Sogni di Sicilia

Today started slowly, with some tidying up the house and finishing yesterday's blog.  Outside the monestary, Piazza di San Francesco got some Christmas-ing. We decided to have lunch out, trying Red Fish without ordering the pranzo completo , but ordering a tomato and baby shrimp antipasto and a grilled orato (to split) to order. Joe got a glass of house white to wash it down; I had a lovely mineral water. Orata  It was a good lunch, but I think they charged us incorrectly, as it came to twice as much as usual. It was a tough day regarding money things; I had to go for a long walk to clear my head.  The town was hushed. Although that's somewhat normal for the ora del pranzo , It was incredibly quiet today, as if everything was set on velvet. Even my footsteps seemed muffled. It was peaceful. White Castle??! I stopped in one last time at Decò, wanting to get chocolate covered orange peel for Mariella. People we're buying up poinsetta alla   misura del albero -- the s...

Mariella called after her Pilates class, ready to take me to the Geox at Centro Sicilia, but I asked if Joe and I could take the Cleo and go on our own, as we had some other shopping to do. I didn't want to put her out, and I didn't want to have to hurry. She said yes, and then a rapid fire of words I didn't understand, then we saw her heading off to the cemetery as we were getting into the Cleo.  This particular roundabout in Misterbianco has often been a thorn in our side. Google or Apple Maps rarely get the directions right, and we often, and by that I also mean today, end up in what I told Joe, "feels like a Spir-O-Graph". Although we went off track toward Paternò, it's nice to look up from the back roads and see a Norman castle through the fencing Finally arriving at Centro Sicilia, Joe found a good parking spot despite the place being incredibly packed on a Monday. Whenever I go there with Elena, she asks, "Don't these people work?" Maybe t...

I got in very few walking miles blocks steps today. Spending the morning catching up on yesterday's blog post and today's emails, and asking Elena's assistance on a few things, it was ora del pranzo at Mariella's before we knew it. First course, pasta with red sauce; second, chunks of vitello and pork sausage with grilled zucchine. There was technically a third course; rabbit, slow-cooked with vegetables, which Joe ate, but I was too full. Ficodindia and panettone for dessert. I brought a bottle of Nerello Cappuccio to accompany the meal. What a feast! Since we didn't get to Geox to exchange my jacket earlier, and today marks the 30th day of their 30-day return policy, Vincenzo and Mariella offered to go to Catania (yes, again!) early, before meeting the friend group, so I could make the exchange at the Geox on Corso Italia. I was secretly thrilled, since that is a flagship store, and it is beautiful. I took a short nap after lunch, then started clearing things ...