Australian Gourmet Traveller - (05)May 2019 (1)

Ondayswhentheonlyfishavailablehasbeen

flownin,I choosespaghettiwithpestomade

fromislandcapersandpistachionuts.

Ontheoppositesideoftheisland,Pantelleria’s

maintownis worthavoiding.Knowntothelocals

asPaese,thetownwasoncea labyrinthofpebbled

lanewaysandlow-slungbuildingsbutwasheavily

bombedin 1943 byAmericanforces,andtheold

townis nowa hodgepodgeofpanickedarchitecture.

(Anotableexceptionis theTunisian-inspired

ParrocchiadelSantissimoSalvatorechurch,

designedbyGabriellaGiuntoli.)

Beyondthedailyquestforfood,I spendlanguid

dayschasingthesunwhilehidingfromthewind.

It comesfromalldirections,eachwithitsownname

andpersonality,andthesegalescanshapeanisland

itinerary.WhenthehotsiroccoblowsfromAfrica,

I takeshelterinPantelleria’snorthernoutcrops:Cala

Levante,andthebeautifularchedArcodell’Elefante

or,if it’sreallyblowing,theportofGadir.When

themistralrattlessouthfromtheRhôneValley

beforeshootingacrosstheMediterranean,I head

tothesouthernswimmingholesatScauri’sport

orlighthouse.

Theringroadis onlyabout 50 kilometres,soit’s

quitefeasibletobookendeachdaybywatchingthe

sunrisefromandsetintotheocean.Aftersunrise,

myfavouriteritualtakesplaceat PanificioTerremoto,

a bakeryinthebackstreetsofKhamma,inthenorth-

east.It makesexcellenttraditionallocalspecialties,

includingtheintricatemustazzoliPanteschi,a semolina-

basedsweetbiscuitflavouredwithlemonandwarm

spices,andbacioPantesco,a “sandwich”ofpuffed,

deep-friedwafersfilledwithricottaandcinnamon.

“ThelifehereinPantelleriais mainlymadeof

traditionsbecausemaybewelikecontinuityinlife,”

saysownerGiovanniBillardello,whohasbeen

bakingat PanificioTerremotoforthepast 50 years.

Hepointstothebakery’scentralfeature,anold

wood-firedoven.“Thisovenwasbornbeforethe

Second World War more or less, and continues

tobestill‘alive’today.”Billardellois amongan

oldergenerationupholdingtheisland’straditions.

“Itis difficulttogetawayfromPantelleria,”hesays,

“becauseonceyouhavebeenthereforthefirsttime

youfallinlovewithit immediatelyandyoucannot

helpbutgoback.”

Pantelleria’svolcanois nolongerregardedas

active,andyettheplaceremainsfullofvolcanicenergy

• gasseepsfromrockwallsandfuelnaturalsaunas
  inthemountains,nutrient-richmudinthelakeand
  hotspringsbythesea.Thiscomplexgeologycanbe
  appreciatedona boattour,wheremyguidepoints
  outlayersofrockandtakesmetoa hiddencove;I
  diveinandswimoverpatchesofheatedwater.Inland,
  theislandis dottedwithruins,including 57 preserved
  sesi,orstonetombs,datingtotheBronzeAge.
  Theinternetdoesn’talwaysworkonPantelleria.
  Thehirecarsarebeaten-upandthere’lllikelybeno
  phonereceptionafterit rains.Andyettheisland’s
  raw,ruggedbeauty– neitherItaliannorAfrican–
  andanairofbeinguntouchedkeepdrawingmeback.
  Theritualsandsocialgatheringsandfeastsdon’t
  revolvearoundbriefholidayseasons,butthePanteschi
  welcomeexpatsandtravellersregardless.Youngpeople
  arereturningtotheisland.Thoughthere’s no future
  tense here, the future looks bright.●

Clockwise,

fromtopright:

a guestroomat

CortePantesca;

roadsidevendor,

Pantelleriatown;

bacioPantesco

atPanificio

Terremoto.

136 GOURMET TRAVELLER

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Trapani Palermo

Pantelleria

Sicily

Reggio

Calabria

Tunisia

Malta

Tyrrhenian Sea

Mediterranean Sea

Salina LipariPanarea

Stromboli