Palermo's street food

Simple pleasures

$20 worthe of groceries from the farmers' market.

We watched this farmer prepare artichokes at a market in Rome.

It is so good!

It's Wednesday again and I've just return from the Santa Monica farmers' market. I love it, I can buy anything I want, it reminds me of Europe. The flower vendors are selling apple blossoms, Spirea and Lilacs. It's an incredibly uplifting sight, some positivity in these gloomy days. Everyone bought flowers, lots of flowers, I see even guys with armloads of Lilacs. Wow! It's fun to watch. I took the bus there, the fare is still $1.25 each way. What a deal! I see lining the bus route, businesses failing and closing. Things don't look good. My 2 brothers recently closed their business and contributed 9 people to the 83,000 who lost their jobs in March. Things are hitting close to home.

Before I left for the market, I chatted with my neighbor who was washing his RV. The thing is costing him and his wife a fortune to maintain, it cost them a pretty penny to buy, money they could have used to pay down their mortgage which is still very high. It is a beautiful RV, it even has a queen size bed inside but what for? We were admiring our other neighbor kid's new muscle car, a brand new, fully loaded Mustang with fancy rims. The car has never left the driveway, maybe the kid can't afford the gas. He lives at home and according to his mom has never contributed anything for living at home.

I told my neighbor, I'm going to pay off my mortgage in 3 years, he said, they're not even making a dent in theirs. For me, the reasoning is, I put up with too much crap at work, I will not spend those hard earned dollars on stuff. If anything I'd like to work less. They (the office) left a message on my machine to see if I want to pick up another shift. The answer is no, I'd rather write and read outside. It's another gorgeous day.

Back to the farmers' market. I bought all these produce for $20! $20 worth of pleasure, they're all going to be consumed and I get to write about it. Artichokes, ah, artichokes. We ate a lot of artichokes while we were in Italy. I watched a farmer preparing them, making it easier for house wives, it's all ready to be cooked when it gets home. Remove the tough outer leaves, chop off the tough tips, peel the skin off the stems, rub with lemon juice to prevent discoloration. Put them into a pot of boiling salted water and cook till tender. Drain and drizzle liberally with olive oil and more lemon juice. OMG! They are so good, better than what we had in Rome, this is fresher.

None of my neighbors go to Europe, they spend all their money on stuff. When I'm home I try to create what I have experienced in Europe. It is memories like these that is keeping sane and keeping me going. Someone said, 'when you see what other people are doing, just do the opposite!' My neighbors need to keep up with me. The 'Joneses need to keep up with me. It's easy!

It is memories of traveling with 2 teenagers and teaching them that for not a whole lot of money, we can have a lot of fun. We don't need to get mired in cheap and reckless behaviour. I hope the message sunk in. We didn't even stay in expensive hotels or ate at fancy restaurants. It was very low budget but the experiences were priceless. We even got a free upgrade on British Airways on the way back from Rome and London. Wow! It's simple pleasures like sipping great Italian coffee at a bar in Italy and coming home to cook artichokes like they do in Italy that makes the life worth while.

It's not how much you have

I went to a serious estate sale yesterday, there were so many people at this sale that the line to pay was so long. There were years and years of accumulated stuff, things still in boxes, all going for a fraction of the original price. Some things were free, others were going for $1 each. There is money in every household, more money than we realise but we still feel we could do with more money.

It's not how much you have but what you do with what you have. Having money doesn't make one happy, not having money doesn't make one happy either. At least, the poor know what they want- more money. What about the rich, do they know what they want, they already have money? One author said, 'the trick to money is having some!' I agree, it's having some money and doing the most with it.

Depression and mental illness is so prevalent these days. Everyone is reaching for a pill, the poor reaches out for a pill, the middle class and the rich does the same, the mainstream as well as well as minorities. We are all united by Prozac or a Prozac like pill, the young and the old alike. We've never had it so good in the history of mankind- money, opportunities and freedoms but we are still depressed. I have no answer. I just count the many Prozac pills every day and make an incredible livelihood from mental health or the lack of.

In the end, the answer lies within us, not in a bottle of pills. We have to be contented with what we have, if not, go and make some more or save some more. We are too wasteful a society. We don't have because we waste a lot. Recently we hear of stories of people who spend very little money, they get what they need by 'dumpster diving'- look in trash for usable items- furniture, small appliances and even food. Lots of supermarkets throw away perfectly good food just because they passed the expiration date stamped on them. I've witnessed dumpster diving outside a Paris supermarket. While in Rome last week, I drank only tap water but my nieces refused to do that. I had to buy bottled water for them. The water in Europe is perfectly safe to drink, even the water from the aqueducts all over the city of Rome. I filled my water bottle from these spouts. In probably won't drink the tap water in China (my next trip).

