I was heartened to hear yesterday that the head of the Sicilian Mafia had been arrested. The manhunt had been on for a while. Of course, at some point, someone will reveal a clue and soon after, the chase will be over. In this instance, it appears that Mr. head-of-Sicilian Mafia was all the while hiding in his village of Corleone. It seems odd that he should pick the one and only place we identify as the Mafia homebase in Sicily, what with the Godfather and all, but there you have it: if you want to hide, go back to the most obvious village. No one will look for you there.
Now it just so happens that in a few weeks I will be in Sicily. The plan is for me to travel from one tip of the island to another and guess what: one set of roads would indeed lead me darn close to Corleone. This poses a dilemma: should I maybe pause for a quick little aperitivo there?
Will the village, which appears to be perched obscurely in the central hills of the island, have curious passers by, like myself, wanting to get a feel for a Mafia hangout? So will there be tourist stands? Post cards for sale?
Or, will the village be closed off with yellow polizia tape? Because if it would be closed off, then it would be silly for me to make my way through no person’s land just to run into yellow tape.
Will there be angry gun-bearing relatives ready to fire at anyone acting all curious and invading their space? Including the little tourist from Madison, Wisconsin? With a camera?
Or, will it be a village like any other -- sleepy, dusty, with donkeys and funeral processions and nothing more. To the naked eye.
Corleone. Intriguing, isn't it?
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My plant identification teacher is in Sicily right now. She writes this in the Botanical Society newsletter:
ReplyDeleteMany folks don't realize that Sicily, the province, is composed of several islands, the island of Sicily being the largest. Last year, we visited the Aeolians, a group of seven tiny volcanic islands off the NE corner of Sicily. Called the Seven Sisters, the daughters of the wind god Aeolius, they are part of a volcanic string floating in warm blue sea. These are the islands of Homer's Odyssey, and The Leopard by Giuseppe di Lampedusa. Stromboli is probably the most notorious.
Each island is different yet similar. One thing they all have in common is the caper plant. It grows everywhere and is in every dish except the ice cream at breakfast. Jars of capers from the Aeolians are sold as souvenirs.
"The orchid of the Aeolians" is the caper plant. Not an orchid at all, Capparis spinosa is a small shrub, one to three feet high. Wild caper plants usually hang, drape, and sprawl as they scramble over soil and rock, sprouting spontaneously out of the cracks and crevices of rocks, stone walls, and pavement, blooming freely.
[...]
If you are tempted to try growing some, remember the Italian saying: "Only one in a hundred seeds sprouts, and it takes a hundred years." I guess that is why, even in California, capers remain a bottled luxury.
Intriguing, indeed. I cannot wait to hear about your trip and what you decided.
ReplyDeleteIf you go there, just be careful not to sit with your back to the door.
ReplyDeleteWell, now my curiosity is piqued! I hope it's the sleepy, dusty one.
ReplyDeleteAs long as you remember to check under the hood before you start the car, you should be OK.
ReplyDeletechuck b.: thank you. I know what gifts I'll bring back from the islands.
ReplyDeletey'all: the day slated for the Corleone pass through is May 8th. If Ocean is no more after that, you'll know that I either messed with the car or sat with my back to the trattoria door.