Below are my personal reviews of the four latest Brunswick additions. I hope that these reviews inspire you to go out and get these balls, because I promise you- they are the best on the market. Brunswick’s R&D department (Billy Orlikowski, Aaron Koch, and Ray Edwards) have spent many hours researching and studying what Brunswick bowlers need.  Thanks for all the hard work R&D staff! Thanks for all the strikes.

+Wild Card

Facts:

-Cover: ConneXion

- RG diff: 0.045

-Out of the box: 2000 Siaair Micro Pad

-Core: Symmetrical Paragon

My opinion:

The Wild Card reminds me most of the old Strike Zone. (And i LOOVED that ball!) It’s medium aggressive, reads the midlane perfectly and is best used on medium -heavy oil where you want your ball to get through the heads clean, read the midlane which yields an increased back-end reaction.

+ Diamondback

Facts:

-Cover: Activator

- RG diff: 0.044

-Out of the box: 2000 Siaair Micro Pad

-Core: Symmetrical Rocket

My Opinion: I’ve always loved my Rattler so when Brunswick decided to come out with their version of a Solid Rattler: Diamondback, I was very excited. I decided to rough buff the balls I drilled and really love how they roll. I used the Diamondback when I was bowling in Vegas at the Team USA Trials. My two favorite drillings for the Diamondback are: Pin above my ring finger, no hole, and Pin above (a little higher) the ring finger with a hole on axis. This ball is smooth. The Diamondback because of it’s Rocket Core and original activator coverstock, makes a more aggressive move at the breakpoint but is still clean through the front. Good for medium to oily lanes.

+Evil Siege

Facts:

-Cover: Propel Pearl

- RG diff: 0.056

-Out of the box: 4,000 Micro Pad Finish

-Core: Asymetrical MACE

My opinion: I always use my Siege. Now I know what to go to when the Siege is hooking too much.  The Evil Siege is cleaner than the C.System 2.5 and is very strong.  It’s one of Brunswick’s cleanest balls with the most angle.  My favorite layout was my pin above my bridge, no hole and secondary pin 70 degrees.  I also drilled one that is stronger on the back, and a bit earlier: pin above my middle finger, secondary pin 45 degrees. Another layout I tried which doesn’t read early, but still hits like a truck is pin under bridge, secondary pin below thumb about 2″ down. The Evil Siege will be a great compliment to the regular Siege. I can’t wait to compete with it!

+C. System 3.5

Facts:

-Cover: CFT 3.5 Reactive

- RG diff: 0.050

-Out of the box: 4000 Micro Pad Finish

-Core: asymmetrical I-Block

My opinion: I have a new love and his name is C. System 3.5. Thanks goes out to the Brunwick R&D department and Carmen Salvino for developing this monster ball.  This is the ball that you will start with on heavy oil when you are looking for a quicker response. You start with this ball, and then you can move to the C. System 2.5 when the lanes start to break down.  This ball hooks and hits unlike any ball I have ever seen. Here are the drillings I chose: (well, Rick Benoit chose)

1. 1″ hole,45 degrees, pin above middle finger 5.5″, This ball gave me more length than the others.

2. no hole, pin above ring finger, 55mb: Rough Buffed

3. pin above ring finger 5″, 45 degree mb

4. I drilled one just like my favorite C. System 2.5 with pin above bridge and secondary pin under thumb

5. Pin in palm, Secondary pin kicked out right, no hole

Thanks, Brunswick!

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To see Blaize’s reaction on Christmas Day, go here: I’ll warn you now: It’s priceless!!

http://s853.photobucket.com/albums/ab95/Kolobolo/Christmas%202009/?action=view&current=20091225073606.flv

Check out http://ontheballbowling.com to learn more about this great company!

Note: Interested in having Sherif and I design a ball especially for you or someone you know? Email me at diandrabowling@aol.com to get more details!