There are people whose career it is to write about saving money. There's never a time as now when we need to educate ourselves about saving money. Last Saturday night, I switched off all the lights and lit a few candles. It was a very spiritual experience. I might do this at least once a week. It was earth day and I was supposed only to use candlelight for an hour, oh, well.....

I've already switched off my sprinkler system preferring to water the lawn with a hose. I take baths using much less water. I walk a lot or take the bus when I'm not at work.

I was musing, if Brittney Spears had backpacked around Europe, subsisting on pizza, travel on a railpass, have just another change of clothes, stay in hostels, do laundry in the sink, dry wet clothes on the radiator grill, she'll be much happier. She wouldn't need those psychiatrists or a pseudo psychologist or those hangers on she calls 'manager'. Poor little rich girl.

I have only a minuscule income but I'm living large. There's a saying among us skiers, 'one bad day skiing is better than one good day working.' I'd say, 'one bad day traveling is better than one good day at home'. Well, not really. Or ' being jammed like sardines on bus #64 in Rome is better than being stuck in traffic on the 10 freeway in Los Angeles.'

It's not how much you have, it's what you do with what you have.

Food on the road

a pizza of shrimp and rocket, very unusual taste, very good, we spent 35 euros on that pizza dinner for 3 people.

starters of salad and salami, simple but very tasty, to save money, we shared 1 salad, 1 starter, it was plenty to go around for 3 people.

even this Treviso radicchio looked like art work, a masterpiece.

More lettuce...I love being in Europe in Spring, the abundance of all kinds of greens is so uplifting. It is beautiful things like this that is condusive to a creative life, that's why Europeans are so creative.

I couldn't pass up the opportunity of taking a picture of this pretty lettuce in a covered market in Ravenna.We were buying olives from this vendor.

A street market in Rome, near Roma Termini where we stayed at a cheap hotel, 90 euros for the 3 of us, that's the cheapest I've found.

The countryside was started to wake up after winter, there were fruit blossoms every where. Much of Italy is still covered with farms and agriculture. Friends have mocked me, 'why go to Europe, it's just a place of old and moldy buildings?' I love old and moldy buildings, the older the better. But it is more than that, the scenery is so uplifting, the old style of living and farming is still evident, gives me hope in this world of so much blood shed. We must choose life and living and creativity.

St Paul and Rome

This year I resolved to read the bible in its entirety, starting at both old and new Testament together. Yesterday I read, 2 Timothy 16-17,

'May the Lord show mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains. On the contrary, when he was in Rome, he searched hard for me until he found me.'

St Paul did not travel to Rome as a tourist, he was in chains, he was to appeal his arrest and imprisonment to Caesar himself. It was a hard and tortuous road to Rome. When I read that, I was compelled to go back to the Acts of the Apostles to reread the details of that fateful trip. Luke, the author of Acts of the Apostles was there with Paul. Many times throughout Acts Luke used the word, 'we'.

Acts 27:1, 'when it was decided that we would sail for Italy, Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a centurion named Julius'. (This was no cruise ship.)

Acts 27:3, 'the next day we landed at Sidon.... from there we put out to sea again and passed to the lee of Cyprus...'

Acts 27:13, ' ... so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. (before they were shipwrecked.)

Acts 28:1, ' once safely on shore, we found out the island was called Malta.'

Acts 28:11,' after three months we put out to sea.... we put in at Syracuse (Sicily) and stayed there three days.'

Acts 28:24, ' and so we came to ROME.'

vs 16, ' when we got to ROME, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with a soldier to guard him'.

While many has deserted St Paul there were a few who were loyal. This fellow, Onisiphorus, happened to be in Rome at the same time as Paul. Paul was under house arrest. Maybe Onisiphorus knocked on many doors, looked among new arrivals from the Holy Land, followed every lead, walking the same cobbled labyrinths, as us tourists today, looking for a Christian prisoner.

The first visit to the Mamartine prison was a very emotional one for me. I was there again the last trip, it's about the few places which is not fenced in, the rest of the Forum is now fenced in because they want you to pay to see it. We looked from the outside, not wanting to pay.

