Sailing to Byzantium - 13

It is all too easy to get wrapped up in your own problems and think the worst of it but time and events always take their proper course, if not a little protracted at times. We maybe a little disappointed at or progress but last night 490 passengers were taken off the Vicenzo Florio, a Neapolitan registered car ferry en route to Palermo.

The Vicenzo Florio being hosed down by tug boats 6 miles north of Palermo

It is reported that a fire broke out in the hold 25 miles offshore and since then the vessel has been towed to a position approximately 6 miles offshore and hosed down by tugs repeatedly throughout the day in an attempt to put out the fire(s). The volume of smoke reduces intermittently and the horizon would clear every so often but not long after the ship would be engulfed in smoke once again.

Life rafts being towed ashore

We sat on the tender for half an hour and viewed the tragedy unfolding and returned to shore to venture up the town to take in the flavours and scents of a summer evening. The media report that the ship will be brought in to the port of Palermo later today, however this will not happen today as the fires have not been extinguished.

Tuna roe in its raw form for sale in the Mercatto della Ballaro

The tuna boats have all but gone pursuing their prey and the market is not short of large tuna. One interesting by product of the tuna catch is the availability of tuna roe, or bottarga, which is sold in various stages of preservation fresh, cured salted and dried. The end product varies greatly in consistency and some may be a deep dark colour while others are not dissimilar to a mis cuit foie gras. Bottarga is sold throughout the Mediterranean but principally in the places where the tuna pass. In Palermo Street sellers appear from nowhere with small stalls and wooden blocks selling this prized delicacey which can be eaten with lemon and olive oil or grated and sprinkled over cooked into spaghetti like a condiment.

A Palmeritan street seller selling Bottarga and his stall

The sea is calm this evening and there is a gentle breeze which should make it easier to deal with the disabled car ferry. We will leave tomorrow and make our way eastwards towards the straits of Messina and Greece. There has been very little wind forecast for the next 24 hours but thereafter the situation is beginning to develop. The most recent forecast we have received is giving us head winds for when we expect to pass through the straits of Messina and for the initial hours of crossing the Ionian Sea. We may not get to do as much fishing as we would like but at least we will be sailing and not as dependent on the engine.

Sailing to Byzantium - 12

Three amigos; Conor, Steve and Ian on the slopes of Mount Etna

We are coming to the end of our stay in Palermo and a small amount of tinkering and tuning remains to be completed on the new engine. The crew has assembled on board and we expect to carry out sea trials running the engine on Friday afternoon and hopefully we will depart on Friday evening making our way towards Messina.

A view of the peak from the 2900 meters level looking north

In the last ten days Summer has arrived and the midday temperatures are now soaring into the 30s. With little or now wind this sweltering heat has become uncomfortable at times and has caused us to seek some shade or alternatively the cooler airs at altitude. The extra days in Palermo presented us with the opportunity to do a day trip to Mount Etna.and to try and ascend the mountain and reach the rim. At approximately 3350 metres it dominates the City of Catania which is situated on a volcanic plain just to the south of the volcano on the eastern coast of Sicily.

We left early on Wednesday morning and arrived at the cable car station at Rifugio Sapienza at around 10 a.m.. This station is positioned at 1900 metres and the road that winds its way up the mountain was not old as it was built upon the lava flows from the 2001 - 2003 eruptions. Great expances of volcanic debris and matter have cloaked the mountainside covering and destroying everything in its path. This formidable black flow is slowly breaking down and flowers and shrubs are emerging from this bleak, unearthly but fertile wasteland.

A view of the peak from above 3000 meters looking north east

After purchasing a handful of tickets we ascended to 2500 metres by cable car. Leaving the small capsule of the cable car you felt a distinct drop in the air temperature. During the Winter the slope of the nearby lava flow is used for skiing, but at this time of year there was not much snow left and what was there was blackened with volcanic sand and red dust from the Sahara carried by the winds.

The next stage is taken by bus, which shares more characteristics with an open cast mining dump truck than a commuter vehicle. This wound its way on a volcanic ash and sand path surrounded by snow on either side up to 2900 metres passing the recently created cones of Centenari, Simone and Escriva. Upon exiting the bus the air temperature was close to freezing and as we ascended to the 2900 metre level rain had gradually turned to hail and then to snow. We were clearly not dressed for the occasion and kept warm by marching around the steep sided rim of a cone from a recently created volcanic vent. The air temperature rose and fell as we were walking clearly being influenced by the heat of the rocks we were walking upon. Every few seconds plumes of steam billowed up from the black granular rocky surface and carried away by a gentle breeze.