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Introducing the brand new diandra asbaty logo! Courtesy of my favorite graphic artist ever: Sherif Adel. To view his work, check out his site here: http://chubby-cherry.deviantart.com/

He’s available to do work for you, too.  If you’re interested in having Sherif design something for you or your company contact him at:  design@stonegrafx.com

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+ I got a new rug. It’s not just a normal rug, though.  It’s pretty awesome. It’s called Interface Flor and you can check it out here: http://interfaceflor.com/

We needed a rug for under our couch/coffee table and for the space we needed, it was going to cost probably over $500 and then after you buy the big rug, you need to get the backing so it sticks to the ground and doesn’t slide around. Could have been close to $600. Oh, and it wouldn’t be to our exact dimensions. My very good friend, Jason is an interior designer and is currently working for one of the best hotel design firms in the world in Singapore! You can read about the experience of a guy who has never even stepped foot outside the United States, never had a passport, and had to ask what he needs to do when he goes through customs..  here: http://jasondaniels300.blogspot.com/

Jason helped me put together a very cool, custom rug at the Chicago Flor store. (The only store in the US! Most orders are done through secondary stores like CB2 or online sales.)  I can tell you after spending about 1.5hours in the Flor store, I can’t even imagine designing a rug online.  There are so many different patterns, colors, and textures that it would have been difficult if I couldn’t feel the tiles.

You choose the tiles you like, and put together the rug yourself.  You can mix different textures, patterns, and colors to form your own creation.  It’s pretty dang cool so if any of you guys need a new rug- I highly suggest Interflor! Here is how mine turned out: Oh, and it was way less expensive than the $600 I thought I was going to have to spend! And, it was the exact dimensions I needed. Sweet deal.

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I’m not writing New Year’s resolutions this year because I feel like it’s just setting me up to break them.  So, my new years resolution is not to have any resolutions but to live each day as if it’s the first of the year.  This will allow me to live each day with the motivation to be a better me, and to make a positive difference in the world.

What’s your New Years Resolution?

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We woke up to the sight of Mount Etna.  Such a great view from our hotel room!  After our quaint breakfast we headed back to Modica.  Why? Because Sara’s mom invited us over for lunch and John COULD NOT pass up a chance to be in the same kitchen as an authentic Italian “nonna” (grandma).  So, the ride there was much easier than the ride from Modica the night before.  It took us a quick two hours (quick for me because I got a nap in on the way)

We pulled into her driveway and were so excited for this very unique experience.  When we arrived at her house, she was in the process of making tagliatelle.  While we spoke to her husband, Santo in their own kitchen, we brought them back to their days in Chicago.  They had lived there for 25 years and really enjoyed the city.  John was so excited to have this Sunday meal with them as a family and really looks forward to having Sunday lunch or dinner when we have our own family.  I can’t express how intimate and special it was to spend this afternoon with such a generous, kind family.  We met Francesca, Sara sister’s daughter and enjoyed an authentic Italian lunch of ravioli with ricotta cheese, tagliatelle, meatballs, pork belly, and her own chicken.  Everything was perfect.  After the enjoyable meal, we had desserts from her daughter’s pastry shop down the street.  Before we left, I spent some time talking to Francesca who was too shy early in our visit to speak English.  She has a passion for reading and showed us all the (very big) books she has read.  She’s only 16 and has read bigger books than John and I have put together.  I gave her an opportunity to practice her English since she doesn’t have a chance very often. I have a feeling that we will meet them all again in the future.

John and I were off just north of Modica- to Noto which is a baroque city.  Very old and historic.  We took great photos in the ancient streets and enjoyed gelato at what’s known as the “best ice cream shop in the world.” (says Lonely Planet) charming town.  Quiet, and romantic.  Oh yeah, and great gelato!

