I split the pizzas, but I passed on the “winter” season.
Coming up next: SWITZERLAND & ITALY #13: ALL ABOARD—AGAIN!
Following that epic thunderstorm the night before, we weren’t sure what we would be waking up to on this morning. I hopped out bed, flung open the curtains, and exclaimed, “SUN!”
(For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view.)
On the way to Varenna.
It was sure to be a beautiful day in Varenna, located just 20 miles from Lecco and situated on Lake Como in the Lombardy region of Italy. Founded by fisherman in AD 769, this town is old! It is currently a popular tourist destination, so we were fortunate to beat the crowds that would be arriving later on the ferries, when we took our morning stroll along the waterfront. As time ticked by, the little town became more and more crowded. Thankfully, by then, we were making our way back to our meeting spot and had already done the photography I had hoped to accomplish without people in every photo.
This little town of 800 people has loads of character and photographic possibilities! I enjoyed exploring the many staircases leading to the upper town and seeing the nooks and crannies along the way.
The view across Lake Como from Varenna
Church of San Giovanni Battista (St. John the Baptist Church) was built before the year 1000! We were fortunate it was open, so we could see the interior frescoes.
As we made our way back, the crowds were growing larger on the walkway!
After dining al fresco with our group for lunch in Varenna, we traveled on to Tirano, the beginning point of the famous Bernina Express train to the Swiss Alps. After settling in at the hotel, Maria led us on an orientation tour of the town. The skies became quite dark and gray; quite the opposite of our bright, sunny morning. More about Tirano in my next post! Until then, thanks to all of you who have sent emails about my posts! I appreciate it!!
The dessert at lunch was fabulous! It was chocolate; what’s not to like?
Next up: SWITZERLAND & ITALY #12: VENTURING OFF TO A VALTELLINA VALLEY GOAT FARM& TIRANO
Elaine-iaK's Travels: A Traveler's Tales of People, Places, Photos, Pools... and CHOCOLATE! 