Rome, the eternal city, city of Caesar, Nero, Constantine and so many others. Rome, the city where St Peter and St Paul met their deaths. Rome, the city, featured so prominently in our bible. I am deeply humbled. The Mamartine prison was purported to have held St Peter and St Paul.

Rome made easy

I remember my first trip to Rome and Italy, I was scared to death, I've heard so many stories. I have just returned from another trip to Rome and Italy and this time time felt really at home. I was still very cautious as one should be but not scared and paranoid. The sights in Rome are always packed with people but with a little strategy, Rome can be simplified and made much more enjoyable. These clear shots taken at the Trevi fountain would not be possible if we had not gotten there early before everyone. Later in the day there's standing room only.

If one flies in and out of Fumucino airport, compared with Paris Charles de Gaulle or London Heathrow, it is not that big to be totally intimidating. There are 3 terminals, A, B and C. A and B are usually where most people fly in and out of and terminal C is where British Airways uses. There's a tram that connects C to A and B.

So much for Rome Fumucino, the next big thing to get familiar with is Roma Termini, the train station in Rome. It is always so crowded that one feels lost in it. It is very easy to navigate really. To the east and southeast of it on Via Marsala, some may consider this area seedy but it is not really. Tour groups from all the world uses this area a lot, there are hotels of all price range in this area. One wanders if a reservation is really necessary. There don't seem to be a shortage of rooms. We were there over the Easter weekend, the place seems pretty sedate. Definitely it was kind of difficult finding an American among the crowds, there are a sprinkling, maybe the Americans are staying home because of the unfavorable exchange rate. There were a few intrepid souls there like myself. Make the train station your best friend,

- most likely you'll be taking day trips out of Rome on the train.

- you'll be going to other parts of Italy on the train.

- you'll be coming from or going to Fumucino on the Leonardo Express.

At the airport, ask where the train station is, the Leonardo Express zips you to Roma Termini in 30 minutes and costs 11 euros each way. You can get a ticket from any of the numerous newsagents nearby. At Roma Termini, the official ticket counter will sell you a Leonardo Express ticket or again you can get them from the numerous newsagents. Remember to validate the ticket. The Leonardo Express leaves from and arrives at Binaro 24.

I usually purchase my train ticket the day before travel. This way I know exactly what time to be at the station on the day of travel. Look at the board that says 'Partenze" or departure. Find your train either by matching the number indicated if there's one or match the time of departure. Go to the binaro indicated, find an official train person, show him the ticket to make sure you're on the right train. Don't forget to validate your ticket by having it stamped at the yellow metal boxes. Some trains have assigned seating, make sure to find your 'carrozza' or coach number. Some sectors of travel are packed and to secure a seat, you can request an assigned seat for a few euros more and if someone is occupying your seat, just ask them to move.

There's a supermarket at the basement of Roma Termini at the Via Marsala exit, this exit will feature prominently in the train station. There'll be a sea of humanity at all time of the day. It's a crazy place. Hang on to your things but you don't have to be scared and paranoid. It is so important to pack light, wear comfortable shoes, secure everything and enjoy travel, watch the young backpackers, there are all kinds of travelers, people coming and going. It's a lot of fun!

Lines, lines, and more lines- the lines at all the major sights are long, there are a few ways to beat it.

- go early in the morning, some places like the Spanish steps and the Trevi fountain are always opened. We were at these 2 places at 8.30am and I've never seen the Trevi fountain so empty before.

- the other is to go with a walking tour, they can get you in ahead of the 3 mile line outside the Vatican museum or else go early again. That was how I saw the Vatican museum, by going early. A lot of these walking tours can be booked online before even leaving home.

- learn to use the metro and the bus and be ready to squeeze as sardines. I've become pretty used to it, at least, this trip I didn't get fondled like I was in Palermo. It was on a bus from Palermo to Monreale, it was crowded. This guy behind me had his hand in his pants pocket and had his finger in my butt crack for most of the trip. Or take a cab or just hoof it.

Bus 64 from Roma Termini takes you to St Peter Basilica and the Vatican museum. It is very crowded, just get use to it. When in Rome, do what the Romans do. Tickets for the metro and the bus can be purchased at any newsagent.

Most of all, enjoy Rome, enjoy Italy, head South to the heel or to Sicily. I love Southern Italy and Sicily more than the North.

comment from Theresa Maggio

I went and looked for the 2 books written by Theresa Maggio, I found them, I'm going to read them again for the umpteenth time. I don't blame myself for feeling so proud, I work very hard and demand a lot from myself, whether at my job or even writing this blog. When I travel, I make sure I get the most out of the trip. It's hard work saving for the trip, I hoard every penny, save every drop of water (I pay my own utilities) just so I can travel, at least twice a year. I want to take 3 trips next year, all the trips are being planned out even now. I hope to go back to Sicily in the near future. Thank you, Theresa Maggio, once again, for the very kind comment. It felt like I've been given million dollars.