Next stop: Siracusa.  Since our stop in Siracusa was just a few hours long, John decided we should go to the old town of Ortygia.  It’s a really cute island that is way more posh than we expected.  We felt totally underdressed walking around the cobblestone streets of Ortygia.  Everyone was dressed in dresses, leather boots, and definitely had a different attitude than the other little towns we have visited in Sicily. We spent a lot of time walking down the very charming streets and checking out the expensive shops.  I love getting lost with John.  We didn’t know where we were walking but somehow it felt very safe.  The crime level is so low in Sicily, you don’t really have to watch your back like you do in the US.  We walked from one cobblestone road to the other and before we knew it, we had no idea where we were.

We did know one thing: dinner this night would be pizza since we hadn’t had pizza yet in the 10 days we have been in Sicily.  Interestingly enough after walking around for a few hours, we stumbled upon our car.  We decided to ask a local where we should find some pizza.  We found two very nice older women who directed us to what would be the perfect pizzeria.  I got a pizza with sausage, ricotta, and mozzerella, and John’s pizza had tuna, sweet onions, and a hard cooked egg.

Gas is expensive here!!  It cost about 70 Euro to fill up a tank of Diesel fuel in our Mercedez.  Right now, the dollar is equal to 1.60 Euro.

Very sad tomorrow will be our last day.  Although very enjoyable, our vacation went too fast.  Sicily will always hold a very special place in our hearts.  John and I shared some incredible memories here, and I’m so fortunate to have the opportunity to travel with my favorite person in the whole world.

December 7.

John and I decided to watch the sunrise this morning.  I took out my camera, with tripod and we set it up at approximately 6:55am.  It wasn’t that difficult to wake up since it was our very last day here.  After taking some cool shots of the sunrise with different exposures, it was, however, hard to stay awake. So, before we started our day for good, we took a quick nap.

Today was spent in the city of Taormina.  Rumor has it, many celebrities spend time in this picturesque (I know, what city isn’t picturesque in Italy!?) I could see why celebrities would be drawn to this city up in the mountains.  There were many expensive stores and everyone I saw was very put-together.

John and I spent our very last day (In a long time) in Sicily just walking in and out of the cute streets.  I did some last minute Xmas shopping, and we had a nice lunch at Maffei’s.  We didn’t want to hit a spot that was too touristy- as this town can be, so we walked down a few side streets before finding Maffei’s.  Lunch was good. I had farfalle with parmesan cream sauce with pistachio.  (Yum!) John started with marinated anchovies, then had spaghetti with botarga, and finished with Sicilian style tuna dish with vinegar onions.

After walking off our lunch we headed back to Tenuta San Michele to pack (ew) and relax.  Our flight is at 6am so we have to leave around 3am.  We will be pulling an all-nighter (that is, until we hit the plane) and will arrive in Chicago around 10:30am.  We will be stopping in Rome, and Washington D.C. on our route home.

Although sad to end this very amazing trip, I am trying to focus on how lucky we are to even have this opportunity.  John told me tonight he feels so lucky to be able to share these special moments in such amazing places, with just me.  Whether it’s Sicily, Dyer, IN, or Chicago- I feel so lucky to create moments everywhere in the world with John.

Thanks for being a part of our experience to Sicily.  Here’s to many more!

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Our day started by meeting Sara, who works for Francesco at the olive mill, in the center of Modica.  At the end of the day yesterday, she offered to take to her uncle’s house who makes his own ricotta cheese.  We would soon find out that this would be one of the most meaningful days in John’s culinary career.  One even I won’t forget!

The next morning we met Sara, and our first stop was to meet her sister at the coffee and pastry shop she owns in Modica.  They both grew up in Chicago so it was fun to talk about where they came from and the places they would hang out as kids.  We also met their mother, Carmela.  They all grew up right around the bowling center that I bowl at, Diversey River Bowl in downtown Chicago.  We had a few very good pastries, and as we were leaving Sara’s mom invited us over to her house for Sunday lunch the following day.  We had only talked to her for about ten minutes and were already invited into to her home to eat with her family….that’s how they roll down here in Modica.  Obviously, we gladly accepted her offer (more on that later).