At 2900 meters the gently sloping lava fields around the peak were largely covered in snow. In some places the snow was over 2 metres deep but in others the snow had melted away being heated by the warmth of the porous rocky ground below. After a dull start to the morning the weather cleared and the sulphurous rim of the volcano was clearly visible crowned with clouds of steam below a blue sky. I ascended to just 50 metres below the rim and peered around trying to take in the panoramic views surrounding the west side of the volcano, but at just over 3000 metres there was very little detail of the surrounding countryside visible, and the mountainside appeared to drift away into a hazy abyss. The weather was changing rapidly and clouds of steam continued to bubble above the rim and I decended the mountainside meeting Ian and Steve at the 1900 meter level. Before long the peak was recaptured by the cloudcover and as we drove away towards Palermo an electric storm was clattering away around the darkened peak.

A solitary butterfly on the upper slopes of Etna

It is difficult to see how lfe can survive in this firey world withsulphur, ice and snow but small spiders made their way through the volcanic rubble and butterflies stood still on the snow attempting to absorb all the available solar heat. The human hold on the mountain is tenuous and temporary; houses and volcanic shelters litter the slopes as destroyed empty shells or buried up to roof level in volcanic matter.

Grib weather chart for the Mediterranean Saturday 1200 hours

The weather situation for the moment remains stable but the wind is decreasing all across the Ionian sea to the east of our postion. If we do not leave soon we will become completely dependent on the engine to get to the Greek mainland. We can expect headwinds in the Aegean and thereafter but the works must be concluded as soon as possible.

Sailing to Byzantium - 11

A box of small fish from the Mercato della Ballaro

We are still in Palermo and will remain here until various parts of the engine finally come together. While the new engine has the same bolting pattern as the old engine, the block size is a little different and as a result some parts must be fabricated locally to accommodate these differences in dimensions. I am making a fiber glass box to house the main control panel, which needs to fit into a space where the main electrical boards are located. With the temperatures in the 20s centigrade the epoxy resins should cure quickly and the box can be completely quite quickly.

The old coffee mill

We also have time for other small projects on board. I am cleaning and restoring an old coffee mill which I bought while in France. It has been knocked about a bit and incredibly dirty, but was in working order. The coffee is excellent here as the beans are not over roasted resulting in a beautiful mellow but strong coffee flavour. We currently buy our coffee from the coffee shop close to the Mercato della Vucciria. The shopkeeper has a stylish old black and white portrait of himself at the Victor Emanuel monument in Rome hanging on the wall. He has five jars containingg different varieties of coffee beans and grinds the beans in a grand old electric mill which pushes waves of everchanging pungent aromas into the shop's still air.

The milled coffee beans heat up during the milling process and the wonderfully rich intoxicating scent is the result of the natural oils being released from the beans during this process. The hand mill does not generate heat as it crushes and grinds the coffees beans with the result that the fine grounds it produces should be far superior in quality retaining the esential oils of the bean, which normally evaporate off and are lost when an electric mill is used. This is the theory and in any event I am looking forward to milling my own coffee!

Saturdays always involve a shopping adventure to the markets and in particular the Mercato della Ballaro. I had been hoping to try the ricotta cheese made here and Palermo, which is very different to the feeble excuse for the chalky and dry ricotta sold in Ireland. In Palermo each ricotta cheese is individually stored in its own basket which in turn sits in a big bath of whey. The consistency of the cheese is dense and damp; very much like a mozerella but less elastic, and it has a rich and almost sweet taste.

The Palermo ricotta cheese with egg yolks and egg whites

Purchasing this wonderful ricotta seemed to be the perfect opportunity to try a recipe I found for gateau du fromage blanc from a book entitled "Bonne Cuisine d'Aujourhui", edition du Club du France Loisirs, 1989. It could be a possible sposa bene (good marriage) of Italian and French cooking. The published recipe is not perfect as it does not describe what to do with half the sugar allocated, but I think I have solved this mystery. Also some of the ingredients were not readily accessible here in Palermo and I have substituted the coarsely ground almonds for whole hazelnuts (I have no idea how the latter could have worked).

The whisked egg whites, blended egg yokes and bowl containing the remainder of the ingredients

The basic ingredients I used were as follows; 150 grams butter, 150 grams caster sugar, 150 grams ricotta cheese, 150 grams coarsely ground almonds, 6 eggs, zest of one lemon and a pinch of salt.

