Gary Yetter Gets His Bread II

Not long had I been makin’ m’ rounds through the warm azure waters of the Mediterranean Sea when I come across Him gracefully slidin’ over the rocky bottom. I had done encountered a handsome specimen o’ octopus, Prince of the Cephalopods, and was plumb puffin’ with enthusiasm and fascination at His noble form. Our eyes met and I foated motionless, whilst He began a-camouflagin’ Hisself by changin’ skin tones to match His buff-hued surroundings. There we remained, just a-studyin’ one another when a blastin’ jolt of pain instantly snapped me out of this state o’ tranquility. I knowed immediately what done it and began kickin’ m’ fins powerfully, headed for shore faster than a raped ape, not wantin’ to risk another lickin.’ That there was the most painful of jellyfish stings I had received, the low-down, home-wreckin,’ no-sense-born, son of a sea-rat! “Mars Aaron, fetch me a cup a water, would ya? An’ Miss Rosa, could ya squirt a lil’ vinegar on m’ wounds? Ah, that’s the ticket!” And I was back a-swimmin’ with the fishies before you could say “panang curry.”

Medusa’s caress had me frowning like a sad clown

But a once-over at the ‘bare assets’ offered here in Sicilia quickly remedied that

Trapani, a port city on the Mediterranean seaside with a population around 80,000, is known best for its tuna and its salt. Folk here eat everything derived of tuna, including salami, organs, sperm, eggs, and flesh. Can’t say I cared for the sperm too much, but Aaron seemed to like it just fine . The city is a nice break from the chaotic traffic and omnipresent noise pollution of Palermo, plus they have temple ruins (at Segesta), old castles (at Erice), mountains, a large natural reserve on the sea, and a beautiful, historic, and car-free city center. Surrounding Trapani are several small sea towns such as San Vito, where we filled our gullets with cous cous during the annual cous cous festival. Did I mention the beaches here? They are incredible!

Trapani from the roof of our apartment building

Ruins of a large temple at Segesta

Aaron lectures on the importance of brushing one’s tongue at the theatre ruins at Segesta

Man of the Olives

Old Trapani from near one of the two surviving city towers (there were orginally five towers)

Yesterday, we paid a visit to the medieval town of Erice, high upon the hill above Trapani. Narrow stone streets and buildings dating back 700 years or more surrounded us, and the fog brought in by the morning storm added to the charm. After a stroll around the town, we once again fattened ourselves on pastries and gooey cups of hot chocolate in a charming old hotel.

The old cathedral in Erice where Rossella’s parents were married

I love this old abandoned castle

Sunset at the salt fields

Shortly, we will be on a 12-hour bus ride bound for ‘The Boot’ to visit my friend Pietro near the city of Bari, just across the Adriatic Sea from Greece. Pietro is one whacky dude and always a barrel of laughs, but he just got a job as an engineering manager for Fiat and is in the process of moving to Torino, so I hope we don’t create too much of a hassle.

GRACIE MILLE to Rossella and her family for giving us everything we needed and more!!!

We spent three days in the apartment of Rossella’s brother, Dario, who was back at the family casa in Trapani. Palermo offers many historical sites at which to gaze between feedings, including a couple of old theatres, grand cathedrals, a huge botanical garden, and many a fountain dispersed throughout the city. There’s also a large university there, which brings plenty of youthful energy and a healthy nightlife.

Huge cathedral, name I can’t recall

Courtyard of the old library

A scene from Piazza della Vergogna (Plaza of Shame, so named because the statues are naked)

I dub thee the “Fountain Pimp,” swooping up the guys and the dolls (Piazza della Vergogna)…definitely a frontrunner for Mack of the Year

I should make special mention of my visit to the catacombs, where I saw more dead people than I’ve ever seen in my life, some just skeletons in robes looking like the Grim Reaper, others still wrapped in their papery skin. Priests, soldiers, professors, entire families, even infants could be found on display in this eerie place. Understandably, photography was prohibited out of respect for the dead, although there was quite the assortment of postcards available for purchase upstairs for 25 cents each (I know one Seattleite who will appreciate receiving one of these).

San Giovanni degli Eremiti—the only surviving mosque in Palermo was converted to a church after the Christians gained power

One of the two large theatres in Palermo

Impressive ficus specimen at the l’orto botanico

Traffic in Palermo is pretty bad much of the time and Rossella is a crazy driver, like many Sicilians, so getting around was never a bore. They don’t paint lines on the city streets, so cars just clog up the lanes and fight for space. As chaotic as it is, it’s a system that works out just fine.

Zowie, I’m powerful spent…anyone for a big cuppa jo?

Common pastime of the elderly

Keep honking, I’m reloading….

Well, we out one night in search of getting our crunk and smoke on. We found both in a crazy little area in the old part of the city. After buying some Birra Morreti at a bar, I returned to ask the guy where I might find some “fumo” (ganja). He hooked me up with some hash sticks, but before leaving we got to talking about America and his home country Morocco. Next thing you know I’m sucking down drinks what’s been lit afire. It was rad. Mostly it was sambuca shots (a liquor made from anise), but we also had another strange concoction, the ingredients of which I don’t recall, all I know is he poured to kinds of liquor into a martini glass of falming sambuca and I slurped the whole affair through a green straw. Awesome drinks, but the hash here is weak. But hey, I can’t complain.

I’m dreaming of a White Christmas…

Well, the server crashed so my two previous entries are gone. We'll start fresh with Italy. Skinny is sooooo two years ago-- a plump midsection is all the rage now. And what better place to train for a bulging ... [Continue reading this entry]