Then we were off to meet her Uncle, Salvatore (a common name here in Sicily). He lives in a farmhouse in the Modica countryside.   He starts the ricotta process very early in the morning so when we arrived in their home kitchen, he was in the process of ladeling the ricotta out of the big huge pot and into the little cups he would sell the cheese in.  While he was carefully ladeling the cheese so as not to break up the curds too much, they allowed us to try the still hot cheese with the homemade bread that Sara’s cousin made.  I am not a cheese lover so I wasn’t sure how I would like it.  It had a sweetness to it and it melted in your mouth.  John couldn’t put into words how great it tasted and how he had never had anything like it.

He still makes it the really old fashioned way with a wood burning fire in a big pot and stirs it for hours. (not kidding). They allowed us to take photos and I urge all who are reading to check them out in the photoworks library when they are all uploaded.

The cheese comes from the cows on his land.  He milks them EVERY morning at 5am.  He makes the cheese every day and sells it in town.  I asked how long had he made ricotta cheese and he said he had been making it since he was 9.  He’s now 71.  He has never had a vacation or had a day off, and this is the only job he has ever had.  As it was described to me, the cows don’t understand the idea of a “vacation.”  Someone has to milk them every single day.

Her uncle seemed very happy with his life.  It was a very humbling (and even a little emotional) experience for both John and I.  All he knows is making ricotta cheese… and it’s good enough for him.

Before leaving, we stopped to say hi to his cows, chickens, and a sheep with its baby.  It was the coolest, most authentic family farm we have ever seen and are both so grateful for the experience.

Next stop was to Sara’s cousin’s farm.  Her cousin has a more modern farm specializing in the production of Cacciocavallo Ragusano D.O.P. The first place we went on her farm was to the barn with her cows.  She had the cutest baby cow, born just the night earlier.  I have never seen a cow that young, and was really surprised at how big it actually was.  It had hair, and could actually stand and wobble to walk.  After tasting their specialty cheeses, we headed off to have lunch with Alessandro and Pierpaolo (from the Bonajuto chocolate shop we mentioned earlier).

They took us to a really great local restaurant with a young chef who is the friend of both Alessandro and Pierpaolo.  Once again, we didn’t see a menu.  He cooked 5 courses for us and each were spot on.  It was a very impressive meal with great conversation and company.  Although Alessandro doesn’t speak English, we were able to communicate well with him- even if it was through Pierpaolo. Really fun time!

It was about 5pm, and we were off to Santa Venerina.  We didn’t know how long it would take, but knew it would be at least 2 hours.  Turned out to be 3 because a highway we needed to take was closed, and Mariella (aka Garmin) decided to take us the long way through the winding mountains instead of along the coast.  It was actually a pretty scary ride and one that was better at night, so we couldn’t see how far up we were on the mountains.  Although there are no street lights, the reflectors on the side of the road were very helpful. (let me just say thank you for high beams!!).

It took us 3 hours to get to our hotel: Tenuta San Michele in Santa Venerina, which is RIGHT beside Mount Etna and just south of Taormina.  We couldn’t see the active volcano but were excited to see it the next morning.  We had a great dinner at the hotel and met all the nice employees.  Our room was really great..very high wood log ceilings, a spacious bathroom and very comfy bed.  It’s been an adventure travelling from hotel to hotel not exactly knowing what to expect.  Some hotel rooms have been better than others.  Just a quick thanks to Mariella (not the GPS but the inspiration for us naming our GPS Mariella) from Hidden Treasures of Italy.  I highly suggest that if anyone is planning any trip in any part of Italy, that they go through this agency.  She set up an incredible itinerary and made sure we had everything we needed.  (www.hiddentreasuresofitaly.com)

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Hey everyone, it’s John, and it’s my turn again.  Today started off looking a little gloomy and rainy outside.  We decided to check out of our agriturismo in Piazza Armerina this morning (one day early) since we would be spending the entire day and most of the evening about 2.5 hours away in the southeastern part of Sicily.

