How a routine trip to the winery became a day of discovery....

Our plan yesterday was to visit the nearby hilltown Castiglione di Sicilia, get some exercise by walking its hilly streets, then return to Gambino Winery to buy more wine.  We seem to always need more exercise and more wine....  

These ancient hilltowns are always dominated by the Mother Church at the highest point of the town, and Castiglione was no exception.  We parked in the public lot about mid-level in the town and started walking uphill.  After a few minutes we passed an older man in front of a small jewelery store that he appeared to be looking after, and greeted him with a "buon giorno".  He of course immediately picked up that we weren't from around there, and asked us where we were from, and when we said New York, he went into this passionate story about how he recently visited Lake-a George-a and Saratoga Spring-a and how "bellissima" it was.  He was well into his story when a younger woman, we think his daughter, came along and shooed him back into the store.  We said arrivaderci and continued our trek up the hill.

At the top of the town we inspected the mother church and a couple of others, took some pictures, and began our descent to retrieve our car.  We noticed a sample election ballot pasted on a wall with two old men arguing and gesturing in front of it.  (Today is national election day in Italy).  I asked if I could take their picture, and one of the men in pretty good English said "Where you gonna send this picture, England, Germany...?"  I said "New York..."  By this time they had crossed the street and were in front of us, introducing themselves as retired tailors, and the man who spoke English asked "did we know the Bertone Brothers in Syracuse, tailors to the stars and even Bill Clinton!"  They introduced themselves as Frank Tornatore and Giovanni LoMonaco, and we were instructed to show their picture to the Bertone Bros. next time we are in Syracuse!  Both men were from Castiglione, but Frank lived and worked as a tailor in Australia before moving back.  As Frank was telling me about meeting Frank Sinatra in Australia, Giovanni was in a full tilt Italian rant to Chris about the Cardinal of Los Angeles and what trouble he was in, and how so much money was paid, and why the Pope was really leaving office, and why there are too many political parties in Italy, and how corrupt they all are, blah, blah, blah...  so we said a quick arrivaderci...with kisses on both cheeks... and were on our way.  No, you can't make this stuff up!

We arrived back at the car and, after a couple of wrong turns we were on our way to Gambino.  They were happy to see us, and of course happy to sell us another nine bottles of wine.  As we left their estate, we decided to take a different route back to our villa, a route that would take us closer to the Mt. Etna cone that was currently active.  Stay tuned.....

Guest Blogger Joe and his I don't want to know anything about politics wife

pics to follow...