Heartversary by the Sea

I woke up at 6:45 and thought, no way. Try to sleep a little more. And I did, and it’s now 9:45! Unfortunately, during this time, Vincenzo was trying to get ahold of us to return Lilliana’s forgotten phone to Catania and we didn’t get the messages. So today starts with me feeling a bit worthless!

But it’s June 3rd. A year ago, my sister convinced me to get some shortness of breath checked out; maybe it was a reaction to the Covid vaccine? Nope. I was having a heart attack. The doc said an ambulance has arrived to the clinic; I’m going to the ER immediately. I was surprised. 

It ended up being the best case for this type of situation. It wasn’t an attack as much as it was a Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy. A mouthful, right? Also known as a Stress Cardiomyopathy, or, a Broken Heart Syndrome. The doc said it was 1000% due to stress, and I’d better figure some things out STAT. The other doc asked if there had been any major events that could’ve triggered it. Yes, Doctor. There have been. Yes. About a hundred things. Let’s repress last spring.

Although I’m living to tell the tale, and grateful to do so, I notice my physical self has changed. I once could bound hills and push wheelbarrows of bricks and do intense workouts. I’m not quite back to that yet, nor do I know if I ever will be. I get tired. But, I’m in Sicily, with a loving 2-year-old who can’t get enough of seeing me, and I’m eating farm fresh ingredients every day. Those are all good things for my heart health. And, Joe is here to share it all with me. Life is good.

Along the worthless vein, I discovered, when picking up Joe’s forgotten sunglasses from Vincenzo at his office, Mariella and Andrea are at the vineyard house, prepping and cleaning, all while we go play. I got ahold of Andrea and said I will accompany them next week to help. We move to the  vineyard house, where it’s cooler, at the end of the month.

Typical snag getting off residential streets; this time, a delivery vehicle trying to park.

We made it to the Catania shoreline, and it was worth the wait. Our room wasn’t yet ready at Grande Hotel Baia Verde, so we grabbed lunch on the terrace of the over-priced hotel restaurant (the food and service were good, however).

Pool terrace

Lifeguard

Ragazzi allo scoglio — kids at the rocks

Spotting the swimmers

Lunch al aperto

Our room was ready right after lunch. A quick change, then to the pool!

Room with Sea view

Saltwater pools are where it’s at! Soooo soft and clean. When I was a city environmental commissioner, we studied the conversion from chlorinated to saltwater pools for municipal buildings. It’s astounding, really. The health benefits of saltwater are many, but the one fact that stood out was seeing gross stagnant murky lake water, and that was the healthy choice for your body versus chlorinated water. We wouldn’t put an orchid or a silk blouse in chlorine—why do it to our bodies, full of pores and openings? I’m happy to know Vincenzo has converted the pool at the vineyard to saltwater. Anyway, it feels soft and refreshing after all the heat we’ve been feeling.

Can you spot the Pingatore?

As we got our chairs and towels, Orazio, the “pool boy,” struck up a conversation. I asked about sunbathing on the rocks, and if I could rent snorkeling equipment to bring to the sea below us. 

“Sei Maltese?”

Now; that’s a new one. Italian is Malta’s second official language.

“Lo parli bene e lentamente, come le Maltese,” he observed. I’ve also been told by Maria Grazia’s (Joe’s friend in Rome) guy friend that I speak Italian well, but slow (for an Italian). As I told Joe, this is the same pace in which I speak English. Italians tend to talk with some velocity.

In any case, I’ll take looking like a Maltese (or last night’s Bolognese) here!

The cave and rocks on the descent from the pool

The briny

I like this watercolor style

Old Sicilian fruit cart

Caves, rocks—scuba and snorkeling paradise

Aci Castello 

We visited Aci Castello in January. It was pretty then; it’s really pretty in bloom. From where we’re staying, Aci Castello is a 35-minute walk up the coast. I read about Ristorante Bettola in the main piazza, and we set off on foot to grab a bite to eat. They didn’t really have online reservations, but I sent an email earlier, inquiring about a table around 8:15-8:30.

We got there; they were booked. I said I tried to reserve, but could only send an email. I spelled out my last name, and soon afterward, two waiters carried a table and two chairs outside for us.

We had sarde beccafico, spaghetti with fresh rock shrimp and pistachio pesto, and the entree was hand-chosen from the fresh seafood cart—orata. No pics, because we demolished everything upon contact. 

Throughout our meal, the town entertained us. I posted videos on Facebook (3 June 2022), since it’s less torture than trying it on this app, but see if the one posted below actually works. 

In the piazza, there was what I swear is a Greek dance group, practicing and performing at the piazza’s edge. I was ready to jump in and join the circle!

Seaside walk to Aci Castello

Signs that I miss my sis

Dancers in piazza

Castello

Afterward, a stop for gelato, then back to the hotel.

Pistachio gelato

Dancers, soccer, families 

Castello

Bouncy tent in an alley, because, you know—it’s Friday

For various reasons, the day wasn’t necessarily a breeze, but at least it had a breeze. Only positive thoughts! I don’t need to bookend a year with another cardiomyopathy incident.

Now for some much-needed non-sweltering sleep, and with luck, sogni d’oro.