Sicilian Crepes

Invited by a dear friend, we thoroughly enjoyed our outdoor dining
experience of crepes! The lovely owner joined us
for most of the evening. We look forward to our
return to taste more crepes with a difference.

We, no, I asked if we could sit where we could view Etna
as this was when she was really showing off. The waiter
said that a house and trees got in the way. She didn't
make a sound or show off at all while we were in
the area.

Burning of the Field

A few nights ago we heard crackling. Flint was hoping it was the sound of rain drops. Alas, I looked out into the dark night, and our field was burning. I could see figures of men on the other side of the fire so I don't know if it was a controlled burn, if they were monitoring as it burned, or what. After I closed the windows, I continued to check now and then. Our landlord sprayed water on the fence and the few feet of land this side of it. How interesting to see the 'blotchiness' of the burned area in the light of day! Birds continue to fly around and pick at the ground for their food. This will be my personal study of nature recovering from a fire.

Speaking of birds....Flint saw a bird in the road take flight as he drove to work. He described it as weird with a crest, big stripes, and a thin, pointed beak. I knew immediately that is is a hoopoe (Upupa epops)....a bird that I have wanted to see ever since I saw its picture in Birds of Europe. He agreed that was the hoopoe! At least one of us in the family has seen one.

This Season's Figs!

Dear neighbor, Antonio, gave us our first figs of the season. Flint couldn't wait for me to take a picture as the sweet fig juice formed golden drops on the outside.  And Flint says, "To give you some scale, these figs were the size of plums and no smaller than golf balls."

Although we ate many of the figs fresh and raw, I didn't want any to go to waste so I made my annual fig cake. To my surprise, the recipe for the Applesauce Cake no longer appears on the box of the Duncan Hines Spice Cake Mix. However, Duncan Hines is just a website away.

I'm gathering a list of fig recipes and look forward to trying some more ways of enjoying my favorite fruit.

My inspiration for this posting is Joy of The Joy of Everyday Cooking. I met Joy through volunteering with the Navy Marine Corps Relief Society. She is, indeed, a joy...in addition to being a good Southern girl who appreciates delicious food and recognizes how gatherings revolve around it.

More fresh figs with new recipe!
From The Junior League of Honolulu, Inc.'s
Aloha Days Hula Nights
After cutting the figs, drizzle a dressing of olive oil and
balsamic vinegar; fresh basil; a sprinkle
of salt and pepper.
A new favorite way to eat figs!

Missed Arias, but a New Discovery

Flint received a verbal invitation from one of his local colleagues to attend an evening of opera arias in a small town near Nicolosi. The name of the small town and the event was in or near a hotel in Ragalna.

Our dear friend accompanied us to the town of Ragalno. We were greeted by blocked streets and pleasant polizia. They knew nothing of the opera, but they did direct us to the center of town that was blocked off with a stage. Members of the audience told us that it was for a children's dance group. While Flint and Pina continued to inquire, I visited the church. Since we didn't have any luck locating the place of the arias, we found a place to eat a bite of pizza. I don't know the name of the place, but it's run by very welcoming and gracious people. We only saw two eating places in this town of lovely houses and beautiful, lush, visible gardens. A bowl of fresh almonds accompanied the prosecco. Delicious pizza! Flint proclaimed his gelsi granita to be the best he had ever eaten.

 When Flint returned to work, he learned that the event was at the observatory in the area. We tried and know we missed some excellent music. No matter. We enjoyed a very lovely evening.

Vena

Our dear friend, Pina, invited us to go on an excursion to Vena. Vena, meaning 'vein', as there is a vein of water with healing qualities discovered by a donkey as it carried an icon of Mary.