We started off the day by driving to Pozzallo, a small resort town on the southeast coast.  Here, we were meeting Francesco’s brother, Salvatore.  We arrived a little earlier than expected, so I wandered into a very small Pescheria (fish shop), to take a few pictures of that morning’s catch.  They had a very small amount of beautiful fresh anchovies, sardines and sea bass, and very politely made conversation with me…in Italian of course.  It was good practice and they were very friendly…as everyone is here apparently.

When Salvatore arrived, we followed him to his family’s olive mill just outside of town.  This is where they bring the olives after harvest to press them and make the oil, blend the different oils, and bottle them.  They also make oil for local residents who bring in their own olives for pressing (did we mention that there are olive trees everywhere??!!).   Neither of us had ever been to a mill before so it was very interesting to see the process involved in the production of olive oil.  It is an ingredient that I use so regularly in my kitchen, so I was inspired to really understand how it is made, especially from someone as passionate as Salvatore.  Sara, who works at the mill, also accompanied us on our tour and acted as our translator.  They both explained each step of the olive oil production process while showing us the machinery involved and exactly how it works.  Everything is so clean and the monitoring of each step is so precise.

They harvested all of their olives just a few weeks ago and pressed them all into oil already, but the smell of fresh olives was still very prevalent in the mill.  They took us into a room containing five enormous stainless steel vats with all of the new oil that was just pressed.  Each vat contained the oil of a single variety of olive (FYI, there are around 300 olive varieties that grow in Sicily).  They grow and press three types of olives (Nocellara de Belice, Moresca and Verdese), and make two different oil blends…the Due Sicilie and Riserva, both of which we sell at Panozzo’s.

During our tour of the mill, we also noticed a few workers packaging almond flour from the almonds that also grow on the Padova family farm.  Salvatore was kind enough to give us a taste of their almond flour (it’s just pure, finely ground almonds), and actually gave us a bag to take home with us…come over for cookies when we get back!

We then took a drive to the farm where they grow the olives for their oils.  It’s just outside a small town a little north of Pozzallo called Ispica, where Salvatore and Francesco were born.  They are in the process of restoring the original San Basilio farmhouse that has been standing on this property since their family started the farm back in 1888…it’s going to look amazing.  We saw the olive trees that grow the Moresca and Verdese varieties, which are indigenous to the Ispica area (Nocellara de Belice come from a different region of Sicily called Castelvetrano (southwest)…in case you were wondering.

We then followed Salvatore and Sara through more of the beautiful countryside to an area about five minutes away where they have their almond trees.  Their almonds are very famous, unique, and very expensive.  The almonds had already been harvested during the summer, but there were still a few remaining on the trees.  Salvatore cracked a couple open (yes, almonds actually have shells and don’t grow inside the plastic bags in which we usually find them in grocery stores).  I’ve never tasted an almond directly off the tree before (I don’t think Dee has either), so this was pretty special.  It’s really inspiring to see the passion and pride that Salvatore has for his products…it’s a large reason why the quality is so high and the products are so well respected.

At this point we were pretty hungry (or at least I was), so our tour guides led us to a small restaurant that they recommended for lunch in a small town called Rosolini.  They had to return to work so they couldn’t join us, but Dee and I enjoyed a nice lunch (just the two of us again) of local cured meats, octopus salad, and spaghetti with clams.

