We have just spent nearly two weeks touring around the island of Sicily, including a couple of nights on Lipari. Yesterday after all the members of our group had departed, in many different directions, just MBW and myself, Jamie and Annabelle (our staff) remained. We were catching the overnight ferry back to Napoli and they had a flight later in the afternoon, so we all went out for lunch, in Catania.

We know a couple of places to dine in Catania, but didn't want to drive too far from the airport, so when we spotted a sign touting lunch for 7 Euro, it caught our eye. First course, second course, vegetable side dish and water, complete. It sounded like incredible value, but knowing that many of Italy's trattorias and restaurants run a ‘Pranzo di Lavoro' (worker's lunch) during the week for 9-12 euro we weren't about to drive by. The only concern here, is that we are not local workers, and they seem to be able to spot this. MBW and I have been directed into a different dining room, to the workers, in the past, and offered a different menu, funnily enough with different prices.

We're not put off easily, and as we had the fluent Italian speaking Annabelle with us, we walked in with all guns blazing. ‘Menu Completo' we trumpeted on arrival, and sat down like we owned the place. ‘Pasta dieci minuti' (pasta ten minutes) was the reply shouted by the cook, who looked like she could take down Mr T with a variety of different wrestling holds in 30 seconds . We bided our time, enjoying the ambience of plastic tablecloths and lino flooring on the footpath. True to her word the pasta rigatoni appeared in ten minutes, melanzane, zucchini and arrabiata. Of note, probably price driven, but not necessarily, all the pastas were vegetarian. Full platefuls all'round, the first two served with ricotta, but my arrabiata was only allowed parmesan. The strict dining code of Italy rears it head, even for a 7 euro lunch.

We had a choice of secondo, from the BBQ, steak, sausages or polpette (meatballs). Knowing the Sicilians specialise in meatballs, I still had to ask if the sausages were made with fennel, but my luck was out. Polpette it was, with salad.

Twice I asked for a glass of red wine, but it never arrived and MBW made a polite enquiry about coffee, before being directed to a dispensing machine. These are the joys of dining in Italy, you just never know what you will get.

There were so many vegetables left over we wrapped them up on a plastic plate and took them with us.

Now the bill, for us, so obviously ‘stranieri' (foreigners). I stood up and asked for ‘il conto'. 40 euros the waiter replied. I gestured with my thumb in the direction of the sign out the front and bravely mentioned something about 7 euros. The waiter looked to the girl on the grill, who looked to the pasta cook, who looked at us, not threateningly, more summing us up...'thirty euros' it was announced. Euro 7.50 each, not quite what was advertised, but close enough, I paid cash, no receipt, of course.

We walked 50 paces to a bar and enjoyed a coffee before making one last visit to the airport, and down to the port for us.

I've had a request about a coffee index. I drink ‘Espresso Macchiato' which is the same price as espresso. North of Florence you will now pay 1 euro in most towns, some places, population under 5000 you may pay 90 cnets, but little less, that's the norm. South of Florence and avoiding big cities expect to pay 70 cents, we have not struck cheaper than this. Our bargain brekky the other day in Lenola, halfway between Rome and Naples (Bar Frizzy, Piazza Lago) was made up of 2 x cafe macchiato, MBW's 2 x Latte macchiato, 2 x brioche and one grappa. 5 euro ninety was the account. That's well under $10 AUD for 7 items.... can you match that?

Fuel, we've paid just under 1.30 euro per litre up to a max of 1.47, for basic diesel. The price has risen in line with the strength of the Australian dollar. Not that that's relevant.

Spaghetti Vongole Index:  I mentioned in an earlier report that spaghetti vongole served with a sea view could command 15 euro a plate... Sicily blew that to pieces. Twice I ate, over the water, for 9 euro. Sicily is still the best value, for the best food, in Italy.  Just be prepared to witness the accompanying litter, thrown from cars, dumped roadside or at picnic places.  it will surprise you.  Even before our 'don't rubbish Australia' campaign kicked off in the early 70's did we match it.     

A couple of our favorite pics from Sicily:

Leaving the port of Catania, looking towards a smoking Mt Etna

If anyone can tell me this is not John Howard, now spurned by Australian cricket, doing secret cycle training in Sicily in order to pick up a job with GreenEDGE, i won't believe them. It's him. BTW his italian was pretty good.

Lunch on Lipari, Spaghetti vongole and Melanzane Parmigiana, served with a bit of boat/port action.