When I was in college (about a hundred years ago), I read a book that in so many ways changed the trajectory of my life. It was Paul Bowels’ seminal novel, The Sheltering Sky. Published in 1949, the story revolves around Kit and Port Moresby, a restless, bohemian couple who search for the meaning of life by wandering to exotic locations around the globe. But they do so with a difference. And THIS is the central theme of the novel. They are not tourists but rather travelers. And there IS a difference – a BIG difference. I took it to heart and that has never really changed.
Recently, my partner Amanda and I traveled to the place of my ancestors, Sicily. I have been there multiple times in the past and even purchased a villa in a town located virtually in the middle of nowhere and I’m sure that you have never even heard of: Motta’ D’Affermo. Perhaps you may have noticed that I deliberately used the word traveled. This was, of course, done deliberately. You see, Sicily is THE place to go if you want to experience a place with ALL the challenges AND rewards only a 3000-year-old culture has to offer. Yes, you can go as a tourist and visit magnificent places like Cefalu’, Taormina, and Ortygia. In fact, I highly recommend that at some point you do. They are beyond beautiful! But there is SO much left to truly see and feel if you have the will and courage (yes, courage) to do so.
To experience the real Sicily is to see it as it has always been – a land of enormous contradictions. It is extraordinarily beautiful and yet people dump their garbage all over. Everyone is cordial and friendly, even generous and gracious but drive like savages with no regard for their own safety or yours. They are known for their delicious cuisine, but 4- and 5-star restaurants are few and far between (except, of course, in the larger cities and towns). But, once it enters your soul, you will never forget it.
Perhaps our own experience will shed more light on experiencing the real Sicily.
To begin with, for the 1st time in years, United Airlines offers direct service from Newark airport to Palermo, Sicily’s capital city. In years past, you had to fly to another European hub and take a transfer flight there. Still, the direct flight itself runs from 8 and half hours to nine and a half hours long. Throw in travel to and from the airport, baggage claim, passport control, etc. and in our case, a LONG drive to our destination, and you’re talking about a 16–17-hour day. So, it ain’t easy to get to!
Driving there may be the most difficult part of the journey because many of the roads suck and the drivers can be even worse. To get to our place in Motta, it’s about 1 hour and forty-five-minute drive from the airport. First, it requires that you drive through a portion of Sicily’s largest city, Palermo. Here, lanes and traffic signals are mere suggestions, not commands. They pretty much make it up as they go. Why there aren’t more deadly accidents, I’ll never know. But they seem to make it all work. After that, it’s the Super Strada (Superhighway) where speeds of 120+ K/hr. get you passed like you’re standing still. But you’re not done yet. After that ordeal you must get to the village and that means CLIMBING. Even if you get on one of the better roads they are still like writhing snakes where one wrong turn means you’re going off the cliff. Worse still is using the GPS only! It often takes you “back roads” that are more suited for tractors and Jeeps than the Fiat Panda we were driving. This happened to us on our way there and without hyperbole, I can say that we almost didn’t make it to the top! The road was so poor that Amanda had to get out of the car and place rocks under our wheels to give us the traction we needed to climb! Be that as it may, we made it, learned, and found a better way – the key to being a traveler.
Finally, when you DO arrive, you take a deep breath and enter this ancient village and marvel at just how long this place has been here. How many sunrises and sunsets has it witnessed? Many of the structures here date back 1500 years or more. The sense of continuity is palpable. Clinging to the top of a mountain, with the Basilica at the summit and breathtaking views of the mountains and Mediterranean Sea in the distance, you find the anxiety about getting here immediately beginning to fade. You start to realize that THIS is why you came.
Still, more adjustments need to be made. You must leave your custom zone and become accustomed to the rhythm of THEIR lives.
Italians/Europeans in general and Sicilian’s in particular, live a different lifestyle than we Americans. And being there, we needed to adjust to them. Even in the relatively small town we live in the States, Nyack, NY, we are accustomed to pretty much getting anything that we need, anytime that we may need it. That’s not going to happen in Motta D’Affermo. There are 2 small bodegas in town to get some basics and a pretty good panino. But hours are limited; they usually closed by 5pm – with possibly some more time off for siesta. And they don’t carry many of the items found in larger supermarkets. Sicilians also eat VERY late by our standards, especially in the summertime. Dinner rarely starts before 9pm and restaurants have their biggest seating at 10pm! Again, an adjustment. It also means doing a lot of your own cooking at home and preparing to do so. But you learn, as we did. If you time it right, small trucks go through the town, some daily, some every few days, with fresh fruit, vegetables, meat and fish. You need to become part of THEIR rhythm. Otherwise, you might find yourself without dinner in a land of plenty!
Of course, as we continued our journey some challenges remained, but the rewards become even more apparent – and spectacular.
Frank LoBuono is a Nyack Resident, photographer, blogger and retired CBS News journalist.
