The Daily Diary of a Wandering Restaurateur
Shufflin' Around Cefalu
It's time to explore our new base of operations.
Our home away from home in Cefalu has a lot of space -- three bedrooms, a lounge, kitchen, double bath and outdoor balcony but comes off a bit short on the creature comforts ... at least for these creatures. I crave a comfortable chair with good light for reading and so seldom find it. That's us -- top floor on the right.
We wandered through the back streets of the old town and up the hill to the main piazza that always lies in front of the cathedral. The duomo in Cefalu was build by the Normans starting in 1131. Sicily has had lots of rulers over the years. The old town itself is very medieval and a challenge for drivers. It doesn't take long to understand why tiny cars are the rule around here.
It may be December but it was positively hot in the sun as we took an early morning break to sit on the piazza, sip a cappuccino (only before noon, please) and sample a cassata Sicilian ricotta cake. We decided we could be very happy if every day started like this! So we wandered, located restaurants we might want to try out, did some light shopping (fruit, fresh bread, chocolate) and worked our way back down the hill to the beach. Margene took a break at the little bar in front of our apartment for an espresso while I made a quick trip around the corner for paper towels and some more arancini (Sicilian fried rice balls filled with all manner of goodies. Yesterday it was spinach and ricotta, today proscuitto and cheese.) They make a great lunch!
A few slices of life in Cefalu. We loved the little produce truck that worked the narrow streets selling fruits and vegetables to the housewives. The driver sings out his wares as he drives, reminding me of the bell on the ice cream trucks of summer as they cruised the neighborhoods. Since clothes driers are virtually non-existant in Italy, everyone just hands their clothes outside to dry. It's a no-brainer in sunny weather (assuming the sun will even reach into the narrow streets), but how do you make that work if the weather threatens rain or when the local bird population adds an extra element of danger to hanging clothes? Why, cover the clothes rack with a clear tarp, of course! In all our trips to Italy, this is the first time we have noticed this, but it makes a lot of sense. Very clever, these Sicilians!
© 2013 Restaurant Doctor
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