Egg whites being folded into the mixture

Firstly, cream (blend) the butter with hallf the sugar. After seperating the yolks from the egg whites, whisk the yolks with the remaining sugar until they are twice their original volume. In another bowl whisk the egg whites till they form stiff peaks. Mix together the ricotta, coarsely ground almonds, lemon zest, salt, creamed butter and sugar mix and the blended egg yolks. Then gradually and carefully fold in the whisked egg whites. Once entirely combined, the mixture can be spooned into a greased sprinform tin, and then placed into a moderate oven at approximately 150 degrees centigrade. The published recipe recommended cooking the cake for about 35 minutes. However, my cake took just over an hour. The tip here is to check it after 40 minutes and treat it like a sponge using a clean knife to test if tthe mixture is completely cooked.

Cooling on deck!

Once the cake has cooled it can be released from the tin and placed on a plate. Just prior to serving, I sprinkled two spoons of icing sugar on the top of the cake which seemed appropriate and it looked the part! The book, full of recommendations, suggested serving a rose Anjou with the cake. However, we chose the Italian option once again and served it with a chilled sparkling Lambrusco rose which was a fitting end to our comfortable afternoon meal. The cake was just moist and rich, yet remained light with gentle flavours coming from the combination of ricotta, almonds and lemon zest. We have not been too greedy over lunch, and despite a few approving comments from Italian visitors on board, a good portion has been kept to one side to be served with a chillled sweet Marsala wine [Malvasia Sicilia, Duca Di Castelmonte] to take the final heat from this hot day at sunset. The harbour is still and calm, and the lights have just illuminated the roads that lead up to the mountain villages and passes that hang over this great city. Ciao!

Sailing to Byzantium - 10

A giant tuna at a pescheria in the Mercato della Ballaro

Yeats published ‘Sailing to Byzantium’ in 1928, and it is for me one of the most memorable poems from my school days. I may not be able to recite the poem in its entirety but some lines and clauses remain permanently etched on my mind and have never left me. Sitting in an antiquated and dull classroom with well worn wooden floors which were approaching a century of constant use, and gazing out through tall windows across an impoverished Dublin city, it was not difficult to cast your thoughts further afield to the bright waters and exotic life of an ancient Mediterranean city.

Byzantine history would not have been widely researched and appreciated by the 1920s, as it has resurrected itself in the last two decades. I always thought that the poem was based on some genuine experience of the East and in particular a possible visit to Istanbul. However, it came as a bit of shock when I read recently that Yeats never actually sailed to Byzantium, or visited Istanbul. Instead, the poem was inspired by a trip to Ravenna where he witnessed the golden Byzantine mosaics in the churches of Sant’ Apollinare Nuovo and San Vitale.

Many of the images I have of the route ahead to Istanbul are somewhat preconditioned by this powerfully descriptive poem. Visiting the remarkable 12th century mosaics in Palermo and at Cefalu, direct descendants of those at Ravenna, has introduced me to an enlightened medieval world which celebrated the arts, humanities and encouraged the sciences while aspiring to be the equal of Byzantium.

Unlike Yeats my journey will continue; our delay in Palermo should not be too long and we can expect to have the new engine fitted and working by the end of next week. In the meantime, explorations have continued with a view to provisioning once again with fresh food. People cram streets of the city markets where the air is filled with pungent aromas of fennel and an abundant crop of strawberries imported from Treviso. There is colour everywhere from the radiant yellows and oranges of the citrus fruit, the fragile shimmering skins of the sardines, to deepest purple red of a cow’s liver. The giant tuna fish are starting to appear in the market, dwarfing the experienced men who carefully carve them in the pescherias. For the next summer months the majestic swordfish will be temporarily relegated as the giant tuna takes centre stage.

Market vegetables

I have taken a little break from the boat this week and I am visiting Corinne in Besancon. The Franche Comte countryside is very green at this time of year. The wild garlic is in flower creating a wall of heady scent as you pass it on the country roads and lane ways. The apple blossom is likewise much to be admired. We have been travelling around visiting friends but decided to go on a little adventure to Vesoul where we were told an agricultural show was taking place. I might be become renowned for my spontaneous agricultural adventures in the future; my previous announcement to Corinne (with Mo and Christina) resulted in us departing for Virginia, in County Cavan, to visit the Pumpkin Festival.