Mercy and tenderness and God (stone by the Sacred Fountain)

Baptistry

One of my favorite churches on Sicily now...very
delicate and tranquil

Mosaic of the donkey pawing the ground where the water came forth

Mosaic of Madonna of Etna being carried to the lava flow

Madonna of Etna that was carried to the lava flow

Exterior of Santuario Sant Maria della Vena
As we drove up the curvy road, there was a beautiful view
of the church with the top of Etna behind it. Vena doesn't offer
 much other than the Sanctuary and the Fountain.
We drank cafe at the bar next door. The lady said she would
fix us a bite to eat if we would like.....



Meeting with P&J in Milo, we looked down from our
pre-lunch prosecco to see a welcome message
written in the ash.



We didn't have a clue where we would end up for lunch, but we knew
it would be delicious. We dined with a delightful
group of expats from several countries. With Flint there,
they could also add the continent of Asia. A beautiful setting and
a very memorable day.
L'Orto Dei Semplici

Kestrel Rescue

A couple of Sundays ago we came home from church only to see a bird of prey in our parking lot. The injured bird flew about two feet and just a few inches off the pavement. Since we have so many cats in the neighborhood, we were concerned for its safety. Rubbermaid to the rescue! We covered the bird with a clothes basket and slid a large lid under it. A neighbor called the police who said to bring it to the station, and they would contact someone who could care for it. Unfortunately, since we were putting refrigerated groceries away, I didn't take a picture until we arrived at the police station; therefore, the quality isn't the best. After studying  Birds of Europe, we determined the bird to be a juvenile (Common) Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus). It remained very calm, alert, and did not attempt to get away from us.

Germany......16 Years Later....More Good Times

Our inspiration for an outdoor fireplace...with the table set to continue our all-American holiday celebration, we remembered the pleasant evenings here sipping Franken wine and watching the fire crackle.

The salad-one of the best ever-came from here.

Siggy's new hobby-an apple orchard

View of 'our' house from the other side

Some things must be done a certain way, and that includes toasting.

The Grill Meister and his students

It's hard to catch Frieda for a photo as she's always working!

      Most of the crew...near the very end of the meal, rain started falling.

  We visited and ate a long time as the storm grew worse and the

lightning flashed. Herbie offered us an umbrella-with holes, he said.

Lissie and Tanja said, "NO! We couldn't walk as a local person

with an umbrella was recently struck by lightning and killed."

Tanja graciously drove us to our nearby hotel.

With one more stop at the Winkler Brau, Flint finally got his taste of schweinshaxe with knodel.

 ...and I just couldn't eat enough salads! 

Although Flint and I have been on many 'once in a lifetime' trips, we will place this one near the top of our list....  the warm reception of friends, wonderful memories recalled and the new memories that we made.

We planned to eat our breakfast at the ESSO station before the drive to the airport. Herbie and Frieda surprised us as we were checking out of Villa Toskano so they joined us there for just a bit more visiting time!

A piece of our heart remains in Hackenhofen

Germany....16 Years Later...The Wedding that Made Us Return

Helmut and Amy's wedding invitation determined that we would return to the Hohenfels area for a visit. Plus, they chose our anniversary so what better way to remember our vows?

Helmut & Amy...Beautiful bride with her
handsome groom on a gorgeous day!

Shirley, Amy's mother, who is one of the dearest people on this earth. Joe, Amy's uncle, who we had heard stories about and were honored to finally meet him.

The people from Helmut's workplace scattered flower petals along the
exit path, then each presented Amy with a red rose.

View from the area of St. Peter's Church in Kastl

At the reception:  Kultur Schloss Theuern

Flint is getting in a few more minutes visiting with Shirley.

 The custom of sawing a log in two gives an idea of
how well the couple will work together.

Balloons released for good luck!

Joe and his lovely wife, Paula.

Don't you love it when they match
a menu sign to your dress?

Our anniversary picture



Not the best photo, but one needs to know about the
Nurnberg Wedding Cup. This one was used by Amy's
parents over 50 years ago plus her four sisters and a
niece.

Our dining companions...

All delightful....

Most educators and one
recently retired

We didn't make it through all the dances or
to the midnight snacks, but we certainly enjoyed
our time and the company.

Our wish is that the joy continues forever!