Sicily and Amalfi (The beginning of the end)

Several months ago, as we assessed the final weeks of our adventure, Anna and I agreed that we would like to do a little more exploring with the kids out of school. As we evaluated the numerous possibilities (France, Switzerland, Germany, Spain and like) Anna continued to hold firm in her belief that this was “The year of Italy” and we should make sure that we see as much of this country as possible.

I have always wanted to visit Sicily, a land that so few Americans ever get to see due to its remote location. The Amalfi Coast is legendary as one of the great seaside destinations in Europe. The two would become the setting for our final adventure before returning for one final week in Florence and then back to the United States…

Sicily – I have often wondered why Sicilians are so passionate about NOT being called Italian. They are steadfast that there is a difference between them and Italians. Most Americans associate Sicilians with the mafia, partly due to the movie the Godfather and partly because Palermo and Catania (And therefore the entire island) are to this day run by organized crime families!

The truth is that Sicily is about so much more than the Mafia and Sicilian people have every right to request that they be referred to differently than Italians. Sicily is governed by Italy but that is where the similarities really begin and end. To better understand Sicily and its history, one must first understand the importance of its strategic location in history.

The island is quite large (It takes six hours to drive from the west coast to the east coast non stop) and lies in the middle of the Mediterranean, some 3 miles South of the boot of Italy and only 45 miles North of the Coast of Africa (Tunisia). On a clear day, from her Southern beaches, you can see North Africa on the horizon, a very cool site indeed!

The first great civilization to occupy Sicily was the Greeks, who settled the island in about 600 BC. They erected some of the most impressive Greek temples in the world and to this day, one could say that Greek archeological sites in Sicily are more impressive and better preserved than that of Greece itself! Following the reign of the Greeks, Sicily was taken over by the Romans who occupied Sicily for nearly 600 years beginning in about 200 BC. The island then briefly fell into the hands of the Germans who conquered the Roman Empire in about 440 AD. The longest period of foreign rule in Sicily was held by the Muslims of North Africa and Byzantine, for a period of nearly 800 years beginning in around 500 AD. It is they who have had perhaps the greatest influence on Sicilian culture.

When you put all of these cultural and religious ingredients together you have a truly unique place and it’s reflected in the architecture, the food (Which is an eclectic mix of Italian and Arabic) and the people.

It’s too difficult to experience all of Sicily in just one trip, so we selected certain spots that would provide us with a true feel…

Our journey began on the South West Coast of Sicily near the town of Marsalla, where the world famous Marsalla wine is produced. This area of the island was sparse and desolate with small towns intermittently dispersed on the dried out landscape. In many ways reminded us of being in a California desert town such as Baker or Barstow and was not at all what we expected. During our time in this area we visited a salt flat where sea salt has been made for over three thousand years and ancient Greek Ruins which were amazing. The hotel we stayed at was wonderful however, and the weather (Hot and Dry) was a welcome break to the horrible humidity of Florence. Much of our time was spent poolside relaxing with the kids.

Our next location was in the South Eastern part of the island near the town of Ragusa. Mid way through the five plus hour drive we stopped at one of the great archeological sites of the Mediterranean known as “The Valley of the Temples” near the town of Agrigento. The Valley of the Temples dates back to the Greek occupation of the island some 2500 years ago and many of the temples are in near perfect condition. We hired a tour guide to help us make our way through the ancient buildings and to share the rich history of the area. It was quite a treat (See photos)

The landscape in this area of the island is what I had imagined in my visions of Sicily. Long winding roads through farm country with tall golden wheat grass, olive trees and grape vines checkering the landscape. Stone walls as far as the eye could see that have been there for hundreds of years delineating the separation between you and your neighbor, no mortar necessary, only accurate stacking.

Sicily is exactly how it was hundreds of years ago, and in that regard it is truly “Old Italy’. This is a part of its charm. Shops still close for three to four hours during lunch time. Residents still take a long siesta after a long lunch. The people still live off the land in many ways by growing their own crops and fishing the Mediterranean. It’s a place that makes the mainland of Italy look like it’s in a hurry!

The towns of Ragusa and Noto were amazingly charming places, rich in history and boasting great architecture. Great portions of these two ancient cities are built directly into the rock hillside.

We spent a couple of days at the beach while in this part of the island as the warm summer days left us craving the water of the Mediterranean. The beaches here are hands down better than any I have seen in this part of the world. So many times we have visited places like Greece, Croatia and the South of France only to leave disappointed. In this part of the world, beaches are often made of stones and of course there are no waves. In Sicily, the beaches were beautiful sand and the water was clear and warm. We were pleasantly surprised.

Granita – It would be impossible to talk about Sicily and not mention granita. Granita is to Sicily what gelato is to Italy and we’re convinced that granita is even better! Granita is a semi-frozen desert of sugar, water and flavoring (Often with fresh fruit). It’s about the thickness of a Jamba Juice and a hell of a lot better as the flavors are so fresh and natural. By far my favorite flavor was Mandrala (Almond) which had almond shavings in it. The kids loved it too, but also devoured lemon, tangerine and strawberry. Anna favorite was pistachio and we both absolutely loved café, which is made with fresh espresso. One of the famous Sicilian breakfasts is café granita and a pastry!