Flowering wild garlic or Allium Ursinum

These spontaneous adventures always tend to turn up more than you would expect. We arrived at the show, le Festival de L’Elevage, and entered the main tent for the presentation and parade of the three finalists in la vache des vaches. This contest, possibly a beauty pageant, was to establish the best of the Montbeliard breed of cow in Haut Saone. After a long speech by the ring master, who had an infinite and in depth knowledge of the breed including the annual milk production figures (noted in kilos) of each cow present, the contest came to a grand crescendo and the 1500 people present were on their feet with anticipation as the chief judge ran across the ring indicating the winner of the contest by slapping the docile Montbeliard on the rear end. The ceremony was concluded with some fitting music, from the movie Gladiator (the arena scene), and the proud owner leaped into the air in excitement before leading his charge up onto the winners podium. By this stage, the poor animals thought they were on the way to the abattoir, and with a predictable loss of bodily function, they were looking anxiously around for a suitable exit. In any event, the contest passed off peacefully; the cows were returned to their straw bedded pens, where detailed notices were hung above where they lay announcing their details, including number of days of milk production per year and yield in kilos. It is a cow’s life in Franche Comte.

A traditional basket maker

Among the stands advertising, milk, cheese and meat producers were a number of stalls which allowed local craftsmen to put on show for sale their produce. There were a number of small potters, model makers and painters, but also some traditional crafts present such as farmhouse cheese makers, sunflower oil producers and a basket maker who occupied himself by making baskets.

A typical colourful "cloche" campanile on a church in Franche Comte

We returned home to a wonderful meal. Corinne announced it as her favourite which caught my attention immediately. I was brought to the table and served up some fried portions of meat. I was given some instruction, “do not to place the entire morsel into my mouth”, which of course I ignored and quickly discovered a large number of bones in my mouth. I was eating frogs’ legs, which were served with a fine Riesling from Alsace. By the end of the meal I had collected a neat pile of bones on my plate, some very tasty fingers to lick, and a satisfied smile on my face. The legs tasted very much like the meat from a chicken wing, but are a little different as they take the seasoning of flour, salt and lemon very well. There is a saying in the Haut Doubs to the effect that it is a great shame if you do not have frogs’ legs at least once during springtime. This is no exaggeration. The legs were followed by the usual cheese plate from the Haut Doubs with Comte and Cancoillotte with a munster for a little variety. This in turn was followed by some strawberries and a clear, and moderately harmless eau de vie de prune appeared not long after.

As I type Corinne is searching through my camera looking for the photograph I said I had taken if her. This is accompanied by several remarks of disapproval concerning the disproportionate number of photographs of milk producing livestock, although she must have missed the photograph I took of her with a wonderful looking Holstein and another with some piglets. We are quite close to the river Doubs and the croaking of the remaining frogs can be heard along the river bank in the darkness of the night.

The eventual winner of the Festival d'Elevage at Vesoul

Sailing to Byzantium - 9

Detail of a secular mosaic from the vaulted ceilings of the private apartments of Roger II

By the middle of the 10^th Century, New Rome or the Byzantine Empire extended as far west as the Straits of Messina. These boundaries were hard to secure and maintain; threats to this medieval superpower would emerge quick and fast principally through the Bulgars, Russians, Venetians, Avars and Slavs, Normans and Saracens who were a persistent threat.

The Normans moved south and invaded Bari by 1071. Under Roger II of Sicily [1095 - 1154] they took control of Calabria, Apulia, Capua and Sicily by means of an astute combination of inheritance, military manoeuvrings and the creation of political alliances through marriage and dowries and most possibly bribes as well, all of which were standard operating procedures in the medieval world; the Kingdom of Two Sicilies would remain intact for another 800 years. Roger II was not on diplomatic terms with the Byzantines and ordered George of Antioch, his Emir [Admiral], to carry out attacks. During 1147 Athens, Corfu and Corinth were attacked. The port of Palermo remained pivotal in the Mediterranean; trade, commerce, and routes of communication between east and west were more important than ever.

By reaching Palermo, we have not quite reached the borders of the Byzantine world but have most certainly entered its sphere of influence. The mosaics in the Cathedrals at Cefalu and Monreale, and in the Cappella Palatina and Chiesa Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio in Palermo are testament to Sicilian ruling family’s taste for Byzantine mosaic decoration on a monumental scale. The court of Roger II and his immediate successors decorated their palaces and churches with a splendour matching those of Byzantium. What remains of the architectural style and design of the other decoration also reveals a strong Islamic influence, which is not surprising when one considers the diversity of individuals, and tolerance of creed and race employed in the enlightened 12^th Century court at Palermo.

Roger II being crowned by Christ, Santa Maria dell'Ammiraglio

Among the mosaics that survive in the church of Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio there is a depiction of Roger II being crowned by no less a figure than Christ. This must have been a controversial image at the time as regents were normally portrayed being crowned by the Pope or a Bishop. In the cut and thrust of 12^th century medieval politics Roger had a unstable relationship with the papacy and this unorthodox portrayal may have been an irreverent attack on the pope for failing to recognise his crown until 1130.

