We started today hoping our streak of bad luck with places being closed would end, because today we were headed to Modica, famous for its local chocolate and for one shop in particular where it is all made by hand.  After again driving around for what seemed like forever to find a parking place (and then taking a while to figure out that we had to go into a tobacco shop to buy a parking ticket), we were pleasantly surprised to find said chocolate shop not only nearby, but open.  Also, it was just noon, or we could have been foiled as usual by siesta time.  There were maybe fifteen or so bowls of small chocolate squares set out on the counter to taste, flavors such as cinnamon, vanilla, orange, lemon, pepper, cardamom, and every strength of cacao up to 100%.  After checking every flavor carefully (some more than once), we got several bars.  Then, cleverly remembering that if we wanted lunch we needed to get it done before 1:00, we found a panineria just in time (hey it takes a while to sample and choose between all that chocolate) to pick up a sandwich to go before it closed.  Lunch would be a picnic later down the road, because we had successfully spoiled our appetites with all that chocolate.

From Modica we wandered along a provincial road through a lush green valley, stopping for our picnic lunch just beside what turned out upon inspection to be a field of artichokes.  As usual throughout the interior countryside, there were massive but decaying old stone buildings on many hilltops.  We drove through Enna, the highest town in Sicily, which has a rather large Norman fortress perched on top, but the usual view of Mt. Etna in the distance was obscured by haze and ominous clouds.  Craig had noticed on the internet last night that Etna had erupted the day before with some ash expected, and we suspected the haze was volcano-induced.  (Fortunately the mountain had allowed us to play golf during a quiet interlude.)  More beautiful green country followed as we sped along the autostrada back to Cefalu.  Phyllis has been getting more comfortable with faster speeds on the superhighways, just as our last road trip comes to an end.  Cefalu was sunny and warm upon our return, raising prospects for a more crowded spring weekend to come.