Sogni di Sicilia

Last minute everything -- stripping the bed, gathering up bath towels, accappatoi , rugs, dish towels; final wipe down of bathrooms, kitchen, etc. I labeled and left the spazzatura on the balcony and corralled ingredients that others might use, in a box on the counter. We took a walk to get cigars from the tabaccheria , and I want some Balsamo di San Luigi for the callous I earned on my toe from walking cambered streets in new-ish shoes. Joe reminded me to take a number at the pharmacy. There was a long line. But, you guessed it; my favorite pharmacist came out from behind the counter and ushered me to another register with no line. We wished each other Buon Natale , and I told her we're leaving but will be back soon. Now back home, I grabbed the Etna white wine from the fridge, and got ready to eat our last Mariella lunch (for a while)! The elevator down to her kitchen was already perfumed with the treats that would await us. Mariella's "classic" presepe. I'm wo...

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 ...

After a relaxed start to our morning, Joe and I took off for Catania, to go to the Mercatini -- the Christmas Markets! There are six of them; I planned to hit three or four. Most are walking distance from each other. Parking on via Garibaldi, all we had to do was walk toward the landmark elephant statue, way down the street in the Piazza del Duomo . I grew up in White Bear Lake, Minnesota, where it was almost compulsory to have a concrete white bear sculpture somewhere in your house or yard. In Catania, it's the elephant. They're everywhere, but it all began with this fella. I feel I can only photograph an elephant from this angle for the next four years, out of disgust for the Republican party. A little background excerpted from Etna Experience , because I know how much y'all love history: ********** “The Elephant” is one of the legends about Etna. The elephant is the official symbol of the city of Catania, thanks to an old legend. During the Upper Paleolithic Times, a dw...