Etnapolis, Sweaters, Wine, and a visitor

After a morning of trying to find my B12 injection medicine and a little bit of organizing my belongings in the process, Joe and I decided to go to Etnapolis. The car Is available, and he wants to get a new sweater.

There's a lot of gray today, with just a 15-minute drizzle, but it was enough to keep me from the Wednesday market. I'd better get there next week.

Off to Paternò for some shopping. 

Etnapolis, anchored by the Home Depot equivalent, Leroy Merlin, and Conforama, a place to outfit your home with sofas, beds, electronics, and more, is a serene mall with beautiful stores and kiosks offering good things to eat.

Joe's favorite store, Bucolo, is a men's clothing store. They have beautiful, high-quality items and, if you time it right as we did today, great prices. I think Joe assumes I'm getting a kickback, since I try to upsell. It's true; I like seeing nice things on him! So his one sweater turned into two sweaters and a dress shirt.


Sicilians, especially the Catanese, are proud of their volcano. This wall art is in the hallway to the toilets.

I'm happy to see the old-fashioned concept of a kids' rides area. I remember begging my parents for the horse ride!

Natalizia

We then went to, believe it or not, another Deco. The one here is enormous. We stocked up on wine.

Shrouded Etna on way to Etnapolis 

Clouds and Fury on the way home

Home for a simple lunch of bread, charcuterie, and cheese, as it was already past 1:30.

Joe worked this afternoon, I compiled some things for later reference, and we were about to start happy hour, when we heard the door handle jiggle. 

"Kah-yen!!! Jof-sup!!"

In walked tousle-headed Matteo, all smiles, ready to play. I first read him Maurice Sendak's 'Where the Wild Things Are,' before he needed physical ACTIVITY. Some toy playing, throwing, kicking. Building fortresses with small plastic cups (and knocking them down). Running. Throwing Joe into the never-will-die mustard-color recliner sofa, and flipping the toggle to throw him backwards. Repeat. 



His capricious grin, little "triangle feet," and mischievous attitude remind me so much of my nephew Sam at that age!

Elena came to claim him around 8:45; I started a pasta Palermitana supper around 9:00 pm. Dishes, disaster clean up, jammies on, and to bed.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Riparo Cassataro

Image
Fields Off the menu pasta Harvester's fire Recycling collection stops traffic I think this is Riparo Cassataro; we may never know. Goats Goat on a fence Another goat I never tire of this volcano I began some wash this morning, after having trouble yet again using the door key, and also with starting the washing machine (it turns out it simply was unplugged). I had fumbled, hitting all the buttons before figuring that out, so once it started, it appeared I put it on the “takes forever “ cycle.  So, we set out this morning to visit a mysterious place, Riparo Cassataro, only 15 minutes away by car, according to GPS. In fact, it was so mysterious, we never found it—or at least didn’t get close to it. This journey (and perhaps the end result) was reminiscent of dragging Laura and Megan through thick and thin to find the mysterious tracks at Clapham Junction in Malta. As Megan says, “pretty snails tho”. We got to an area which looked like a small bastion (oxymoron?) of jutting rock upon...
Read more

Buon viaggio party

Image
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...
Read more

Tennis, Houses, Paternò & Morricone

Image
Elena came up to greet us, after being in Dusseldorf for three days. We got her caught up on what we're doing and what needs to be done over the next few days, then she grabbed more Christmas things from the attic and went back to her apartment to decorate. I cleaned the lower bathroom, always a chore, and got out for a walk to take another look at houses. I will do my homework before we return the next time, although Rosalba's place is making the most sense. This house is on the road behind Bistrot, which I discovered overlooks the belvedere  The grotto is setting up for tomorrow, Feast of the Immaculate Conception  Poinsettias everywhere right now Even the vehicle colors are Christmasing Usually there are cylinders of gas on  display upon the steps, and a man and this woman take breaks and smoke there.  I'm always a little afraid to walk by when that's happening  A pic of my entrance onto v.V. Emmanuele to hold me over until my return You can buy produce after...
Read more