more of day 2, 3/14

From the farm, we left our friend, who had some business to tend to and we would meet up with later to head to Modica.....chocolate, here we come.
The citta (city) was founded either 1360bc or 1031bc, there are conflicting dates. And while well known for many things, we were after the famous Chocolate of Modica, from an ancient Aztec recipe.

 

  

This is reminiscent of Ponte Vecchio in Florence.  Lover's Locks.   There were many locks on the fence overlooking the city.

 The Church in Modica.

 

chocolate, chocolate, chocolate

 

 We also went to Rogusa Ibla, and now that it has been a month already, I can't keep the cities straight, so much for my memory.

The city suffered a major earthquake in 1693 and many structures were damaged.  The patron saint in St. George.  San Giorgio Vecchio has a re-entrant facade with notable Gothic-Catalan portal and high relief on the lunetta portraying St. George slaying the dragon. One of the few pieces left standing.

http://www.bestofsicily.com/ragusa.htm

You can read more at this website and understand it better than I am relaying.

 

Les & Ang in the park

 

la tazza necessaria di caffè

  

I just loved these two perched up on top of a building.

Mi due

Uomini  Mafioso 

And that is it for another day, the way I am going, I just might have this done by the next time I return, which isn't even planned yet......

 

 

Day 2, out and about March 14 Sabado

Our 2nd day of adventure began with leaving early to meet a local friend of the kids. He was born in Sicilia, grew up in New Jersey, married a local Sicilian girl and migrated back to his home town of Scoglitti. More about that later.
He had us follow him to a local farm that produces cheese that they send world wide. Which is amazing, because the cheese making room is not bigger than one of our bedrooms. They have special cows, which for the life of me now escapes their origin, that produces their outstanding cheese.
For breakfast we were treated with fresh, warm, out of the barrel, Riccotta cheese with fresh baked bread, oh my goodness, nothing like it!

 

But of course, I did not get a picture of breakfast, but here are a few pictures of the cheese room.

 

  

The kids did buy some of this and we ate off it for the next week, soooo good!

 

This region had rock perimeters, sheds, houses, walls everywhere.  Unlike any other place I had seen.  The capstones were so uniform.

 

This is Terry, Tony and Les with the farmhouse in the background.

 

And my friend, he was so sweet, but only spoke Italian.

Only time for this entry, and so much more to tell you......domani

sogni di oro