After leaving Ragusa we headed North to the famous tourist destination of Taormina. There’s certainly good reason for Taormina’s appeal as it’s truly one of the loveliest places that we have been. The city itself is an ancient Greek village that sits high on a cliff overlooking the sea. What makes it even more dramatic is that it lies in the shadow of the largest volcano in Europe Mount Etna, which is still active (It was actually flowing lava when we drove past it on the highway) The coast line in this area is beautiful and dramatic as well, making it the perfect final stop on our tour of Sicily.

Following a day at the pool we made our way to dinner. When I sat down, I noticed a cramping pain in my lower right abdomen. It was a pain that I had felt before and I immediately became concerned. Hoping that it was only gas pains, I proceeded to eat a decent portion of my dinner. As the night evolved, I realized that my biggest fear was being realized. I had an intestinal blockage a very serious and dangerous situation…

Five years ago I had an emergency appendectomy. It was rather severe and I was in the hospital for two weeks. Laparoscopic surgery was aborted by my doctor due to severe peritonitis and my abdomen was completely cut open. The result is a very long scar from my navel to my pelvis and a lot of scar tissue inside my belly.

One year after the appendix operation, I had to be rushed to emergency for immediate surgery as the scar tissue had wrapped itself around my intestines and created a complete blockage (A very dangerous situation if not taken care of immediately).

As the night evolved into the morning and the cramping persisted, my abdomen began to swell substantially and become distended. By 10:00 am it was time to go to the hospital as it became clear that I was not getting better, but rather worse. The only question in my mind at this point was whether I would need surgery or if the blockage would release itself by becoming untwisted from the scar tissue.

Time in a Sicilian emergency room was nothing like what I was used to. I sat in a wheel chair for nearly three hours before anyone attended to me. Sitting is not exactly my preferred position when I have severe abdominal cramping. In fact, I was craving for some pain medication.

All around me were sick people, several of them very very old. In our time in Italian hospitals I have concluded that old Italian people must think that there is some correlation between the healing process and moaning in agony! Imagine sitting in an emergency room in pain for several hours surrounded by several elderly Italians who are moaning and screaming at the top of their lungs, praying to Jesus and cursing their doctors in the same breath. It was definitely a day that I don’t want to relive.

I was finally taken in to one of the rooms and given an IV at about 1:00 as I was really low on fluid. As the morning ended and the afternoon took hold, it was apparent I would be there for a while. Finally by about 4:00 I was taken in for x-rays. Following the radiologist review I was taken to one of the hospital beds on the second floor and a whole team of doctors (None of which spoke any English) were now attending to me and asking me questions. They were finally taking this situation seriously.

My Italian is damn good in a restaurant at this point, but is sorely lacking when it comes to medical vernacular. What I was able to discern from the conversation was that they wanted me to stay overnight for observation and that “IF” the blockage did not release, that they would want to do surgery the next day and “MIGHT” have to open me all the way up again if a laparoscope didn’t do the trick.

When I heard “Opening me all the way Up” my concerns became pronounced. “In Ospedale per un settimana” I asked the doctor (In the hospital for one week?). He nodded yes…

My mind started racing. “This is a tourist town, there will be no hotels available for Anna and the kids as its high season. What will Anna and kids do for one week if I am in here? Do I trust these people? Why would they need to open me all the way up? What am I going to do? There’s no one to help Anna down here…”

“Voglio venire all’ albergo” (I want to go to the hotel) I told the doctor. One hour later and much to the doctors disappointment, I was released…

Once back at the hotel, we immediately jumped on line and started looking for flights back to Florence. Florence seemed so much safer to me. We have friends there. I know doctors there. Anna could be in the comforts of the castle there. It would be better for her and the kids there…

I new that if I didn’t eat anything all night that the chances of anything bad happening were slim and that there was a chance that the intestine would release itself from the grasp of the scar tissue.

By the next morning, my belly had decreased in size by about fifty percent and my cramping was much less, but I was very tired and weak. We managed to get a morning direct flight to Florence. We checked out of our hotel two days early and flew back to familiar ground.

As the day evolved at the castle, I rested and continued to feel a bit better. I was able to eat a bit of pasta and some yogurt and soup. If no further cramping occurred, it would mean that the blockage was now cleared and I would be OK for the time being. If by tomorrow morning I felt better, then we could take the three hour train ride to our next destination, the Amalfi Coast. Our vacation would only have been hampered to the tune of two days in Sicily and we could finish the remainder of our vacation in the South of Italy as planned.

If all went well in Amalfi, we could return back to the castle for one final week in Florence. We could say goodbye to our friends and the city they way we have planned. We would be coming home on the 11th of July, less than two weeks away…So many “If’s”…

All night Anna and I weighed the pros and cons of going to Amalfi for five days. What if another blockage happened? Did I want to be in a hospital in Amalfi? Could we get back to Florence in time to go to the hospital there? Should we just stay in Florence and play it safe? Should we go home to Los Angeles early? What about all the money we would need to pay for new airline tickets? What about the money that we would lose on our hotel reservations...

I called Mark Tyron that night to ask him for advice. He was a big help in helping me talk through the options.

As I went to bed that night, my mind was maxed out with all the decisions that needed to be made. As we talked in the dark, Anna and I decided that if I felt better in the morning we would go to Amalfi and roll the dice. I would watch what I eat and take it slow. If I didn’t feel better I would go to the hospital in Florence and have the surgery done there.

We rested well that night as we were so tired…