(continued by Diandra…)

After lunch, John and I went to pick up our special glass art from our new friend and glass artist, Alessandro Di Rosa.  John and I always like to pick up a piece of art from every country we experience together.  This trip we got a very cool glass art piece that I can’t wait to put in our house!  We also picked up some great Christmas gifts for our friends.  His gallery is so great and to meet and talk to the person who created such great art was a very cool experience.  I know we will know Alessandro for a long time to come.  Maybe I’ll even collaborate in the future to create some glass art of my own!  We weren’t sure which hotel we would stay at tonight so we asked Alessandro for ideas.  Of course he knew someone connected to a hotel in Modica.  (everyone knows everyone here in this town of 45,000) He didn’t just suggest a hotel for us to stay at, he literally drove us there.  This is something we have seen throughout our trip in Sicily.  The people here are not only friendly- they go out of their way to show you the way.

We checked into Hotel Isula Relax which was very close to his studio.  We were able to relax for a few hours in our very nice room before heading to our biggest dinner of our vacation.  Dinner would be at Duomo, Sicily’s only two star Michelin restaurant.  The chef, Ciccio Sultano, is a friend of Alessandro and in fact, uses his glass plates for some of his dishes.  Ciccio is also a good friend of Francesco’s (Francesco was kind enough to call him and make the reservation for us).  I’m telling you- everyone knows everyone!

John was so excited to experience the fine dining of Duomo.  Located in Ragusa Ibla (lower Ragusa) the drive there was not an easy one.  Winding roads in the mountains is a theme we have seen throughout the trip.  When Mariella (we named our GPS) finally got us to Duomo, we realized why it was called Duomo.  Duomo is Italian word for church and the church that the restaurant was next to was magnificent.  After walking down 43 steps to get to Duomo restaurant- we were ready to eat!

And, eat we did.  Much like La Madia, the meal was very intense.  We had about 10 courses- all which were equally impressive.  Most Sicilian cooking is rustic- so it was interesting to see how the chef stayed true to Sicilian flavors and ingredients, but reinterpreted them in modern and creative ways.  John was VERY impressed with the wine pairings for each dish.  He felt that they couldn’t compliment each dish better.  A lot of small regionally specific grapes varieties that John had never heard of.  The staff at Duomo was nice enough to give John a DVD on the way out highlighting the chef and his works.

After dinner we decided to meet Alessandro at the bar that he owns, Hemingway, in Modica.  This is a very well known bar and we even discovered it in our Sicily guide book! He has owned this bar for about 6 years and it is a hotspot in Modica.  We met some of his friends there and enjoyed a couple after dinner drinks.

A very full day in Sicily! I feel like I’m really learning a lot about this culture- and loving every second of it.

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December 3.

John and I had a quick breakfast and explored the property we were staying on. We took some great photos of the picturesque views.  We also discovered german shepherd puppies right outside our hotel room.  (so cute!) We spent an hour driving out in the small town of Piazza Armerina and discovering all the little street markets.

We headed to Ragusa this morning which was about 2 hours from Piazza Armerina. I have to admit, this was the first time I had a little bit of trouble with the winding roads.  I felt a little car sick and had to take a little nap to avoid it developing into anything. John got us to Ragusa all on his own (with the help of our Garmin who’s been a lifesaver this journey!)  We went to the center of town and ate at a place called Cucino e Vino where John had:, Eggplant capinata and ragusano d.o.p., dried fava bean and fennel soup, paccheri pasta with lamb and potato ragu, with pecorino cheese, and tripe tomatoes and capers. (and he finished mine!)  I had focaccia, ravioli de zucca (squash sauce and pancetta from ragu) and braised pork shank (John made me order it to make it look like he wasn’t ordering all the food. )

I was very excited about our next two adventures in Modica:

Adventure 1: Visit a good friend of Francesco who provides John with olive oil he uses at Panozzos.  Francesco’s friend, Alessandro, is a glass artist.  He is famous in Sicily and I couldn’t wait to see his work.  I wanted to see how he creates his art and couldn’t wait to see his gallery! Our visit to meet Alessandro was even better than expected.  He is truly an inspiring artist.  His work is dynamic and so intriguing.  He has been working with glass for 15 years and is self taught.  Very impressive! Alessandro’s friend, Giorgio was nice enough to be the translator during our visit.  Not only did he give us a great tour of his studio, show us the process of glass making, and answer any and all questions we had- but he also took us to what adventure #2 would be: The oldest pastry shop in all of Sicily.

