Trip to Sicily

[r.e.]

Chris,

You said in your original post that you are interested in the food. So am I. Indeed, I'll be traveling there with a chef who has worked in some of the world's great Michelin-starred establishments, and we intend to hit some of Sicily's and Italy's best restaurants.

Anyway, there are a number of recent books on the food and wines of Sicily, some of which are quite good. But the other day, Ed Behr, who writes the highly regarded Art of Eating, wrote on Twitter that he thinks that the best of them is Mary Taylor Simeti's Pomp and Sustenance: Twenty Five Centuries of Sicilian Food. As a result of that Tweet, I ordered a copy second hand, because it was originally published in 1989 and has long been out of print. It should arrive later this week. However, it looks like it may have been recently reissued as Sicilian Food, available for $10 as a Kindle electronic book: http://www.amazon.com/SICILIAN-FOOD-.../dp/1902304179

Might be worth checking out. Apparently the original goes well beyond recipes and deals, accurately, with the complicated history of Sicilian cuisine and the many cultural influences. Don't know if the Kindle reissue is identical to the original, but Amazon reviewers seem to think so.

[r.e.]

r.e.,

yes any information on your experience would be beneficial. When you get back I'd like to call you and hear about your trip.

Hi Chris,

I'm now scheduled to spend November based in Siracusa and the next three months based outside Ispica, which as you know is not far south of Ragusa.

Having discussed transportation with friends who have a home in the area, I've decided to rent either a car or a motorcycle. That said, I've also checked the main public transportation choices, which are the national train system's regional trains and the AST bus line.

The URL for the train system is http://www.trenitalia.com and you can click on "English" at the top. Then "Timetables and Purchasing". If you enter, say, Ragusa as your departure, and then a destination, and click Send, you'll get options. Under "Train", you'll see an "i" for information for each option. By clicking on the "i", you'll see what towns the train goes through to get to your destination, with times.

The URL for AST is www.aziendasicilianatrasporti.it. There is no English version of the site. You want "Lineee e orari" (Lines and Timetable). You'll be interested in the Siracusa and Modica Lines, which both serve Ragusa. For prices, which are based on distance, click on Tariffe.

Both the trains and the buses in southeastern Sicily are milk runs. Not bad if you're only going two or three stops, but it can take a long time if your destination is several stops away. For longer distances (say, Ispica to Siracusa), it does appear that the train is quite a bit faster than the bus. It looks like Sunday and holiday service ranges from limited to non-existent.

The trains and the buses strike me as very cheap.

I found this Frommer's page helpful in figuring out this stuff: http://www.frommers.com/destinations...771020156.html.

By the way, I've now read Mary Simeti's books, which I think are excellent. So is Giorgio Locatelli's new Made in Sicily. The first episode of a three part series he did for the BBC on Sicily is on YouTube. Search for "Sicily Unpacked".

[chris_4622]

I've been looking into shipping my film over via FedEx. Not a cheap method but it seems to be the best way for the least amount of hassle. It looks like it will cost around $150 - $200, I haven't actually weighed the film yet so I just plugged in a number to get an idea of cost. I think I'm close with the weight estimate.

It seems there is no way around paying a custom duty on it even though I'm sending it to myself, using it and shipping it back home. And the higher value I put on the film the more the duty. I suppose I could just put a low figure on the form and hope nothing happens.

Is there something I'm missing? Another way of doing this. When I called FedEx the woman said I would have to pay the duty. Maybe this is just a cost of not doing business but pleasure in Italy.

[chris_4622]

I sent my film and tripod via FedEx and that was a wise choice. Yesterday was my most productive photographing but carrying my gear up and down these hills is a workout.

I have a few photos posted on flickr but when i upload them many are rotated even if I had the phone upright. Can anyone help with that so I can get more photos up?

If you want to see my flickr page Search my user name here over there.
Chris