Theresa Maggio

Look under post Honey, I'm home for comment from Theresa Maggio (http://theresamaggio.com/) author of 2 books on Sicily.

Theresa Maggio

I checked my email just now and found Theresa Maggio has left a comment on my blog, look under 'Honey, I'm home'. Who is Theresa Maggio? She wrote 2 books on Sicily and liked my write ups on Sicily. Wow! This is worth much more than making money on writing a blog, which I have yet to make a cent. I'm still gushing and blushing. Her 2 books are 'La Mattanza', about the annual tuna harvest in Sicily and "The Stone Boudoir' about the many little hill towns in Sicily. I have both books and have read them many times before embarking on my 2 trips to Sicily. They were inspirational, she's inspirational too. She called me gutsy, I'd say, I got my guts from her. I can't believe this. Wow! I read almost every book written about Sicily before I took my first trip to Sicily and then my second trip and maybe soon, my third.
'Palermo, once experienced, never forgotten....'

I'm back

What's this? A panini but not just any old panini. This is the famous panini con porchetta. I've read so much about it, how people raved about it. After all this is my umpteenth trip to Italy, I finally got to taste it. I was not disappointed. It was in Orvieto and everywhere the cafes were advertising panini con porchetta. This cafe had the porchetta in full view, a huge chunk of roast pork, not just any old roast pork, it was studded heavily with chopped garlic and parsley. The roast pork was moist and oh so fragrant because of the garlic and herbs. It was to die for..... The panini was about 4 euros, an incredible deal, possibly the only deal in our trip. We paid for some expensive and bad food. I keep thinking about Sicily, the bread in Sicily definitely is much better, so is the seafood. This trip we had Arugula with everything and it was wonderful, I definitely would use more Arugula in my cooking. I even brought Arugula seeds home to plant in pots, it would remind me of my planting tomato seeds from Sicily last year. This year it's Arugula seeds from Italy. What would I be planting next year?
We arrived back last night and I'm up too early this morning. Rome, as usual, was crowded, it makes me yearn for Sicily which is less crowded. I met some people on our way from Los Angeles to London, then we parted at London Heathrow. I saw them again on the plane from Rome to London, we parted again at Heathrow, we left to go home, they stayed in London. I sat next to a lady from Pasadena on our flight back, she was in Berlin and Eastern Europe, spoke glowingly about Prague. Well, guess where I'll be going next?

I'd rather stay at home

With hours to go till my plane leaves, I'd rather stay at home. I'd rather have the bed covers over my head and go to sleep. We're already checked in - online and the boarding passes have been printed. Technology is a wonderful thing if used for the right reasons. All's needed now is to head over to the airport to check in our bags. I don't want to go..... I'm tired...... But imagine 2 very disappointed teenagers. Of course we're going. I'd rather sit in the back yard, read, have my cup of tea and smell the jasmine blossoms, eat sweet Valencia oranges and those gorgeous strawberries. Instead of having to buy very expensive Euros and English Pounds. We're going on BA and through London, so I thought we might need some Pounds. I'll be back...

Italy, again

I just realized how exhausted I am. I'm glad to be leaving tomorrow, even for just 10 days. I'm now looking forward to be away for even a little while. The 8 days on the ground, we'll pack as much in as possible, Rome, Bologna, Verona, Venice and Orvieto. This time, last year I was on my way to Sicily. I wish I'm on my way to Sicily tomorrow. I miss Sicily, I want to go back to Sicily, one day soon.

Spring time

Every year at this time my neighbor's yard would have the most wonderful display of flowers. This year is no different though it's still early yet. I rushed over because I shall be gone for 2 weeks and hopefully w hen I return the display is going to be even more spectacular. I only found out recently that Lupines (the blue flowers) are grown from seeds. People would slow down as they drive past to view the flowers. I usually just walk over and spend an enormous time admiring the display. The apricot color rose is actually from my yard, it's name is 'Just Joey'. I love this rose, it has a very gentle fragrance and when full bloom is huge. I had 2 gorgeous blooms on it last year but when I checked on them later that day, they were gone. Some passerby picked them and walked away with them. This is the only time I had flowers stolen from my front yard.