Adventure 2: Antica Dolceria Bonajuto

Bonajuto and Modica is most known for its chocolate.  The chocolate here isn’t made with any additional cocoa butter besides what’s naturally in the cocoa bean.  Also, the chocolate isn’t heated in order for the sugar to melt, so the texture is more coarse and granular.  I LOOOOOOOOOVED the chocolate at Bonajuto! Might be the best chocolate I’ve ever had in my life.  The texture is different, but a very good different.  The cocoa is so prevalent in this chocolate- It’s really great.  We tried a bunch of samples given to us by Pierpaolo who is the 6^th generation from the Bonajuto family.  I really enjoyed the chocolate covered orange peel, and the 90% dark chocolate.  We got to try chocolate covered almonds, and chocolate liquor and the best cannoli we’ve had in Sicily yet! Other samples included: Quince paste and candied orange peel.  He spent time talking with us about the history of his store and how it’s known throughout all off Sicily.

After visiting the best chocolate shop EVER- Alessandro took us to the bar that he owns. It’s called Hemingway’s and is in the perfect location in the center of Modica. We learned quickly by walking in the streets with Alessandro and Giorgio that Modica is small enough for everyone to know everyone.  The people of Modica are super friendly and always acknowledge each other when passing by.  Hemingway’s was a great chance to relax and learn more about the Modica way of life.  Thanks to Francesco for exposing us to both of these opportunities.  Because of him we will be coming home with much more glass, and chocolate than we came with.  Thanks to Giorgio for being our great translator and to Alessandro for showing us his passion and sending us off with great works of art… not to mention a great bottle of wine.

Tomorrow we will visit Francesco’s family’s olive oil mill and almond and olive farm in Pozzallo and Ispica.

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December 1, 2009

I had fresh squeezed blood orange juice for the first time ever this morning at Pensione Tranchina.  Breakfreast was bright, but unfortunately, they day was not.  It was raining when we woke up and although we saw an incredible rainbow (check out the photo!) the rain put a little bit of a damper on our day.

We decided to drive to Trapani.  It took us an hour to get to Trapani from Scopello. The first thing we noticed when we arrived in Trapani is that it was much bigger than we anticipated.  It’s a city known for its sea salts and coral.  I found a nice clothing store to spend some time (and money) in before we headed to lunch.  While we were in this clothing store, they closed their door for the daily “siesta.”  Worried that I was keeping them, they assured me that I wasn’t by bringing me more things to try on.  Even though they were closed, I didn’t feel rushed. The women who were working were so pleasant and helpful.

We seeked out a local spot for lunch.  This restaurant, Al Solito Posto, was one that our hosts recommended we try.  When we walked in this restaurant it seemed like the entire restaurant all turned around at the same time.  It’s amazing how obvious the “we’re not from here” sign is on our foreheads.  Before we even spoke to the host, he said to us, “It will be 20mins. Fish ok?” I still don’t know how he knew we didn’t speak Italian.

Our meal was nice.  For those that are curious: John had a sardine tarte with pine nuts, currants, and fennel.  I had mussels to start.  We also both got a different busiate pasta. I ordered the busiate with shrimp, botarga (dried salted tuna row-not a big fan), tomatoes, and bread crumbs.  John ordered the cuddle fish ink busiate. (It literally looked like a few black pens exploded on his plate.. refer to photos to see!) Next course was fritto misto (fried mix) of squid and prawns.  John had grouper with tomatoes and capers.  While we were eating- no one really spent much time talking with us.  As we were paying on the way out and John was speaking the best Italian he could- they asked us where we were from.  One of the guys had some family tie to Elizabeth, NJ.  “You know, the Sopranos.” Was about all he could say in English.  We found that was ironic since John grew up not too far from there.  They kept asking us if we “Live with the stars?” Not understanding what they were asking us, we kept saying we live in Chicago.  Then I understood what they were asking. The man said, “Ah- you live with stars? Like Robert Redford?”  What they were asking is if we lived with or around any celebrities.  We explained we did not live with the stars in LA, and he explained how much he loved watching David Letterman with subtitles.

