Segesta and Erice
What a marvelous day we had traveling to out-in-the-country Segesta, to traipse around ancient Greek ruins, and then to medieval Erice, where we baked cookies (with an admired pastry queen who has her own patisserie in Erice) and wandered around the picturesque, misty and blustery mountaintop town. Then it was back to Palermo to spend our last night there.
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Confession: We were still so full from lunch, that we ate just gelato for dinner. We're grown-ups, so we can have dessert for dinner if we want to! For our first-ever gelato, we shared super-rich chocolate hazelnut and flavorful pistachio. One thing we learned on this trip is we loved any dish that featured pistachio. So delish!
Dearest Segesta,
​What can I say ... you'll always be my first Greek amphitheater. And my first Greek temple. (Even if your temple roof was never put on and your temple wasn't actually used. I understand a major war got in the way. It wasn't your fault. At least you've stood the test of time.) I'll always remember the smell of rosemary and thyme as I walked down the hill from the amphitheater to the temple. I just wanted you to know I could have spent all day with you.
​ Arrivederci,
Valerie
​P.S. Please ignore any rumors you may hear about me and the Valley of Temples and the Temple of Apollo in Siracusa.
Segesta
Here we are ... sitting on the steps of a Greek temple! Valerie was so excited she got goosebumps!
Erice
Dear Erice,
​I've never been to a place like you. Your medieval buildings clinging to the side of cliffs and decorative cobblestone streets amazed me. I can't believe how engineers and crafts people in historic times built the things they did. I'll look back on our photos of your frozen-in-time, stair-lined, narrow streets and soaring, remarkable buildings with fond memories.
​ Ciao!
Jay
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​​​P.S. While the misty weather certainly added to your charm, next time I'd appreciate it if it wasn't quite so windy, per favore!
"Lobster man" statues around Erice were a 2025 art installation called "Lobsteropolis" by artist Philip Colbert. This statue, next to one of the city's gates, is of the beheading of Medusa. We gotta be honest, we prefer the ancient statues!
Lunch Extravaganza
Before we climbed Erice's steep streets, we stopped for lunch and had a fun time making almond cookies with Maria Grammatico (who has quite the remarkable history). Mark, who is also a talented British watercolorist, was her interpreter and helper. He told us about the variety of foods that were part of the giant smorgasbord. (Is it okay to use a Swedish word while in Sicily?) We finished our meal with our just-baked cookies and, of course, cannoli.
One of Jay's fondest memories of our trip occurred when Valerie was going to be adventurous and try the "seafood salad", which mostly consisted of octopus. The following dialogue happened.
Valerie: "I've never eaten octopus. Which part is the best, the tenderest ... the tip of the tentacle or the, um, bigger end?"
Mark: (long pause, then in a deadpan voice) "It's all tentacles."
Jay: (laughing like a maniac) "Ha-ha-ha, ha-ha-ha-ha!"
[Yes, Valerie did try it and thought it tasted a bit like crab salad.]
So, the first cookies we made are called, we kid you not, "nun's boobies." Now, these are not to be confused with another Italian dessert called "nun's breasts", which are a domed-shaped sponge cake filled with custard or Chantilly cream. Nor are they to be confused with Minna di Virgini, another cookie with a candied cherry on top that also looks like ... well, you know!
When Valerie tried rolling the dough, she got a nod of approval from Maria herself because she managed to get the shape just right. Woo-hoo!
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Jay tried his hand at Belli e Brutti, aka "beautiful uglies."
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We all got to keep our aprons. Our first trip souvenirs!