Next trip

Blogger, Paris Breakfast, wrote this morning that she doesn't feel like going to Paris this Sunday. I don't feel like going to Rome this Monday. It's been so hectic, at work and at home, that I just want to be left alone. Work is so frenetic, so many prescriptions to fill and all at once. I dread going in these days. It's been overwhelming. Home is bad, my niece's situation is worse than I had imagine. I had a falling out with my sister in law yesterday, we ended up screaming at each other. IT'S BAD.... and I'm taking her 2 daughters to Italy. I just need to force myself on the plane, once it takes off, there's no turning back. When I'm on the ground in Rome, there's too much to take care off, find the train to take us to Centrale Termini, find our hotel, look for food and the next day, visit as many sites as we can. I heard that it's no longer free to visit the Forum and Palatine hill, it's going to cost $16 per person. That's a lot. After 1 day in Rome, we leave to head to Bologna. The thought of it is a little daunting but once I'm on the ground there I'll feel differently, I have to. I've been to Rome twice before so I'm familiar with the place, at least I don't have to worry that it's all new to me.
But I need to go, the sameness here is depressing. Anywhere you go is the usual stores merchandising the same stuff, I can jump off a cliff if I have to stay here forever. There's nothing like the charm and quaintness that is Europe. That's why I starve myself of any luxury here so I can still afford Europe, maybe that's not healthy. I make 2 trips abroad each year, I'm trying for 3 next year and eventually to spend an extended period away.

Low expectations

I read somewhere that kids of welfare mothers have limited vocabulary, less than 200 words. Kids of average families have about 500 words whereas kids of teachers and professors have about 2200 words. Unless we play an active role in our kid's education, their performance will languish. Working the past 2 weeks with 2 lovely kids have made me realize that unless parents are actively involved, there will be low expectations.
Don't expect teachers to do it for you. The bar in schools these days is set so very low that everyone (even idiots) will pass. This lead to a life of mediocrity. The kids, because of non involvement from parents, will pick easy courses, even easy Math, just to fulfill the requirements and get through High School. This is a travesty of enormous proportions. Low expectation in High School leads to a life of mediocrity. Kids will grow up to take jobs managing a Walmart, a Target , a Supermarket or a Chain Drugstore. We have lost a lot of high paying manufacturing jobs. Jobs in retail are plentiful, they don't pay enough in these jobs and the work is mind numbing. I hate to think if I could do something and not do it, I'll be condemning these 2 lovely girls to a life like that, stuck in a low paying and mind numbing jobs.
A little involvement from the parents will make a world of difference. This kid (one of the 2 girls) is failing in Math. I've offered to come over every weekend to tutor her. To all our surprises, she gets up early, we start promptly at 8am and work for hours on Math and other homework. She wants to learn. I told her to, next semester, take up all the available Math and Science courses and she agreed. Forget about the artsy fartsy courses, leave them to the others.
So I went on Alibris.com (online used book seller) and ordered a bunch of textbooks, Calculus, Trig, Geometry, Biology, Chemistry and Physics. Guess who needs to study? It's been only 40 years since I was in High School.

Road to Rome

Truly, Rome and Italy doesn't get enough respect, they're being overshadowed by Paris and France. It is a different ambiance in Rome and Italy. I don't play favorites, I try to give equal opportunity to all places in the world but the last 3 years I've been to more places in Italy than France. I don't know why, it just happened. After next week, I'll be back in Rome again for the third time. I was looking at old photos and scanning them into my computer. I love printers that act also as a scanner, what I don't have uploaded into my computer can be scanned and stored and used just the same. I do archive all my photos in CD's and as prints.

I'm less intimidated by Rome these days, the first time there was horrible, I was so scared because of stories of pickpockets. Not that they are not there anymore but I'm more able to fend them off. it's always good, when abroad, to be wary of your surroundings, hang on tight to your belongings, be suspicious of everyone. After using your ATM cards and credit cards, put them away first before proceeding anywhere. Always wear a money belt, especially in Italy, I'm more relaxed in France but not careless. These thieves, their job is to prey on unsuspecting tourists, make it hard on them so they'll find other easier targets. I'm not afraid to show my anger and displeasure at people whom I suspect to be unsavory characters. I'd rather be safe than sorry. I've seen empty wallets thrown out onto streets and empty handbags and I know there are victims out there.

With this in mind, continue to enjoy your trip, your pasta, coffee, gelato and whatever else Italy has to offer.