Southernmost Tip of Sicily Meets Paolo Zuccarello’s Slow Food

One of my favorite coasts in Sicily lies on the southernmost tip, where the Ionian and Mediterranean seas meet.  The town of Portopalo, an old fishing town, lies along that coast.  I return to this location as often as I can and enjoy my walks along various parts of the coast.  This summer, I found a path I had never seen before, arriving on the coast from the centre of Portopalo. Parking the car down one of the roads reaching the coast from center of town, I found a gate through which I accessed a paved path which snaked its way along the coast.

Entrance point to the path along the coast

Quiet path along the coast

Fabulous uncrowded beach on a summer day

Simply beautiful!

As I reached a corner along the path where you turn and head to the final part, I made an interesting encounter. There was a refreshment stand, but it was a unique one.  The refreshment stand was a vehicle, APE, which one sees utilized for a variety of transportation purposes in Sicily.  However, this one had been set up as a refreshment stand, but one advertising refreshments belonging to Slow Food.  Slow Food is a global organization that was founded in Italy in 1986.  It basically represents the opposite to fast food and promotes local, sustainable foods and small businesses.  Here was a refreshment stand with the Slow Food logo.   When I stopped to get my espresso and talk to the owner, he informed me that he was proud to state that he is the southernmost Slow Food vendor on the entire island of Sicily. He even had signs hanging on the fence next to his stand stating  this fact.

I stopped to talk to  the Slow Food refreshment vendor, Mr. Paolo Zuccarello.  He shared stories about his childhood and was so proud of  his family traditions in the town of Portopalo.

Mr. Paolo was very proud of the fact that his family had owned  the very first coffee shop in the town of Portopalo.

Below is a picture he displays in his APE of the very first coffee shop in the town of Portopalo owned by Paolo Zuccarello’s family.

Another picture Mr. Paolo shared with me was the one below. Paolo Zuccarello as a young boy on a donkey drawn cart accompanied by his grandfather.

I must say I never cease to enjoy the inventive and friendly people I meet as I travel around Sicily!!!!!