June 2, 2024
My early morning adventure was walking down to the old port where the fishing boats are docked. What a peaceful way to start what was scheduled to be an active day. Water always calms my soul.
We are driving east to the Madonie Mountains to enjoy A Day in the Life of the small hilltop village of Castelbuono, which boasts centuries of rich history and a charming medieval town center.
Shortly after our arrival in Castelbuono, we met Rosita one of the hardworking resident’s who have a very important job in the town. These donkeys are used to collect the town’s garbage and recycling and are especially handy for navigating the narrow medieval alleys that aren’t wide enough for cars. We got a chance to love on her and then we followed her on her route up the steep hill to the city center.
We had a long goodbye with Rosita then headed to Castelbuono’s most famous attraction: its medieval castle. In fact, the name Castelbuono means “good castle” in Italian. Construction on the castle began in the 14th century, and over the centuries it underwent more changes and additions as members of the wealthy Ventimiglia family moved from Palermo to Castelbuono. The church within the castle contains a massive amount of carved marble and wooden statues, some that I found to be a bit creepy The castle provided incredible views of the countryside.
We headed to Piazza Margherita, the town square where we had the opportunity to meet Aurturo who is a 100 year old musician. He was so dapper in his suit and he made sure to inform us that he was a widower and available!!!
Next we a tasting of locally-made panettone, the fruit-studded cake often enjoyed during Christmas and other celebrations. Castelbuono’s panettone is special because it’s made with manna, a white sap that comes from nearby ash trees and is used as a sweetener. They have grown this local business into an international brand Fiasconaro. It was so good!
Our next interaction was with two women who are trying to teach the next generation the art of embroidery. The government provides funding to groups whose goals are to preserve the culture and skills of the country. We got a chance to try embroidery. I have never tried it and found it calming. I need to get my friend Rosie to help me finish my napkin!!!
Crafting makes you hungry so we headed to a home where we sat down to lunch with members of the community. But first we got to help prepare the meal. I got to create Marzipan! This is done by pushing the dough into a mold. It is then dried for 24 hours and painted. I think my “holy cannoli” looks pretty good!! The other group created a potato dish that included cheese and of course was fried. Lunch was a lively event that included lots of wine and great sharing of stories between us and the locals. All too soon it was time to head back to Palermo!
What a fun day interacting with the locals!!
Back in Palermo I had just enough time to visit the inside of their famous Opera house. Its beautiful dome and elegant balconies are only surpassed by the size of the stage, the largest in the world. They also have a round room with a dome and if you stand in the exact center and whisper it sounds like you have a microphone!!
Time to pack as we leave Palermo tomorrow to head to Mazara del Vallo.
