Day 13: Aci Castello

 Friday 31st May

We woke up with this view from our balcony. After all the travelling we had already decided we were going to have a quiet day and here seemed as good a place as any to spend it.

Our apartment is right next to the Norman castle in Aci Castello. Like us, they got about a bit, those Normans.

We had decided to eat in and so I set out to buy some fish. You know those moments when you realise you’re making a mistake with a purchase, but it’s too late to pull out? Well, after having asked the fishmonger to fillet the fish he then told me the price. Why, oh why, hadn’t I asked first? Particularly when I didn’t know what it was (pargo - or pauro in Sicilian dialect). €23 ! Still, I couldn’t ask him to unfilet it and it turns out pargo is red snapper, which is my favourite fish.

For most of the morning we sat on the balcony, read and relaxed. I decided to go for a walk and dip my toes in the water.

I spotted remnants of propaganda from the Mussolini era on one of the buildings. Maybe Meloni will give it a facelift? 

Our apartment, the second home exchange of our trip, is really beautiful, with high, decorated ceilings and some delightful wall murals and hangings. It’s a bit musty, presumably through not having been used much over the winter, and in need of a bit of tlc in places, but otherwise quite delightful and in a perfect location.

The red snapper had a rest on the bed before we ate it.

So now the fish. 

Could I do it justice? You’re spared the food porn as I forgot to take a photo, but it went down very nicely with a home-made risotto and a bottle of Sicilian white.