Roger II commissioned the Capella Palatina in 1132, two years after his coronation and in the midst of numerous battles and sieges on the Italian mainland and shores. The mosaic decoration was added in stages from the 1140s. The Cathedral at Cefalu was commenced in 1131 but the mosaics do not appear to have been commenced until 1148. The smalln church of Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio, known as La Matorana, was commissioned by George of Antioch and was also commenced by the early 1140s. Last but not least, the Cathedral at Monreale was commissioned by William II and commenced in 1172; it was completed ten years later. Nearly every surface is decorated with in magnificent splendour of mosaic and marble on a scale which is quite remarkable. The mosaics are a great testament to a masterful atelier of Mosaic workers, presumably Byzantine craftsmen. However, I have yet to discover on what terms they were retained for their work. Were they commissioned and patronised for their work in the normal way? Or was an atelier of mosaic workers taken captive in the same way George of Antioch seized the Jewish silk workers from Thebes?

Chist Pantocrator, Monreale

To a large extent the decoration and images conform to a formula tailored to the requirements of the multi faceted Norman interiors; the domes of the churches and apses of the Cathedrals are decorated with Christ Pantocrator. Beneath the churches hemispherical cupolas and decorating the lower register, niche like pendentives, and supporting arches are in hierarchical order the prophets, angels and evangelists. Appearing above the aisles of the Cappella Palatina, Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio and the Cathedral at Monreale, and in proximity to the scenes from the Old and New Testaments, are cycles relating to the lives of Saint Peter and Saint Paul.

Deorated Cupola and suports at Santa Maria dell'Ammiragglio

A detail of the mosaics and structure at Santa Maria dell'Ammiraglio

The decorated cupola and supports at the Cappella Palatina

Photographing the mosaics in these locations has been a challenge. The light changes constantly and every image is different in colour and tone due to the variations in available light; as the suns rays are interrupted by small amounts of cloud cover being blown rapidly across the sky, resulting in an assortment of images as the light waxes and wanes. Often it was possible to sit and watch as colours, elements, definition and perspective changed by the second. At Cefalu there were very few people in the cathedral, six or seven. A woman stood up and silently moved towards the front of the nave. She straightened her arms by her side and began a Latin castrato chant With the opening two bars she found the right pitch and harmony as the chant found its perfect place in the firmament of mosaic in the tall Norman Cathedral as the soft clouds moved overhead and the waves rolled onto to the long sandy beach of Cefalu.

The Apsidal end at Cefalu Cathedral

A view of Cefalu

Roger II chose to decorate his private apartments in the Palazzo dei Normanni which also houses the Cappella Palatina. The walls and vaulted ceilings capture every available ray of light in the dimly lit room and shimmer with their golden mosaics decorated with arabesques portraying leopards, lions, peacocks, griffons and centaurs. Representations of archers hunting deer, stylised palm trees and vegetation all combine to make a sumptuous environment.

Detail of a secular mosaic from the vaulted ceilings of the private apartments of Roger II

The Cathedral of Monreale is one of the greatest extant examples of Norman Architecture. It was begun in 1174 by William II and in 1182 the church, dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. The mosaics follow a similar pattern to those in the Capella Palatina and record a number of stories and episodes form the life of Christ, the Old Testament, and cycles relating to the lives of Saint Peter and Saint Paul. Other roundels and decoration depict the saints, but notably William II is also depicted in much the same way as his grandfather being crowned by Christ.

The apsidal end of Monreale Cathedral

The building of the tower of babel

The covenent of the rainbow, Monreale

Jacob's dream, Monreale

The Chiesa San Cataldo offers a stark contrast to the other Norman 12^th century churches and a reminder of the age that created them. It is situated beside La Matorana on Piazza Bellini. This church was commissioned in 1160 by Maione da Bari, an Emir in the service of William I, Roger II’s successor. The unpopularity of Maione da Bari was widespread and he was assassinated in the same year while in the company of the Bishop of Palermo, Hugh of the Mill; the plots and intrigues at the court in Palermo were clearly every bit as interesting as those in Byzantium. Without patronage the church remains undecorated to this day apart from the inlaid marble floors. However, the lack of decoration in the interior still leaves this space being is one of the most atmospheric and peaceful spaces among the Norman churches in Sicily.

The interior of San Cataldo

The Arab-Norman exterior of San Cataldo with the campanile of Santa Maria dell'Ammiraglio in the background