Scopello

       Saturday, June 20th we took a trip to Scopello with some dear friends here.  Scopello is a teeny little tourist town in the province of Trapani on the coast of Sicily.   It is well known for its clear waters, and snorkeling is very popular here.  The tonnara, where we went to swim was also used as a set in the movie “Oceans 12”.   (Shawn was disappointed, because on a previous mission trip, they wanted to swim here, but the area was closed due to filming.)    There are large rocks underwater and you can see all the way to the bottom, even in the deep water.    We stayed for several hours, swimming around and laying out in spite of an overcast sky.  We decided to go to lunch in Scopello  (Which is smaller than downtown Mt. Crawford.) Off a small side street was a little restaurant, which specialized in “pane di casa” (homemade bread).  Unless you knew it was there, you would have never seen this little place.  There was a small seating area located in a garden, beneath some fig trees, and a little storefront where you placed your order.  It was a thick crusty bread with cheese, olive oil, tomatoes, basil, and anchovies on it.  I skipped the anchovies on mine.  It was very good, filling, and inexpensive.  After we finished eating we wandered through the center of town, and washed our hands at the very cold fountain.  It was charming and picturesque, and not very touristy yet.  The time spent with good friends was refreshing and enjoyable.  We finished out the afternoon by stopping for dessert and flavored iced tea at a local bar.  The dessert was called ravioli alla ricotta, a hot, fried pastry with ricotta and chocolate chips melted inside.   It was delicious and very messy.  At one point I had it all over my chin, hands, purse, skirt, and knee.  Well worth the mess, however, and I provided a good laugh for our friends as they helped me clean up.  We were relaxed and very full as we headed back into Palermo.