RAVENNA

Spent 2 beautiful days in Catania with Francesco and was this close to making the big "borsa" purchase, but didn't! Flight to Bolgona, then train to Ravenna Statzione Centrale..funny I realized I had forgotten the name of my hotel so when the taxi driver asked, I just said I would know it when I see it. I then saw the sign for ARGENTARIO ***….That’s it !! I was not happy with my room as it did not have a window to the street, but to an interior light shaft. They were nice enough to change the room, but the hotel has not been updated at all since my last stay 7 years ago. I went to dinner at the closest restaurant/ pizzeria ‘IL PASSATORE that I remembered from my first visit-had a nice plate of fresh grilled vegetables…then the pizza came..OMG … for 6E I had a pizza that would feed four! I only ate part of it and the yummy topping - mozarella cheese and carciofini!

For some reason this restaurant seems to attract bunches of men. I counted 3 men eating solo and at least 3 tables of 2 or more men...a few women eating by themselves. I guess its just a very comfortable place for everyone. I chatted with one sitting nearby and was asked out to dinner the next night...Leonardo - a government employee.

RAVENNAMUSIVA begins tomorrow - a very short walk from here.

OK. well the photo is neither Ravenna nor Catania, but the view from my hotel in Taormina...more pics in proper order later!

SICILIAN FOOD or what I plan to eat!!

"The culture of fine dining may have been conceived in Sicily when Archestratus, a Greek poet born at Gela in the 4th century B.C., wrote Gastronomia as an ode to the pleasures of the Sicilian table."

Sicily is so full of wonderful food and wine, I hardly know where to start! I 'll start with what's coooking in my kitchen right now..CAPONATA..this is an eggplant appetizer that you will find on every antipasti plate, lunch and dinner. I nerver tire of it and when I see the beautiful purple eggplant or aubergines in the market I make a nice batch. Basically its eggplant that is pan fried with onions, tomoatoes, olives, and vinegar. Its can be served warm or cold, but I prefer it room tempature with some nice crunchy bread. It can also be tossed into some warm pasta, put in an omlette, baked into a meat loaf, in pita bread, or a side dish for many meats...One may find the sweeter version with raisins and pine nuts on the Western coast..See photo.

10 DAYS AND COUNTING

Finishing up preparations for my trip...I have been trying to get as much information as possible about the recent mudslides mostly in Messina (NorthEastern corner) and chekcing the weather daily...funny a recent friend said "By the time you get there it will be sunny in Sicily" I told her I didn't care if it rained..well I don't bud the mudslides and deaths and missing persons is really sad...
In anycase, I will be in Crossville, TN for a tour of the Crossville plant for 3 days, then back to work for 2 days then...leaving on a jet plane...I really must get busy!!

more later...