02 February 2026 – Monday – A day in Mazara Del Vallo

We left the hotel around 8:45 to travel to Mazara Del Vallo. The city is a mixture of Italians and Arabs. It had lived under Muslim rule for 200 years before being retaken by Christians. We walked through the casbah, a typical Arab layout of streets meant to make the town more easily defended. Narrow winding streets would force invaders to be single file. There were some low arches that kept a rider from being on horseback. 
The central area of the old town had been damaged by an earthquake in the 1960’s. It was abandoned for many years allowing drug addicts, prostitutes and gangs to take over. Finally, a mayor decided to clean up the area. The mayor who was an artist arranged for 15 artists to decorate the walls with painted tills placed in groupings and as single pieces along streets. There was also a competition to paint pictures on the rolled down metal store grates. There are lights with lampshades hanging above the Main Street. B&Bs are popping up. Of course renovations are difficult because the narrow streets make it difficult to bring things in and out. But the charm is slowly returning. 

We moved on to the Museum of the Dancing Satyr. A local fisherman who was dragging his nets about 150 miles offshore at a depth of 1500 feet pulled up first a leg and later the body of what was found to be a 2000 year old Greek statue. We watched a movie showing the meticulous cleaning that took place in Rome before the statue was returned to Mazara to the museum. The piece is beautiful. 

As we left the museum we were joined by a man who walked us into an old theater that had been used for storage but was now gently renovated. He told us the story of the theater and then turned on a speaker for music and with our help sang the song Volare. Next he introduced to us the captain of the boat that had found the dancing Satyr. He talked about how he recovered first the leg and then months later he found the body of the satyr. We learned that after about 6 years, he received a reward for finding this incredible antique. But he had to share it with the boat owner, his crew, and ultimately his wife who insisted it be used for their daughter’s weddings. 

We went on to split into 3 groups to have lunch with different families. I ended up having lunch with the boat captain and his friends. It was a simple delicious meal. He had a friend who was our interpreter. We enjoyed a nice meal of various antipasti, a pasta dish with tuna and broccoli. Sliced orange and panettone was dessert. We returned to our bus very well fed.

After a short return to our hotel, many of us walked down the street to watch the sunset. It’s always fun to watch the sun disappear into the ocean. 

Patricia and I walked up the Main Street to an oenoteca (wine bar) to taste Marsala. The shopkeeper was very knowledgeable about the history and process. I learned that the best Marsala doesn’t get exported because there is no real market for it, and it is expensive. It was very tasty. 

Patricia and I walked to a recommended fish restaurant to share a meal. We shared a caponata, a pasta with red shrimp, and a cassata dessert. Each dish was outstanding. We were glad to share each portion after having eaten a sizable lunch. The cassata was ricotta cake with orange marmalade and shaved chocolate. Lack of appetite didn’t stop us from
finishing it. What fun! 

Tomorrow we visit the salt pans. It should be fascinating.