Sicilia Portfolio

Well, it has been a while, but I'm back and today is the day! Our portfolio's from the trip are due, and mine is finally finished! The photos are in, vignettes are written and pasted in, and the book is all put together! Here's a sample of the work, enjoy!

Castelbuono

 

An old car parked in Castelbuono

        A donkey walks by with large wooden trash barrels attached at its flanks, and I think, "Okay we are definitely not in American anymore." The serenity of this small mountain town is enough to make one want to leave the hustle and bustle of American forever. That and the pistachio spread paired with warm sweet bread and I was SOLD.
         A woman was standing behind a table on the corner of the square handing something to my fellow classmates when I walked by. I could smell the pistachio, and the heat of the sweet bread was almost tangible in the air. The freshness was amazing. With mountaintops peeking over the buildings, Sicilians relaxing with newspapers in hand, the quiet streets, and the taste explosion going on in my mouth, I was in heaven. I tried to eat the delicious treat slowly, but it was nearly impossible. The spread had melted over the bread perfectly, and I did not want to miss the opportunity to eat with while it was still warm; can you blame me? Almost everyone in the group bought at least one jar of pistachio spread, if not more. Mine was meant to be a gift for someone back home, but it ended up being a "shared" gift. Bottom line: I would go back to Castelbuono for the pistachio spread alone; the beautiful views and serenity of the town would simply be icing on the sweet bread.

Cefalu

A boat on the beach in Cefalu

        As the bus slowly pulled to a stop near the side of the road overlooking the sea, it was clear to me that Cefalu would be one of my favorite places on the trip. The water was a mix of different blues all blended together to create the perfect scene. The sky was clear, save for a few clouds scattered innocently across it, and the temperature was absolutely perfect.

        Everyone stepped off the bus, and followed Rosa to the Piazza where we were to meet at the end of the day. After listening to her explanations of the town for a few moments, we split off in groups and wandered through the streets in search of lunch. We walked towards the water, and found a restaurant with an outdoor deck overlooking boats and the sea. I couldn't help but think about how much this small seaside town reminded me of Nantucket. The breeze, the blue sky, and the salty smell - it was all so familiar.

        Of course there is no place like Cefalu, but this small town reminded me of home, and the charm of living near the sea. Winding streets with gift shops and gelato stands, the ancient brown buildings, and the churches so magnificent it makes an atheist want to believe in god.

Catania Market

 Fresh artichokes at the Market in Catania

        Fresh fish, fruits, vegetables, and meat are everywhere. The market seems to stretch out over the entire city. Walking down street after street there is everything you could ever need. From food products to umbrellas and hello kitty souvenirs - they have it all. The colors are unlike anything I have ever seen. Flashes of red dance in between bright silver and black. Greens and purples playfully intertwine and compete with one another for brightness. Oranges stand out among the browns of walnuts, and deep red sun dried tomatoes are gathered in baskets resting along one table. People are bargaining and buying and selling; chopping, bagging, weighing, gathering, and exclaiming about sales. The entire scene is like something out of a movie. You can find every cut of meat imaginable - pigs feet, chicken hanging by their feet, organs, legs, breasts, and even a few heads here and there. 

        Seafood can be found both dead on ice and still alive. Shrimp are moving around in their containers, and fish leap out of buckets hoping to get back to where they came from. Snails inch around their basket, trying to escape, and the men keep pushing them back in. The snails sink back into their shells for a moments and try again; the never-ending battle of the marketplace.

 A snail attempting to escape at the Market

Murgo Winery

Wire champagne tops at Murgo Winery near Mt. Etna

        To me, the inner workings of a winery have always seemed like a secret the general public should not be allowed in on. How to make such fabulous tastes should be taken to the grave, and passed on among generations of wine makers. The mystery of turning a grape into most adults' choice dinner and dessert beverage is almost more intriguing than the taste itself.

        Murgo Winery was different than I had imagined, and yet everything I had hoped for in a winery. You imagine name brand wines being made in corporate wineries, bottles filled with conveyor belt motions, and machines doing all of the work. What you hope for, however, is Murgo - a small business, with real people keeping up with the wine, and putting in the effort to make it delicious. Bottle upon bottle are stacked and waiting to be filled and shipped to their selling point, corks bunched together in huge bags, and champagne tops one inside another to save room. 

        The tour made me feel like I was being let in on a deep Sicilian family secret. It was an honor to see the inner workings, and an even bigger honor to be able to photograph them. 

 A cement pole at Murgo Winery, holding up wires for the vines.

Segesta

Flowers surrounding the temple at Segesta, the temple in the background.

        The bus comes to a halt in front of a wooden building and some picnic benches scattered here and there. Rosa explains that we are going to see Segesta, the Greek temple, and some ruins of an ancient theatre. As I prepare to get off the bus I can hear the grumbling as those around me gather their writing and photography equipment. Rosa collects tickets from inside the wooden building, and as we wait for a bus to take us up to the theatre, the photographers meet at one of the picnic benches for a brief meeting. Cameras are set down on the table, and examined to find the proper settings for the outing ahead.

        "HOLD ON TO YOUR TICKETS!" Rosa exclaims, and she says we'll need them after the theatre to get into the temple. She then reminds us repeatedly for the rest of the trip - joking of course. The theatre is set on top of a hill, and opens up to an enormous valley, overlooking some other hilltops in the distance. Rosa stands at the bottom and gives us a brief history, and some architectural information on the site. If you listen carefully you can almost hear the ancient crowd gathering for the performance of the day. Excitement fills the air, waiting to hear what comes next. Will it be a comedy, or a tragedy, perhaps even a love story?

        We clamber back onto the bus, and make our way to where we came from, and then hike up a small hill to the temple. An old fence surrounds Segesta, keeping the modern day visitors from walking through the ancient pillars. The building is magnificent, even with some missing parts. The colors of the grass and plant life around the building make the whitewashed columns stand out against the background, as if it didn't already stand out enough. The teamwork that it took to build this temple is inspiring. People working together for a common goal - and just look at the result. It's beautiful. 

There they are, some highlights from my portfolio! I hope you enjoyed. Until next time, live through the lens!