If It's Sunday it Must be Marsala and Menfi

A View from the Bus, heading West to Marsala

In order to see as much of Sicily as we can in 10 days, we are spending 2 nights in each place.  Today we traveled to Marsala, where they harvest salt and distill Marsala wine.  Our tour of the salt pans illuminates how precious this seasoning is.  At one time in the ancient world, salt was considered money.  During the middle ages, the rulers of Pisa cut off supplies of salt to central Italy.  In Tuscany and Umbria, the bakers decided to conserve their salt and not add it to bread.  Later, when the supply lines reopened, Pope Paul III, in order to raise money for the church demanded that Umbria purchase salt from the Pontificate, thereby tripling the price of the salt.   The Umbrians refused to knuckle under to the papal pressure, and continue to bake their bread without salt to this day.  Here in Marsala salt is still harvested by hand, and the process is like many other traditions here in Italy, it is handed down from generation to generation.  

The salt is harvested from the Mediterranean and the thin veil of salt that comes to the top of the salt pans is the Fiore di sale (flower of the salt)  This is the most prized salt, and if it is not gathered immediately, it will sink to the floor of the salt pan, and combine with the other salt.  The process is long and difficult, and worth every step to ensure that the result is a pure product.  

Tools for harvesting the salt

Salt tasting; pineapple on large salt crystals

Fleur de Sel

Tomatoes

After the salt tasting, we headed to the gift shop to purchase some salt and then we headed to a slow food restaurant a few miles up the road.  

Committed to serving the best the area has to offer we were in for a treat

We were served a variety of first courses, by that time I was full, but there was more to come.  (this is Sicily, if you can get up from the table, you aren't full!)

panelle

caponata

Arrancini, round stuffed with meat, triangular ones stuffed with eggplant

bruschetta

cheeses with jam

   

Pasta with eggplant

pasta with sausage

pasta with tuna

The dessert was fried dough encasing fresh sweetened ricotta cheese.  

We sampled the wines from the owner's vineyard, as well. We were so grateful to the owners for opening on Sunday just for us.  We had our own beautiful enclosed patio all to ourselves.

This was the perfect way to end our stay in Marsala.  

After thanking our hosts and our chef, we were off to our final stop of the day, La Forrestiere.

Next stop, Menfi and La Forrestiere.  

Ciao for now.

Top Things to Love About Sicily

There is so much to see and to do in Sicily that it is hard to communicate how beautiful it is, and how unspoiled in many ways.  Sicily to me is actually another country near Italy, in that the people, foods, and history have been affected by the years of domination by Greece, Spain, and other countries in the Mediterranean.  Here are my favorites from Sicily.

The Food

Chick pea fritters

potato croquettes

Arancini

From the chick pea fritters, to the arancini, to the gelato stuffed brioche, the food here is incredible,whether it's a simple dish of pasta or more elegantly prepared deconstructed preparation,the local produce helps this cuisine shine.  

The Markets

  From Palermo to Siracusa the markets are a bee hive of activity, color, aromas, textures, and excitement with vendors proudly selling their wares.  

The History

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From the salt pans of Marsala, the Valley of the Temples, to the tuna factory near Noto, the rich history of this island steeps it in tradition. 

The People

The honey bunch

Everywhere we went, the people of Sicily welcomed us with open arms, inviting us in, proud of their place, and what they were doing.  

The Salt

Our visit to Trapani and the salt pans in Marsala solidified my view that the salt here is exceptional.  Try it sometime, you will be inspired.  

The Cheese

The Pecorino and ricotta here are, in a word delicious.  At breakfast every morning, there is fresh ricotta to pair with your fruit, and later in the day you might have a dish served with fresh pecorino. And, I'm of the mind that you can never have enough cheese.  

Blood Orange Juice at Breakfast

At breakfast every morning, there would be a pitcher of blood orange juice along with the other selections---go for the blood orange juice.  Because there is a limited season, we don't see this juice in the states very much, it is in a word spectacular.  

The Scenery

Vineyards and olive groves

Ancient ruins

Mountains

The variety of plants is amazing

Baroque cities 

Great walking cities

The Mediterranean

Beautiful venues for lunch and dinner

Beautiful gardens

Lastly, Mt. Etna

After 10 days on this island, we only broke through the surface, there is so much more to see and do, and I can't wait to go back and explore some more.  Ciao for now.