On our way out the door we ran into an English speaking older Italian man.  Turns out he lived in NYC for about 30 years.  He had a great sense of humor.  Two things he told us: “I made a big mistake.  I love that apple.”  In reference to him moving back to Italy from NYC.  And “I learned how to speak English by watching the Johnny Carson Show.”  He sells olive oil and wine in the states.  Who knows- you might just find it one day at Panozzo’s.

Since Trapani is known for its coral, I wanted to check out a coral shop before we headed back to Scopello.  When I asked where one was- they started giving me confusing directions.  Then the one guy who didn’t speak much English offered to show us the way.  Probably something that would rarely happen in the states.  He literally drove us across town to the coral shop.

We headed back for a quiet night in Scopello with our great hosts. Dinner was pasta alla norma. (Ziti with fried eggplant. 4 different local cheeses) Then we has sea bass (grilled branzino)  I learned that it’s not normal to serve fish without the head and tail on.  Italians want proof what kind of fish it is and where it came from, and how fresh it is.  If you get fish like we typically do in the states, you never really know what you’re eating. With our grilled branzino, we had grilled zucchini.  For dessert, we had a lemon custard with amaretti cookies rum and fudge.

John and I were both sad that we would be leaving our quaint place in Scopello the next morning. But we were also excited to see what southeast Sicily would bring.

December 2

We woke up at 6am to get a really early start to our day.  After breakfast we walked around Scopello and enjoyed the fantastic views.  The same little dog who greeted us when we arrived in Scopello was there to see us off.

One interesting side note about locks on doors in Sicily: Every single lock you’ll find whether it’s a door lock or a cabinet lock, you will find has an old key in it.  To lock the door, you have to turn the key.  I’ve never found a door in the US that has a key in the hole to lock it. It’s a small detail, but very charming.

One our way to our first stop from Scopello we were just about to get on the main highway and had a little delay- Sheep in the Street! A huge heard of sheep held traffic up in the middle of the road.  I’ve never seen anything like it! (check photos!)

Our first stop from Scopello was a very nice, well known restaurant in a small town called Licata.  When I say small, I mean- uh- I can’t believe there is any restaurants here let alone a fine dining spot.  The restaurant is called “La Madia.” John was told that this restaurant was one of the top 2 restaurants in Sicily.  When we arrived to Licata 3.5 hours from Scopello, we had a hard time believing that would be true.

Licata is not a destination town.  In any way.  The old streets were filled with people but the town was significantly smaller than others we’d visited.  Walking into the restaurant I thought maybe someone played a little joke on John.  A 1 star Michelin restaurant in a town like Licata?

Then we walked in.  The waiters looked like they weren’t working in the same town as we were in.  They looked like they should be working at a restaurant in downtown Rome, Palermo, or any other big city with a fine dining appeal.

At our 2 hour 8-10 course meal we heard the song “Chicago” about three times.  I’m sure they did it on purpose since they asked where we were from but when we asked if they did-they said no.  It’s very possible they didn’t understand our question.

After our meal (see photoworks photos for all the photos of the food!) we headed to Piazza Armerina where we would be staying at Giglioto.  This agriturismo is located inland and would be the only hotel we stay at that’s not on the coast.

When we pulled up to Gigliotto we couldn’t help but notice how their property went on forever.  The sun was setting and looked awesome on the rows and rows of cactus and vineyards.

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