Images: Sunset in Pantalemi; Olive Tree after our Huge Pranza!; View from our House - Pantalemi; Looking Down from our House to the Gorge BelowSunday, May 8 – our first day in our new appartamento, Pantalemi.
Domenica, is the day of the big Sicilian lunch, and we had already decided that we needed to do this at least once. It's also Mother's Day (Festa di Mama), so we decided to call the kids in Canada.
We called SM (Sweet Melissa) first, but unfortunately just got her voicemail, so we told her how much we loved her, and that everything was OK.
We then tried Geoff and Joce, and got Jocelyn on the first try.
We had a good chat with all, including Kingston and Mia, who informed me that her new soccer uniform was pink... “Fuschia actually!” It was bittersweet.
Then we were off for our Domenica pranza.
We were informed at the door to the Paradise Restaurant that they were full, and indeed, the place was packed. We asked if we could sit outside and the doorman agreed, much to the dismay of the overworked waitress, who let loose with a string of invective aimed at him or anyone in the line of fire which I think, can be summarized as, “As if I don't have enough to do without you agreeing to add yet another table outside, where I have to walk even farther, and it's Festa di Mama, but nooooo, I have to work, and your father sits inside, drinking vino and laughing with his friends and flirting with all the other bella donnas...” I mean, that may not be word for word, but I think that was the general gist of it.
As she set our table (I think I already mentioned it was outside), I tried to bond with her, sympathizing how hard she was working with so many customers, “Molto clienti! Lavora dura, signorna” - to which she replied with the Italian equivalent of - “Ya think??!”
She brought us red wine and a two litre bottle of spring water – the only two things she ever asked us if we wanted. Then it began:
Plates just began appearing:
Stuffed artichokes, fried cheese, fried zucchini, roasted eggplant and peppers, fresh ricotta, provolone with sweet relish, prosciutto, cauliflower with anchovies, stuffed eggplant roll, and homemade bread. That, faithful bloggees, was just the antipasti!
Then the meal began with plates of lasagna, macaroni with tuna in tomato sauce, and spinach/ricotta ravioli.
So far, we had been there about two hours, with plate after plate magically appearing. The weather was beautiful, the scenery was breathtaking, the house wine soft and fruity, and every new course just as delicious as the one before it. It occurred to us that we had never taken so long over any meal in any restaurant before, let alone lunch!
As we sat back to let the meal settle, our waitress appeared with roasted lamb shank in a tomato, garlic, olive oil and spinach sauce with roast potatoes on the side.
Dessert announced the end of the marathon with skewers of fresh fruit and pastries filled with cream and sprinkled with confectioner's sugar. We had been eating for over three hours.
We went home and slept.
Domenica, is the day of the big Sicilian lunch, and we had already decided that we needed to do this at least once. It's also Mother's Day (Festa di Mama), so we decided to call the kids in Canada.
We called SM (Sweet Melissa) first, but unfortunately just got her voicemail, so we told her how much we loved her, and that everything was OK.
We then tried Geoff and Joce, and got Jocelyn on the first try.
We had a good chat with all, including Kingston and Mia, who informed me that her new soccer uniform was pink... “Fuschia actually!” It was bittersweet.
Then we were off for our Domenica pranza.
We were informed at the door to the Paradise Restaurant that they were full, and indeed, the place was packed. We asked if we could sit outside and the doorman agreed, much to the dismay of the overworked waitress, who let loose with a string of invective aimed at him or anyone in the line of fire which I think, can be summarized as, “As if I don't have enough to do without you agreeing to add yet another table outside, where I have to walk even farther, and it's Festa di Mama, but nooooo, I have to work, and your father sits inside, drinking vino and laughing with his friends and flirting with all the other bella donnas...” I mean, that may not be word for word, but I think that was the general gist of it.
As she set our table (I think I already mentioned it was outside), I tried to bond with her, sympathizing how hard she was working with so many customers, “Molto clienti! Lavora dura, signorna” - to which she replied with the Italian equivalent of - “Ya think??!”
She brought us red wine and a two litre bottle of spring water – the only two things she ever asked us if we wanted. Then it began:
Plates just began appearing:
Stuffed artichokes, fried cheese, fried zucchini, roasted eggplant and peppers, fresh ricotta, provolone with sweet relish, prosciutto, cauliflower with anchovies, stuffed eggplant roll, and homemade bread. That, faithful bloggees, was just the antipasti!
Then the meal began with plates of lasagna, macaroni with tuna in tomato sauce, and spinach/ricotta ravioli.
So far, we had been there about two hours, with plate after plate magically appearing. The weather was beautiful, the scenery was breathtaking, the house wine soft and fruity, and every new course just as delicious as the one before it. It occurred to us that we had never taken so long over any meal in any restaurant before, let alone lunch!
As we sat back to let the meal settle, our waitress appeared with roasted lamb shank in a tomato, garlic, olive oil and spinach sauce with roast potatoes on the side.
Dessert announced the end of the marathon with skewers of fresh fruit and pastries filled with cream and sprinkled with confectioner's sugar. We had been eating for over three hours.
We went home and slept.
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